results. Additionally, because farms are generally located in
scarcely populated areas, privacy and safety issues regarding
drones are much less of a concern.
There are two main areas in which UAVs assist farmers. The first
is with GIS, and typically utilizes a fixed wing style of drone air-
craft. They do not require as much power, which helps them
stay in the air longer. By gathering data from infrared sensors
and stitched image files, farmers are able to efficiently map the
farm, estimate crop yields, assess plant health, identify weeds
or diseased plants, record plant growth, and measure hydration
levels. All of this information is then analyzed and used to make
the best crop management decisions. Prescriptions for fertiliz-
ers and pesticides can then be selectively applied to individual
plants in an improved field plan. This is where the second type
of UAV aircraft comes in. Helicopters or multirotors capable of
carrying a payload are used to spray various prescribed formu-
las, row by row, precisely onto only those crops that need it.
Successful UAV precision agriculture programs are found in
Canada, Brazil, and Sweden, but the standout model is in Japan.
The Japanese Agriculture Ministry commissioned Yamaha to
develop an unmanned aerial system for agriculture in 1983. The
Yamaha RMAX unmanned helicopter has been spraying crops
since 1991. Today, the RMAX sprays 40% of Japan’s rice fields,
approximately 2.5 million acres. Their yield increase has been
estimated as high as 30% while maintaining an impeccable
safety record. Drones will indeed revolutionize farming.
Search and Rescue
Drones have assisted many times in the successful location of
missing persons, whether the incident was due to a natural dis-
aster, abduction, or simply getting disoriented and lost. A UAV
equipped with a high-resolution camera or infrared sensor can
search hundreds of acres in a matter of minutes. To cover the
same area on the ground would take dozens or hundreds of vol-
unteers hours or even days. The initial period of time from when
a person is first reported missing is the most crucial, and mobi-
lizing resources early can make all the difference in finding them
alive.
Real-World Applications 175
Содержание Belinda Kilby
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Страница 153: ...Figure 9 10 Compass setup Figure 9 11 Compass calibration ArduPilot Mega APM Setup 141...
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