Application of Unmanned Air Vehicles in Agriculture

Cell:        404-­‐406-­‐6601                                                                                  Email:    ec@guidedsys.com                                                                                            www.guidedsys.com  

Dr.  J.  Eric  Corban  Founder  and  CTO  

In  collaboraBon  with  

Guided Systems has over 20 years of service to the DoD & Aerospace Industry in the design, development and implementation of advanced Guidance, Navigation & Control Systems. Our Mature, Patented Adaptive Control Methods provide Robust, Full-Envelop Guidance & Flight Control for Missiles, Munitions, Launch Vehicles, Aircraft, Spacecraft, and especially, Rotorcraft. This advanced automation technology is now employed by Guided Systems to deliver a family of fully-automated unmanned helicopter systems for diverse civil and commercial applications that include disaster response, geophysical survey and agriculture.

Automation Technology

Advanced

Over  3,000  Produced  by  Cloud  Cap  for  Fixed  Wing  UAVs,  Now  Available  for  RotorcraC  through  Guided  Systems  

SL Autopilot

Integrated Autopilot Hardware Includes GPS-Aided

Inertial Navigation Solution &

Spread Spectrum Data Radio

(Various Frequency Bands Available)

Graphical User Interface Software Provides for Mission Planning and Execution

When coupled with Laptop and Omni-Directional

Antennae, Provides Complete

Portability

•  Point  &  Click  Flight  Planning,  3D  Views,  Waypoint  InserBon  •  MulB-­‐Vehicle  OperaBons  from  a  Single  Operator  StaBon  •  Telemetry  and  Operator  Input  Archiving  and  Replay  •  Terrain  database  supporBng  DTED  and  SRTM.  •  IntegraBon  with  Web  Mapping  Servers  for  ElevaBon  and  Imagery.  •  Status  bar  ALERTS  for  health  monitoring.    Audio  Alarms.  •  CustomizaBon  by  Guided  Systems  (including  Language  TranslaBon)  •  Largely  Common  with  Fixed  Wing  Version  

Briefcase-sized Ground Control Station

PROVEN ADAPTIVE AUTOMATION SOFTWARE FOR ROTORCRAFT BY GUIDED SYSTEMS

Typical Unmanned Helicopter System Guided Systems’ All-Electric Model SiCX-10E Unmanned Helicopter System Outfitted with an Imaging Payload      

Flight  Time  Limited  to  30  Minutes  

What is an Unmanned Air Vehicle (UAV)  

• Military  Versions  are  oYen  referred  to  as  Drones  

•  AutomaBon  technology  allows  removal  of  the  human  pilot  from  the  cockpit,  hence  the  nomenclature  “unmanned”  

• With  the  pilot  removed,  the  vehicle  size  can  be  reduced  down  to  that  required  to  carry  the  payload  of  interest  

• Much  smaller  aircraY  result,  that  are  much  less  expensive  to  procure  and  operate,  leading  to  great  economic  opportuniBes  

Options for Remote Sensing for Agriculture  

• Satellite  Imagery  

• High-­‐AlBtude  Manned  AircraY  

• Unmanned  Air  Vehicles  

Yellow  and  green  diagonal  track  is  the  result  of  excess  nitrogen  applicaBon    

Imaging  chlorophyll  florescence  for  vegetaBon  stress  detecBon.    Images  taken  using  a  UAV  flying  at  150m  with  mulBspectral  imager  

Turn-­‐Key  Automated  Helicopters  IncorporaBng  MulBspectral  Imagers  for  Agriculture  

In  CollaboraBon  with  

UAV Remote Sensing Benefits  •  High  ResoluBon  Images  •  Ability  to  Operate  Below  the  Cloud  Cover,  Schedule  for  Best  Days  •  Collect  Data  at  Very  Frequent  Intervals  •  100%  Coverage  •  Early  DetecBon  of  Problems  of  NutriBon,  Drainage,  Insects,  Disease  • Minimize  Damage  to  Crops,  Minimize  QuanBty  of  Applied  Resources  • Maximize  ProducBvity,  Conserve  Resources  •  Increase  Profitability  •  Improve  Crop  Quality  (Detect  OpBmal  Harvest  Time)  • Minimize  Environmental  Impact  •  Improve  InternaBonal  CompeBBveness  

   

Mission Planning  •  The  flight  alBtude  is  selected  based  on  consideraBons  such  as  the  FAA  regulaBons,  the  desired  image  resoluBon  and  the  flight  Bme  available  

•  The  Take-­‐off  and  Landing  LocaBons  are  IdenBfied  

•  Lines  of  Travel  are  laid  out  (using  a  paiern  similar  to  mowing  the  lawn)  

•  The  Speed  of  Travel  is  Specified  

•  The  interval  at  which  to  snap  the  pictures  is  calculated  

•  Response  to  an  Emergency  SituaBon  is  Specified  (e.g.  Loss  of  Radio  Link)        

Processing the Imagery  

•  CollecBon  of  Raw  Images  •  SBtch  together  a  Mosaic  of  the  Images  • Georeference  the  Image  •  Isolate  the  Field  of  Interest  •  Calculate  Indices  Such  as  NDVI  •  Compare  with  Previous  Data  Sets  • Analyze  to  idenBfy  problem  areas  •  Prescribe  correcBve  measures  

Guided Systems also produces much larger and more capable unmanned helicopter systems    

•  Remote  sensing  for  very  large  farms  

•  Precision  Spray  ApplicaBon  

SiCX-75

Gasoline-Powered Unmanned Helicopter System    

•  75  lbs  of  Useful  Load  (fuel  and  payload)  

•  Fits  in  the  back  of  a  pickup  truck  

•  Carry  an  imaging  payload  for  many  hours  

•  Cover  a  very  large  area  

•  Also  Precision  Spot-­‐Spraying  of  High-­‐Value  Crops  

SiCX-290 SiCX-250 Unmanned Helicopter System

•  Removable  kit  (currently  entering  test)  rapidly  converts  single-­‐seat  Mosquito  light  manned  helicopter  to  fully  automated  unmanned  system.  

•  Hercules  avionics  suite    and  24V  alternator  upgrade  

•  Useful  load  aYer  conversion  of  as  much  as  248  lbs  (296  lbs  for  SiCX-­‐290)  

•  OpBonal    external  fuel  tanks  to  provide  for  range  extension  

When  you  need  an  affordable  useful  load  capability  of  several  hundred  pounds  or  more,  manned  to  unmanned  conversions  o8en  make  the  most  sense.  

UAV AUTOMATION & MISSION CAPABLE SOLUTIONS

+1.770.898.9100  630  Red  Oak  Road  

Stockbridge,  Georgia,    USA  30281  

 www.guidedsys.com  

For  more  informaBon  contact:  J.  Eric  Corban  (cell  phone:  +1.404.406.6601,  email:  ec@guidedsys.com)