#9 - Drone Analysis Revolution

Drones in Agriculture, Photogrammetry, A Week with Turtle

Drones in Agriculture

Drones are revolutionizing agriculture in many ways. One of the most promising applications is crop health monitoring. By utilizing photogrammetry, analysts can use drones to capture high-resolution images of crops. These images can then be analyzed to detect signs of stress, disease, or nutrient deficiencies in crops. With this information, growers can make more informed decisions regarding fertilization, irrigation, and pest control. Furthermore, this same photogrammetry process can be used to create precise maps of fields that growers can use to optimize planting patterns, fertilizer and water use, and yield estimates. By analyzing the data from drone imagery, growers can gain a comprehensive understanding of their crops and the factors that affect their growth.

In addition, drones are proving to be a valuable replacement for traditional crop duster planes. Unlike planes, drones can precisely spray affected plants without needing to dust the entire field. This targeted approach to crop spraying can increase yields and reduce costs on pesticides and plane fuel. Moreover, the use of drones can minimize the environmental impact of pesticides. With drones, farmers can ensure that only the necessary areas are sprayed and that the amount of pesticides used is minimized.

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Photogrammetry, how does it work?

Photogrammetry allows you to digitize an entire scene in 2D or 3D, which you can then use for analysis. The first step is capturing good data, which requires ensuring that your photos have enough overlap for the mapping engine. Overlap requirements vary by project. Once you upload your photos to your mapping software of choice, the "Calibration" phase begins. During this phase, the program utilizes feature matching (which is why overlap is so important) and accounts for camera lens corrections. It's important to consider factors like moving, reflective, or homogenous surfaces when shooting, as they can cause issues in the process.

Next, multiple images are used to create a point cloud in the "Densify" phase. At this point, the software estimates the depth of pixels by matching corresponding pixels in pairs of stereo-rectified images and using the disparity to estimate that pixel's depth. After this comes "Meshing," in which an accurate mesh is created through the point cloud. Lastly, "Texturing" applies a high-resolution texture from the source images to the mesh.

Self-directed photogrammetry project of the Ceres Water Treatment Plant. Orthomosaic map processed from 333 photos

Photogrammetry has various useful outputs, including Orthomosaic maps (a metric image viewed from directly above, which is very useful for planning and measurements), point clouds (useful for 3D analysis and volumetric evaluation), 3D reconstructions (can be viewed from any angle, making inspections much easier and any changes over time much easier to track), and the elevation model (another ortho view showing height from the ground).

A Week with Turtle

This week was a test of willpower. On Monday, I decided to go to the gym every morning at 6 AM. On Tuesday, I followed through on that commitment and also got approved to volunteer at my daughter's school. I'm very much looking forward to that. I was also able to go fly and shoot while Luna was in dance class and got some great shots.

On Wednesday, I streamed in the morning. Was a good time editing photos and flying in the sim. I met a nice fellow from Argentina with whom I've since had a conversation in DMs. Unfortunately, my car broke down that evening and needs a new engine and transmission. I'm unsure at the moment if it is covered under warranty. Since I didn't have a vehicle, I spent Thursday working on the house after my gym session. I completely removed a 30-foot-long row of 20-foot-tall cape honeysuckle trumpet bushes. Let me tell you, that was a pain in the ass.

Found on Google Images. This is close, but mine was a bit worse.

On Friday, I was too beat from 10 hours of yard work to go to the gym (I'll give myself a pass this time), and still no vehicle, so I spent the day educating myself. I completed 6 courses on DroneDeploy certifications. At this rate, I'll have all the certs by next weekend or sooner.

My Notion tracker for DroneDeploy Certs. 1 Task = 1 Course Remaining

I recently finished reading "The Stoic Challenge" and highly recommend it. The practices I've implemented from this book have already produced positive results in my day-to-day life. I find that I am much calmer when dealing with setbacks, viewing them as obstacles to be overcome rather than sources of frustration. At least that's the philosophy I'm trying to embrace.

I've also started reading "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance," which I'm enjoying so far. I'm on a path of personal enrichment and hope to inspire others to join me.