ARS | Publication request: HIGH-RESOLUTION MULTISPECTRAL DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY USING UNMANNED AIRBORNE VEHICLES

Submitted to: Biennial Workshop on Aerial Photography, Videography, and High Resolution Digital Imagery for Resource Assessment Proceedings
Publication Type: Proceedings/Symposium
Publication Acceptance Date: November 17, 2005
Publication Date: March 10, 2006
Citation: Hunt, E.R., Walthall, C.L., Daughtry, C.S., Cavigelli, M.A., Fujikawa, S.J., Yoel, D.W., Ng, T.L., Tranchitella, M.C. 2006. High-resolution multispectral digital photograpy using unmanned airborne vehicles. In: Proceedings of the 20th Biennial Workshop on Aerial Photography, Videography and High Resolution Digital Imagery for Resource Assessment, October 4-6, 2005, Weslaco, Texas. 2006 CDROM.

Technical Abstract: An Unmanned Airborne Vehicle (UAV) from IntelliTech Microsystems, Inc. was fitted with five down-looking digital cameras, an up-looking quantum sensor, and computer controls based on GPS position. The cameras¿ internal near-infrared filters were removed and external narrow-band filters at 550, 610, 676, and 780 nm wavelength were fitted over the lens. Colored tarpaulins were used to calibrate the images; there were differences in digital number for a given tarpaulin between dates. On a single date, tarpaulin digital number was related to light level. UAV¿s can be launched in narrow windows of good weather, fly large fields in preplanned patterns, and deliver the data rapidly to the user at lower cost, making these data particularly suitable for precision agriculture.