Hyperspectral Imaging UAV
Engineering
Electrical and Computer Engineering (Senior Design Project)
The growth of crops is essential for civilization and other species in the food chain. The demand for food continues to increase and so will the demand for crops, thus requiring more effective ways to grow produce. By developing a system that can monitor and inspect crop conditions autonomously, farmers can grow their products more efficiently.
Currently the simplest way farmers monitor their crops is by physical inspections, meaning the farmers physically go to their farm and check every plant. If the farmer has acres of land, physical inspection of the whole farm will be very time consuming and laboring for the farmer. With the use of an autonomous UAV with hyperspectral capabilities, a farmer can get information about his farm never before available with less physical strain and in considerably less time. Since the method is low cost the farmer will also be able to monitor the fields more frequently.
The goal of our senior design project is to develop a low cost Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) capable of producing hyperspectral maps designated areas. Presently, hyperspectral cameras on the market are too heavy for mounting on small UAVs and can be expensive. The project aims to use an ultra-lightweight, cost efficient MEMS Fabry-Perot Interferometer (MEMS FPI) to replace the hyperspectral camera. The MEMS FPI can be used as a tunable filter to analyze a variety of light waves. By tuning the filter on the MEMS FPI we can capture a range of wavelengths that can replicate the results of a hyperspectral camera. The final product of the project will allow the UAV to map fields and collect humidity content, nutrient content, as well as other data, mainly, but not limited, to farmers.
