Category Archives: Research

Estimating Fall-Harvested Alfalfa Yield with UAV–Based Multispectral and Thermal Images

A study supported by the United States Department of Agriculture–National Institute of Food and Agriculture aims to evaluate the efficacy of simple linear, multiple, and robust regression methods to predict fall-harvested alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) yield using unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)-acquired multispectral and thermal images. Continue reading

Korea Research Institute Drone Communications ISO Standards Prevent Risk of Collision

The lack of a single communication standard among drone makers has made it difficult for information to be shared between drones, but a Korean research team has found a solution. The Korea Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI) announced that four contributions related to the ‘Unmanned Aircraft Area Network’ were established as international standards at the International Organization for Standardization (ISO*) meeting in Vienna, Austria.
* ISO/IEC JTC1/SC6(communication and information exchange between systems) Continue reading

Marine Biologists use Drones to Affix Suction Cup Tags to Whales

A team of marine biologists affiliated with several institutions in the U.S., working with a colleague from Mexico, has found that it is possible to use drones to affix suction cup tags to whales as an alternative to doing it manually. In their study, reported in the journal Royal Society Open Science, the group tested the use of an uncrewed-aerial-system-based tag deployment system with free swimming whales. Continue reading