This Quantix hybrid drone & AV DSS data analytics ecosystem will be used in a wide variety of precision agriculture research studies.
One of the nation’s most innovative drone companies wants to get its advanced technology in the hands of more and more college students — all in the name of academic research, applications, and crop production practices to improve the future of farming. To this end, AeroVironment Inc. donated more than 90 Quantix hybrid drone & AV DSS ecosystems to the agricultural departments of 35 universities throughout the U.S., including Purdue University, The Ohio State University, Cornell University, University of Louisiana-Monroe, University of Florida, University of Georgia, North Dakota State University, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, and many others.
Participating universities will employ AeroVironment’s Quantix hybrid drone & AV DSS data analytics platform in a variety of in-field trials, application usage studies and precision agriculture systems research covering areas such as crop nutrient & input management, artificial intelligence for detecting weeds, pests and diseases, and improved accuracy of crop yield prediction. Participating universities will share their hands-on experience, along with use-case insights that can improve in-field performance and advance the adoption of drone-based technologies for the agriculture industry.
Featuring automated precision flight operation and an innovative VTOL (vertical takeoff and landing) hybrid design, Quantix is purpose-built for crop scouting and can survey up to 400 acres in just 45 minutes. During flight, integrated sensors capture high-resolution color and multispectral imagery via dual 18 megapixel cameras. On-board processing wirelessly transmits true color and NDVI imagery to the included operating tablet as soon as the drone lands, allowing growers to investigate issues while still in the field. For more detailed analysis, Quantix seamlessly integrates with AV DSS to perform advanced image processing and data analytics, including True Color, NDVI, GNDVI, canopy coverage, anomaly detection and more, providing users with deeper insights into plant emergence, vegetative health, inputs, and resource management.
“Working with industry leaders such as AeroVironment allows our program to stay on the forefront of the UAS field,” said Paul Karlowitz, director of operations, University of Louisiana Monroe’s Precision Agriculture and UAS Research Center. “The donation of two drones to our program will allow us to provide outstanding hands-on experience to our students.”
