A new drone, developed in Denmark, with the help of two cameras and QR codes can monitor any individual plant’s condition in vertical cultivation. The drone was developed during a school project by a group of students at the Aarhus University School of Engineering.
The presentation video for the project:
Jeppe Andersen, one of the students responsible for the design: “Our drone is capable of monitoring the growth of every plant, thus ensuring everything runs smoothly.”
The project started in collaboration with Nextfood, a company that develops technological cultivation systems for vertical farming. The drone was tested in Vesterbro in Copenhagen.
No need for sunlight
The plants that were used during the project did not need sunlight or soil. They were instead exposed to red, white, and blue LED lighting, which was adjusted to fit the needs of the plants. This is where the drone comes in: it flies around between the plants and recognizes them through their QR codes. Afterwards, the drone makes an image analysis of the plant in question.
Anders Gregersen, one of the students: “Through image analysis, the drone can tell us if the plant is ready for harvest, and is able to identify any growing problems the plant might have.”
Cultivation in the city
Mathias Bech Helnæs, one of the students: “If we can cultivate our crops on multiple floors underground without the use of sunlight and minimal water, then this could be an important step in solving the food problem. It makes it possible to move cultivation to the cities since it will enable cultivation despite climatic conditions. The transport of food will also be minimized by doing this.”
Source: landbrugsavisen.dk