Introducing the revolutionary technique of vertical farming that enables urban food production, even in areas where land availability is scarce. While vertical farming is a game-changer, a major challenge it faces is the inspection of plants located at great heights, inaccessible to humans. However, with the advent of modern technologies like drones, equipped with advanced machine learning algorithms and gas/environmental sensors, this issue can be effectively tackled. These drones have proven to be a perfect fit for conducting plant inspections at high altitudes, making vertical farming a practical solution for meeting the increasing demand for food in urban areas.
Introducing a breakthrough project where a drone was initially designed to use Visual SLAM with the Realsense T265 camera for autonomous navigation. However, the drone's vibration caused severe safety concerns, leading to unpredictable crashes. Despite multiple attempts at vibration dampening, the issue remained unresolved. Subsequently, the team discovered the IndoTraq HSKT wireless 3D indoor tracking system, which proved to be a better alternative for the drone's autonomous navigation.
The next challenge was to employ machine learning with the BME688 sensor to detect sick or diseased plants. Although the BME688 sensor had the ability to identify unhealthy plants, the drone's artificial wind made it impossible to sample individual plants accurately. Nevertheless, the project was successful, with the drone navigating autonomously to plants located high up and providing images for future inspection.
Looking ahead, the team plans to use machine learning to analyze the captured images automatically, identify the sick plants, and alert supervisors. With this project's success, the team has opened doors to new possibilities for optimizing plant monitoring and growth with innovative technology.
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