On January 30, Shropshire’s Harper Adams University hosted a one-day seminar by the National Centre for Precision Farming (NCPF) focusing on unmanned aerial systems (UAS) in agriculture. The event, which ran on the same day as the official opening of the Agricultural Engineering Innovation Centre (AEIC), in which it was held, was attended by delegates from engineering organisations throughout the UK.
UAS – a brief history
Battery-operated fixed-wing and rotary blade UAS are available commercially. UAS can be remote-controlled or can fly autonomously based on pre-programmed flight plans, collecting large amounts of imagery data and video in a short period of time. In the agricultural sector the data collected has the potential to support increased productivity.
Historically associated with military operations, UAS are now used in many civil applications, from archaeology to fire detection and policing and even in filming mountain-based Winter Olympics events in Sochi.
While a fixed-wing system can fly for around one hour, in winds up to 45 kph, it has no ‘hover’ capability, and requires space for launch and landing. Rotary systems have shorter flight-times (up to 50%) and can only fly in lower wind speeds. They can hold position, however, and achieve more height variation. With each system, the additional weight (payload) carried, be it camera or sensors, will quickly drain the battery. As lighter frames and chassis are designed, flight times can lengthen and payloads increase. A variety of companies offer equipment for sale, or hire, in order to provide enhanced data in agriculture and other industries.
Weather conditions, battery duration and overall weight must all be taken into account when planning to employ a UAS, for example in crop surveillance. Most ‘light’ UAS currently weigh around 10kg and can take an additional payload of up to 2.5kg. The flexibility and detail that UAS offer in comparison to ground-based assessments of land use and performance are significant.
Professor Simon Blackmore FIAgrE PhD, Head of Engineering at Harper Adams, opened the seminar, welcoming the 28 speakers and commercial partners; and a further 64 delegates, who included agronomists, farmers, academics, members of research organisations and UAS equipment developers.
Interviewed after the event, Professor Blackmore said: “The National Centre for Precision Farming is based here, and this UAS seminar highlights one of the special interest groups that we are promoting. The strong attendance reflects a growing interest in high tech in agriculture and specifically in the opportunities that UAS can offer. As precision farming spreads in Northern Europe, the take-up of once innovative technologies, such as auto-steer and on-the-go fertilizer applicators, is significant. UAS is a new tool that we aim to develop in our goal of protecting food production and sustaining the environment.”
He added: “Agricultural engineering is multi-disciplinary. We need many forms of engineering, from electronic, chemical and mechatronic, to mechanical and structural, as well as robotics. It’s highly applied, and also draws in animal, biological and crop knowledge. We are also employing new technologies – such as 3D printing, which can provide lightweight components – to offer solutions. UAS is an area within agricultural engineering which is experiencing rapid change.”
The seminar’s speakers included Professor Sandor Veres of the University of Sheffield, who provided a brief overview of UAS; Gerry Corbett of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA); Dr Mark Palmer of Agrovista, who illustrated the benefits of UAS in precision farming; and Professor Anthony Furness of the NCPF, who discussed UAS as a platform for integrated sensing and ‘big data’.
Presentations were also delivered by two former research students of Harper Adams University. Marc-Alexandre Favier, MSc Mechatronic System Engineering illustrated his findings on the use of UAS in precision livestock farming, including pasture-management and animal tracking and mustering.
Jonathan Gill, a Robotics and Automated Systems graduate, with experience as a pilot in unmanned underwater systems, has set up his own company, building and operating UAS. He spoke at the seminar about the economics of development, use and maintenance of UAS and the attributes of fixed wing versus rotary blade vehicles. He, along with other speakers, commented that material costs will reduce and UAS’ capabilities increase over the next few years, making them more accessible and, importantly, allowing the data obtained to achieve its value particularly for the agricultural community.
No specific qualifications are required to operate a UAS, explained Gerry Corbett of the CAA, but there is a UK and European framework within which those controlling UAS must comply. The ‘pilot’, albeit working remotely, is responsible for the safe operation of the equipment, and must retain ‘visual line of sight’ with the UAS at all times.
A live demonstration of rotary and fixed-wing UAS, as well as a variety of footage, was provided by KOREC, which supplies surveying, mapping, machine control and geospatial positioning technology to a variety of industries.
Representatives from Ursula Agriculture Ltd, based in Aberystwyth and Salisbury, who partnered with the NCPF to hold this seminar, gave an overview of UAS capabilities and current usage in precision arable farming. Members of the company were on hand during the demonstration session, and also as part of the seminar, to explain the services offered, and illustrate some of the machinery and analysis that Ursula provides.
Professor Blackmore added: “Often, new technologies are a result of ‘market push and technology pull’, but in the case of this agricultural system, engineers are pushing to see what can be achieved, and offering those in farming a new service, and technology, that they haven’t experienced before. High-resolution images, taken in real time and on demand, can help those in the farming community to understand what is happening in their fields and, according to the data obtained, to make the best decisions.”
Lord de Mauley, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for natural environment and science, conducted the official opening of the Agricultural Engineering Innovation Centre (AEIC), home to the NCPF.
The Environment Minister said: “Harper Adams’s new £2.9m centre for precision agriculture is a world class example of the innovation and agricultural engineering expertise we have in the UK. We need to do all we can to translate research into new products, processes and technologies if we are to increase the competitiveness of the agricultural sector, address the challenge of food security and enhance the environment.”