Mechatronic System for Spectral Monitoring of the Crops Vegetation Status

Abstract

This paper presents a mechatronic solution for monitoring the crops vegetation status. A data acquisition system containing different types of sensors (multispectral, temperature, plant height, GPS) is placed on a terrestrial mechatronic platform that is carried by a tractor or on an UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle). The multispectral sensor offers information about the reflectance, for discrete wavelengths, necessary to compute the so called vegetation indices. They are correlated with the degree of development and plant health, thermal and water stress, pests, fertilizer need and so on. Knowing these information, a timely intervention is possible, allowing to supply water, pesticide and fertilizer in the proper quantity, at the proper time and in the precise place, leading to major economic impact and significant environmental protection. Geographical information are used for geo-referencing the acquired data, so that the thematic maps to be generated.