Lesson 1Thermal imaging basics for plant water stress and canopy temperature interpretationIntroduce thermal imaghin principle fi agriculture, explainin emissivity, calibration, an environmental effect so pilot can interpret canopy temperature pattern an detect plant water stress wid reliable, repeatable measurement.
Emissivity, calibration, and radiometric accuracyInfluence of sun angle, wind, and humiditySetting temperature ranges and color palettesGround truthing with leaf and soil measurementsInterpreting stress maps for irrigation zonesLesson 2Payload considerations: sensor weight, endurance, and trade-offsExamine payload weight, power draw, an mountin option, showin how sensor choice affect endurance, stability, an data quality, an how fi manage trade-off between resolution, coverage, an platform limit.
Payload mass, center of gravity, and balancePower consumption and flight time impactsGimbal stabilization and vibration controlSwappable payloads for flexible missionsWeatherproofing and dust protection needsLesson 3Sensor characteristics: RGB, multispectral (bands and bandwidths), thermal, and hyperspectral fundamentalsExplain key characteristic a RGB, multispectral, thermal, an hyperspectral sensor, includin band, bandwidth, resolution, an radiometric depth, an how dese influence vegetation index, stress detection, an data processin complexity.
RGB sensors and true color crop assessmentMultispectral bands, bandwidths, and indicesThermal sensor resolution and NETD basicsHyperspectral cubes and narrowband analysisRadiometric resolution and bit depth effectsLesson 4Flight parameters: altitude, ground sample distance (GSD), image overlap, sidelap and effects on map accuracyDescribe how altitude, GSD, front overlap, sidelap, an flight speed affect image sharpness an map accuracy, an how fi choose parameter dat balance resolution, coverage, processin load, an agronomic decision need.
Relating altitude to GSD and resolutionFront overlap, sidelap, and tie point densitySpeed, motion blur, and shutter settingsAccuracy needs for different crop decisionsConfiguring parameters in mission plannersLesson 5Common vegetation indices and which sensors are required (NDVI, GNDVI, NDRE, SAVI, TCARI/OSAVI)Review major vegetation index, includin NDVI, GNDVI, NDRE, SAVI, an TCARI/OSAVI, explainin required band, typical agronomic use, an sensor selection fi match crop monitorin objective an budget constraint.
NDVI basics and red plus NIR requirementsGNDVI and chlorophyll sensitivityNDRE for early stress and dense canopiesSAVI and soil background correctionTCARI/OSAVI for chlorophyll estimationLesson 6Temporal planning: optimal flight frequency linked to growth stages and irrigation eventsCover how crop phenology, irrigation schedule, an weather drive flight timin, helpin yuh define optimal revisit frequency an time a day fi capture consistent imagery dat align wid key growth stage an management event.
Linking crop growth stages to flight timingCoordinating flights with irrigation eventsChoosing time of day for stable lightingBalancing revisit frequency and budgetSeasonal calendars for major cropsLesson 7Pre-flight safety, regulatory checks, NOTAMs, airspace, and farm-specific permissionsDetail pre-flight safety routine, regulatory check, NOTAM review, an airspace classification, plus farm-specific permission an coordination, ensurin mission comply wid aviation rule an protect worker, equipment, an crop.
Regulatory requirements and pilot recordsChecking NOTAMs and airspace classesSite surveys and obstacle identificationBriefing farm staff and bystander safetyEmergency procedures and abort criteriaLesson 8Selection criteria: multirotor vs fixed-wing for 60-hectare multi-field operationsCompare multirotor an fixed-wing UAS fi 60-hectare multi-field farm, focusin on coverage rate, endurance, takeoff an landin need, an operational complexity fi support practical platform selection an fleet sizin decision.
Coverage rate and endurance comparisonsTurnaround time and battery swap logisticsTakeoff, landing, and field access limitsWind tolerance and stability in farm windsPlatform mix strategies for multi-field workLesson 9Typical flight patterns, mission planning for center pivots and drip zones, and battery logisticsOutline efficient flight pattern fi center pivot an drip-irrigated block, includin lawnmower an radial path, plus battery plannin, stagin, an turnaround workflow fi maintain coverage an minimize downtime.
Lawnmower patterns for rectangular fieldsRadial and spiral paths for center pivotsAdapting routes to drip and irregular plotsBattery capacity, cycles, and sparesField charging, staging, and rotation
