Lesson 1Thermal imaging basics for plant water stress and canopy temperature readingIntroduces thermal imaging principles for farming, explaining emissivity, calibration, and weather effects so pilots can read canopy temperature patterns and spot plant water stress with steady, repeatable measures.
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, flight time, and trade-offsLooks at payload weight, power use, and fitting options, showing how sensor choices affect flight time, steadiness, and data quality, and how to handle trade-offs between sharpness, coverage, and platform limits.
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 features: RGB, multispectral (bands and widths), thermal, and hyperspectral basicsExplains key features of RGB, multispectral, thermal, and hyperspectral sensors, including bands, widths, sharpness, and light measure depth, and how these affect plant measures, stress spotting, and data work 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 settings: height, ground sample distance (GSD), image overlap, side overlap and effects on map accuracyDescribes how height, GSD, front overlap, side overlap, and flight speed affect image clearness and map accuracy, and how to pick settings that balance sharpness, coverage, processing load, and farming decision needs.
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 plant measures and needed sensors (NDVI, GNDVI, NDRE, SAVI, TCARI/OSAVI)Reviews main plant measures, including NDVI, GNDVI, NDRE, SAVI, and TCARI/OSAVI, explaining needed bands, usual farming uses, and sensor picking to match crop monitoring goals and budget limits.
NDVI basics and red plus NIR requirementsGNDVI and chlorophyll sensitivityNDRE for early stress and dense canopiesSAVI and soil background correctionTCARI/OSAVI for chlorophyll estimationLesson 6Time planning: best flight frequency linked to growth stages and irrigation timesCovers how crop growth stages, irrigation times, and weather drive flight timing, helping you set best revisit frequency and time of day to capture steady pictures that match key growth stages and management times.
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, regulation checks, NOTAMs, airspace, and farm-specific permissionsDetails pre-flight safety routines, regulation checks, NOTAM review, and airspace types, plus farm-specific permissions and coordination, ensuring missions follow flying rules and protect workers, equipment, and crops.
Regulatory requirements and pilot recordsChecking NOTAMs and airspace classesSite surveys and obstacle identificationBriefing farm staff and bystander safetyEmergency procedures and abort criteriaLesson 8Picking criteria: multirotor vs fixed-wing for 60-hectare multi-field operationsCompares multirotor and fixed-wing UAS for 60-hectare multi-field farms, focusing on coverage speed, flight time, takeoff and landing needs, and operation complexity to help practical platform picking and fleet sizing choices.
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 9Usual flight patterns, mission planning for centre pivots and drip areas, and battery logisticsOutlines good flight patterns for centre pivots and drip-irrigated blocks, including lawnmower and radial paths, plus battery planning, staging, and quick turnaround workflows to keep coverage and cut 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
