Is augmented reality the future of farming?
Imagine a farmer being able to tell a paddock’s pasture cover and dry matter content just by looking at it, or accessing information about a cow’s body condition score in the same way.
Farmers take advantage of them for looking at stock in distant locations, checking water lines for leaks or looking at arable crops for drainage, pest or fertiliser issues.
One thing stopping many from adopting the technology is the belief that they are difficult to fly, easy to crash and that you may need to have a ten-year-old nearby to help you, which may raise eyebrows in some circles.
A new starter kit from DJI sees its Phantom 4 quadcopter offering new technology such as obstacle avoidance and object tracking.
Dual cameras and proximity sensors detect any obstacles, such as ill-placed buildings, trees or even tractors, will bring the unit to a hover before impact, then move forward after re-plotting a new route.
Claimed to have 25% more battery life than the previous series 3 model, the machine has a top speed of 72km/h, around 28 minutes flying time and can relay images from 5km away.
The camera, which is mounted in a 3-axis, u-framed gimbal for enhanced stability, can shoot ultra HD video at 30 frames per second, full HD at 120 frames per second or can take 12 megapixel photos.
Flight management systems make flying, and avoiding things, a breeze with a 'follow-me' option for following a target, a course lock for restricting flight patterns, waypoint navigation and a feature called home-lock. In this mode the machine is tied to a base location with the option to pick a point of interest which keeps the unit circling above a specific area for best photo or video capture.
Ease of flying is also enhanced with 'active track' which keeps the drone automatically following an object as it moves, and allowing the operator to focus on getting the best from the camera, while 'tap fly' allows the use of a mobile device screen to pick a destination to which the machine will fly, then continuing the journey by tapping further points on the screen.
The final function is a return to home feature which brings the unit home safely, while also recognising the range left in the battery pack, and starting a return flight path so it is not left stranded somewhere.
