Research bio: Thomas Tiidus
Thomas is a second-year MSc Geomatics student whose research uses camera sensors mounted on Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs, aka drones) to observe and monitor the health of apple orchards.
~ Above: “Image of Thomas with the UAV used for the research”
The UAV flies three different types of camera sensors over orchards to obtain data, which is then put through computer algorithms to identify information such as which trees may be suffering from lack of water, as well when trees need to be watered.
Types of camera sensors: - a HD digital camera to obtain true colour images and to generate a Digital Elevation Model (DEM) of the orchard. - a Near Infrared (NIR) camera to create a Normalized Vegetation Differential Index (NDVI) to estimate of the biomass of the plants. - a thermal camera to measure plant temperatures.
Understanding precisely when trees need to be watered helps an apple grower conserve water and maximize their fruit yield. Apple growing is a highly competitive industry, and Ontario growers are faced with many challenges, including climatic variability and change. Thomas’s research is the first of its kind in Canada, and promises to teach us more about the potential for using UAVs and camera sensors in Ontario agriculture.
Great work Thomas!
Graduate student of Dr. Robert McLeman