7.4 Plan for Spraying
Farmers can use spraying drones to speed up and automate tedious tasks. This technology allows critical components of precision farming to occur around the clock.
7.4.1 Spraying Details
The spraying plan allows the user to set various parameters for smooth operation. These parameters are discussed as follows:
Turnaround distance: Distance increases at the corner of polygon.
Altitude: Set the Mission altitude at a required height to minimize the spray drift.
Spraying speed: sets the minimum vehicle speed (in cm/s) at which the pump will operate. Default is 100 meaning the pump will begin when the vehicle is traveling at or above 1m/s.
AeroGCS KEA 2.3 provides the facility to enter altitude and speed of vehicle as well as speed of spraying in decimal points as shown in the above image.
Pump Rate: controls the pump rate (expressed as a percentage) when the vehicle is traveling at 1m/s. By default, this is 10%. The pump rate increases linearly with the vehicle speed meaning by default the pump will reach 100% at 10m/s.
Turn Angle: Polylines are turned by this angle. AeroGCS KEA 2.3 provides a scroll bar to adjust the turn angle. The value of turn angle will be displayed on the right-hand side of the bar.
Spacing: Adjust the spacing between two polylines. '-' and '+' signs are used to reduce or increase the spacing between the polylines. The maximum spacing allowed is 10 m.
Add Rally points: These are points that introduce the additional security for landing the drone. The user may enable or disable this option. The maximum number of rally points allowed to add is 6.
Heading: The user can enable the heading position of the device by enabling this option.
7.4.2 Spraying Statistics
Spraying area: display the total spraying area.
Spraying distance: The total distance covered by a drone for spraying. It will increases with the selection of the cross-grid option.
Spraying Time: The total time required for spraying the selected area is known as Spraying Time. The spraying time for cross-grid will be more as the drone has to move on a longer distance.
Fence: It is mandatory to provide a fence for every plan. So, after setting all these parameters, the user has to add the fence points and then save the plan and move further to flying the drone. AeroGCS KEA 2.3 provides a fence automatically on the selection of fence bar.
The Spraying plan will be completed as shown in the image below.
7.4.3 Obstacle Avoidance Functionality
This functionality provides the obstacle avoidance feature to AeroGCS KEA 2.3. This functionality is only possible for the spraying type of flight type. The sources which are to be protected from spraying the chemicals can be avoided by using this functionality. the sources include wells, lakes, or any other such reservoirs. Select the spraying plan for flight and then select the polygon tool provided on the screen as shown in the following image.
The user can handle single or multiple obstacles in the spraying plan. To save the obstacle plan click on the symbol to save. After saving one obstacle plan the user will be able to create a new obstacle plan. Such multiple obstacle plans are handled as shown in the image below.
The areas marked as obstacle plans will be avoided by a drone during the flight. Thus, the water resources will be protected from spraying chemicals.
The drone will follow the path except for the marked boundaries as an obstacle avoidance plan during flight. The user can protect his vehicle from such known hindrances.
Deletion of the obstacle plan is also possible. Click on the delete option below the polygon as shown in the image below.
Click on 'X' to delete an obstacle plan. After deleting the obstacle plans, the spraying plan looks as below
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