Low-cost multispectral camera for Precision Farming Application

The main goal of this proposal is improving the adoption of precision farming in small farms.

Small farms share 67% of all farms in the EU, and small farmers need to adopt digital technology to get efficient and resource-friendly sustainable farming.

Unfortunately, adoption of that technology is relatively low, especially with small filed sizes, due to large initial cost of necessary equipment. This research will overcome the financial barrier with the development of a new low-cost multispectral camera.

The main hypothesis is that, contrary to the common commercial solution, the multispectral camera can be achieved using combinations of camera's spectral response and spectral response of the triple-band filter. This idea is a new approach to multispectral imaging.

Designed low-cost multispectral camera together will thermal imaginer will be mounted on a drone and a few farms will be monitored during one agricultural season. Acquired data will be the basis for developing an algorithm for classifying the state of the plants. After classification, a designed decision support system will suggest appropriate agricultural activity in the field.

All previous results will be unified in smartphone applications with a friendly user interface.

This research will provide infrastructure for wider adoption of precision farming, which is crucial for maximizing production and quality, the efficiency of nitrogen use and minimizing environmental pollution, especially due to nitrate contamination of drinking water and aquatic ecosystems.