Outside of current contracts we also have internal research projects to keep the consultants at the front edge of the technology wave.
Autonomous Aerial Imaging
We've explored and tested the use of unmanned aerial vehicles as a platform for aerial imaging, using a hexcopter built from opensource hardware and piloting software. This platform could be used to take pictures of a predefined area. Afterwards the pictures would be combined in software into a single aerial image of the entire area.
Image Analysis of Vegetation
We've studied using software to analyze images taken in the Visible to Near Infrared range to reveal useful agricultural information. Analysis of these images allows us to calculate the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index, which provides information about plant health, locate field tiles and find areas of excessive moisture, and calculate the nitrogen levels in corn.
Backbone Box
We've designed and built a hardware device built around a Raspberry Pi. The Pi controls the hardware and acts as a server for a GWT application with the UI controls, allowing the hardware to be controlled from anywhere with an internet connection.