Vision-based monitoring of orchards with UAVs

Abstract

We present an autonomous aerial system which can safely navigate inside the rows of an orchard for crop inspection, yield estimation and similar farm management tasks. Our operating environment has two practical constraints: GPS signal can be unreliable close to the ground and the trees can grow large branches that might block the robot's predetermined path. To address these challenges, we developed components for navigation, vision-based obstacle detection and avoidance and path planning for visual coverage. Results from a field demonstration in an apple orchard are presented showcasing the ability of our system to perform successful navigation and complete yield coverage of apple tree rows.