Estimation of chlorophyll content in Brassica napus based on unmanned aerial vehicle images

The chlorophyll content has a direct effect on photosynthesis of crops.In order to explore a quick and convenient method for estimating the chlorophyll content of Brassica napus and facilitate efficient crop monitoring,we measured the actual value of chlorophyll with a SPAD-502 chlorophyll detector,and collected aerial images of B.napus with an unmanned aerial vehicle(UAV)carrying a RGB camera in this study.The total number of 270samples collected images were divided into regions according to the planting conditions of different B.napus varieties in the field.Then,according to the empirical formula,there were 36 colors’characteristic parameters calculated and combined.To estimate the chlorophyll content of rape,189 samples were included in the modeling set,while the other 81 samples were enrolled in the validation set for testing the accuracy of this model.After the combination of R(red),G(green)and B(blue)color channels,the results showed that the color characteristics B/(R+G),b,B/G,(G-B)/(G+B),g-b were highly connected with the measured value of chlorophyll SPAD,and the correlation coefficient between the combination based on B/(R+G)and SPAD value was 0.747.With R2=0.805,RMSE=3.343,and RE=6.84%,the regression model created using random forest had superior outcomes,according to the model comparison.This study offers a new method for quickly estimating the amount of chlorophyll in rapeseed and a workable reference for crop monitoring using the UAV platform.

Automatic area estimation of algal blooms in water bodies from UAV images using texture analysis

Algal blooms,the spread of algae on the surface of water bodies,have adverse effects not only on aquatic ecosystems but also on human life.The adverse effects of harmful algal blooms(HABs)necessitate a convenient solution for detection and monitoring.Unmanned aerial vehicles(UAVs)have recently emerged as a tool for algal bloom detection,efficiently providing on-demand images at high spatiotemporal resolutions.This study developed an image processing method for algal bloom area estimation from the aerial images(obtained from the internet)captured using UAVs.As a remote sensing method of HAB detection,analysis,and monitoring,a combination of histogram and texture analyses was used to efficiently estimate the area of HABs.Statistical features like entropy(using the Kullback-Leibler method)were emphasized with the aid of a gray-level co-occurrence matrix.The results showed that the orthogonal images demonstrated fewer errors,and the morphological filter best detected algal blooms in real time,with a precision of 80%.This study provided efficient image processing approaches using on-board UAVs for HAB monitoring.

A Systematic Literature Review of Machine Learning and Deep Learning Approaches for Spectral Image Classification in Agricultural Applications Using Aerial Photography

Recently,there has been a notable surge of interest in scientific research regarding spectral images.The potential of these images to revolutionize the digital photography industry,like aerial photography through Unmanned Aerial Vehicles(UAVs),has captured considerable attention.One encouraging aspect is their combination with machine learning and deep learning algorithms,which have demonstrated remarkable outcomes in image classification.As a result of this powerful amalgamation,the adoption of spectral images has experienced exponential growth across various domains,with agriculture being one of the prominent beneficiaries.This paper presents an extensive survey encompassing multispectral and hyperspectral images,focusing on their applications for classification challenges in diverse agricultural areas,including plants,grains,fruits,and vegetables.By meticulously examining primary studies,we delve into the specific agricultural domains where multispectral and hyperspectral images have found practical use.Additionally,our attention is directed towards utilizing machine learning techniques for effectively classifying hyperspectral images within the agricultural context.The findings of our investigation reveal that deep learning and support vector machines have emerged as widely employed methods for hyperspectral image classification in agriculture.Nevertheless,we also shed light on the various issues and limitations of working with spectral images.This comprehensive analysis aims to provide valuable insights into the current state of spectral imaging in agriculture and its potential for future advancements.

Tree species classification using deep learning and RGB optical images obtained by an unmanned aerial vehicle

The diversity of tree species and the complexity of land use in cities create challenging issues for tree species classification.The combination of deep learning methods and RGB optical images obtained by unmanned aerial vehicles(UAVs) provides a new research direction for urban tree species classification.We proposed an RGB optical image dataset with 10 urban tree species,termed TCC10,which is a benchmark for tree canopy classification(TCC).TCC10 dataset contains two types of data:tree canopy images with simple backgrounds and those with complex backgrounds.The objective was to examine the possibility of using deep learning methods(AlexNet,VGG-16,and ResNet-50) for individual tree species classification.The results of convolutional neural networks(CNNs) were compared with those of K-nearest neighbor(KNN) and BP neural network.Our results demonstrated:(1) ResNet-50 achieved an overall accuracy(OA) of 92.6% and a kappa coefficient of 0.91 for tree species classification on TCC10 and outperformed AlexNet and VGG-16.(2) The classification accuracy of KNN and BP neural network was less than70%,while the accuracy of CNNs was relatively higher.(3)The classification accuracy of tree canopy images with complex backgrounds was lower than that for images with simple backgrounds.For the deciduous tree species in TCC10,the classification accuracy of ResNet-50 was higher in summer than that in autumn.Therefore,the deep learning is effective for urban tree species classification using RGB optical images.

Distributed tracking control of unmanned aerial vehicles under wind disturbance and model uncertainty

A distributed robust method is developed for cooperative tracking control of unmanned aerial vehicles under unknown wind disturbance and model uncertainty. The communication network among vehicles is a directed graph with switching topology. Each vehicle can only share its states with its neighbors. Dynamics of the vehicles are nonlinear and affected by the wind disturbance and model uncertainty. Feedback linearization is adopted to transform the dynamics of vehicles into linear systems. To account for the wind disturbance and model uncertainty, a robust controller is designed for each vehicle such that all vehicles ultimately synchronize to the virtual leader in the three-dimensional path. It is theoretically shown that the position states of the vehicles will converge to that of the virtual leader if the communication network has a directed spanning tree rooted at the virtual leader. Furthermore, the robust controller is extended to address the formation control problem. Simulation examples are also given to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed method. © 2016 Beijing Institute of Aerospace Information.

3D modeling of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Tilt Photogrammetry

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles(UAV)tilt photogrammetry technology can quickly acquire image data in a short time.This technology has been widely used in all walks of life with the rapid development in recent years especially in the rapid acquisition of high-resolution remote sensing images,because of its advantages of high efficiency,reliability,low cost and high precision.Fully using the UAV tilt photogrammetry technology,the construction image progress can be observed by stages,and the construction site can be reasonably and optimally arranged through three-dimensional modeling to create a civilized,safe and tidy construction environment.

Computational Intelligence Driven Secure Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Image Classification in Smart City Environment

Computational intelligence(CI)is a group of nature-simulated computationalmodels and processes for addressing difficult real-life problems.The CI is useful in the UAV domain as it produces efficient,precise,and rapid solutions.Besides,unmanned aerial vehicles(UAV)developed a hot research topic in the smart city environment.Despite the benefits of UAVs,security remains a major challenging issue.In addition,deep learning(DL)enabled image classification is useful for several applications such as land cover classification,smart buildings,etc.This paper proposes novel meta-heuristics with a deep learning-driven secure UAV image classification(MDLS-UAVIC)model in a smart city environment.Themajor purpose of the MDLS-UAVIC algorithm is to securely encrypt the images and classify them into distinct class labels.The proposedMDLS-UAVIC model follows a two-stage process:encryption and image classification.The encryption technique for image encryption effectively encrypts the UAV images.Next,the image classification process involves anXception-based deep convolutional neural network for the feature extraction process.Finally,shuffled shepherd optimization(SSO)with a recurrent neural network(RNN)model is applied for UAV image classification,showing the novelty of the work.The experimental validation of the MDLS-UAVIC approach is tested utilizing a benchmark dataset,and the outcomes are examined in various measures.It achieved a high accuracy of 98%.

Rice Bacterial Infection Detection Using Ensemble Technique on Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Images

Establishing a system for measuring plant health and bacterial infection is critical in agriculture.Previously,the farmers themselves,who observed them with their eyes and relied on their experience in analysis,which could have been incorrect.Plant inspection can determine which plants reflect the quantity of green light and near-infrared using infrared light,both visible and eye using a drone.The goal of this study was to create algorithms for assessing bacterial infections in rice using images from unmanned aerial vehicles(UAVs)with an ensemble classification technique.Convolution neural networks in unmanned aerial vehi-cles image were used.To convey this interest,the rice’s health and bacterial infec-tion inside the photo were detected.The project entailed using pictures to identify bacterial illnesses in rice.The shape and distinct characteristics of each infection were observed.Rice symptoms were defined using machine learning and image processing techniques.Two steps of a convolution neural network based on an image from a UAV were used in this study to determine whether this area will be affected by bacteria.The proposed algorithms can be utilized to classify the types of rice deceases with an accuracy rate of 89.84 percent.

Road Traffic Monitoring from Aerial Images Using Template Matching and Invariant Features

Road traffic monitoring is an imperative topic widely discussed among researchers.Systems used to monitor traffic frequently rely on cameras mounted on bridges or roadsides.However,aerial images provide the flexibility to use mobile platforms to detect the location and motion of the vehicle over a larger area.To this end,different models have shown the ability to recognize and track vehicles.However,these methods are not mature enough to produce accurate results in complex road scenes.Therefore,this paper presents an algorithm that combines state-of-the-art techniques for identifying and tracking vehicles in conjunction with image bursts.The extracted frames were converted to grayscale,followed by the application of a georeferencing algorithm to embed coordinate information into the images.The masking technique eliminated irrelevant data and reduced the computational cost of the overall monitoring system.Next,Sobel edge detection combined with Canny edge detection and Hough line transform has been applied for noise reduction.After preprocessing,the blob detection algorithm helped detect the vehicles.Vehicles of varying sizes have been detected by implementing a dynamic thresholding scheme.Detection was done on the first image of every burst.Then,to track vehicles,the model of each vehicle was made to find its matches in the succeeding images using the template matching algorithm.To further improve the tracking accuracy by incorporating motion information,Scale Invariant Feature Transform(SIFT)features have been used to find the best possible match among multiple matches.An accuracy rate of 87%for detection and 80%accuracy for tracking in the A1 Motorway Netherland dataset has been achieved.For the Vehicle Aerial Imaging from Drone(VAID)dataset,an accuracy rate of 86%for detection and 78%accuracy for tracking has been achieved.

Multi-temporal NDVI analysis using UAV images of tree crowns in a northern Mexican pine-oak forest

The use of unmanned aerial vehicles(UAV)for forest monitoring has grown significantly in recent years,providing information with high spatial resolution and temporal versatility.UAV with multispectral sensors allow the use of indexes such as the normalized difference vegetation index(NDVI),which determines the vigor,physiological stress and photo synthetic activity of vegetation.This study aimed to analyze the spectral responses and variations of NDVI in tree crowns,as well as their correlation with climatic factors over the course of one year.The study area encompassed a 1.6-ha site in Durango,Mexico,where Pinus cembroides,Pinus engelmannii,and Quercus grisea coexist.Multispectral images were acquired with UAV and information on meteorological variables was obtained from NASA/POWER database.An ANOVA explored possible differences in NDVI among the three species.Pearson correlation was performed to identify the linear relationship between NDVI and meteorological variables.Significant differences in NDVI values were found at the genus level(Pinus and Quercus),possibly related to the physiological features of the species and their phenology.Quercus grisea had the lowest NDVI values throughout the year which may be attributed to its sensitivity to relative humidity and temperatures.Although the use of UAV with a multispectral sensor for NDVI monitoring allowed genera differentiation,in more complex forest analyses hyperspectral and LiDAR sensors should be integrated,as well other vegetation indexes be considered.

Toward Optimal Periodic Crowd Tracking via Unmanned Aerial Vehicle

Crowd management and analysis(CMA)systems have gained a lot of interest in the vulgarization of unmanned aerial vehicles(UAVs)use.Crowd tracking using UAVs is among the most important services provided by a CMA.In this paper,we studied the periodic crowd-tracking(PCT)problem.It consists in usingUAVs to follow-up crowds,during the life-cycle of an open crowded area(OCA).Two criteria were considered for this purpose.The first is related to the CMA initial investment,while the second is to guarantee the quality of service(QoS).The existing works focus on very specified assumptions that are highly committed to CMAs applications context.This study outlined a new binary linear programming(BLP)model to optimally solve the PCT motivated by a real-world application study taking into consideration the high level of abstraction.To closely approach different real-world contexts,we carefully defined and investigated a set of parameters related to the OCA characteristics,behaviors,and theCMAinitial infrastructure investment(e.g.,UAVs,charging stations(CSs)).In order to periodically update theUAVs/crowds andUAVs/CSs assignments,the proposed BLP was integrated into a linear algorithm called PCTs solver.Our main objective was to study the PCT problem fromboth theoretical and numerical viewpoints.To prove the PCTs solver effectiveness,we generated a diversified set of PCTs instances with different scenarios for simulation purposes.The empirical results analysis enabled us to validate the BLPmodel and the PCTs solver,and to point out a set of new challenges for future research directions.

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Flight Safety Improvement Using In-Flight Awareness

This paper presents a novel onboard system called In-Flight Awareness Augmentation System (IFA2S) to improve flight safety. IFA2S is designed to semi-automatically (with human supervision) avoid hazards and accidents due to either internal or external causal factors. The requirements were defined in an innovative way using Systems-Theoretic Process Analysis (STPA) method and applied next to model the system. IFA2S increases aircraft awareness regarding both itself and its environment and, at the same time, recognizes platform and operational constraints to act in accordance to predefined decision algorithms. Results are presented through simulations and flight tests using state machines designed to allow the adoption of appropriate actions for the identified hazards. The different decision algorithms are evaluated over as many as possible hazard situations by simulations conducted with software Labview and XPlane flight simulator. Flight tests are performed in a small fixed wing aircraft and make use of a limited version IFA2S, partially attending identified requirements. Results support the conclusion that IFA2S is capable of improving flight safety.

Comparative Analysis of Fractional Vegetation Cover Estimation Based on Multi-sensor Data in a Semi-arid Sandy Area

The estimation of fractional vegetation cover(FVC) is important for identifying and monitoring desertification, especially in arid and semiarid regions. By using regression and pixel dichotomy models, we present the comparison of Sentinel-2A(S2) multispectral instrument(MSI) and Landsat 8(L8) operational land imager(OLI) data regarding the retrieval of FVC in a semi-arid sandy area(Mu Us Sandland, China, in August 2016). A combination of unmanned aerial vehicle(UAV) high-spatial-resolution images and field plots were used to produce verified data. Based on a normalized difference vegetation index(NDVI) regression model, the results showed that, compared with that of L8, the coefficient of determination(R2) of S2 increased by 26.0%, and the root mean square error(RMSE) and the sum of absolute error(SAE) decreased by 3.0% and 11.4%, respectively. For the ratio vegetation index(RVI) regression model, compared with that of L8, the R2 of S2 increased by 26.0%, and the RMSE and SAE decreased by 8.0% and 20.0%, respectively. When the pixel dichotomy model was used, compared with that of L8, the RMSE of S2 decreased by 21.3%, and the SAE decreased by 26.9%. Overall, S2 performed better than L8 in terms of FVC inversion. Additionally, in this paper, we develop a verified scheme based on UAV data in combination with the object-based classification method. This scheme is feasible and sufficiently robust for building relationships between field data and inversion results from satellite data. Further, the synergy of multi-source sensors(especially UAVs and satellites) is a potential effective way to estimate and evaluate regional ecological environmental parameters(FVC).

Modeling and Analysis of UAV-Assisted Mobile Network with Imperfect Beam Alignment

With the rapid development of emerging 5G and beyond(B5G),Unmanned Aerial Vehicles(UAVs)are increasingly important to improve the performance of dense cellular networks.As a conventional metric,coverage probability has been widely studied in communication systems due to the increasing density of users and complexity of the heterogeneous environment.In recent years,stochastic geometry has attracted more attention as a mathematical tool for modeling mobile network systems.In this paper,an analytical approach to the coverage probability analysis of UAV-assisted cellular networks with imperfect beam alignment has been proposed.An assumption was considered that all users are distributed according to Poisson Cluster Process(PCP)around base stations,in particular,Thomas Cluster Process(TCP).Using thismodel,the impact of beam alignment errors on the coverage probabilitywas investigated.Initially,the ProbabilityDensity Function(PDF)of directional antenna gain between the user and its serving base station was obtained.Then,association probability with each tier was achieved.A tractable expression was derived for coverage probability in both Line-of-Sight(LoS)andNon-Line-of-Sight(NLoS)condition links.Numerical results demonstrated that at low UAVs altitude,beam alignment errors significantly degrade coverage performance.Moreover,for a small cluster size,alignment errors do not necessarily affect the coverage performance.

Machine learning algorithm partially reconfigured on FPGA for an image edge detection system

Unmanned aerial vehicles(UAVs)have been widely used in military,medical,wireless communications,aerial surveillance,etc.One key topic involving UAVs is pose estimation in autonomous navigation.A standard procedure for this process is to combine inertial navigation system sensor information with the global navigation satellite system(GNSS)signal.However,some factors can interfere with the GNSS signal,such as ionospheric scintillation,jamming,or spoofing.One alternative method to avoid using the GNSS signal is to apply an image processing approach by matching UAV images with georeferenced images.But a high effort is required for image edge extraction.Here a support vector regression(SVR)model is proposed to reduce this computational load and processing time.The dynamic partial reconfiguration(DPR)of part of the SVR datapath is implemented to accelerate the process,reduce the area,and analyze its granularity by increasing the grain size of the reconfigurable region.Results show that the implementation in hardware is 68 times faster than that in software.This architecture with DPR also facilitates the low power consumption of 4 mW,leading to a reduction of 57%than that without DPR.This is also the lowest power consumption in current machine learning hardware implementations.Besides,the circuitry area is 41 times smaller.SVR with Gaussian kernel shows a success rate of 99.18%and minimum square error of 0.0146 for testing with the planning trajectory.This system is useful for adaptive applications where the user/designer can modify/reconfigure the hardware layout during its application,thus contributing to lower power consumption,smaller hardware area,and shorter execution time.

Heat transfer and temperature evolution in underground mininginduced overburden fracture and ground fissures: Optimal time window of UAV infrared monitoring

Heat transfer and temperature evolution in overburden fracture and ground fissures are one of the essential topics for the identification of ground fissures via unmanned aerial vehicle(UAV) infrared imager. In this study, discrete element software UDEC was employed to investigate the overburden fracture field under different mining conditions. Multiphysics software COMSOL were employed to investigate heat transfer and temperature evolution of overburden fracture and ground fissures under the influence of mining condition, fissure depth, fissure width, and month alternation. The UAV infrared field measurements also provided a calibration for numerical simulation. The results showed that for ground fissures connected to underground goaf(Fissure Ⅰ), the temperature difference increased with larger mining height and shallow buried depth. In addition, Fissure Ⅰ located in the boundary of the goaf have a greater temperature difference and is easier to be identified than fissures located above the mining goaf. For ground fissures having no connection to underground goaf(Fissure Ⅱ), the heat transfer is affected by the internal resistance of the overlying strata fracture when the depth of Fissure Ⅱ is greater than10 m, the temperature of Fissure Ⅱ gradually equals to the ground temperature as the fissures’ depth increases, and the fissures are difficult to be identified. The identification effect is most obvious for fissures larger than 16 cm under the same depth. In spring and summer, UAV infrared identification of mining fissures should be carried out during nighttime. This study provides the basis for the optimal time and season for the UAV infrared identification of different types of mining ground fissures.

Remote sensing image encryption algorithm based on novel hyperchaos and an elliptic curve cryptosystem

Remote sensing images carry crucial ground information,often involving the spatial distribution and spatiotemporal changes of surface elements.To safeguard this sensitive data,image encryption technology is essential.In this paper,a novel Fibonacci sine exponential map is designed,the hyperchaotic performance of which is particularly suitable for image encryption algorithms.An encryption algorithm tailored for handling the multi-band attributes of remote sensing images is proposed.The algorithm combines a three-dimensional synchronized scrambled diffusion operation with chaos to efficiently encrypt multiple images.Moreover,the keys are processed using an elliptic curve cryptosystem,eliminating the need for an additional channel to transmit the keys,thus enhancing security.Experimental results and algorithm analysis demonstrate that the algorithm offers strong security and high efficiency,making it suitable for remote sensing image encryption tasks.

改进YOLOv8的无人机航拍图像目标检测算法

针对无人机航拍图像存在多个小目标聚集、目标尺度变化大的问题,提出一种改进YOLOv8的目标检测算法TS-YOLO(tiny and scale-YOLO)。在主干部分去除冗余的特征提取层,设计了一种高效特征提取模块(efficient feature extraction module,EFEM),避免小目标特征消失在冗余信息中。在颈部设计了一种双重跨尺度加权特征融合方法(dual cross-scale weighted feature-fusion,DCWF),融合多尺度信息的同时抑制噪声干扰,提升特征表达能力。通过构建一种参数共享检测头(parameter-shared detection header,PSDH),使回归和分类任务实现参数共享,保证检测精度的同时有效降低了模型的参数量。所提模型在VisDrone-2019数据集上的精度(P)和召回率(R)分别达到54.0%、42.5%;相比于原始YOLOv8s模型,mAP50提高了5.0个百分点,达到44.5%,且参数量减少了55.8%,仅有4.94×106;在DOTAv1.0遥感数据集上,mAP50达到71.9%,仍具有较好的泛化能力。

面向应用场景的前沿技术识别方法

[研究目的]场景驱动创新是引领产业结构升级的关键路径,如何基于不同场景识别前沿技术成为推动新质生产力发展的重要议题。[研究方法]提出了一种面向应用场景的前沿技术识别方法。首先以专利、论文为数据源,基于前瞻性、先导性、探索性、颠覆性指标体系初步筛选前沿技术主题;其次以科技报告为数据源,基于技术-关系-技术(Technology-Relationship-Technology,TRT)结构的语义分析,分析技术应用场景;最后,构建专利、论文数据与科技报告的相似性矩阵,建立技术与场景识别结果的关联,据此进一步筛选前沿技术主题,并结合专家知识,识别出面向应用场景的前沿技术主题,提供了场景驱动实践探索的新方法。[研究结果/结论]以无人机目标识别与跟踪领域为例进行实证研究,在面向情报、监视与侦察(Intelligence,Surveillance,and Reconnaissance,ISR)、物资运输、医疗补给等14个应用场景的前沿技术识别结果显示,目标识别与跟踪算法设计、视觉系统与图像处理技术、任务规划技术、无线通信技术4项技术为该领域的前沿技术,验证了该识别方法的可行性与有效性。

Adaptive cropping shallow attention network for defect detection of bridge girder steel using unmanned aerial vehicle images

Bridges are an important part of railway infrastructure and need regular inspection and maintenance.Using unmanned aerial vehicle(UAV)technology to inspect railway infrastructure is an active research issue.However,due to the large size of UAV images,flight distance,and height changes,the object scale changes dramatically.At the same time,the elements of interest in railway bridges,such as bolts and corrosion,are small and dense objects,and the sample data set is seriously unbalanced,posing great challenges to the accurate detection of defects.In this paper,an adaptive cropping shallow attention network(ACSANet)is proposed,which includes an adaptive cropping strategy for large UAV images and a shallow attention network for small object detection in limited samples.To enhance the accuracy and generalization of the model,the shallow attention network model integrates a coordinate attention(CA)mechanism module and an alpha intersection over union(α-IOU)loss function,and then carries out defect detection on the bolts,steel surfaces,and railings of railway bridges.The test results show that the ACSANet model outperforms the YOLOv5s model using adaptive cropping strategy in terms of the total mAP(an evaluation index)and missing bolt mAP by 5%and 30%,respectively.Also,compared with the YOLOv5s model that adopts the common cropping strategy,the total mAP and missing bolt mAP are improved by 10%and 60%,respectively.Compared with the YOLOv5s model without any cropping strategy,the total mAP and missing bolt mAP are improved by 40%and 67%,respectively.