Unmanned Aerial Systems in Agriculture

Unmanned Aerial Systems in Agriculture: Eyes Above Fields bridges the gap between knowledge of concept and real-world use and operations of UASs in agri-production. Exploring aspects of digital farming facilitated by the use of autonomous aerial platforms in a holistic way, the insights in this important book contribute to the development of integrated agricultural systems using information acquired by aerial remote sensors. Based on a valuable combination of themes presented at the 13th European Federation for Information Technology in Agriculture, Food and the Environment (EFITA) supplemented by targeted invited articles of key-scientists in the area Unmanned Aerial Systems in Agriculture presents a full-spectrum view of the use of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) for agricultural applications. The introductory chapter will provide the history of using unmanned aerial vehicles in other domain and in agriculture, while the supporting chapters provide a deep look into the world of UAS including energy, economical, and social aspects from their use in agi-systems. Unmanned Aerial Systems in Agriculture: Eyes Above Fields integrates the dispersed knowledge in the field, providing the audience with a holistic approach regarding UAVs and other UAS and their use in sustainable decisions incorporating the newest advancements and future trends in agri-production. The integrated approach of the book provides a fresh look on contemporary agriculture-related issues, following precision farming approaches, by deepening on a range of different issues of remote sensing and its use in agriculture. Furthermore, the operational planning aspects for UAS in agriculture focus part of the book provides information that is missing from other resources. A key section of the book deals with sustainability aspects, including economic assessment of UAS use, energy and resources minimization, the human factor within the UAS loop, human safety, legislation, and educational and training aspects. By covering theoretical and technical aspects, as well as including case studies and real-world insights, Unmanned Aerial Systems in Agriculture provides the opportunity for the reader to develop a clear understanding of how agriculture production can meet sustainability goals in the modern business world, whilst assess potential opportunities from the exploitation of available modern technologies such as UAS in agri-production. Addresses practical issues and the latest technology application insights Provides specialized and comprehensive information for daily use-cases Ties remote sensing using aerial systems and precision farming issues