Fraunhofer Institute for Physical Measurement Techniques IPM
Fraunhofer Institute for Physical Measurement Techniques IPM
Optisches Monitoring von Nutzpflanzen aus der Luft
© Fraunhofer IPM
Unsere ultraleichten multispektralen Kamerasysteme und LiDAR-Sensoren erfassen landwirtschaftliche Flächen schnell und effizient. Sie liefern aussagekräftige digitale Daten über den Zustand von Nutzpflanzen.

Plant status monitoring from the air

Our ultra-lightweight multispectral camera systems and LiDAR sensors capture agricultural areas fast and efficiently. They provide meaningful digital data on the state of crops.

© Fraunhofer IPM

Crop monitoring

Multispektrale Kamera und LiDAR montiert auf einer Drohne
© Fraunhofer IPM
Three multispectral camera modules with centralized data capture in a compact housing. A LiDAR sensor complements the ultra-lightweight sensor system. Thanks to its light weight, the drone range is relatively long, allowing large areas to be recorded in one field measurement.
Kameramodul zur multispektralen Bildaufnahme
© Fraunhofer IPM
2D sensor data captured from the air with multispectral cameras. The health of each plant can be determined by its spectral signature, so that water and nutrients can be adjusted where necessary.

For centuries, farmers have relied on visual estimates and experience. Today, farming increasingly relies on scientific findings and modern technology. Measurement technology can provide objective criteria to make agriculture more efficient, in order to cover the food demand of a growing world population. With optical measurements from the air, large areas of agricultural land can be quickly surveyed and evaluated based on measurement data.

Concepts such as precision farming use satellite or aerial remote sensing data to monitor the state of food crops against the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI). The results can help improve cultivation. Up until now, satellite and aerial remote sensing data have been relatively imprecise.

Optical determination of plant vitality and height

At Fraunhofer IPM, we’re developing ultra-lightweight camera systems and LiDAR sensors for use on UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones). The systems gather local georeferenced data at a very high resolution. The images captured by multispectral cameras provide insights into plant health. Plant height can be derived from geometric measurements using LiDAR sensors.

Fraunhofer lighthouse project COGNAC (cognitive agriculture)

The Fraunhofer lighthouse project COGNAC was a collaboration with seven other Fraunhofer institutes to develop technologies for an “agricultural data space”. One of the project outcomes was the ultra-lightweight multispectral camera system for use on drones. The high-resolution camera images provide insights into plant health, while a LiDAR sensor simultaneously measures plant height.