A Platform Using a New Cyber Physical System and UAV to Detect Temporal and Spatial Variation for Precision Agriculture

PI: Yongjiang Zhang, UMaine School of Biology and Ecology

Collaborators: Hongzhi Guo, University of Southern Maine, Matthew Wallhead UMaine School of Food and Agriculture; Jasper Wyman & Son, Wild Blueberry Commission of Maine, and Cherryfield Foods Inc.

This project proposes the development of a platform that will allow farmers to use their resources more efficiently. A Cyber Physical System (CPS) will be made to monitor temporal variation in the water status of wild blueberries, and Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) sensors will be used to detect spatial variation across the farm, which produces data also useful to scientists studying plant-environment interactions. Dr. Zhang plans to expand the proposed platform to include fertility and pest management, and also to develop an automated AI system that can analyze and report crop-environment interactions.