Development of a Spray System for an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Platform

Huang, Yanbo; Hoffmann, W. C.; Lan, Yubin; Wu, Wenfu; Fritz, Bradley K.

doi:10.13031/2013.29229

Cited by 187 publications

(136 citation statements)

References 6 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

121

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…UAVs could also be used to transport kill-traps and baits to specified locations in advance of the arrival of a ground-based field team. Although UAV technology is still in its infancy, precision deployment of UAVs has already been used to spray pesticides on crops (Faiçal et al 2014), control invasive weeds (Huang et al 2009;Rasmussen et al 2013), manage wildfires (Christensen 2015), initiate back-burning fires by dropping balls filled with potassium permanganate powder (Reed 2015), and deliver biological control agents over soya bean crops (Rangel 2016).…”

Section: What Uavs Can Bring To the Picture?mentioning

confidence: 99%

The potential of using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) for precision pest control of possums (Trichosurus vulpecula)

Morley¹,

Braodley²,

Hartley³

et al. 2017

ReEco

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and remote image sensing cameras have considerable potential for use in pest control operations. UAVs equipped with remote sensing cameras could be flown over forests and remnant bush sites, particularly those not currently receiving any pest control, to record the unique spectral signature of the vegetation and to detect the presence of possums (Trichosurus vulpecula) and the damage they cause. UAVs could then be deployed to precisely distribute either toxins or kill traps to these identified locations. Predator-free 2050 is an ambitious policy announced by the New Zealand Government where several pests, including possums, are to be eradicated by the year 2050. In order to achieve this goal, pests must be identified, targeted and controlled, requiring creative and novel ideas. UAVs provide flexibility, can fly in remote and difficult terrain, and are considerably cheaper to purchase and operate than the planes and helicopters currently used in conventional aerial pest control operations. Current challenges associated with UAVs include payload capacity, battery limitations, weather, and flying restrictions. However, these issues are rapidly being resolved with sophisticated technological advances and improved regulations. A directed and targeted approach using UAVs is an additional and novel tool in the pest management toolbox that could significantly reduce pest control costs, cover inaccessible areas not receiving any pest management, and will help New Zealand advance towards its predator-free aspiration by 2050.

show abstract

Section: What Uavs Can Bring To the Picture?mentioning

confidence: 99%

The potential of using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) for precision pest control of possums (Trichosurus vulpecula)

Morley¹,

Braodley²,

Hartley³

et al. 2017

ReEco

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Micronair ULV-A+ rotary nozzles (Micron Sprayers Ltd, Bromyard, Herefordshire, UK) were selected for the sprayer which generated a spray volume mean diameter (VMD, referred to the diameter 50% of the spray volume is made up of droplets less than and greater than) less than 50 µm (Huang et al, 2009). A 5.7 L (1.5 gal) spray tank was designed and built with two internal baffle plates to minimize sloshing of the spray material load during flight (Huang et al, 2009).…”

Section: Sprayer Design and Developmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A 5.7 L (1.5 gal) spray tank was designed and built with two internal baffle plates to minimize sloshing of the spray material load during flight (Huang et al, 2009). The tank weighed 1 kg plus 5 kg for 5.7 L of chemical, which resulted in the 9.75 kg net payload of the UAV.…”

Section: Sprayer Design and Developmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In the experiment a commercial off-the-shelf Yamaha UAV, the RMAX type, was outfitted with both liquid and granular pesticide dispersal devices, and a series of tests were performed to evaluate the effectiveness of the UAV to perform aerial pesticide delivery. Huang et al (2009) developed a low volume spray system in the laboratory for use on an unmanned vertical take-off and landing helicopter (Rotomotion, LLC, Charleston, South Carolina, USA). The Huang et al (2009) spray system was developed and integrated with the flight control system of the helicopter, which has a maximum payload of 22.7 kg.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Huang et al (2009) developed a low volume spray system in the laboratory for use on an unmanned vertical take-off and landing helicopter (Rotomotion, LLC, Charleston, South Carolina, USA). The Huang et al (2009) spray system was developed and integrated with the flight control system of the helicopter, which has a maximum payload of 22.7 kg. The integrated sprayer was developed to be triggered by preset positional coordinates received from the GPS system of the UAV through a PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) pump speed controller.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Development of a Low-Volume Sprayer for an Unmanned Helicopter

Huang¹,

Hoffman²,

Lan³

et al. 2014

JAS

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

An UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) can target much smaller areas with lower flight altitudes than conventional, piloted airplanes. In agriculture, UAVs have been mainly developed and used for chemical application and remote sensing. Application of fertilizers and chemicals is frequently needed at specific time and location for highly accurate site-specific management. UAVs provide a technology to fulfill the goals of such site-specific crop management as part of modern precision applications to agricultural crops. This research focused on development of a new low-volume sprayer for an UAV helicopter to be used for vector control, which is potentially extended to crop production management. The developed UAV-based low-volume sprayer was able to deliver liquid covering the 30-m swath width, 42-m downwind. Deposition results from monofilament lines demonstrated that the spray coverage was sensitive to the power voltage but not release height, while the deposition measurement from rotary impactors may need to be refined to achieve higher resolution and lower variance. The developed UAV application technology is useful for precision delivery of chemicals to the right place at right time.

show abstract