PIESAT ’ s PIE-U28 takes to the skies to enhance agricultural productivity
P10
NEWS
@ Green XTRA | MAY-JUNE , 2023
Bird ’ s eye view
PIESAT ’ s PIE-U28 takes to the skies to enhance agricultural productivity
Fan Fan
BY DANIAL FAUZI
DR ONES , o r unmanned aerial vehicles ( UAVs ), have become a staple in the industry . Whether for search and rescue , border patrols , or even covering significant events such as concerts , UAVs have become a standard for some within the industry .
It is especially true for the agricultural sector , as large hectares of farmland and plantations must be covered quickly . Traditional means of covering such a large area would cost money and time .
Therefore , PIESAT Information Technology has introduced its latest in UAV technological innovation . Dubbed the PIE-U28 Electric UAV System , this piece of aerial technology has the power to increase agricultural productivity .
THE LATEST IN AERIAL SURVEILLANCE TECHNOLOGY
Fan Fan , senior marketing manager of PIESAT Information Technology , stated that PIESAT ’ s latest UAV was an eVTOL ( electric Vertical Takeoff Landing ) fully electric-powered drone .
The UAV is equipped with a large-capacity semi-solid lithium polymer battery that lasts two hours . It provides adequate time for farmers and other industry players to survey their farmlands or plantations .
“ The PIE-U28 also features safeguards that enable the drone to traverse abnormal atmosphere conditions safely and even features an onboard autopilot function that can minimise damage sustained in an accident ,” said Fan .
The UAV also features multiple payloads ranging from aerial cameras , hyperspectral cameras , oblique cameras and so forth to collect different types of data with impeccable accuracy .
HIGH PRECISION AERIAL SURVEY
With the features of the PIE-U28 and the ease of preparing the drone , the UAV can quickly access farmland or plantation skyward and capture high-resolution airborne image data .
The data will be processed by professional post-processing software to convert the image data into high-accuracy orthophoto maps or three-dimensional models with surface features visible . They can be directly identified on the image map .
The UAV ’ s sensors can also capture RGB ( red , green , blue ), thermal , and multispectral images . These onboard features can help agricultural industry players capture accurate data on their farmlands and plantations , allowing players to analyse the health status of their farmlands and plantations .
“ Utilising the data gathered by drones , industry players can take the necessary actions or precautions to ensure that the productivity of their farmlands and plantations is at their optimal level and to protect their crops and yield ,” Fan added .
Fan pointed out industry players could
The PIE-U28 also features safeguards that enable the drone to traverse abnormal atmosphere conditions safely and even features an onboard autopilot function that can minimise damage sustained in an accident .”
– Fan Fan
PIE-U28 flies over a plantation .
utilise the Digital Farming Application .
The data gathered from the UAV can be combined with satellite and ground sensor data to form full-time and space-time data to the application that gives industry players can incredible detailed information of their farmlands and plantations that includes the planting plan , condition assessment and even stress analysis and statisstics .
This can be a significant advantage for agricultural industry players to optimise and expand their operations .
DISINTEREST IN FUTURE ADVANCEMENTS
At present , besides government regulations , the lack of industry standards and the lack of popularisation and awareness of aviation culture restrict the application of drones . •