Navigation List

3 Models of Ag Scout Series for Agricultural Industry

We're excited to introduce the AG scout series. Now, if you're in the agricultural industry, you already know that crop scouting and keeping a consistent track record of conditions and growth is going to drastically help you make decisions, improve your yields and also hopefully get some early warnings of possible crop diseases. In the past, scouting professionals and farmers would spend hours on hours visualizing data from the ground level giving them fairly limited information about the condition of the crop as a whole. But with amazing new advancements in multi-rotor technology like the platform's, we see here we're able to get a bird's-eye view of any given area and turn that into actionable data in a much shorter period of time. the AG Scout series is the next generation of aerial scouting platforms designed to help the scouting process be much easier, more affordable and to get you better data than ever before. So, there are 3 models in the AG Scout series.

  1. the AG Scout basic which is based out of the Phantom 4 Pro platform
  2. the AG Scout Pro which is based in the inspire 1 platform
  3. the AG Scout premium which is a custom DJI Matrice 100

The big advantage of the Ag Scout series is the ability for each of these platforms to produce 2D and 3D maps. Aerial media pros is partnered with third-party applications so that you can select any given area on a map using your tablet or PC out in the field and send the AG Scout on an automated flight mission where it will collect all the needed imagery and convert that into a useable map. From there you can take that map and analyze it or actually export the data into any third-party software depending on your specific need.

See also: Sentera for Crop Scouting Solutions

The second feature that really makes the AG Scout series specific to agriculture, is the ability for the camera on each AG Scout model to produce real NDVI imagery. NDVI is a vegetation index that's often used to detect plant stress, crop disease and compare vegetation conditions in various areas of a crop. What we have done is taken the standard RGB camera that's included with each of these copters and modified it to single out specific bands of light that are used to create the final NDVI image. So, when you pair together modified NDVI camera with a mapping and processing software like DroneDeploy, you now have the ability to produce NDVI maps.

Another great thing about these systems is that they could do normal Waypoint navigation. or you can go into an application on your tablet or laptop, and program a custom route admission for the AG scout, you can tell it exactly where to fly and how high you want it to fly along the way. After you launch the mission you can take your thumbs off the controls and get a live HD video feed or snap photos in flight. A really great tool if you're looking to cover a lot of ground or just want to quickly check up on a certain area.

3 Models of Ag Scout Series

Let's cover some of the similarities and differences of the AG Scout models.

Ag Scout Basic

The first Ag Scout Basic is going to be your most portable cost-effective system designed for those just getting started with NDVI mapping. The Ag Scout Basic is a professional survey, scouting, and 3D modeling drone system capable of producing high resolution NDVI imagery. This package Includes DJI Phantom 4 Pro, 1 Extra Intelligent Flight Battery (High Capacity), Custom Hard Travel Case, and Tablet Monitor Hood. This bundle is designed specifically for sale with industry professionals looking to create real-time NDVI data with ground level accuracy. The Ag Scout Basic uses cutting edge camera stabilization technology, allowing anyone to easily produce detailed 3D models or map hundreds of acres of land and get actionable data in a matter of minutes. When matched with a DroneDeploy subscription, the Ag Scout Basic is one of the most versatile aerial mapping solutions available.

AG Scout Pro

If you do need both color and NDVI you're looking for more something like the AG Scout pro. The AG Scout Pro has a modular camera system that allows you to easily swap out cameras between flights so whether you have a color and NDVI or any future camera that's released for this platform you'll always have the image where you need and can compare those next to each other for better data. Now in terms of flight time the AG Scout basic will give you 15 to 20 minutes on a single battery while the AG Scout pro will give you up to 15 minutes while it's mapping. The higher you fly the more acreage you're going to be able to cover in a single flight.

AG Scout Premium

However, the quality of the image is going to be less detailed if you're covering a lot of acreage they're going to either need more batteries or we're going to want to upgrade to something more like the AG Scout premium. The AG Scout premium is based on the DJI Matrice 100 customizable platform. It has all the same features as the Ag Scout basic and the Ag Scout Pro model. However, it has the ability for dual battery compartments that's going to bump your flight time 30 to 35 minutes doubling the amount of acreage that you can cover in a single flight.