Birds Camera Solutions Develops Aerial Green Analysis System

Birds Camera Solutions has developed the Aerial Green Analysis System in collaboration with Agrowing and Fraunhofer IGD.

This innovative tool provides greenkeepers with a modern solution for analysing the condition of turf surfaces. The cutting-edge solution promotes sustainability in sports and reduces costs for sports facility operators and clubs.

The system utilises the advanced 3D cable camera systems from Birds Camera Solutions, combined with Sony cameras and patented multispectral lenses from Agrowing, to provide a precise analysis of the turf condition. The multispectral images generated are then analysed using software from Fraunhofer IGD. This analysis enables greenkeepers to assess the quality of the turf centimetre by centimetre, with accurate positioning made possible by the geolocation data from Birds Camera Solutions' systems. By providing such precise data, the Aerial Green Analysis system can help greenkeepers use resources more efficiently, leading to cost savings and promoting sustainable turf management.

For turf analysis, the Birds Camera Solutions systems fly 15 metres above the turf, collecting geolocation data that indicates the exact location of the images produced, allowing for a centimetre-accurate turf analysis.

The dolly has an Aerial Green Analysis setup, a Sony Alpha ILX-LR1 panchromatic camera, a 35mm full-frame image sensor with approximately 61 megapixels, and Agrowing's quad lens. This setup allows for a resolution of 10 spectral bands, each with 12 megapixels. This combination can achieve an autonomous scanning resolution of 4mm per pixel per band and a scanning resolution of less than 1mm per pixel per band.

Fraunhofer IGD, a trusted name in the field, is responsible for the AI-based analysis of the turf's vegetation condition using images from the scan flight with the cable camera system. This includes processing the image data, training the AI algorithm, validating the systems, and providing and visualising the result data and maps. The AI algorithm is trained to reliably quantify and locate shear and tread damage to the turf, early spread of fungal diseases and pests, weed development, and the vitality of the turf plants (water and nutrient supply).

Perfect turf condition is essential for clubs and venue operators. The costs of maintenance and renewal can become a significant factor in the budget calculations of those responsible. With Aerial Green Analysis, the monitoring and maintenance of turf surfaces can be made sustainable, thereby reducing costs and environmental impact. This cost-saving aspect of the system can provide a sense of relief to those managing the budget.

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