Mobile-based aerial analysis platform for low-cost precision agriculture

Overview

This solution is a mobile-based platform designed to bring precision agriculture capabilities to low-budget researchers and farmers. It enables aerial image capture and processing entirely on standard Android devices, eliminating the need for expensive computing infrastructure. The platform automates plant counting and foliar area measurement to determine phytosanitary conditions, making advanced crop analysis accessible and affordable. Results can be exported as georeferenced shapefiles for integration with standard geographic information system workflows.

Technical specifications

Key features:

• Mosaic generation from aerial imagery processed entirely on a mobile device
• Automated plant counting using the Excess Green formula, a vegetation index that highlights green foliage in RGB images
• Automated foliar area measurement for phytosanitary assessment
• Export of results as georeferenced shapefiles for use in mapping and analysis tools
• Compatibility with Android devices running API 21-30 with 1-4 GB of RAM
• Processing of standard RGB images captured by low-cost aerial equipment such as UAVs or balloons

The platform is currently delivered as an Android application and represents what is described as the only Android app capable of creating mosaics and fully automating foliar area determination.

Technology readiness level

The technology has been validated through a working prototype with effective results on standard UAV imagery. Current development is focused on extending the platform to balloon-based aerial sensing as a lower-cost alternative to drones. The team has identified the need for additional equipment to design proper balloon imagery sensing systems and to establish flight conditions and image-transfer protocols for mobile devices. This represents an early-stage validation phase, with promising software results but pending in-field equipment testing and protocol development.