senseFly boosts agricultural efficiency with launch of eBee Ag aerial imaging drone

Cheseaux-Lausanne, Switzerland, April 9, 2014 –Swiss mini-drone manufacturer senseFly today announces the eBee Ag, a fully autonomous aerial imaging drone (or UAV) for precision agriculture applications.

The eBee Ag is the easiest to use and most reliable agriculture drone on the market. Lightweight and highly durable, it features a wide range of camera options and fully autonomous operation – flying, acquiring images, and landing itself.

“The eBee Ag enablesgrowers and coop consultants to become much more precise in their work,” says Jean-Christophe Zufferey, C.E.O. of senseFly. “The detail provided by itscustomised cameras and its software’s index calculations allow customers to analyse crop conditions remotely and in high detail. This means less time wasted on manual checks and less reliance on low-resolution satellite images or costly airplane shots. With the accurate and timely data the eBee Ag supplies, farmers can optimise their crop management and chemical usage – saving them time, saving them money, and helping them boost their yields.”

4 reasons to choose the eBee Ag:

1. Wide choice of cameras
The eBee Ag features a range of camera options to suit different applications, from biomass estimation to yield monitoring and leaf area indexing. It is supplied with a customized Canon S110 NIR, however customers can also choose a customised S110 RE (red edge) version, a S110 RGB, or the Airinov multiSPEC 4C (offering four distinct bands with no spectral overlap).

2. Reliable
The eBee Ag’s onboard artificial intelligence and robust lightweight construction ensure it will survive numerous flights (and landings), thus safeguarding a customer’s investment.

3. Easy to use

The eBee Ag is a fully autonomous drone. Customers simply select the area they want to map (using the supplied eMotion 2 software), launch the drone by throwing it into the air, and the eBee flies, acquires images, and lands all by itself.

4. Complete solution

The eBee Ag is supplied with two advanced software packages: eMotion 2 for flight planning and control; and Postflight Terra 3D photogrammetry software for post-flight image processing and analysis. Postflight Terra 3D can be used to produce false-colour orthomosaics and 3D models. Plus it includes a handy index computation tab, which allows customers to select a band, calculate NDVI, or input custom formulas in order to create the exact maps they require.

With its maximum flight time of 45 minutes, the eBee Ag can photograph areas of up to 1,000 ha (2,470 ac) in a single flight. Its default 12 MP NIR camera is capable of shooting aerial imagery at down to 2 cm (0.7 in) / pixel. These images are then easily transformed into false-colour orthomosaics using Postflight Terra 3D software, with accuracy of down to 3 cm (1.18 in). Thismarket-leadingperformance brings farmers the data they need to monitor crops more precisely, feed other precision agriculture technologies, and continue improving their management decisions. 

eBee Ag

The drone for precision agriculture

Announcement date: April 9, 2014
Available to order: mid-April, 2014
Shipping: May 2014
Available via: approved senseFly resellers (see www.sensefly.com/about/where-to-buy.html)

Product Description
The eBee Ag by senseFly is a professional aerial mapping drone (or UAV) for precision agriculture applications. It is highly durable, available with a choice of sensors, and offers fully automated flight planning and operation. Thanks to the eBee’s artificial intelligence and robust lightweight construction, it is durable enough to survive numerous flights (and landings). It is supplied as standard with two advanced software packages: eMotion 2 for flight planning and control; and Postflight Terra 3D photogrammetry software for post-flight image processing and analysis.

Key Features

• >Wide choice of customised cameras
  The eBee Ag features a range of camera options to suit different applications, from biomass estimation to yield monitoring and leaf area indexing. It is supplied with a customised Canon S110 NIR, however customers can also specify a customised S110 RE (red edge) version, a S110 RGB, or the ultra-precise four-band Airinov multiSPEC 4C.

• Fully automonous flight planning & operation
  Customers just select the area they want to map (using the supplied eMotion 2 software), launch the drone by throwing it into the air, and the eBee will fly, acquire images, and land all by itself.

• Artificial intelligence (AI)
  The AI built into the eBee Ag’s autopilot continuously analyses data from the drone’s Inertial Measurement Unit and onboard GPS to optimise all aspects of the flight – compensating automatically for example to changes in wind direction.

• Complete solution
  The eBee Ag is supplied with two advanced software packages: eMotion 2 for flight planning and control; and Postflight Terra 3D photogrammetry software for post-flight image processing and analysis. Postflight Terra 3D can be used to produce false-colour orthomosaics and 3D models. In addition, it includes a handy index computation tab, which allows customers to select the camera band, calculate NDVI, or input custom formulas in order to create the exact map they require.
  

Technical Specifications

• Weight (inc. S110 NIR camera & battery): 0.7 kg (1.5 lb)
• Wingspan: 96 cm (38 in)
• Material: EPP foam, carbon structure & composite parts
• Propulsion: electric pusher propeller, brushless 160 W motor
• Battery: 11.1 V, 2100 mAh
• Camera (default): customised 12 MP S110 NIR
• Cameras (optional): customised 12 MP S110 RE, customised 12 MP S110 RGB, multiSPEC 4C
• Carry case dimensions: 55 x 45 x 25 cm (21.6 x 17.7 x 9.8 in)
• Maximum flight time: 45 minutes
• Cruising speed: 36-57 km/h (10-16 m/s)
• Radio link range: up to 3 km (1.86 miles)
• Maximum coverage (single flight): 1,000 ha (2,470 ac)
• Ground sampling distance (GSD): down to 2 cm (0.78 in)
• Orthomosaic accuracy: down to 3 cm (1.18 in)
• Digital Elevation Model (DEM) accuracy: down to 5 cm (1.96 in)
• Multi-drone operation possible (inc. mid-air collision avoidance)
• 3D flight planning

In The Box

• eBee Ag foam body (inc. all electronics & built-in autopilot)
• Pair of detachable foam wings
• 12 MP Canon S110 NIR still camera (inc. 16 GB SD card, battery, USB cable & charger)
• 2.4 GHz USB radio modem for data link (inc. USB cable)
• Two Lithium-Polymer battery packs & charger
• Spare propeller
• Carry case with foam protection
• Remote control & accessories (for safety pilots)
• User manual
• Fully featured software included

Warranty

• 1-year limited

Editorial contact:
Matt Wade
PR Manager
E-Mail: [email protected]