Drones and AI to Revolutionise Agricultural and Environmental Management in Alicante

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) promise to revolutionise most productive sectors, even the most traditional ones like agriculture. A doctoral thesis from the Miguel Hernández University of Elche (UMH) explores the potential of these two advancements in both the agri-food sector and environmental management.

The work is authored by researcher Ana María Codes Alcaraz and is titled 'Remote Sensing with Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and Deep Learning Techniques for Agricultural Management'. The thesis is based on two case studies in the province of Alicante, proposing innovative applications based on high-resolution remote sensing and intelligent image processing.

In one of the case studies, the author developed an image recognition algorithm capable of detecting and characterising floating plastic elements in the Segura River and the irrigation network of Vega Baja. This system is poised as an effective tool for monitoring waste accumulation, which could facilitate corrective measures by the responsible authorities, according to UMH.

The second case study focused on a vineyard belonging to the Protected Designation of Origin Vinalopó Bagged Table Grape. Using images captured from a UAV and processed with deep learning techniques, an AI model was trained to identify bagged grape clusters and estimate production with high precision. This advancement could contribute to improving the planning and efficiency of agricultural operations, according to the university in Elche.