Low Cost NDVI Aerial Imager for Plant Health Monitoring

Due to the spread of Beech Leaf Disease, Swarthmore College and the Scott Arboretum expect to lose all of the beech trees on campus in the next five years. Methods of monitoring plant health are required to act as early warnings for tree loss so that the Arboretum can manage deadfall, erosion, and other adverse effects. Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) is a multispectral imaging technique that can assess plant health. NDVI is a common satellite remote sensing technique that has shown promise in drone remote sensing applications. With recent decreases in the costs of optical components, we determined that a low-cost NDVI imager could be mounted to a small drone. This imager would then observe changes in plant health in the Crum Woods over time. Our project involved the design and construction of such a payload. We integrated the payload with a drone development platform, and validated it by flying test flights on Swarthmore’s campus. We identified areas in which our design could be improved, and speculated on what future work is required to mature the payload to meet the requirements of the Scott Arboretum.