Burkina Faso, located in Africa, has an estimated population of nearly 22 million, with over 40% living in poverty. The country’s economy relies heavily on agriculture, employing 80% of the workforce. However, this sector faces significant challenges due to a short three-month rainy season and the effects of climate change, such as flash floods.
Rain-dependent farming is no longer sustainable in the country. To address this issue, the government is transitioning to irrigated agriculture. These efforts are crucial for improving productivity and ensuring food security.
To support the government, Burkina Faso Flying Labs—a part of a global network using drones for social good—has launched a pilot project to develop irrigation systems.
These systems are designed to supply water to agricultural lands, boosting crop growth and productivity. They offer benefits such as increased yields, better water management, and soil erosion prevention.
For this initiative, the team chose the eBee X drone for its ability to survey large areas with high accuracy. After the survey, the fixed-wing drone demonstrated another significant advantage: an 80% reduction in costs compared to traditional surveying methods.
1 – Rapid topographic survey for irrigation scheme development: The primary goal of the pilot project was to make a rapid survey of an area of 1,000 hectares (2,470 acres) for developing irrigations schemes in the village of Soum, with a focus on ensuring smooth water flow from the beginning to the end of the land. It was a very large area, so traditional surveying methods, such as total stations and terrestrial tools, were time-consuming, labor-intensive and also expensive. The team chose the eBee X drone that facilitated a much faster, accurate, and cost-effective topographic survey.
2 – Regulate water usage among farmers: With over 200 farmers involved in the pilot project, it was essential to establish a clear irrigation schedule, allocate land sections, and plan water usage based on the specific location and needs of the farms. The high-resolution orthomosaic maps generated by the eBee X and the Aeria X RGB drone camera enabled more accurate planning and monitoring, allowing for better management of water resources and reducing potential conflicts over water use.
Claudel Guiella, Project and Training Coordinator at Burkina Faso Flying Labs, highlights the urgency of such initiatives. Citing VertigO, an environmental science journal, Guiella notes that:“West African farmers have experienced a 30-50% decline in agricultural yields, primarily due to erratic rainfall and persistent drought.”
Claudel Guiella, Project and Training Coordinator at Burkina Faso Flying Labs, highlights the urgency of such initiatives. Citing VertigO, an environmental science journal, Guiella notes that:
This Flying Lab initiative is part of the Projet de Développement Hydroagricole de Soum (PDHS), led by the Burkina Faso government. It directly benefits more than 5,000 households, supported by a dam with a water capacity of 155 million cubic meters.
The use of the eBee X drone in this pilot project represents a significant advancement in the development of irrigation systems in the country, offering accurate, fast, and cost-effective land surveys.
Integrating such innovative technologies will be key to overcoming the challenges posed by climate change and to achieving food security and economic stability.
For more information on how the eBee X drone can help with your agricultural projects, contact us today.
The story was also captured by Forbes.
In early 2023, Pete Kelsey, the owner of VCTO Labs, embarked on a pioneering and one-of-a-kind project to gain a comprehensive understanding of Alcatraz Island’s past and present.
The ambitious plan was to thoroughly document every aspect of this landmark, encompassing the historic prison—both inside and out—and its natural surroundings, utilizing cutting-edge technology such as the eBee X drone with a dual multispectral and RGB camera.
The pro-bono project spanned a year, with discussions starting in January 2023 and mapping executed in December 2023. Kelsey assembled a diverse team, including tech giants like Boston Dynamics, Esri or Emesent, utilizing their cutting-edge technology for terrestrial and aerial surveys, involving TLS, SLAM, drone-based LiDAR and photogrammetry.
The collected dataset is so comprehensive that it would be crucial for preservation and future projects, benefiting the U.S. National Park Service, archaeologists from the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Alcatraz’s biologists, botanists, and Operations and Maintenance (O&M) professionals.
The team spent three weeks on Alcatraz for comprehensive mapping and scanning, even opting to sleep in the prison cells for logistical efficiency.
Utilizing best-in-class technology, the project achieved a comprehensive scan of the island from the air and on land. In addition to the eBee X fixed-wing, tools included the Emesent Hovermap ST-X LiDAR for scanning interiors, the Flyability Elios 3 drone for confined spaces, the Boston Dynamics Spot for accessing restricted areas, RIEGL Laser Measurement Systems scanner, and more.
For project lead Pete, establishing survey control was crucial to hold together the diverse data layers from different systems. This was handled by the international company PCL Construction, ensuring a remarkable 3 mm accuracy across the network, contributing to data coherence and alignment.
Alcatraz Island, as part of the National Park System under the U.S. Department of the Interior, had strict compliance requirements for the systems used. The eBee X was selected for the photogrammetry part due to its alignment with these requirements; it is NDAA-compliant and the only FAA-approved drone for flying over people in the U.S. Its operational capabilities, including a dual camera—RGB and multispectral, specifically the Duet M, were additional factors considered.
Pete Kelsey“You can fly a lot of drones, but not a lot of Operations Over People (OOP) approved drones. The eBee X was the right choice”.
Pete Kelsey
In Pete Kelsey’s assembled team, Bobby Valentine, a self-described technology evangelist, brought a wealth of expertise and was in charge of the eBee X mission.
Due to the tight schedule and the flight window, Valentine had only a limited frame of two days for aerial mapping. On the first day, he familiarized himself with the island’s obstacles that were not accurately represented in the flight plan, such as water towers, a lighthouse, and tall trees. The second day was designated for the flight, strategically planned to maintain a consistent altitude under 300 feet / 90 m AGL to avoid obstacles. Three visual observers were placed to address potential data connection issues due to the prison’s thick walls.
Bobby Valentine“The eBee X drone is solid—one of my most reliable workhorses”.
Bobby Valentine
In one flight, he gathered data for the island’s 27 acres / 10 hectares with the eBee X drone and its Duet M dual camera, simultaneously capturing RGB and multispectral information. “The eBee X worked seamlessly. The operation and software were great. I lost radio connection in three passes, but the drone reestablished connection and continued mapping flawlessly,” stated Bobby, showcasing the system’s reliability during operations.
Bobby Valentine“Your bird is truly amazing to watch in action. The entire team on the island was impressed with the flight and the data results of the Duet M camera”.
The team faced diverse challenges during the mapping, including navigating bird populations, coordinating with general aviation, and addressing complications due to the island’s topography:
Permit procurement: Getting the necessary permits for the project was time-consuming, spanning 9 months in total. As for the drone, the eBee X’s NDAA compliance and status as the sole drone approved by the FAA for Operations Over People in the U.S., without needing a waiver, provided them with a strategic advantage in navigating certain regulatory hurdles.
Alcatraz’s historic structures: The buildings of Alcatraz prison are deteriorating, and certain areas of the island, which are off-limits to visitors, pose a potential threat to their structural integrity due to hazardous conditions.
Navigating wildlife: Alcatraz’s protected birds and diverse fauna required careful coordination with National Park Service biologists. The eBee X’s silent operation played a pivotal role in maintaining a disturbance-free environment. Bobby highlighted, “The eBee X is beautiful to watch; it’s like watching a bird fly, and it doesn’t make a lot of noise, unlike the quadcopters.”
Operational challenges: The team had to contend with low-flying Coast Guard helicopters patrolling the San Francisco coast. However, coordinated efforts on the day of the eBee X mapping ensured a seamless operation.
Strategic landing maneuvers: Operating in Alcatraz’s unique topography presented challenges, particularly during the landings of the eBee X. Strategic planning was crucial, considering the deteriorating conditions of parade areas and outdated maps lacking updated structures and tall trees. Bobby Valentine had to navigate around a 40-foot-tall structure and execute steep landings near water. Learning from initial challenges, he recognized the importance of creating a Digital Surface Model (DSM) in the first flight, facilitating smoother landings in subsequent operations.
Pete Kelsey“The eBee X’s compliance and approval for flying in such sensitive areas demonstrated its suitability for the project and simplified the permit process”.
Multi-layered dataset for diverse applications: The project generated a unique dataset with various layers of information – photogrammetry, TLS, SLAM and drone-based LiDAR thanks to the diverse tools used. This output holds immense potential for diverse applications, from historical research to efficient park management and future development projects. The accurate data will also help the National Park Service in prioritizing essential fixes within Alcatraz’s historic structures.
Survey control and accuracy: The establishment of survey control was pivotal, ensuring alignment and meeting stringent level-of-detail requirements with an impressive 3 mm absolute accuracy across the dataset.
Efficient data capture and dual-sensor advantage: The eBee X showcased unparalleled efficiency capturing both RGB and multispectral data in a single flight with its Duet M camera. “This great advantage eliminates the need for multiple flights, a cost-saving feat when compared to other drones on the market” notes Bobby Valentine. The GSD came in at 2.29 cm / 0.90 in.
Collaborative excellence: The project’s excellence extends beyond mapping; it reflects collaborative efforts among tech giants who, in regular circumstances, might be considered competitors. The collaboration led to the successful completion of the project.
Daytime dataset completion: The eBee X’s data post-processing stood out as the first complete photogrammetry dataset obtained on the same mapping day. This not only impressed the Park Service personnel but also played a crucial role in winning their support and understanding.
Wildlife-friendly operations: On-site biologists appreciated the eBee X’s silent operation, emphasizing its minimal disturbance to nesting birds.
Temporal tracker: Alcatraz, amidst seismic activity, salt, and the sea, constantly undergoes transformations. The team, aware of these changes, created a digital twin of the prison, a “temporal tracker” aiding in understanding the pace and nature of these changes.
One opportunity: Operationally, the eBee X’s ease of use, reliability, and capability to obtain dual data in a single flight proved indispensable. With just one chance to capture the aerial information, Bobby Valentine relied on the eBee X as his trusted workhorse.
Technology making the invisible visible: The multispectral technology of the eBee X’s Duet M camera brings the once invisible into view, offering practical applications in revealing hidden historical insights, particularly in archaeology.
Data capture success: Pete proudly declares, “The Alcatraz mapping is complete, with no gaps or missing data identified, eliminating the need for additional capture. As of January 2024, we are deep into the post-processing stage, accumulating data up to 3 terabytes and still rising.”
Pete Kelsey“What’s so unique about this project is what the data can be used for ANYTHING”.
The comprehensive and one-of-a-kind dataset, with its versatile applications, stands as a monumental contribution to the preservation of Alcatraz. It ensures the historical legacy of this iconic site endures for generations to come.
Alcatraz Island, located 1.25 miles / 2.01 km offshore from San Francisco, California, has a rich history. Developed in the mid-19th century, it housed a lighthouse, military fortification, and later became the infamous Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary in 1934. Notable for imprisoning figures like Al Capone, the prison closed in 1963. Today, Alcatraz is a popular tourist attraction managed by the National Park Service. Acquired in 1972, the island features historical landmarks, including the oldest operating West Coast lighthouse.
Designated a National Historic Landmark in 1986, Alcatraz encompasses 22 acres / 8.9 ha and is home to diverse habitats, including cisterns, bluff crevices, cliff tops, tide pools, and parade grounds. These areas support various wildlife, such as seabirds, salamanders, and deer mice.
The island’s flora includes neglected gardens that are being restored after 40 years. Heirloom rose hybrids, believed to be extinct, were rediscovered, and the gardens now showcase a variety of roses, succulents, geraniums, and fruit trees. The preservation efforts aim to balance the restoration of historic gardens with the protection of bird habitats.
In November 2023, the Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Department of Finney County, located in the state of Kansas, acquired the AgEagle eBee X drone with the Aeria X camera to elevate its mapping capabilities and address the county’s extensive geographical challenges.
Operating under FAA Part 107 regulations, the eBee X is currently the only drone in the United States authorized to fly over people (OOP) and moving vehicles (OOMV) without requiring a waiver. This unique approval gives the department more flexibility compared to other drones, which require extra permissions.
“Our main objective in purchasing the eBee X was to enhance our ability to map large areas more efficiently”, explains Tom Marchant, a GIS technician at Finney County. With a population of 37,650 and an expansive area of 3,375 km², Finney County presents significant mapping challenges that require advanced tools.
The eBee X drone can cover up to 1,235 acres (500 hectares) in one flight with a single battery, making it perfect for the department’s big project of mapping the entire city.
Among the seven camera options available for the eBee X, the department chose the Aeria X, a 24 MP RGB camera for precision mapping. “The resolution and clarity of the images it captures are phenomenal,” Marchant adds.
“Since our first flight in December 2023 we have been very impressed with the eBee X durability, endurance, and its ability to fly inconspicuously. When the drone is cruising through the air it looks like a natural bird and the noise pollution is next to none,” says Marchant.
The GIS Department supports many county and city services, such as public works, appraisals, communications, and utilities. Since they started using the eBee X, the department has completed several important projects that show the drone’s versatility:
“With the eBee X we can fly further, longer, and faster. This provides us with the opportunity to take on the mammoth project of mapping our entire city,” explains Marchant. “We estimate that, with favorable wind conditions and lighting, we can complete the city mapping with the eBee X drone in 14 days by maintaining visual line of sight and flying in quarter-mile sections.”
When this project is completed, it will provide big benefits for property appraisals, parcel mapping, and public access to maps. The standard flight settings include flying at 365 feet above takeoff (ATO), with a 70% overlap in an interlaced flight pattern at 0.90 inches (2.2 cm) per pixel. This ensures the highest quality and accuracy for the maps.
The blue dawn flower is a common weed found worldwide that causes significant damage to sugar cane. This herbaceous vine can reach up to 10 ft (3 m) in length and is extremely aggressive. It suffocates the cane, reducing productivity and complicating mechanized harvesting.
Braéro Soluções Aeroagrícolas, a Brazilian agricultural services company, utilizes drone technology for precise mapping and targeted spraying. They employ the eBee X and Duet M multispectral camera to generate high-precision georeferenced infestation maps. These maps are then imported into the remote control of the sprayer drone, allowing them to accurately spray herbicide only in the infested areas.
By using drone technology, the company’s customers have seen significant benefits compared to spraying entire areas:
Braéro conducted a case study on a large sugarcane producer in Colina, São Paulo, Brazil, specifically on a 709 ac (287 ha) sugarcane farm.
1 – Plan the mapping drone flight
The first step was to plan the flight of the mapping drone. After several tests, it became standard to use the eBee X drone with Duet M camera and the GNSS receiver – Spectra precision SP-60 with the following settings:
Using the eBee X drone in Brazil offers a significant advantage: the eBee X is certified to fly Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) by the Brazilian National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC), allowing flights of up to 5 km radius and 120 m height. This approval enhances its performance compared to drones restricted to Visual Line of Sight (VLOS), which are limited to a 0.5 km radius and 120 m height by law.
2 – Data processing
After the survey, PIX4mapper software generates the RGB orthomosaic and the reflectance indices from the multispectral camera from AgEagle, the Duet M.
Fernando Costa, Braéro’s Operations Director, explains that the RGB orthomosaic acts as a visual layer for quality control in weed mapping using multispectral images. The reflectance indices pinpoint areas with more weeds. He highlights the importance of the RedEdge band, which shows less saturation of tall sugar cane (around 7 ft or 2 m high) compared to the Near-Infrared, making it especially useful after 7 months of planting or regrowth.
These datasets captured with the agricultural drone eBee X display an area infested with weeds in both the RGB and multispectral images:
3 – Spraying
These maps are then imported into the remote control of the Joyance JT30/JT16 centrifugal nozzle sprayer drone in either shapefile or KML format.
The spraying map shows green polygons marking areas for targeted spraying. Depending on the infestation level, spraying may focus on small polygons within plots or cover the entire plot area.
The image below shows an area 12 days after localized drone spraying, where broadleaf weeds have been desiccated:
This use case demonstrated that combining localized herbicide spraying for broadleaf weeds in lightly infested plots and full-area application in heavily infested plots results in significant cost savings—specifically, a 39% reduction compared to blanket spraying across the entire property.
Depending on the infestation level, the recommended spray volume can reach up to 3.5 liters per hectare. For instance, in a highly infested area, using 3 liters per hectare would cost the producer up to $29.50 per hectare, covering both the product cost and the drone spraying service for the entire area.
Braéro Soluções Aeroagrícolas has achieved great success through the combined use of fixed-wing drones for agriculture, such as the eBee X, and multi-rotors for spraying services. This technology supports environmental preservation, enhances agricultural sustainability, and boosts profitability for rural producers by improving crop efficiency and facilitating various agricultural tasks.
Drones in agriculture are versatile beyond weed control; they can also be employed in planting systematization projects, terracing, row restitution for harvesting, addressing planting failures and managing replanting logistics.
Musk thistle, an invasive plant found across North America, Europe, Asia, and North Africa, grows rapidly, posing threats to ecosystems, livestock, and crop productivity. It can reach heights of up to 7 ft (2 m).
Bobby Valentine, an experienced drone expert and the founder of Valentine Brand, was recently approached by a farmer in the United States to remove musk thistle from its land.
Instead of using traditional methods like spraying the entire area, Valentine proposed a comprehensive drone workflow for targeted spraying utilizing aerial imagery.
This method he employs helps farmers save chemicals, prevent land degradation caused by vehicles, and optimize crop yield by eradicating the invasive plant, particularly in areas inaccessible to farmers.
Valentine conducted an aerial survey using the eBee X drone, equipped with the dual-camera Duet M, to capture high-resolution RGB and multispectral imagery simultaneously in a single flight.
It took him 1 hour to gather data for the 100-acre land (40 hectares), following the flight plan he had previously set up on eMotion, the eBee software.
Valentine flew the fixed-wing drone at 180 ft / 55 m altitude for this mission, as lower altitudes provide more detailed results. The data collection went smoothly, confirming the reliability of the eBee X for Valentine’s projects.
Valentine spent a couple of hours processing the data collected with the eBee X using PIX4Dfields.
He created multispectral and orthomosaic 2D maps, which offered detailed representations of the surveyed areas. In this case, the orthomosaic proved most beneficial, allowing him to easily identify the locations of the musk thistle.
Next, he employed the PIX4Dfields Magic Tool to accurately locate the invasive plant. The tool segmented the orthomosaic of the surveyed land into grids.
After, he manually identified the cells containing musk thistle infestations. Those encircled in blue indicate the presence of the invasive plant, while those encircled in yellow signify unaffected areas.
Powered by a machine learning algorithm, the PIX4D Magic Tool learned from the selected cells and automatically detected and marked (in square blue) cells with invasive plant presence, accelerating Valentine’s identification of problem areas.
He then verified the accuracy of the areas automatically marked by the Magic Tool, making corrections using the delete brush tool where necessary.
Furthermore, he delineated boundaries (in pink) for the land and, if applicable, for trees or other obstacles, to guide herbicide application. This ensured that only affected areas received treatment, with the boundaries serving as geofences for the sprayer drone.
The entire process consumed approximately 4 hours.
Following Bobby’s manual and automated process with the PIX4Dfields Magic Tool, the software generated a highly accurate and customized spray plan for the land based on the identified infestation pattern. He then exported this compatible file and integrated it into the DJI Agras drone flight software.
The areas shaded in purple-gray indicate where spraying will occur. Additionally, the tool specifies the number of acres represented by these areas, allowing him to prepare the necessary amount of pesticide for the mission.
After finalizing the spot-spray map, Bobby exported the data to a compatible file format supported by the DJI Agras sprayer drone.
The integration between PIX4D and the DJI Agras drone sprayer enables the smooth implementation of the treatment plan, with the sprayer drone autonomously applying herbicides precisely to the identified areas.
Depending on factors such as weather conditions, the type of chemical used, and the application rate, spraying 100 acres typically takes around 2.5 hours, achieving an average rate of approximately 40 acres per hour, especially on fairly flat topography.
In this case, precise spraying has been postponed due to weather conditions.
Nonetheless, previous clients of Valentine consistently express high satisfaction with this service, as it has enabled them to save money, time, and chemicals while minimizing land damage.
In summary, Bobby’s use of the eBee X drone equipped with the Duet M dual camera and PIX4D software showcases a data-driven approach to targeted control of invasive plants in precision agriculture.
By combining drone technology, data analytics, and targeted spraying techniques, Bobby not only demonstrates the potential to revolutionize agricultural practices but also highlights their role in enhancing environmental preservation and boosting agricultural productivity.
The team opted for the S.O.D.A. 3D camera to then create a 3D model, orthomosaic, and point cloud of the city, enabling mapping of vertical surfaces as well. The processing and 3D mesh were generated using ESRI Site Scan.
A cadastral survey, like the one conducted with the eBee X, allows officials to:
Integrating drones into cadastral operations improves maintenance accuracy, speed, and cost-effectiveness, ensuring safer infrastructure, road networks, and upcoming construction projects. Additionally, the data streamlines maintenance prioritization and planning.
In 2023, GeoAcuity collaborated on a project at Exposition Park in Los Angeles.
Their goal was to create a 3D model of the complex to improve safety training for public officials and evaluate potential risks.
Exposition Park spans 160 acres / 65 hectares and features iconic stadiums, four world-class museums including the California Science Center, various entertainment venues, and the Space Shuttle Endeavor. Thus, the mission involved drone flyovers over populated areas in the second-most populous city in the United States.
To accomplish this, the team selected the AgEagle eBee X drone, specifically for its approval for Operations Over People in the United States without requiring a waiver, and its capacity to cover large areas during 90-minute flights while capturing high-resolution imagery with the S.O.D.A 3D camera. Additionally, the team employed two rotary-wing drones to complement the data collected by our fixed-wing UAS.
By merging data from all three drones, including the eBee X, the team generated a comprehensive 3D model of the entire campus with a 1 inch / 3 cm GSD. This highly detailed dataset, often referred to as a “digital twin,” now serves as a crucial tool for public safety officials, facilitating thorough vulnerability assessments and enhancing safety training protocols.
Transforming a livestock field into fertile land ready for cultivation and multiplying the benefits—this is the remarkable achievement of two technological ag companies in Paraguay. Through a sustainable and technological approach using the eBee X mapping drones, they have elevated their client’s ROI to unprecedented levels.
“We had an area of over 6,000 hectares / 14,826 acres that always served as a cattle ranch. Planting was never possible due to frequent flooding during the rainy season,” states Luis Huemer, the field owner.
In the field, water reached up to the knees, stagnating among the grass, creating challenging working conditions. Huemer attempted to create topographic maps using tractors for 20 days, but it proved futile. Many tractors broke down or got stuck in the mud.
When it was impossible to continue with the tractors, Huemer contacted the consulting and technological companies Conagro SRL and Gestecner for assistance with topographic mapping. They opted to work using two AgEagle’s eBee X fixed-wing drones.
The mapping of the entire 6,000 ha / 14,826 ac was completed in just 3 days with the two eBees. This enabled the design of drainage and soil systematization projects, effectively transforming the unused area into fertile land ready for cultivation.
Favio Fariña, an engineer at CONAGRO SRL, emphasized:“The eBee X drone is the key to our efficiency because it provides us with accurate and precise information. Thanks to this technology, we no longer work blindly.”
Favio Fariña, an engineer at CONAGRO SRL, emphasized:
The eBee X is the ideal choice for extensive coverage—up to 500 hectares / 1,235 acres in one flight—delivering precise data. The professional mapping drone offers 90-minute flights, RTK, PPK, and features a range of interchangeable photogrammetry cameras for 2D and 3D mapping. The selected camera for this mission was the S.O.D.A. RGB drone camera.
Interested in the story? Watch the use case in this video (in Spanish with English subtitles):
