Our drone-based Ecophysiological Research Infrastructure and Satellite Emulator (DERIS) is a sophisticated system deployed in diverse experimental settings, including variety testing, fertilization trials, and drought stress studies.
DERIS is equipped with a high-performance VNIR-SWIR imaging spectrometer (400–2500 nm, 3 nm spectral sampling), capable of emulating signals from current and upcoming spectral satellite systems. This spectral data is complemented by a LiDAR system that provides detailed plant height measurements and generates high-resolution digital surface models. Additionally, a thermal camera captures canopy temperature, offering valuable insights into plant health and stress responses. Operating at altitudes between 80 and 120 meters, AERIS achieves a spatial resolution of approximately 5 cm, allowing for precise mapping of plant traits.
With its advanced sensor suite, DERIS is an ideal tool for prototyping novel plant phenotyping approaches in a range of agricultural research applications. The system is currently deployed at Agroscope’s Reckenholz research station.
In addition to DERIS, we deploy some “off-the-shelf” drone platforms such as the DJI Mavic 3E that allows to capture very-high resolution RGB data from our field experiments.
