Development of UAV technology in seed dropping for aerial revegetation practices in Indonesia

Abstract

The Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) applications or known as quadcopter drones have been considerably growing since the 20th century through now. In this project, we introduce the use of drone to support the revegetation practices. The project aims to develop a quadcopter drone that is capable of dispersing Tamarindus indica seeds in revegetation fields with potential for revegetation. T. indica is tree species that commonly used for revegetation in Indonesia. This work includes following steps. First, a drone takes an aerial photo of the demonstration plots to highlight existing vegetation and obstruction. The result is the information that is used to develop the best seed dropping and planting pattern. The map then is uploaded into the drone. Second step is developing mechanized canisters containing a germinated seed. The seeds then released from canisters installed in drone and break open upon impact with the soil to allow the germinated seeds to take root in the predetermined positions. The proposed drone assisted seed dropping system will provide an essential tool for an efficient revegetation. Due to the effectiveness, this system is also suitable for revegetation in ecosystem where germination has not occurred or for planting in areas with difficult access.