Traditional Light Tower
A traditional light tower is a tall structure that is equipped with powerful lights to provide illumination in various settings. It is commonly used in construction sites, outdoor events, emergency situations, and other areas where temporary lighting is required.
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Traditional light towers typically consist of a sturdy metal frame with a mast that can be extended to different heights, allowing the lights to be positioned at various angles and distances. The lights themselves are typically high-intensity discharge (HID) lamps or light-emitting diodes (LEDs), which can produce a bright and focused beam of light.
These light towers are often portable and easy to transport, allowing them to be quickly set up and moved to different locations as needed. They are usually powered by diesel generators or other sources of electricity, ensuring that they can operate independently of the local power grid.
In addition to providing illumination, traditional light towers may also be equipped with other features such as telescopic cameras for surveillance, outlets for powering tools and equipment, and even solar panels for eco-friendly operation.
Overall, traditional light towers are essential tools in various industries and applications, providing reliable and efficient lighting solutions in areas where conventional lighting may be insufficient or unavailable.
Previously, Xiao Bian discussed several obstacle avoidance principles and their respective advantages and disadvantages in the "Triple Realm of Unmanned Aircraft Obstacle Avoidance." At the end of the article, it was also mentioned that current consumer-grade drone manufacturers are still in the first realm—simply working to perceive obstacles. (Forget it, please read the "Triple Realm of Unmanned Aircraft Obstacle Avoidance"). So what is the realm of industry-level UAV obstacle avoidance? What are the obstacle avoidance methods suitable for field plant protection? And what are their disadvantages?
Currently, the types of sensors commonly used in obstacle avoidance applications include radar ranging, binocular vision, laser ranging, and ultrasonic ranging. However, **plant protection drones** face a more complex environment in farmland, which significantly increases the difficulty of obstacle avoidance. The application scenarios are also quite different.
Choosing an obstacle avoidance system involves understanding the underlying principles. Common radar, laser, and ultrasonic ranging systems rely on distance sensors that emit electromagnetic waves or lasers and sound waves, then measure the echo time difference to determine the distance. The strength of the reflected signal varies depending on the material of the object being detected.
Visual obstacle avoidance works by calculating the distance of each point based on image differences, similar to how human eyes perceive depth. However, this method requires complex image processing, demanding high-performance processors and excellent algorithms.
Infrared perception, on the other hand, uses triangulation. An infrared emitter sends out a beam at a certain angle, and when it hits an object, the reflected light is detected by a CCD sensor. The distance is calculated using the geometric relationship of the structure.
However, for plant protection drones, other obstacle avoidance methods are not as effective as radar-based ranging. Visual obstacle avoidance, for example, can be severely impacted by flying dust and liquid sprays in farmland, leading to failures and potential accidents. Radar, on the other hand, can handle such conditions effectively, making it a better choice currently.
Plant protection drones typically fly just 1–5 meters above the ground, facing numerous obstacles like small trees, poles, and wires. These wires are often only 2–3 cm in diameter, making them hard to detect with the naked eye and posing a serious threat to the drone. Therefore, the obstacle avoidance system must have very high performance to meet the requirements of these drones.
There are three common obstacle avoidance methods after detecting obstacles: on-site suspension, planned route avoidance, and autonomous evasion. On-site suspension is the most basic and safe method, used when encountering major obstacles. Planned route avoidance requires prior exploration and setting up routes before operation, suitable for smaller obstacles. Autonomous evasion requires the drone to generate a new route on its own, but this can lead to new challenges, such as determining the distance and avoiding new obstacles.
Redundant obstacle avoidance actions during flight can drain battery life. If two obstacles are encountered, the remaining power may not be enough to return. Thus, there are still many issues to solve in autonomous obstacle avoidance, and it has yet to see practical applications.
In the future, plant protection drones' obstacle avoidance systems should be able to detect obstacles from all directions without blind spots, identify various obstacles efficiently and accurately, and support our drones. Additionally, the system should be highly integrated, modular, and easy to maintain to better adapt to farmland environments.
As plant protection drones become increasingly popular, they need to be smarter, with stronger performance and extensive practice to select better obstacle avoidance systems.