Agricultural UAV/Drone

This was my first job as a software/firmware engineer, working with a team to develop agricultural UAVs designed for spraying liquids like pesticides over farmland. It was an enjoyable and meaningful experience, knowing that I was contributing to technology that improves agriculture.

The UAV was capable of carrying 30kg spraying payload, which was the best among agriculture UAVs at that time. For comparison, XAG and DJI UAVs had a 10kg payload back then — though by 2024, they can handle up to 70kg.

the uav
The agricultural UAV during testing
the uav
The agriculture uav working in the field

My work at the time included developing an automatic height-holding function using microwave radar, a technology widely used in automotive adaptive cruise control. Below is a test flight conducted in a terrain field.

(Sound) Automatic height-holding test

As the youngest member of the team, I also did some arrends. One of the most interesting responsibilities was investigating crash incidents. I analyzed a lot accidents in less than two years, most of the causes were more than interesting and unbeliviable.

the uav wreck
The agricultural UAV wreckage awaiting investigation

(I have permission to use the images in this blog.)