The Challenges of Maintaining Rubber Trees
Every day, whether driving to work or putting on our favorite pair of sneakers, we benefit from the tireless efforts of rubber trees. These towering giants provide the natural rubber that makes its way into countless products we use daily—from car tires to computer keyboards, from erasers to waterproof boots. The impact of these trees on our daily lives cannot be understated.
However, taking care of these rubber trees is no walk in the park. Farmers have to engage in a challenging process of spraying the trees from the ground to control diseases, especially fungal infections. With the trees standing tall at 15-30 meters, at most 10% of the spray manages to reach the canopies. The rest falls right back to the ground, causing severe soil degradation and posing serious health risks to the hardworking farmers.
What’s more, the process is not only labor-intensive but also fuel-intensive. A massive amount of fuel is needed to power the spraying equipment, just to propel the spray high enough to reach the canopies. This leads to high operational costs and contributes to carbon emissions, further exacerbating the problem of climate change. With these challenges in mind, isn’t it time we rethink the way we care for these vital trees?
Enter AGRIM-X: A Game-Changer in Rubber Tree Care
Introducing our state-of-the-art sprayer, AGRIM-X! This nimble drone is rapidly changing the landscape of rubber tree health management and giving our farmers a much-deserved break.
Now, you might be wondering—how is a drone going to tackle the immense task of caring for these towering trees? The answer lies in AGRIM-X’s powerful Visual AI Navigation system. This system empowers our drone to operate fully autonomously, even beyond the visual line of sight of the operator. It deftly navigates above the treetops with ease and precision.
Not only is it improving the quality through its precision, but it is also a lot faster compared to the slow and laborious ground-based operation. AGRIM-X operates at speeds of up to 22 km/h. This isn’t just a step forward; it’s a leap. Our AGRIM-X can cover an entire acre using just a single 10L tank, capable of covering a whopping 10 acres per hour in this challenging terrain.
The Environmental and Economic Benefits
Using AGRIM-X significantly reduces the amount of spray needed, making the process more efficient and eco-friendly. It eliminates the risk of harmful sprays falling back on farmers, causing severe health issues, and the ground, resulting in soil acidification and a decrease in biodiversity. Plus, it drastically reduces the fuel needed for the task, meaning fewer carbon emissions and a smaller carbon footprint.
Less spray wasted and less fuel used mean not only a healthier environment but also a significant reduction in operational costs. This innovation is a win-win for both the environment and the economy.
The Technology Behind AGRIM-X
The video accompanying this post shows our computer vision-based mapping in action. AGRIM-X processes an astounding 15 million data points every second. This massive data processing results in an ultra-detailed view of the tree cover, enabling AGRIM-X to follow the distinct contours of each rubber tree canopy and handle the spaces in between seamlessly.
Navigating through the dynamic terrain of tree canopies is a complex task. We’re dealing with varying tree heights on modulating, hilly terrains. Each tree stands unique, presenting an intricate three-dimensional pattern that extends from the ground to the treetop. This environment far exceeds the simplicity of a uniform, flat surface. Measurements vary widely in terms of height and depth, creating a very noisy and challenging dataset to process. However, AGRIM-X is able to process this in real-time while flying at speeds up to 22 km/h.
Standard tools like lidar or radar, with single-point measurements, struggle in this environment. They can’t accurately differentiate the diverse parts of a tree or even separate the tree from the ground. The data they provide becomes ‘noisy’ or unreliable. Similarly, a barometer isn’t a viable option for maintaining a steady distance from the fluctuating terrain of the tree canopy.
But our computer vision-based solution is an elegant answer to this challenge. AGRIM-X maintains a constant 4-meter distance from these 15-30 meter tall rubber trees, ensuring uniform spraying while adeptly navigating the canopy’s varying heights and depths. This guarantees that each tree receives the attention it requires while prioritizing efficiency and safety.
The Results of Precision Spraying
We are proud of the strides we have made in rubber tree care. Our journey through the limitations of the current manual approach and the innovations brought by our powerful spraying drone, AGRIM-X, and its high-tech AI Navigation system, has led to groundbreaking outcomes.
Deep Foliage Penetration
Imagine a protective tornado raining down from the sky, reaching every leaf, top to bottom. Thanks to the synergy of the impressive downwash of AGRIM-X’s propellers and our atomizing spray system, we see an even film of nanometer-sized particles settling on the leaves, providing uniform protection across the entire depth of the foliage, something the ground-based methods could never achieve.
Dramatic Reduction in Fungus Infections
With our innovation, we managed to reduce the alarming 40% defoliation rate to below 15%, marking a 62.5% improvement.
Boosting Photosynthesis
The top leaves of rubber trees, previously neglected, are now receiving the care they deserved, opening up a whole new era of productivity. As leaves retain their health, they fuel a significant increase in photosynthesis, paving the way for a bumper yield of rubber. It’s a win-win for both the trees and the rubber industry.
Our trees are now healthier, their leaves fuller, and the plantations more productive. AGRIM-X has not only successfully deployed the needed protection to the rubber trees but has also rewritten the script for sustainable and efficient rubber production.
Thank you for being a part of this journey. Here’s to healthier trees and a greener future!
Stay tuned to learn more about the technical aspects of how SUIND is achieving this amazing feat with AGRIM-X.
