Drones for environmental protection: monitoring of meadow orchards successfully completed

The project launched in the summer of 2018 – and now the results are being presented: Over the past three years, research drones from the Heidelberg University of Education repeatedly circled over the meadow orchards in the community of Bad Schönborn between Heidelberg and Karlsruhe. Covering an area of around 500 hectares, roughly ten hectares of which were meadow orchards, the drones carried out a comprehensive digital monitoring survey that automatically classified and evaluated the fruit trees. This involved categorizing the trees according to their state of health, such that targeted care measures can now be undertaken to improve their vitality. Private individuals are also encouraged to sponsor the care of fruit trees via a specially created platform. The Audi Environmental Foundation supported the project over its entire duration.

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