Right now corn is the leading source of biofuel, but sorghum is a possible alternative especially when you consider that it requires less water to grow, making it ideal for places where there might be frequent bouts of drought. However the issue is that scientists aren’t sure which variety of sorghum is the best/most ideal for biofuel, and they are hoping that drones armed with sensors will be able to tell them that.
There will be 3 drones used: one aerial and two ground, and all of which will be used to help create a 3D model of the field and pinpoint which particular variety of sorghum is growing beyond their expectations. The drones will be taking measurements about once every two weeks, measuring the growth of the plants and also placing sensors on stalks and leaves.
According to Paul Bartlett, a senior robotics engineer with Near Earth Autonomy who is helping build the drones, “The big picture goal is to get a big increase in the yield for this bioenergy sorghum,” and he also adds that if this experiment is successful, “it could really make [sorghum] a sustainable bioenergy source.”
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