Development of a machine vision system for a real time precision sprayer

In the context of precision agriculture, we have developed a machine vision system for a real time precision sprayer. From a monochrome CCD camera located in front of the tractor, the discrimination between crop and weeds is obtained with image processing based on spatial information using a Gabor filter.This method allows to detect the periodic signals from the non-periodic ones, and enables us to enhance the crop rows, whereas weeds have a patchy distribution. Thus, weed patches were clearly identified by a blob-coloring method. Finally, we use a pinhole model to transform the weed patch coordinates image in world coordinates in order to activate the right electro-pneumatic valve of the sprayer at the right moment.

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