https://cdn.specpick.com/images/photonics/sentra_sensor_wall.JPG712370
Sentera has added new High-Precision NDVI Single and High-Precision NDRE Single to its small, lightweight single sensor product family. They utilize patent-pending technology to improve spectral band separation and generate more accurate vegetation index measurements. The High-Precision Single sensor is available in two variants: Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Normalized Difference Red Edge (NDRE).
As with all members of the single product line, the new sensors integrate onto any drone, helping agronomists, consultants, and producers identify growth issues earlier and with greater precision. The sensors are available pre-installed on DJI Phantom 4, Mavic, and Inspire equipment or as dealer-installed upgrades to customer-owned drones. The new sensor will make it easier for users to integrate satellite-based index data with drone-based index data.
The High Precision filters more closely match the spectral filtering used on most space-based imagers, but retain the same advantages in image resolution compared to satellites. Digital agriculture currently demands the best sensor for each task and depending on growth stage, weather, and other factors, that sensor might be on a drone, an airplane, or a satellite. According to Sentra, the high precision products will make it much easier to combine drone data with other sources.
The High-Precision NDVI and NDRE Single sensors collect the precise, narrow bands that agronomists, crop consultants, and growers rely on to help determine crop vigor. Unlike other conventional solutions, Sentera's filtering technology effectively rejects out-of-band leakage before it can contaminate the measurement and lead to error in vegetative index computation. The targeted data capture allows users to filter out 'spectral noise' and collect only the isolated emissions in the red, red edge, and NIR bands (true indicators of crop health).
Converted point-and-shoot cameras or modified drone cameras without proper filtering tend to exhibit out-of-channel leakage, producing less accurate index. The High-Precision Single sensors use specialized filters, enabling NDVI and NDRE data capture with high precision. With many cameras currently on the market, a significant amount of overlap between color channels can be seen, that affects the accuracy of vegetative health index. According to Sentra, while developing the High Precision Agriculture Sensor line, they implemented advanced filtering techniques that provide precise spectral data with complete band separation so users can be confident that they're collecting accurate and reliable NDVI or NDRE measurements every time.
The Sentra Precision Agriculture Sensor Solution, combined with AgVault web, desktop, and mobile, offers users an end-to-end data capture solution. Precise sensor data seamlessly integrates with AgVault where real-time crop health data can be analyzed, and analytics are easily performed on or off the field. The High Precision NDVI Single and High Precision NDRE Single sensors easily integrate with the DJI Phantom 4 Pro, Mavic, and Inspire 1 drones as well as several other platforms.
