UAV based Image Segmentation of Farmlands for

Enhanced Agricultural Productivity

Aneesh Sathe 21BCE1625,
Priyansh Chatap, 21BCE1615,

Atharv Mane, 21BCE1580

ABSTRACT
This research investigates the utilization of UAV-based image segmentation within the
agricultural realm, with a specific emphasis on crop lands. The methodology proposes a self-
constructed U-Net architecture to delineate crop and weed classes in aerial imagery. Image
segmentation, a crucial computer vision task, enhances interpretability, finding applications in
diverse fields such as object recognition, medical diagnosis, and precision agriculture. The
maintenance of crop lands is pivotal for optimal agricultural outcomes, aligning with global
initiatives for poverty reduction, income elevation, and food security. Utilizing artificial
intelligence for weed detection through computer vision streamlines identification processes,
reducing manual efforts. The integration of semi-autonomous drones and UAVs enhances
efficiency by surveying vast farm lands during critical growth phases. The self-constructed U-
Net, inspired by biomedical image segmentation, features a unique U-shaped structure with an
encoder for context extraction and a decoder for precise localization. Skip connections between
encoder and decoder layers facilitate information transfer, mitigating information loss during
down-sampling. The U-Net architecture's efficacy in semantic segmentation, particularly in
medical imaging, seamlessly extends to precision farming applications, enabling accurate
segmentation of crops and weeds. Implementing UAV-based image segmentation with the self-
constructed U-Net contributes to the advancement of precision agriculture. The system's ability
to precisely identify and manage crops and weeds promotes efficient agricultural practices,
aligning with broader goals of sustainable and high-yield crop production. The findings
underscore the significance of integrating advanced technologies to address challenges in
modern agriculture, fostering innovation and productivity in the sector.

Keywords: Image Segmentation, Image Processing, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, Smart

Agriculture
1 INTRODUCTION integrating these technologies, the research
aims to contribute to the broader goals of
Agricultural productivity stands at the sustainable agriculture, aligning with global
nexus of global food security and socio- initiatives for poverty alleviation and food
economic development. As the world security. As we navigate the intersection of
population burgeons, the demand for technology and agriculture, this endeavour
sustainable and high-yield crop production underscores the transformative impact of
intensifies. In this context, the integration cutting-edge methodologies on the future of
of advanced technologies becomes food production and agricultural
imperative to optimize agricultural sustainability.
processes and mitigate challenges. This
paper delves into the realm of precision
agriculture, specifically focusing on the 2 RELATED WORKS
pivotal role of UAV-based image
segmentation for discerning crop lands into Mohidem et al., explore the current and
distinct crop and weed classes. future trends in Unmanned Aerial Vehicle
(UAV) applications for weed detection in
Image segmentation, a fundamental
crop fields. A systematic search of
computer vision task, involves partitioning
databases yielded 144 eligible studies
an image into meaningful segments, each
published between January 2016 and June
with unique characteristics. The allure of
2021. Most studies (27.42%) focused on
this technique lies in its ability to enhance
weed detection during the crop's seedling
image interpretability, a trait critical for
stage, utilizing RGB cameras (48.28%) and
applications ranging from medical
machine learning algorithms (47.90%). The
diagnosis to precision agriculture. In the
review provides insights into crops'
agricultural landscape, where efficient land
phenology, reference data, sensor types,
management is synonymous with improved
classification methods, and UAV
outcomes, the application of image
applications. It outlines advantages and
segmentation takes center stage. Weed
disadvantages of sensors and algorithms
management, a perennial challenge for
while identifying research gaps. Integrated
farmers, is poised for transformation
weed management, facilitated by UAVs,
through the integration of artificial
enhances monitoring in an efficient and
intelligence solutions. The self-constructed
eco-friendly manner. This review offers
U-Net architecture, a convolutional neural
essential scientific information for
network inspired by biomedical image
sustainable weed management and the
segmentation, emerges as a robust tool for
practical implementation of UAV
this purpose. Its distinctive U-shaped
technology in agriculture.
structure, featuring an encoder for context
extraction and a decoder for precise Sa et al., introduce a novel framework for
localization, proves instrumental in crop/weed segmentation and mapping
accurately distinguishing crops from using multispectral images from a UAV,
weeds. powered by a deep neural network. Unlike
conventional approaches, it employs a
The paper explores the synergies between
stand sliding window technique to address
UAV-based image segmentation and the U-
challenges related to limited ground sample
Net architecture, highlighting their
distances, resolution sacrifices, and
collective potential to revolutionize
multispectral alignment. The proposed
precision agriculture. By seamlessly
model significantly outperforms the addresses challenges and outlines future
baseline, achieving improved AUC values. trends in image segmentation techniques,
The study includes an in-depth analysis of reflecting the continuous pursuit of refining
20 models, exploring the impact of input feature extraction and model design.
channels and network hyperparameters.
Furthermore, the release of a
comprehensive sugar beet/weed aerial 3 METHODOLGY
dataset with expert annotations contributes
to advancements in remote sensing, The U-Net [1] comprises a symmetric
precision agriculture, and agricultural encoder-decoder structure with skip
robotics. connections to retain high-resolution
information during the up-sampling
Ronneberger et al., introduces a novel deep process. The encoder path involves a series
network and training strategy, emphasizing of convolutional and pooling layers,
data augmentation to enhance efficiency progressively reducing spatial dimensions
with limited annotated samples. The and extracting features. The decoder path
architecture includes a contracting path for consists of up-sampling layers, which
context capture and an expanding path for gradually restore the spatial dimensions
precise localization. Demonstrating the while incorporating skip connections from
efficacy of end-to-end training with the corresponding encoder layers. The U-
minimal images, the network surpasses Net architecture is characterized by a
previous methods on the ISBI challenge for bottleneck layer, situated at the center of the
neuronal structure segmentation in electron network, serving as a bridge between the
microscopic stacks. Notably, using the encoder and decoder. This bottleneck layer
same network on transmitted light consolidates high-level semantic
microscopy images, it achieves a information for accurate segmentation.
significant victory in the ISBI cell tracking
challenge 2015. Additionally, the network The proposed model enhances the
exhibits remarkable speed, enabling traditional U-Net framework by
segmentation of a 512x512 image in under incorporating additional bottleneck layers
a second on a recent GPU. to facilitate more profound feature learning.
These additional layers serve as feature
Yu et al., delve into the evolving landscape extraction hubs, capturing intricate and
of image segmentation, a focal point in hierarchical details within the input images.
image processing and computer vision The augmented depth in the bottleneck
research. Image segmentation involves section allows the model to learn more
partitioning an image into meaningful, non- sophisticated representations of the input
overlapping regions, a critical step in data, enhancing its ability to discern fine-
comprehending natural scenes. The review grained features crucial for accurate
systematically explores advancements in segmentation. The increased depth and
segmentation methods, categorizing them complexity of the custom U-Net
into classic segmentation, collaborative architecture contribute to heightened
segmentation, and deep learning-based feature learning capabilities, ultimately
semantic segmentation. The paper dissects leading to improved segmentation accuracy
key algorithms and techniques at each in the context of differentiating farmland
stage, comparing and summarizing model regions into distinct categories of crops and
advantages and drawbacks. Additionally, it weeds.
 Machine Intelligence, vol. 44, no. 07, pp.
3523-3542, 2022. doi:
10.1109/TPAMI.2021.3059968
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1

Fig 1. U-Net Architecture

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