FlexiGroBots - Virtualization tool
Introducing our visualization tool, we leverage the capability to transform UAV footage into detailed 3D models of agricultural environments. This innovation is pivotal in enabling precise measurement and monitoring of crops, marking a significant advancement in agricultural management techniques.
This tool is a component of the European project, Flexigrobots.It consists of various models that together provide services for reconstructing 3D models of plants in agricultural settings. Users can utilize this service through Docker technology, accessible in a public GitHub repository associated with this application.
The 3D virtualization tool, developed in the last year of the project, transforms UAV footage into detailed 3D models of agricultural environments, enabling precise crop measurement and monitoring. The workflow begins with a Point of Interest (POI) flight over the area, like a vineyard line. This is followed by using COLMAP to determine the camera's position and orientation per frame, aligning each to a common coordinate system. Parallelly, X-Decoder segments the scene, isolating specific elements like "Vineyard." The combined outputs from these processes feed into NerfStudio, which trains a convolutional model for real-time scene rendering from any viewpoint and exports 3D meshes.
These meshes are viewable in applications like MeshLab for relative measurements or volume calculations. Validation of this tool is explained in more detail in project deliverables, where measurements on the 3D mesh closely match real-world dimensions, maintaining a consistent scale with a conversion factor of approximately 2.275. User surveys further validate the tool's effectiveness and practicality in agricultural planning and analysis, confirming its value in the sector.