Drone services

Agrostis have what is known as a PfCO licence, that is Permission for the Commercial Operation of Drones (multi-rotor drones up to 20 kg).  This opens up a world of possibilities for sports turf and golf course agronomy, project monitoring and management, all of which is our core business.  The ability, legally, to take aerial photographs from up to 400 feet above the subject provides extremely valuable information in many situations.

We use our professional drone with optical camera to:

• Obtain before and after images for mapping and quantifying surface damage caused by outdoor events
• Obtain otherwise unobtainable images of construction projects as they go ahead.  The beauty of this is that the images obtained of the actual site are directly compatible with the overhead and rendered model views of the development that we generate during the design phase.
• In association with the appropriate software, we can use the drone to obtain multiple images that can subsequently be digitally stitched together to produce a single image or map of a site.  This is known as planimetry.  Produced with a very high level of accuracy, such data can be extremely useful in very many ways and to an extent that is only just beginning to be recognised in the sports industry.  

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Vertical aerial view of Winterville 'get out' - Clapham Common. January 2019

Gaelic and training pitch design in Sketchup with 0.1 m contours

Gaelic and training pitch in construction - Barnet, north London

Multi-spectral imaging - 'Spectre'

Spectre is the word we use to describe the new multi-spectral imaging service we are developing.  Primarily for use in natural turf situations, this involves the use of a different kind of camera fitted to the drone.  Multispectral sensor technology uses green, red, red-edge and near infrared (NIR) wavebands to capture both visible and invisible imagery from surfaces.  These data can provide early detection of disease, nutrient or water stress in the ground cover of greens, fairways, sports pitches etc.  It does this by, for example, allowing the quantification of the turf's chlorophyll content.  By calibrating with appropriate soil and grass analyses, the imagery allows very much more efficient and effective application of fertiliser or pesticide application, or the more targeted use of the irrigation system.
In the drive to minimise water, fertiliser and pesticide use, further enhancing the environmental advantages of natural turf, we believe that this technology represents a significant tool for turf managers and we look forward to helping you take advantage of this.