HANA Resources—a Lake Forest, Calif.-based multidisciplinary environmental consulting firm—and its affiliate company Natures Images were awarded a U.S. patent for their project, titled “Organism growth prediction system using drone-captured images.”
The patented technology allows the company to conduct plant health assessments, which includes plant height stratification, and determine vegetation health and condition for clients with the help of drones.
After receiving images from the drone, the data can then be used for diagnostic modeling, plant health management and irrigation management, as well as habitat growth and success forecasting, according to the company.
The company’s R&D team has several additional patents pending in the areas of remote soil and water management, along with wildlife identification and habitat monitoring.
Originating in 1995, HANA uses remote sensing to detect changes in vegetation over an entire landscape. It offers a range of geospatial services to help clients with the collection, analysis, presentation and storage of their valuable spatial data on a comprehensive interactive platform called EcoScan. This platform will allow clients to manage their project from their desktop or an app on their phone.
