Evaluation of Calibration Method for Field Application of UAV-Based Soil Water Content Prediction Equation

Abstract

The objective of this study is to monitor the water content of soil quickly and accurately using a UAV. Because UAVs have higher spatial and temporal resolution than satellites, they are currently becoming more useful in remote sensing areas. We developed a water content estimation equation using the color of the soil and suggested a calibration method for field application. Since the resolution of the images taken by the UAV is different according to the altitude, the water content estimation formula is developed by using the images taken at each altitude. In order to calibrate the color difference according to lighting conditions, the calibration method using field data were proposed. The results of the study showed an altitude-specific estimation equation using RGB values of the UAV image through linear regression. The appropriate number of field data needed for calibration for site application of the estimation equation was found between 4 and 10. On-site application results of the proposed calibration method showed RMSE accuracy of 1.8 to 2.9%. Thus, the water content estimation and calibration method proposed in this study can be used in effectively monitoring the water content of soil using UAVs.