Agriculture: The Next Frontier for Night Vision and Thermal Technology
Night vision and thermal technology are mainstays on the battlefield. Modern warfighters use the technology to improve operator safety and mission outcomes. Law enforcement employs night vision and thermal for search and seizures, drug busts, and more. However, operators are not the only people who can benefit from the technology. Agriculture is currently in an age of digital transformation. For farmers to keep up, they need to improve efficiency and output. Night vision and thermal technology can take farming and agriculture to the next level.
The Case of Night Vision
There are several pain points that night vision and thermal technology can address for farmers and the agriculture industry. The first is time. There are only so many hours in the day for farmers to manage all their tasks. The time crunch is especially felt during harvesting season. With night vision, farmers do not need to rely on sunlight to work on their business. Night vision allows farmers to manage the farming process 24 hours a day every day of the year.
Not only does night vision increase the amount of time that farmers can manage the farming process, but it also allows farmers to manage their farm more efficiently. It is difficult for farmers to monitor their entire field with manpower alone. Trying to do so would balloon labor costs. Night vision allows for real-time monitoring and data acquisition. This makes it easier to track the performance of machines, people, and animals. It also improves security. Night vision allows for 24/7 surveillance. Animals that might threaten livestock or crops can be monitored with a night vision surveillance camera.
The Case for Thermal
Thermal technology can also help farmers monitor their land. Attaching a thermal camera to a drone has advantages over using aircraft or satellite systems. By using a drone, farmers can avoid clouds and other environmental conditions that make it difficult to monitor land. With a better view of their land, farmers can better engage in precision agriculture. Precision agriculture makes it easier to monitor disease, insects, irrigation issues, and more, improving the condition of crops and farm output.
Thermal technology can also help monitor livestock. Mammals maintain a constant body temperature regardless of environment. When livestock temperature fluctuates, it could be a sign of disease or other problems.
With night vision and thermal technology, farmers can uncover issues at their farm that are invisible to the naked eye. They can focus on proactively managing their farm instead of reacting to problems, saving time and money. The future of farming and agriculture is here. Conquer it with night vision and thermal.
