A Deep Dive into Sentera’s Double 4K Sensor

In the landscape of precision agriculture, the Double 4K Sensor by Sentera stands out as a crucial tool for drone-based monitoring and analytics. This highly versatile sensor captures detailed multispectral imagery that is crucial for accurate crop health data; as well as, aiding growers , and agronomists in making informed, data-driven decisions​.  

Available in four variants – Double 4K Ag+, Double 4K Analytics, Double 4K Multispectral, and Double 4K NDVI/NDRE – this sensor caters to a wide range of agricultural needs​. The chart below highlights the different variations of the Double 4K and its supported analytics. 

The Double 4K’s Exceptional Image Quality and Resolution

When capturing and monitoring crop health and performance throughout the season, high-resolution imagery plays a vital role in accurate analyzation. Ag drone systems have become a valuable tool in providing precise and accurate aerial imagery. Sentera’s Double 4K Sensor offers impressive image quality with a resolution of 4000×3000 pixels, enabling the capture of crop health and facilitating the identification of smaller objects.  

Let’s break into the specs that provide insight into just how this ag drone sensor works. The Double 4K has a pixel size of 1.55 μm, which is large enough to filter out noise while being small enough to fit 12 million pixels onto the sensor. And the superior spatial resolution of the Double 4K Sensor makes it capable of capturing data during high altitude, fast flights without impeding ground sampling distance.  

Additionally, the Double 4K Analytics has a zoom RGB lens, allowing for even higher altitude flights. For instance, the Double 4k Analytics can perform a stand count at 150 feet, flying at 22 mph. While the Mavic 3 Enterprise onboard camera needs to capture at 50 feet, flying at 10 mph.  

This difference gets even larger for tassel counts. Unlike other onboard cameras needing to capture tassel count imagery at 30 feet, while the Double 4K Analytics can still capture the necessary data at 150 feet. Beyond being faster, the increased altitude makes the Double 4k Sensor significantly safer and easier to use. 

Moreover, it’s varieties feature five spectral bands – blue, green, red, red edge, and near-infrared (NIR) – allowing users to collect visual band imagery as well as vegetation indices, including normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), normalized difference vegetation red edge (NDRE), and 5 band multispectral imagery. This wide spectral range enables the capture of diverse information, allowing for advanced analysis and better crop health monitoring throughout the season. 

Get Unparalleled Ease of Use with Sentera’s Double 4K Sensor

The Double 4K Sensor is designed to be user-friendly and easy to install. It’s compatible with several DJI drone models, offering seamless integration with your existing drone system​. The duo making for a powerful tool in field scouting and data capture without requiring additional tools or cables​. For instance, it can easily be attached by hand to the Sentera PHX fixed-wing drone, as well as the DJI Inspire 1 & 2, and Matrice 200 & 300. These systems also allow for quick and easy swapping between multiple sensors. Additionally, Sentera will install the Double 4K onto the DJI Mavic 2 pro and Mavic 3 enterprise drones.  

The data captured by the Double 4K is designed to be instantly and easily usable. Unlike other multispectral sensors, the monochrome data captured by the Double 4K is already aligned. By capturing multiple bands of lights in each lens, the Double 4K can land with NDVI and NDRE images without need for additional processing time and image cropping.  

Furthermore, the data collected by the sensor is compatible with Sentera’s FieldAgent web, mobile, and desktop software, providing ag experts with robust yet highly intuitive data sets​. By plugging in the imagery captured from these ag drone systems, you’re able to turn images into a comprehensive story of the season from start to finish – helping to fuel future decisions and truly understand performance. 

High Frame Rate and Robust Radiometric Accuracy

One of the key advantages of the Double 4K Sensor is its high frame rate. With a shutter speed of 2 frames per second, it can capture images quickly, allowing for faster flights without compromising on image overlap.  

With such a fast frame rate, the Double 4K can even outperform sensors with higher spatial resolutions. With other sensors having a much slower shutter speed of roughly .5 frames per second, they are only achieving less than half of coverage provided by the Double 4k.  

Some drone systems are restricted to covering 40 acres during a 200-foot mapping mission, but the Double 4k Sensor pushes those bounds and can cover 95 acres for the same mission.  

The Double 4K Sensor is also designed with radiometric accuracy in mind. This ensures greater sensitivity to subtle variations in reflectance, enhancing the precision of crop assessments and making it an excellent choice for anyone looking for reliable and accurate aerial image capture. 

Is Sentera’s Double 4K Sensor Right for You?

Choosing the right sensor for drone-based aerial image capture in agriculture is a crucial decision. It requires careful evaluation of various factors, including image quality, ease of use, frame rate, and radiometric accuracy. The Double 4K Sensor by Sentera shines in all these aspects, making it a highly recommended choice for professionals in precision agriculture. 

Remember, while measurements matter, timeliness matters even more. The Double 4K Sensor provides high-resolution imagery when you need it, facilitating faster agronomic decisions without compromising data quality​.