The drone flies a boustrophedon (back-and-forth) survey pattern; camera footprint (swath) grows with altitude, and spray droplets fall in a cone beneath the nozzle.
swath = 2·h·tan(FOV/2)
coverage% = area_covered / area_field
battery(t) = 100 − k·(v² + h)·t
- Flight altitude — higher flight widens the camera/spray swath but reduces spray precision and image resolution.
- Flight speed — faster coverage but shorter dwell time per row, and higher power draw.
- Spray rate — nozzle flow rate; controls droplet density and liters consumed.
- Fly / NDVI toggle — start/stop the survey; NDVI mode recolors the field by simulated plant health (vegetation index).
Real application: agro drones map crop stress (NDVI) and apply variable-rate spraying, cutting pesticide use by up to 30% versus uniform application.