Centre for Unmanned Technologies
The Centre for Unmanned Technologies is a specialized unit of the Faculty of Agriculture and Technology at the University of South Bohemia, dedicated to the research, development, and practical application of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) in agriculture, forestry, nature conservation, emergency management, and industrial applications.
The Centre integrates advanced unmanned technologies, remote sensing, artificial intelligence, and sophisticated image processing methods. Its research activities focus on the development of autonomous systems, precision agriculture, landscape monitoring, and the application of advanced sensors, including thermal, multispectral, and hyperspectral cameras.
The Centre also provides hands-on education for students, professional training courses, collaboration with public authorities and industrial partners, and conducts applied research projects with a direct impact on real-world practice.
Our Focus Area
- Unmanned Technologies for Precision Agriculture
- Remote Sensing
- Multispectral, Hyperspectral, and Thermal Imaging
- Crop and Forest Health Monitoring
- Agricultural Spray Drones for Crop Protection and Precision Application
- Artificial Intelligence for Image Data Processing
- Photogrammetry and 3D Landscape Modelling
- Wildlife Monitoring and Nature Conservation
- Technical Infrastructure Inspection
- Development of Autonomous Unmanned Systems
Centre Equipment
The Centre for Unmanned Technologies is equipped with state-of-the-art unmanned systems used for teaching, applied research, and the implementation of professional projects in precision agriculture, forestry, game management, nature conservation, landscape mapping, environmental monitoring, and emergency management. Students have the opportunity to work with the latest technologies employed by public authorities, research institutions, and private-sector organisations.
DJI Matrice 350 RTK
A professional industrial unmanned aerial platform designed for the most demanding applications. Featuring exceptional reliability, RTK positioning, and support for multiple payloads, it is ideal for photogrammetry, infrastructure inspection, emergency response, landscape monitoring, and scientific research.
Sensor Payloads
- DJI Zenmuse H20T – A multi-sensor payload integrating a wide-angle camera, zoom camera, thermal camera, and laser rangefinder for comprehensive inspection, monitoring, and emergency response applications.
- HAIP BlackBird V2 – A hyperspectral imaging camera designed for advanced vegetation analysis, precision agriculture, crop health assessment, and environmental research.
DJI Matrice 4T
A compact next-generation professional industrial drone equipped with a multi-sensor system comprising a wide-angle camera, telephoto camera, thermal camera, and laser rangefinder. It is primarily intended for infrastructure inspection, emergency management, agricultural and forestry monitoring, nature conservation, wildlife management, and thermal wildlife detection. Advanced artificial intelligence capabilities enable efficient field data collection and analysis.
DJI Mavic 3 Multispectral
A compact professional drone equipped with an RGB camera, a multispectral sensor, and RTK positioning. It is designed primarily for precision agriculture, crop health monitoring, vegetation index generation (e.g., NDVI and NDRE), and agricultural crop analysis. The platform enables rapid acquisition of highly accurate data for optimized farm management.
DJI Air 3S
A modern unmanned aerial platform designed for high-quality aerial photography and videography. Equipped with dual high-resolution cameras, it is well suited for pilot training, site documentation, visual data acquisition, small-scale photogrammetry, and outreach activities of the Centre for Unmanned Technologies.
DJI Agras T100
A state-of-the-art professional agricultural drone developed for precision farming applications. It enables highly accurate spraying and granular spreading with maximum efficiency while minimizing environmental impact. The platform combines advanced radar systems, LiDAR, and intelligent flight planning to ensure safe operation even in challenging terrain.
Within teaching and research, the platform is primarily used for:
- precision application of crop protection products,
- variable-rate applications in precision agriculture,
- research on the efficiency of unmanned application systems,
- optimisation of agricultural management practices,
- demonstration of advanced digital farming technologies.
Thanks to this advanced equipment, the Centre for Unmanned Technologies at the Faculty of Agriculture and Technology, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, is one of the best-equipped academic facilities in the Czech Republic dedicated to the application of unmanned systems in agriculture, forestry, wildlife management, nature conservation, emergency management, and applied research. The Centre combines cutting-edge technologies with hands-on teaching and research, providing students with the knowledge and practical skills needed to operate unmanned systems in the context of the ongoing digital transformation of agriculture and landscape management.
Project Solved by the Centre
- UAVs for the application of plant protection products
- The project aims to create complex computer models that will enable the numerical implementation of predicting parameters when applying liquid preparations to crops from unmanned vehicles.
- Sustainable Farming: Energy-efficient UAV Technologies for Precision Agriculture
- The project aims to develop an assistive autonomous aerial system for fast and energy-efficient surveying and monitoring of crop fields and grasslands, focusing first on automated detection and localization of wildlife for their rescue before haymaking.
Members of the BAT Centre
Contact Person
- Ing. Jakub Polenský, Ph.D.