Maybe it's not Star Wars, but what Dennis Bowman can do with UAV images and scouting is pretty "far out." Bowman, Extension agronomist with the University of Illinois, recently demonstrated how he can create 3-D images of crop fields first collected through aerial scouting with UAVs.

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Close-up view: Dennis Bowman uses UAVs and software to provide interesting views of the Morrow Plots.

It's all about the software, he says. And about using a camera with the UAV that has high resolution. By coupling the technologies, he can create 3-D images that he can put in motion, flip sideways, and maneuver in about any manner necessary to get a better view of the field. You can view the field forward or backward in motion, from any angle you want.

He has demonstrated the technology on the oldest test plots in the U.S., the Morrow Plots at the University of Illinois. These plots have been investigated for 140 years, and include the oldest continuous corn plots in the world. But he also uses the same technology on other plots. It can also be used to scout regular crop fields.

The Morrow Plots celebrate their 140th anniversary this year. They are now actually a dedicated National Landmark, and are located on the campus at Champaign.

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The 3-D image that Bowman has prepared from flying over the plots shows clearly which areas of the plots are low in fertilizer. These areas show up as pale to yellow areas within the plots. He can add graphics to illustrate the various treatments within the Morrow Plots if he chooses. Once he does so, the 3-D image would be even more meaningful, and it would be easier to explain why certain parts of the image look as they do. Ongoing experiments continue at the Morrow Plots.