Drone Multispectral Mapping Services in Ireland

Standard RGB cameras capture three visible light bands (red, green, blue). Multispectral sensors capture additional bands beyond visible light – including red edge and near-infrared – which reveal information about plant health, moisture content, and soil conditions that RGB cameras cannot detect. Only genuine multispectral sensors provide the data needed for accurate NDVI and NDRE calculations.

Accuracy depends on sensor quality, calibration, flight conditions, and processing methodology. Our Micasense Altum sensor with downwelling light sensor calibration produces research-grade NDVI and NDRE outputs. The DLS compensates for changing light conditions during the flight, ensuring consistent results. We recommend flying in even lighting conditions where possible for best results.

Yes. Multispectral outputs are used by environmental consultants to support Appropriate Assessments, Environmental Impact Assessment Reports (EIARs), and habitat condition monitoring under the EU Habitats Directive. The data provides objective, repeatable evidence of vegetation condition and habitat extent.

For a typical agricultural survey flown at 80 metres altitude, we can cover approximately 50 to 80 hectares per day. This depends on required ground sampling distance, terrain complexity, and airspace restrictions. Larger areas may require multiple survey days. We confirm coverage rates during initial consultation based on your specific site conditions.

Standard deliverables include georeferenced orthomosaic imagery, NDVI and other requested vegetation index maps, and a summary report. We deliver in GeoTIFF, shapefile, and KMZ formats for compatibility with GIS platforms and precision agriculture software. Additional outputs such as classified vegetation maps or VRA prescription maps can be produced on request.

Multispectral survey pricing starts at €700 per day and is quoted fixed before mobilisation. Because the value of multispectral data comes from comparison over time rather than a single snapshot, most clients book a series of visits across a season; that is priced per visit, so the cost per survey falls as the schedule grows. Send us the site boundary and the number of visits you expect for a fixed quote within 24 hours.

NDVI drone mapping measures the difference between near-infrared and red reflectance to produce an index of vegetation vigour. It is genuinely useful for showing where a field or canopy differs from itself and how that pattern shifts between visits. Its limit is that it saturates in dense canopy and does not identify a cause: a low reading tells you something is different, not whether it is water, nutrient, compaction or disease. That is why we usually pair it with red-edge or chlorophyll indices and recommend ground truthing before acting.