Chimera One – Real-Time AI Mission Autonomy for UAV Operation

Every growing season, farmers face a race against time. Pests, disease, and drought can damage crops in days — but current drone and satellite tools often take 1–2 days to process data. By then, the opportunity to act may already be gone.

Chimera One is building a “real-time brain” for drones. Instead of sending images to the cloud and waiting for results, our technology processes them on the spot, during the flight. Within seconds, farmers know exactly where to look, whether it’s a patch of stressed wheat or a vineyard row needing attention.

Our system combines drone sensors (NDVI, RGB, thermal) with ground-based data (soil moisture, rainfall, canopy growth). This sensor fusion creates precise crop health maps, delivered instantly to a phone or tablet. The goal: make same-day action the norm, not the exception.

We’re starting with wheat and vineyards, partnering with leading agricultural institutions and growers to validate and refine the technology. By making insights immediate, Chimera One aims to help farmers protect yields, reduce chemical use, and work more efficiently — benefits that ripple across the entire agricultural value chain.

Faculty Supervisor:

Brandon Haworth

Student:

Partner:

Chimera Innovation

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

University of Victoria

Program: