**4. Design methodology**

The concept is for an unmanned aerial aircraft to identify the pest on a sugarcane field in the KZN region. The detection system is the principal design function since it is the primary function for solving the problem outlined in Section 1. Infrared thermography revealed the appropriate features needed to address the problem out of six pest detecting sensors. The platform's design, which was chosen to be airborne, serves as a supplementary function. This function was extended to include determining the type of airborne platform, which is the UAV. The hybrid, fixed wing, and rotary wing UAVs were all assessed, and the hybrid was the one that demonstrated the most of the required qualities, such as clear visualization of pest and operation in similar weather conditions in the sugarcane region, as stated in Section 3. Following the conceptual design phase, the preliminary design phase was completed, with the UAV being designed from the wing design forward. A rectangular wing with a one-to-one taper ratio was created. The wing was created with the intention of being a high wing. This was followed by the design of the tail, which was done in the traditional manner. The control surfaces, such as the ailerons, rudder, and elevators, were designed using the wing and empennage proportions. Then came the propulsion system, which consisted of four rotors, each with its own battery. The fuselage was the next in line, and it was designed to fit all of the avionics and other equipment. The landing gear was then designed using computer-aided design (CAD). After the hybrid (VTOL) was designed and assessed (performance analysis), the infrared thermography was created, taking into account the UAV's altitude and cruise speed. Stability, structural stresses, and sustained maximum turning performance were all investigated further. The tilt rotor system was subjected to a rigorous design in order to identify the loads, fatigue, and

*Unmanned Aerial Vehicle for Agriculture Surveillance DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.104476*

**Figure 3.** *Final CAD design.*

endurance limits. The cost of the entire design was then calculated to see if the farmers could afford it. **Figure 3** depicts the final UAV design.
