Enhanced Droplet Analysis Using Generative Adversarial Networks

Precision devices play an important role in enhancing production quality and productivity in agricultural systems. Therefore, the optimization of these devices is essential in precision agriculture. Recently, with the advancements of deep learning, there have been several studies aiming to harness its capabilities for improving spray system performance. However, the effectiveness of these methods heavily depends on the size of the training dataset, which is expensive and time-consuming to collect. To address the challenge of insufficient training samples, this paper proposes an alternative solution by generating artificial images of droplets using generative adversarial networks (GAN). The GAN model is trained by using a small dataset captured by a high-speed camera and capable of generating images with progressively increasing resolution. The results demonstrate that the model can generate high-quality images with the size of $1024\times1024$. Furthermore, this research leverages recent advancements in computer vision and deep learning to develop a light droplet detector using the synthetic dataset. As a result, the detection model achieves a 16.06\% increase in mean average precision (mAP) when utilizing the synthetic dataset. To the best of our knowledge, this work stands as the first to employ a generative model for augmenting droplet detection. Its significance lies not only in optimizing nozzle design for constructing efficient spray systems but also in addressing the common challenge of insufficient data in various precision agriculture tasks. This work offers a critical contribution to conserving resources while striving for optimal and sustainable agricultural practices.