NDVI · near infrared
Multispectral mapping
Plants show stress in wavelengths the eye cannot see. A multispectral camera records red edge and near infrared light, and the vegetation indices built from those bands can point to stress and thinning canopy before either is obvious from the ground.
See plant health, not just plants
A standard photo shows you what is green. Multispectral imagery helps show what is thriving and what is struggling. By measuring how vegetation reflects red edge and near infrared light, indices like NDVI, NDRE and OSAVI map vigor, stress and density across a field, orchard or forest stand, so irrigation, treatment or removal can go where it matters.
Where it fits, and where it does not
Multispectral imagery is flown on request, and we have no Hawaiʻi multispectral project to show you yet. The camera is not new to our founder, though: on the mainland, for our sister company Rogue Reconnaissance, he has flown it beside drone LiDAR to sort trees by health and by species, and in 2024 he presented that pairing to the Oregon Society of American Foresters. For many questions about trees and farm ground, drone LiDAR and a sharp orthomosaic answer more; see forestry and vegetation mapping and land and terrain mapping. When a site does call for it, pairing multispectral imagery with LiDAR covers both the structure of the vegetation and its condition. Tell us the decision you face and we will say plainly whether it is the right tool.
What a multispectral flight can deliver
- Calibrated multispectral orthomosaics
- Vegetation indices (NDVI, NDRE, OSAVI, and more)
- Maps of plant stress and density
- Maps that help flag weeds and invasive plants
- Zone maps for targeted treatment
Frequently asked questions
What can multispectral imagery show that a normal photo cannot?
It measures light the eye cannot see, in the red edge and near infrared bands, which can reveal plant stress and thinning canopy before either is visible from the ground.
What vegetation indices can a multispectral flight produce?
NDVI, NDRE, OSAVI and others, plus zone maps that point irrigation, treatment or removal at the parts of a site that need it.
Is this useful for forestry as well as farms?
It can be. On farms the indices point to crop stress, in forests they help read canopy condition, and across natural areas they can help flag invasive plants. We have no multispectral project in Hawaiʻi to show yet, so we talk through whether it suits your site before recommending it.
Can an index replace a check on the ground?
No. An index shows where plants reflect light differently, not why. A patch that reads as stressed still needs someone to look at it, and the map tells them where to go first.
Related Hawaiʻi services
Not sure multispectral is the right tool?
Send the crop or the forest, the acreage and the decision the imagery has to support. We will say plainly whether a multispectral flight, drone LiDAR or both would answer it.