ABSTRACT
Parachutes and parafoils are highly useful aerial vehicles. Parachutes are predominantly utilized for deceleration during descent of military cargo or personnel. While parafoils (also known as ram-air parachutes) with their ability for steering, guidance, and rapid thrust in the air are preferred during cargo lifting and transit, descent, aerial survey (multi-spectral imagery) and recreational flights. This chapter begins with the mention of several historical aspects about parachutes/parafoils. Designs for a slow descent parachute was initially provided by Leonardo Da Vinci during the medieval period. A functional parachute was first demonstrated in Paris, France, by Sebastian Lenarmond in 1783. Since then, this technology has experienced improvements. In comparison to parachutes, design and development of parafoil technology is recent. It began during the 1970s primarily for recreational purposes. Historical facts about parachutes/parafoils pertaining to military, civilian tasks and recreational aspects are discussed in greater detail. The adoption of parafoils, in particular, in agriculture is still in its initial stages. The trend to adopt parafoils in agrarian regions seems grow as time lapses. They are being evaluated because they have certain advantages in aerial surveying of crops, surveillance, and transit. Economic advantages related to parafoils may outweigh other aerial vehicles, and therefore, parafoils could be the most sought-after aerial robot above farms worldwide.
A brief section in this chapter deals with basics of parachutes and parafoils such as definitions, explanations, and parts of these aerial vehicle. There are now innumerable types of parachutes/parafoils designed, standardized, and regularly used by various clientele in military, civilian, and agricultural realms. Types of parachutes/parafoils discussed in greater detail in this chapter are: circular parachutes, parafoils (ram-air parafoils), tethered parafoils, powered parafoils (manned), trikes or microlights, autonomous 30(entirely robotic) parafoils, nano or very small parachutes, giga parachutes, drone parachutes, agricultural parafoils, cargo transport parachutes/parafoils, parafoils with electro-optical sensors and electro-chemical probes for assessment of weather parameters, and recreational parafoils.
Parachutes/parafoils have several uses. They are grouped as those pertaining to military and civilian uses, agricultural uses, utility in space science, in ecological monitoring, and in archaeological studies.
A major portion, over one half, of the chapter encompasses detailed discussions about the potential role of parafoils in agrarian regions. Topics include role of parafoils in aerial photography and assessment of natural resources including vegetation and agricultural crops. Parafoils utilized to judge crop growth using a set of visual, multispectral and infrared sensors plus Lidar have been highlighted. The parafoils with infra-red sensors aid in assessing a crop’s water status. The infrared aerial imagery provides a map depicting variations in a crop’s water stress index and influence of drought, if any. The spectral imagery obtained using parafoils helps in mapping the crop fields. Using standard spectral signatures available in the databanks, we can map disease/pest attacks in agricultural fields. Weeds and their spread too could be mapped. Such digital data is highly useful during precision farming. Digital data could also be utilized in autonomous farm vehicles (ground). Parachutes/parafoils are useful during collection of data pertaining to weather above crop fields. Parafoils may play the role of being sentinels above agricultural experimental stations. Plus, they can collect data about a large number of germplasm and elite genetic material of crops sown in experimental fields.
The economic and regulatory aspects pertaining to use of parachutes and parafoils, particularly in agricultural sector, has been discussed. It is said that the rules dealing with parafoils are less rigid. Therefore, parafoils may be preferred by the farming community to aerial vehicles where rules are many. This chapter also provides a few forecasts about rapid adoption of parafoils in agrarian regions.
