Droning about DronesUAV Remote Sensing

MulticoptersMany configurations

Advantages

Hover

Maneuverability

Uses

Inspection

Small-Area Mapping

Video Production

Fixed-WingConventional and Delta

Advantages

Endurance

Speed

Uses

Mapping

Survey

● Mapping○ Landcover/LandCover○ Topography○ Change

● Volumetric○ Geomorphic○ Inventory

● Inspection○ CivilEngineering○ Utilities○ Insurance

● PrecisionAg○ Diagnose/Prescribe

Applications - Overview

● Forestry○ Urban○ Inventory

● Fish&Wildlife○ Tracking○ Population

● ConservationBiology○ MitigationMonitoring

● EventResponse○ Disaster○ SAR○ Weather

Mission Planning

Requirements Analysis

In this phase, we define our problem and identify the solution set that is within or capabilities.

Practicality and reasonable expectations are important during this phase.

What question am I trying to answer?

What data do I need to collect to answer my question?

What platform and sensor are required to collect the data?

Mission PlanningIn this phase,

How large is the area I need to fly?

What are my accuracy requirements?

What is the required resolution?

How many missions will it take?

Precision Positioning

Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS)

Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU)

Real-Time Kinematic (RTK)

Post-Processed Kinematic (PPK)

GNSS - Uses satellites to provide autonomous positioning services. Examples include, GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo.

IMU - electronic device that measures and records a body’s specific force and angular rate (and magnetic field), typically using accelerometers and gyroscopes (and magnetometers).

RTK - Improves GNSS positioning by providing Carrier phase enhancement real-time corrections to a mobile receiver from a real or virtual (VRS, CORS) base station.

PPK - Similar to RTK, but not real-time. GPS data is corrected during post-processing.

Resolution

Fixed focal length common

Resolution depends on flying height

Tower

Intuitive interface allows you to plan missions by creating waypoints and drawing polygons with your finger.

Android based application from 3DR (Open Source).

! Can plan vertical and oblique missions.

! Set altitude, speed, picture timing, etc.

! Does not operate gimbal! In auto mode takes off,

flies mission, lands and shuts down

Digital PhotosOblique Nadir

● Best for mapping ● Tilt/Displacement Issues

● Best for inspection ● 3D Models

Post-Flight

• Document operation(s)

• Dis-assemble Gear

• Prepare data for processing

Processing

Product Generation

Delivery

Processing & Analysis: Making Sense of UAS data to answer questions

‘Standard’ Outputs

UAS can acquire a variety of data, often at resolutions and under conditions that other sensing platforms can’t match.

Many products can be derived

High-Resolution Imagery

OpticalMultispectral

OrthomosaicsIndices Point Clouds

● NDVI ● LAI ● CCI ● NDWI ● Etc...

● Classified Images ● Maps

● DSM ● DEM ● DTM ● Vectors ● Models ● Volumes

Point Clouds

Primary output

Basis for 3D model, Digital Surface Model, and orthophotos

Elevation products

Digital Surface Model (DSM)

Digital Elevation Model (DEM)

Digital Terrain Model (DTM)

RGB Values Classified

The point cloud is the best conventional resource for getting at height and volumetric data.

An increasing number of software packages can work with multi-point datasets. ● LAStools ● QT Modeler

Digital Surface Model (DSM)

ProblemsOr, as we like to call them, ‘challenges’