Kite Aerial Photography (KAP) has so many advantages that they are at least as suitable as UAVs for monitoring coastal dynamics.
Think about it, kites are:
Obviously zero wind means no kites.But coastal areas are windy by nature.
Moreover, if you set target points, record accurate location (dGPS), then use the targets network to orthorectify the KAP imagery, Structure from Motion algorithms produce DSMs and Orthoimages as good as UAVs.
One of the most important coastal issue that has been tackled with a KAP approach received international attention in the 2014, when it was used for the worldwide famous Dutch project “Zandmotor”.
http://www.dezandmotor.nl/
The point is:
Help me find at least 5 robust arguments that can refrain kites from being the next coastal monitoring tool.
Especially in Least Developed Countries or in Pacific Coutries where low-lying atolls are drowning and UAVs or fine resolution satellite imagery are just too expensive to use.
Cheers,
Nic
Kites are difficult to control and sometimes crash. Some people will not like the intrusion into their backyard -- illegal activities, growing marijuana, distilling spirits, constructing or land modifications without proper permits, sunbathing nude in the backyard, people often like privacy. Potential for lawsuits as this has happened with drones already relative to privacy. Hit a powerline and get electrocuted, or equipment fried and damaged. People shooting at the kite and equipment for one reason or another, its a target. The investment overall may be just as much as the inexpensive drones that you can control. It seems like you might get primarily angle shots and limited vertical from directly or near overhead as you are constrained by the location on the ground and direction of wind. How high can you go without getting into legal trouble, and why not just tether a helium weather type balloon and let it fly with the wind? If it becomes a hazard to aircraft of becomes a security issue, it will be eventually regulated.
It actually sounds like it might be fun to try out and see its potential. I think it is worth exploring as another tool for some situations, but you make it sound simple, but I can only assume from what I know about aerial photos and LiDAR, it takes substantial expertise to process data, make sense of it, etc. You sound like you have this expertise, but most others will not without a cookbook. So relying on low cost to optimize benefits, I dont know, it may be lower cost, but there still are costs and substantial expertise to interpret the photos. It might be great for all sorts of things like rapid storm damage assessment. This activity might be able to do from a motorboat or ship and limit the need for wind in coastal areas, but if a plane flies through the line, what will be the effect to the plane and to equipment?
Dear William,
Thx for your respectable opinion regarding pros and cons of using kites compared to drones.
Concerning the intrusions into people's privacy, shootings and crashes during unplanned pathways, I belive that it is just as bas as drones.
I am not aware of any study that compares potential damages to airplanes when crashes with drones or kites, but I assume the latter would be less dangeroust.
The fact that kites are physically "anchored" to the operator on the ground, I must admit this is definetly the first real disadvantage I hadn't though of.
Moreover, you definetly raise another important issue: processing expertise.
Nowadays there are commercial softwares that pack up a series of digital photogrammetric algorithms to reconstruct 3D models from oblique pictures, cheap medium-format and non-metrical digital cameras (if taken on the ground, it is called close-range photogrammetry). These softwares (Agisof Photoscan, PIX4D) not cheap at all, but relatively straightforward for acceptable accuracy in coastal monitoring. Open source packages also exist, but they require much higher level of expertise, thus, costs. Even web-based services exist (DroneMapper).
You are right, I made it seem too simple, it is not that simple, but I am looking forward to test it as soon as possible.
Thx again for your valuable thoughts.
Regards,
Nic
Kite are already used for coastal monitoring. You are right, it is an inexpensive method. However, I agree with the previous comment: they are difficult to control and sometimes crash. And if developping, this activity might be regulated.
Coastal monitoring is not only beach monitoring... What about cliffs ? You can pilot a drone from the top of the cliff, the drone flying at lower altitude than you. This is not possible with a kite.
Moreover, some beaches are surrounding by cliffs and therefore the flight plan of the kite may be restricted...
Dear Marion,
You raised another very good point about coastal monitoring limitations of kites, which are cliffs and rocky coasts.
That's definetly an obstacle in locations where coasts are dominantly shaped by plunging cliffs, like in Victoria (Australia) or in NE England. CLiffs and rocky coasts cover 3/4 of the world coastline (Bird 2008, Coastal Geomorphology). That's a big limitation then!
Apart from that though, I imagined KAP as a valuable tool for shoreline monitoring rather than cliffs instability or recession rates. Especially in location where sea level rise is threatening coastal communities, such as Pacific Island Countries.
There are studies that use drones with hyperspectral sensors for assessing health and species of mangroves populations in low lying atolls, often mangroves being their first and last buffer against storm surges and inundation.
What about using kites for that?
Thx for your opinion Marion,
regards
Nic
Thank you for providing us with an interesting historical example of kite succes Mr. Towe.
Should we call its potentials in coastal studies with modern 3D modeling techniques a re-valorisation of such a platform then?
Because, obviously it is not kites that are new in monitoring studies, but their association with modern high-tech devices and algorithms commonly used in more complex UAV platforms (such as fixed-wing or multi-rotor drones) made them new again.
At least to my eyes.
Thanks for your thought,
best regards
Nic
Dear Mr Towe,
The question that I originally posted was meant to stimulate discussion about kites as coastal monitoring tool, in terms of low cost high-precision tool for topographic survey of beach/coastal features, rather than weather.
The issue was wether if kites are a potential low cost "substitute" platform to drones for imagery acquisition and further 3D modeling.
Atolls were just an example of how this could be implemented to help pacific communities with "increase storminess" mitigation.
You are right that ENSO is mostly responsible of their weather.
regards,
Nic
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