Has anyone used drogues, quadcopters, blimps and balloons/kitoons for mapping coastal features and processes e.g. SAV, emergent vegetation, pollutants, oil slicks, bathymetry, currents, etc.?
Hi,
we here at the Finnish Geodetic Institute have used single-rotor RC and multirotor (quad, hexa, octo) copters for monitoring fluvial processes (mainly erosion and deposition) in river environments. As a prime sensor system carried by a mini-UAV we have successfully used a laser scanner system (yet to be named) we have built. We have also used image data for bathymetry. Our system inventory also includes mobile laser scanning systems operated from a boat or on a backpack (PLS, personal laser scanning) that we have used for analyzing vegetation in river channels.
Alejandro Hinojosa from CICESE has used them, his page and contact details are here:
http://www.cicese.edu.mx/int/index.php?mod=persacd&dep=6402&op=fpa&numemp=165
Victor,
We have started to explore the technology, and whilst the UAV market is an interesting and potentially valuable area, it all depends on what questions you're trying to answer. The questions of scale, resolution, detail and comparative datasets are critical. We often are looking at small beaches (
Hi everyone!
we are using eBee swinglet for acquiring high resolution DEM of a massive transgressive coastal dune field in New SOuth Wales, Australia.
Using Structure from Motion and dGPS, we are able to depict sand movement rates and direction, analysing how these trends are linked to climatic variables (wind, rainfall, waves). We are trying to identify strategic areas where to fix the dunes with targeted vegetation planting in order to protect backdune assets (roads mainly).
Even if, as Alistair correctly highlighted, scale and textural heterogeinety issues arise when working with Structure from Motion over sandy beaches, especially wide, flat and "featureless" dissipative beaches!
I am glad there is a community of researchers involved in this field, I am really interested about.
But I have to say one thing: in my opinion, drones (multirotors and fixed-wings) will be difficult to operate (licensing, fliying certificates, regulamentations,..), while KITES not!
KITES= lighter, wind-friendly (more payload when more windy), less regulamentated, but difficult to maneuvre against the wind i agree.
Nic
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