MRI Acquisition of: Heavy-lift UAV Sensor Platform for Research and Development

在美国国家科学基金会的支持下，蒂莫西·黑尔博士将使用并向其他研究人员和工程师提供一种重型无人驾驶飞行器（UAV或无人机），该飞行器带有多个摄像头和扫描传感器，可用于研究和开发中的各种用途。这种结合的无人机/遥感系统可以快速准确地捕获环境数据，用于创建植被、陆地表面和构造特征的3D模型。它还为测试新的机器人和遥感技术提供了一个平台。例如，农业科学和工程技术等领域的研究人员可以使用该仪器进行精准农业、农场和牧场测绘以及机器人开发。地球和空间科学家可以使用该仪器测试新的传感器和环境研究。黑尔博士将利用这辆车向中美洲考古学引入新的能力。学生将受益于实践经验和尖端技术的发展。这台仪器将是肯塔基州东部阿巴拉契亚地区莫尔黑德州立大学的研究人员和学生以及中美洲考古研究人员使用的第一台此类仪器。组合式重型无人机/遥感系统将通过利用几种新技术加强研究和发展。首先，重型无人机允许在低海拔和低速同时携带多个传感器，在大多数气候和地面条件下捕获高分辨率和重叠图像数据。其次，全球卫星导航系统和惯性测量单元提供厘米级的数据控制和地理参考。第三，高分辨率相机捕捉各种波长，包括可见光、近红外线和红外线。第四，光探测和测距（LiDAR）设备可以扫描植被，精度优于10厘米。使用该仪器的一个例子是，黑尔博士正在墨西哥尤卡坦半岛北部的Mayapán古城进行考古调查，他通过森林树冠绘制考古遗址和相关环境特征的地图。在墨西哥北部Yucatán半岛进行考古调查的目的是绘制古代政治和经济首都Mayapán的区域背景。因此，该仪器将用于考古实地调查，绘制古代定居点地图，以及绘制空间数据分析的挖掘地图。由此产生的数据将使创建整个地区规模的古玛雅遗址的3D模型成为可能。在特定的环境中捕捉过去人类的物质遗骸是所有考古研究的基础，但这些活动受到实地条件困难以及传统制图技术的局限性和高成本的阻碍。重型无人机/遥感系统的结合将克服这些障碍，使创建古玛雅世界的3D地图成为可能，这是前所未有的细节水平。

With National Science Foundation support, Dr. Timothy Hare will use and make available to other researchers and engineers a heavy-lift unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV or drone) with multiple cameras and scanning sensors for a wide variety of uses in research and development. This combined UAV/remote sensing system makes possible rapid and accurate capture of environmental data for the creation of 3D models of vegetation, land surfaces, and constructed features. It also provides a platform for testing new robotic and remote sensing technologies. For instance, researchers in fields such as agricultural sciences and engineering technology can use the instrument for precision farming, farm and pasture mapping, and robotics development. Earth and space scientists can use the instrument for testing new sensors and environmental research. Dr. Hare will employ the vehicle to introduce new capabilities to Mesoamerican archaeology. Students will benefit from hands-on experience and development with cutting-edge technologies. This instrument will be the first one of its kind available to the researchers and students at Morehead State University, in Appalachian eastern Kentucky, and in Mesoamerican archaeological research.The combined heavy-lift UAV/remote sensing system will enhance research and development by leveraging several new technologies. First, the heavy-lift UAV allows for carrying multiple sensors simultaneously at low elevations and slow speeds to capture high-resolution and overlapping image data through most climatic and surface conditions. Second, the global navigation satellite system and inertial measurement unit provide centimeter-level control and georeferencing of data. Third, the high-resolution cameras capture a variety of wavelengths including visible, near infrared, and infrared. Fourth, the Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) device can scan through vegetation with better than 10 cm accuracy. One example of the instrument's use is Dr. Hare's mapping of archaeological ruins and associated environmental features through the forest canopy for his ongoing archaeological investigations at the ancient city of Mayapán in the northern Yucatan of Mexico. The purpose of archaeological survey in Mexico's northern Yucatán Peninsula is to map the regional context of the ancient political and economic capital of Mayapán. Hence, the instrument will be used for archaeological field survey, mapping ancient settlements, and mapping excavations for spatial data analysis. The resulting data will make possible the creation of 3D models of ancient Mayan ruins at the scale of entire regions. Capturing material remains of past people in context is the foundation of all archaeological research, but these activities are hampered by difficult field conditions and the limitations and high costs of traditional mapping technologies. The combined heavy-lift UAV/remote sensing system will overcome these obstacles, making possible the creation of 3D maps of the ancient Mayan world at a detail level never before possible.