Lightweight Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) for Forestry and Ecological Applications

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This research is designed to advance the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs, also known as drones) in forestry and ecological applications. UAVs are an important new development in remote-sensing science, bridging the gap between field observations and high-altitude data acquired from satellites and piloted aircraft. UAVs have several important advantages over traditional remote-sensing platforms, including flexible low-cost sensor deployment, safe near-surface operation, and extraordinarily high-resolution imaging capabilities. However, we are in the early days of UAV research, and a great deal of technical and operational uncertainties exist. This project will address several objectives designed to (i) gain insight into the environmental factors affecting UAV operation, and highlight the conditions for optimal data acquisition; (ii) determine fundamental best practices for data handling and pre-processing; (iii) develop procedures and software tools designed to enable effective environmental monitoring; and (iv) test forthcoming UAV sensors. The results of this work will contribute to the use of UAVs as platforms for effective environmental monitoring, and is intended to assist anyone dealing with remote sensing technology in a forestry or ecological context. Highly qualified personnel trained as a part of this research will enter Canada's workforce with skills and experience in this important new technology, which is expected to be among the fastest-growing sectors of the Canadian geospatial industry over the next decade.