Unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) are increasingly being used for disaster relief, environmental monitoring, and precision agriculture applications. By 2020, UAS are predicted to be the primary platform for collecting remotely sensed data. Public organizations should obtain FAA authorization to fly UAS for approved purposes. Researchers in the Philippines and Hawaii are using fixed-wing and rotary-wing UAS to assess damage from Typhoon Haiyan, detect banana diseases, and monitor native ecosystems. UAS provide low-cost, high-resolution data to study agricultural and environmental issues.

1. Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) for disaster relief,
environmental monitoring and precision agriculture.
Philippines and Hawaii

2. “Prediction: By year 2020, UAS will emerge as the primary collection platform for
remotely sensed data.” USGS National UAS Office.

3. • Public Organizations should acquire a COA (Certificate of
Authorization) to fly UAV in designated areas.
• Crew must be properly trained and certified regarding
aviation regulations, medical etc.
• Federal Judge from the NTSB ruled against FAA in March
2014, regarding regulation of UAS.
• Congress has not passed any laws specifically regulating
UAS, but FAA has promised to pass a law regarding small
UAS sometime in 2015… or by 2025.
FAA Regulations?

4. Temporal Resolution
Hours DecadesDays Weeks Months Years
Spatial Resolution
.01 m 0.1 m 10 m 100 m 1000 m1 m
Cost
Free Low High Very HighModerate
1 m2
100 m2
1 km2
1,000 km2
Global10,000 m2
Max. Spatial Coverage
Gov’t Satellite
Commercial Sat.
Plot Data
Airborne RS
Fixed-wing UAV
Rotary wing UAV

6. Aklan River

7. Aklan River

8. Researchers from University of Hawaii and Ateneo de Manila University

9. X8
FX-61 Phantom

10. UAV Fleet
Airframe Name
Type
X8
Fixed Wing
Powertrain
2X 5,000 Mah
LiPo Battery
45-60mins flight
Payload
Canon S100
Go Pro Cameras
Autopilot
APM 2.5
(Arduino)

11. UAV Fleet
Airframe Name
Type
FX-61
Fixed Wing
Powertrain
2X 2,200 Mah
LiPo Battery
20-30mins flight
Payload Canon SX260
Autopilot
APM 2.6
(Arduiono)

18. Destroyed Levee
• Yolanda impact on
agriculture fields?
• Philippines facing a rice
shortage this year.
• 85,004 homes damaged in
Aklan province.
UAS team meets with Mayor
of Libacao.

19. • Leaves start to yellow around
edges and bunch together.
• Plant stops producing fruit.
• Disease can spread to nearby
plantings quickly.
• State lacks resources to contain
spread of virus.
BBTV Detection with UAS

20. 5 m 5 m 5 m
cm-resolution
point-and-shoot
camera imagery
(12/16/13)
sub-meter Digital
Globe imagery from
Google Earth
(1/21/13)
30-m Landsat 8
imagery
(6/17/13)

21. Early Detection of Banana Bunchy Top Virus (BBTV)

22. Healthy Banana Field Hamakua Springs,
Hawaii.
Suspected Infected Banana Patch,
Keaau, Hawaii.
Infected Keiki, remain stunted.
Aphids, spreading BBTV Virus.
Feature Detection with Visible RGB Imagery

23. Dr. Ryan Perroy taking field samples with spectral radiometer.

25. • Rare plant survey, fence line assessment,
forest biomass estimation.
• University of Hawaii at Hilo FAA Certificate
of Authorization (COA) for Pu’uwa’awa’a
reserve.
• First University in the State of Hawaii to
receive a COA.
Environmental Monitoring in HETF
Pu’uwa’awa’a Makai Subunit

26. 90% of commercial UAV Companies World
Wide are small start ups, not big aerospace.

27. Please contact us for research related collaborations!
Website: www.spatial.hawaii.edu Ph: 808.932.7276