This document discusses using drones for aerial imagery collection as a more cost-effective alternative to airplanes and helicopters. It notes that while large aircraft can image large areas at high resolution and accuracy, they are expensive for remote areas. Small drones can image smaller areas at lower resolutions but with average accuracy. The document then outlines the solution developed using a medium-sized fixed-wing drone carrying a small Sony camera to match the capabilities of plane-based imagery collection for remote areas at a lower cost.

1. Stephen Ambagis – Resource Mapping Hawaii

2. The Problem
 Using airplanes and helicopters for imagery
collection is EXPENSIVE in remote areas.
 Large aircraft carry large sensors that can
image at large scales (3cm and less) and
large areas with high accuracy
 Small UAVs can image small areas at
relatively small scales (4cm and up easily)
with average accuracy.
 Large aircraft have to fly high and in the
clouds.

3. What we use now

5. Answers
 We needed to develop a UAV capacity
that:
 Matched our plane based capacity for 1cm
ortho imagery
 Could fly in remote areas
 Be a reliable platform
 Have low cost replacement

6. The big deal
4cm
Blobs
1cm
Birds

7. RMH 1cm aerial imagery products
300 acre island
4cm NIR false
color composite
1cm natural color
composite

8. Nesting greater black back gulls

9. Lots of Options
 There are hundreds of different
platforms
 Hundreds of different sensors
 Many different software
 Mission planning
 Platform control
 Image processing
 Etc.
 Turn key systems and DIY

10. Sensors

11. Platforms

12. Mission planning

13. Our solution thus far
 Medium sized fixed wing (fly slow / long
endurance)
 Small Sony (24mp)
 Light weight
 Large APS-C CMOS sensor
 Fast firing
 Lens options
 Light sensitive (programmable)
 Open source software for planning and
mission implementation

16. Economies of scale / Tradeoffs
 Small sensors take more images for the
same area as a large sensor
 Small platforms fly slower
 Accuracy
 Processing time
 Overhead costs