The Suitability of Commercial Low-Cost UASs for Forest Assessment
Date
2015
Authors
Edwards, Rowan
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This study examines the suitability of commercial low-cost Unmanned Aerial Systems (UASs) for use in assessing arboreal resources. These UASs are small, remotely controlled flying platforms, which have the ability to mount sensory equipment not directly related to the operation of the craft itself. The recent commercialisation of these systems has opened the potential for their use in a number of applications, including in forest assessment. The key areas investigated are the ease with which a novice operator can pilot a UAS, the suitability of the UAS for assigned tasks, the data which can be gathered, and the use of different processing tools to gain information from that data. The study allows natural resource managers to assess the potential benefits of incorporating UASs into their management techniques. Additionally, it informs UAS developers of the requirements of natural resource managers. The technology of the UAS used was found to be suitable for a number of tasks, though specific issues were identified that limit potential applications. The primary technological limitation was identified as the battery life, which served to limit most other facets of UAS implementation. For the model examined during this study, the control software was also a limiting factor, though other packages have been identified which address these issues. The current legal restrictions, especially those associated with line of sight operation, also serve to limit the usability of the system. The primary role of the UAS is identified as a tool for small scale, in situ assessments, including fixed point photography, upper canopy inspection, canopy cover line analysis and sourcing images for subsequent 3D reconstruction. The resulting data is of finer detail than traditional remote sensing techniques, though this is balanced by a comparatively smaller area which can be covered. UASs also provide the ability to assess both individual trees and stands from multiple angles and scales, allowing both fine detail and contextual assessment. This improvement in detail, when integrated with existing methods of data collection, provides the ability to construct better resolution models. With their ability to work inside and outside the canopy, these UASs also provide a novel, low cost approach for the validation of the output of such models. Seven different software packages were evaluated for the subsequent manipulation of data, with four being chosen for detailed investigation. In conclusion, UASs are deemed currently suitable for the applications considered, though there are aspects which serve to limit their effectiveness. Specifically, they do not have the capability to replace full scale aircraft, but are best utilised as a tool to augment existing processes.
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