Resources related to drones, aerial mapping and UAVs
UAV4Ag community
Members of this community share their experiences in developing UAV technologies and related software applications. More importantly they share information on how to make use of small UAVs to improve the management of crops, fishing grounds and other resource-based activities. Relevant events, capacity building opportunities and publications are signalled as soon as these are known by members of the community.
Drones and aerial observation
This book with the full title “Drones and Aerial Observation: New Technologies for Property Rights, Human Rights, and Global Development. A Primer” is a comprehensive introduction to civilian UAV technology, focusing on how these devices can be used to secure property rights, document environmental destruction, and gather post-disaster data. The free-to-download primer covers many basic aspects of UAV technology, such as the regulatory environment surrounding their use, nuts-and-bolts aspects of mapmaking and photography with UAVs.
http://drones.newamerica.org/primer/
Drone2Map for ArcGIS
“Manual on Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems”
This document of the International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO) shows how the existing regulatory framework that was developed for manned aviation applies to unmanned aircraft. It gives insight into the changes that will be coming for Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS). It also gives an outline of ICAO’s Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) and guidance material, so helping other standardisation organisations to harmonise their activities.
News about UAVs
With UAV technology being adopted for civilian research and surveys around the world, specific news websites are popping up to keep a track on legislation and product developments. For example, sUAS News (http://www.suasnews.com) is an online news provider for small Unmanned Aerial Systems. Another news website called DroneLife (http://dronelife.com) has a special section focusing on agricultural UAV developments.
Flight Riot
This website is devoted to free and open-source drone technology, including building instructions, navigation software, mapping and photogrammetry software, and more.
RPAS regulations
This website has been designed to create a single point of reference where international Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS)-related regulatory information, as well as aviation terminology and recommended RPAS terminology are made available. The website offers free access to a large online library of relevant reference and guidance documents, and information that promotes awareness of country by country RPAS-related regulatory developments.
Civil drones educational video
This is a video animation made for the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) introducing the concept of operations in relation to the use of civil drones. It shows the do’s and don’ts of civilian use of this technology. EASA is working in providing a new set of rules for operating civil drones.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Xs_eVx4nuw[/embed]
Understanding the legal environment
Funded by the European Commission, the Drones-Rules.eu project aims at building a comprehensive and high quality online presence with the purpose of increasing awareness and facilitating understanding of the legal environment and constraints in relation with light UAV operations with a focus on non-commercial operators. It also sheds light on the opportunities for economic and job market growth that UAVs represent for entrepreneurs and small and medium-sized enterprises. The portal is due to be launched in June 2016.
Humanitarian UAV network
The goal of this network is to promote the safe, coordinated and effective use of UAVs for data collection, payload delivery and communication services in a wide range of humanitarian and development settings. The network is actively developing international guidelines for the responsible use of UAVs and maintaining a wiki to document lessons learned, best practices and existing regulations in countries around the world.
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Counting coconuts with drones
On the Pacific islands of Samoa drone technology is used in a coconut tree survey to forecast more accurately yield and production of virgin coconut oil.
Read MoreA bird’s eye view on Africa’s rice irrigation system
Drone technology provides agriculturists with a cost-effective method of infrastructure planning. In Nigeria it has accelerated the planning, design and construction of rice irrigation systems.
Read MoreDrones detect crop stresses more effectively
Drones can someday serve as a low-cost, effective method of monitoring sweet potato crops, which are becoming increasingly important to smallholder farmers.
Read MoreThe challenge of comparing crop imagery over space and time
by Ola Hall and Maria Francisca Archila Bustos
Imagery collected by drones can help agricultural experts identify the causes of low crop productivity. But the technology must be adapted to determine different crop varieties from multispectral images. And problems of image calibration must be resolved.
Read MoreMaking sense of drone regulations
Authorities demand regulation for and supervision of the increasing use of drones, because of privacy, safety and security issues. Drone operators must be aware of this.
Read MoreDocumenting illegal land occupancy from the air
Unmanned aerial vehicles have the potential to empower indigenous communities to become equal partners in the efforts to safeguard their territories and natural resources.
Read MoreInsuring Indian farmers more effectively
Crop insurance payouts could be sped up with the help of drone technology, preventing financial hardship and potentially helping more small-scale farmers get insured.
Read MoreTransforming smallholder farming through remote sensing
The STARS project explores ways to use remote sensing technology to improve agricultural practices of smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia with the aim to advance their livelihoods.
Read MoreDrones and dogs work together to save avocado crops
Florida’s multimillion dollar avocado industry is under threat of a deadly fungus that is spread by beetles. But a combination of drones and dogs could be a game-changer.
Read MoreSri Lanka's drone pioneers
The International Water Management Institute in Sri Lanka has begun to experiment with drone technology to support a wide range of studies like crop monitoring, disaster mitigation and disease prevention.
Read MoreFive steps of making a map with small drones
Traditionally all features on a map were represented in the form of symbols whose spatial characteristics, like location, size and shape, could be mathematically defined in a spatial reference system. The underlying spatial information of features depicted in this way is referred to as vector data.
Read MoreDrones on the horizon: new frontier in agricultural innovation
Drone technology could help farmers around the world monitor their crops, fend off pests, improve land tenure, and more. But to realise its full potential, regulatory regimes are necessary, while keeping citizens’ safety and privacy rights secure.
Read MoreCounting coconuts with drones
On the Pacific islands of Samoa drone technology is used in a coconut tree survey to forecast more accurately yield and production of virgin coconut oil.
Read MoreInterview Roberto A. Quiroz
‘UAV-based remote sensing will be like using a cell phone today’
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