“Drones make it easy to get a very detailed view of a small area where you want to have elevation measures,” said Rovere. Some scientists from the Earth Institute’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory are using drones to expand their research as never before. One study on bears showed that they were stressed by the presence of drones. While protecting wildlife with drones seems like an obvious application, there has not been much research done on the actual effects of drones on wildlife. Drones are also being used to keep an eye on endangered species and to combat poachers. They then analyzed the collected DNA to study the whale’s microbiome, stress and pregnancy hormones. Researchers at Ocean Alliance, a Massachusetts-based whale conservation organization, used drones flying low above a whale to capture spray from the creature’s blowhole. Duke University drones recently showed that gray seals are returning to the New England and Canadian coasts due to conservation efforts. Photo: ĭrones are tracking sea mammals, counting animal populations and monitoring enforcement in marine conservation areas. In the energy industry, drones are being used to identify methane leaks in oil and gas production, and to monitor pipelines and wind and solar installations.Ī collage of drone shots of orang-utan nests. They identify plant species and detect forest tree disease. They can discern the spread of algae in water bodies, as well as saltwater intrusion. They identify areas that are being illegally logged. LiDAR, which measures how long it takes for an emitted pulse of light to reach a target and return to the sensor, can be used to calculate the distance to an object and its height, which is used for 3-D maps.ĭrones monitor rivers to help predict flooding. Hyperspectral imaging identifies features of plants and water through measuring reflected light and can interpret a wider range of wavelengths than the human eye can see. Thermal cameras detect heat from living creatures like animals or stressed plants, as well as from water.

Digital cameras can identify plants and animals, and help create 3-D maps. The Federal Aviation Administration requires that drones remain within the operator’s line of sight larger drones that fly longer distances must obtain more involved licenses that allow them to fly outside of the line of sight.ĭepending on their mission, drones are equipped with different payloads or equipment. Many drones are made of carbon fiber making them light and easy to land without disturbing the environment. Most small drones are powered by lithium-polymer batteries, while larger ones may use airplane engines. They comprise part of unmanned aircraft systems that have a controller on the ground, and some form of wireless communication (usually radio signals) between the operator and the drone. The Nano Hummingbird drone is used for surveillance by DARPA.ĭrones can range from the size of airplanes to the size of bumblebees.

Uav drone