Civil use of Unmanned Aerial Systems has been met with angst from many groups due to association of the technology with the department of defense and other government operations. Ironically, some of the most used civilian technologies today have come from the defense side such as GPS, Radar, Microwaves, Nylon, canned foods, advances in air travel, duct tape, computers, and now “drones”. Below shows a diagram of UAV mission types related to civil applications. To limit UAS platforms to military only operations would be narrow sited considering the advantages they offer to the industries and applications shown below.
Figure 2 - Hyperspectral Imaging
Another military remote sensing application would be the HALOE which is a LIDAR sensor used on the Firescout (unmanned helicopter). LIDAR allows for scanning of space to create a 3D map of ground terrain through the use of “time of flight”. HALOE or High Altitude Lidar Operations Experiment has already been flown in Afghanistan as well. This has allowed for more than a third of Afghanistan to be mapped with the ability to also detect “pirates” at sea when using the Firescout. The disadvantages of such sensors can be the cost, maintenance, and operating environment in which they can be used. The sensor packages must be ruggedized when entering certain harsh environments. Also some sensors require specific weather conditions to return optimal image data. Cost can be reduced as sensor technologies improve and quantities increase.
The remote sensing applications above carry over directly to civil uses and one unique example of this is civil engineering. Civil Engineering deals with land surveying, structural health monitoring, and ground/structure mapping during the design and construction phase of a project. Photoscanning/LIDAR through the use of UAS allows for a company or firm to shows the condition of an existing project through 3D rendering versus standard aerial photos which are not as accurate, especially when trying to utilize photogrammetry techniques. Once a 3D model has been generated a 3D fly-through of the environment is possible giving the greatest perspective possible. In addition to capturing the actual structure the surrounding terrain would also be captured to help in planning for a project.
The cross over of remote sensing from military to civil applications should be no surprise and even though the cost of some sensors can be high, overall for civil applications this is a huge cost reduction compared to manned aircraft. However, sensor cost is slowly declining as well. In addition, manned aircraft are not capable of certain tasks that UAS platforms are, while doing it at a fraction of the cost. Mapping technologies will continue to grow for civil applications due to the growing demand in various industries and the cost savings over mapping with manned aircraft. Lessons learned from the military once again will play a major role in UAS remote sensing technology but as civil applications increase, they will also play a major role in the technologies direction and usage.
References
Campbell, J. B., & Wynne, R. H. (2011). Introduction to remote sensing, fifth edition (5th;5; ed.). US: Guilford Publications Inc. M.U.A.
Irilluminators. (2014). Hyperspectral Imaging with Infrared Light. Retrieved from https://irilluminators.wordpress.com/2014/01/24/hyperspectral-imaging-with-infrared-light/
Johnson, C. (2013). Civil Use of UAS, A Little More Light , Please. Retrieved from http://www.insidegnss.com/node/3491
NASA. (2004). Civil UAV Capability Assessment. Retrieved from https://www.nasa.gov/centers/dryden/pdf/111761main_UAV_Capabilities_Assessment.pdf
Perlman, A. (2015). Applications for UAV’s in Civil Engineering. Retrieved from http://uavcoach.com/applications-for-uavs-in-civil-engineering/
Wweinberger, S. (2012). 4 Done Sensors That Changed Warfare – and What Happens when they Come Home. Retrieved from http://www.popularmechanics.com/military/g1741/4-new-drone-sensors-that-changed-warfare-and-what-could-happen-when-they-come-home-9549377/?slide=1
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