Annotated Bibliography Assignment

Source

Anon, P. (2018). Aviation leaders harris corporation and PrecisionHawk launch LATAS with live manned aircraft alerts to help drone operators fly safer. (2016, Sep 08). PR Newswire

PR Newswire elucidated in this article how PrecisionHawk, a leader in the drone industry, has devised a safety system to integrate unmanned aerial vehicles into the National Airspace. PrecisionHawk has done a great amount of testing and finally launched their low altitude traffic and airspace safety platform which they call LATAS. The system was created to allow drone operators to ensure that the area they are flying in is safe and alerts them to changes or hazards within the airspace and environment in real time. LATAS provides traffic notifications to both manned and unmanned pilots allowing them to interpret each other’s location to prevent accidents from occurring. Being partnered with Harris Corporation, who provides system integration for the FAA covering the whole National Airspace, allows LATAS to notify traffic hazards to pilots with no delay based on trusted airspace data. This system could not only revolutionize the public’s outlook on commercial drone operations but proves to be reliable tool that could drastically improve safety when it comes to beyond visual line of sight operations.

Source

Singh, K., & Frazier, A. (2018). A meta-analysis and review of unmanned aircraft system (UAS) imagery for terrestrial applications. International Journal of Remote Sensing, 39(15-16), 5078-5098.

         The application of unmanned aerial systems instead of traditional means like satellite imagery and manned aircraft have provided an easily accessible and cost efficient method for researchers to collect data. This article evaluates the different procedures and techniques in collecting and processing data for terrestrial remote sensing. The findings presented conclude that there is a pressing need for standardization of procedures when working with unmanned aerial systems and the data they collect. It would have been useful if the study recommended ways that the community could better utilize this technology in terms of creating workflows and procedures. By taking a closer look into the methods of capturing data, processing data, and analyzing data this study highlights the importance of determining proper techniques to improve accuracy.

Source

Han, Y. G., Kwon, O. H., & Jung, S. (2017). How to utilize vegetation survey using drone image and image analysis software. Journal of Ecology and Environment, 41(1).

This study by the Journal of Ecology and Environment compared the resolution and accuracy of traditional aerial images to images using an unmanned aircraft system. They were able to conclude, from this study, that images taken with the quadcopter were far more precise. It is necessary to correct the image taken by the unmanned aircraft system by accounting for interior and exterior orientation distortion which makes it possible to acquire multicenimeter spatial resolution. This study created an actual vegetation map to analyze vegetation information such as strand patterns. The use of an unmanned aircraft system allowed them to acquire detailed analytics while continuously capturing images.

Source

Perea-Moreno, A., Aguilera-Ureña, M., Larriva, J., & Manzano-Agugliaro, F. (2016). Assessment of the Potential of UAV Video Image Analysis for Planning Irrigation Needs of Golf Courses. Water, 8(12), 584.

         The importance of water conservation for golf courses is of the upmost importance and just about equal to the standard of appearance upkeep when it comes to the turfgrass. The goal for a greenkeeper is to be able to reuse the water so they do not pull from the natural water sources in the vicinity. This goal of the study in this article is to develop a method to maximize water conservation through the use of unmanned aerial vehicles. This case study developed a new algorithm that analyzed geometric data gathered from the unmanned aircraft system. This system seems very promising due to it’s maximum overall accuracy being 98.28%. By automating the turfgrass analysis, golf courses would be able to efficiently plan their water use.

Source

Caturegli L, Corniglia M, Gaetani M, Grossi N, Magni S, Migliazzi M, Volterrani M. (2016). Unmanned Aerial Vehicle to Estimate Nitrogen Status of Turfgrasses. PLoS One, 11(6), E0158268.

         This research article evaluates spectral reflectance data obtained from an unmanned aerial system to monitor nitrogen levels and plant health. Unmanned aerial vehicles can optimize turfgrass management through the use of a multispectral camera to come up with the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index. For smaller areas a hand held crop sensor would be more practical but for larger areas such as a golf course, the use of an unmanned aircraft vehicle would be best suited. Using this method, golf courses could detect problems before they affect a larger area saving them time and money.

Source

S. Jung, H. Cho, D. Kim, K. Kim, J. Han and H. Myung . (2017). Development of Algal Bloom Removal System Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicle and Surface Vehicle. Access, IEEE, 5, 22166-22176.

         This research article explains the dangers of cyanobacterial algae blooms and provides a solution to this issue using autonomous vehicles. The purpose for this study was to detect algal blooms utilizing an unmanned aerial vehicle to detect algae blooms. An autonomous algal bloom removal robotic system was deployed using the data collected from the unmanned aerial system to follow a given path. This catamaran inspired unmanned surface vehicle is equipped with an electrocoagulation and floatation reactor on the underside to remove harmful algae blooms. The field tests done at Daecheong Dam in South Korea demonstrated that 98.53% of the algae was removed but leaving even a small percentage of the algae could prove to be a problem considering that it reproduces very quickly. This method, although it is not perfect, presents an ecofriendly and inexpensive way to remove harmful substance from the water.

Source

Scott Xiang Fang, Siu O’young, & Luc Rolland. (2018). Development of Small UAS Beyond-Visual-Line-of-Sight (BVLOS) Flight Operations: System Requirements and Procedures. Drones, 2(2), 13.

         Memorial University in St. John’s, Canada has a research project under the name of RAVEN. The objective of the RAVEN project is to figure out a way to reach the same level of safety as seen in manned general aviation and apply it to integrating drones into the National Airspace. This article discusses the results of the project through testing a small unmanned aircraft system with detect and avoid safety features. These tests will be crucial for the future of integration for drones. The project goes beyond sense and avoid measures introducing additional features required for beyond visual line of sight operations. Some of these features proposed for beyond visual line of sight operations included a flight termination system, Geo-fencing functions, extended communication links, and return to launch functions. This RAVEN safety system was implemented and successfully proved that when integrated into a beyond visual line of sight operation can immensely improve safety for manned and unmanned traffic.  

Source

Wienhold, K., & Fang, Nick Z. (2017). A Thermal Inertia Approach to Precision Irrigation Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Coupled with High-Resolution Multispectral Imagery, ProQuest Dissertations and Theses.

         The study presented in this article was conducted at a golf course in Arlington, Texas to test the feasibility of using a remote sensing system to analyze soil moisture by considering thermal inertia. Precision Irrigation Soil Mapper is what they are calling this system and they claim that it allows for unprecedented spatial and temporal resolution and can save millions of gallons of water each year. A small unmanned aircraft system equipped with a multispectral sensor was used to measure volumetric water content. This study admitted to not being able to take into account the anomaly of variety in subsoils and the effect it would have on uneven heating. If golf courses were to incorporate this, they could adjust specific sprinkler heads to optimize water allocation.

Source

Husson, Eva, Ecke, Frauke, & Reese, Heather. (2016). Comparison of Manual Mapping and Automated Object-Based Image Analysis of Non-Submerged Aquatic Vegetation from Very-High-Resolution UAS Images. Remote Sensing, 8(9), 724-724.

         This article compared the manual mapping techniques to automated mapping using an unmanned aircraft system. The findings presented not only discussed the differences in accuracy but also in time efficiency when analyzing aquatic vegetation growth. Automated mapping using an unmanned aircraft system proves to be valuable when covering a large area. Considering detail and accuracy, manual mapping methods still hold an increased level of precision when dealing with a small area. This article also acknowledges that using LIDAR sensors in the future will allow for the height data to be included potentially improving accuracy.

Source

Manfreda, S., M. E. McCabe, P. E. Miller, R. Lucas, V. P. Madrigal, G. Mallinis, E. Dor, D. Helman, L. Estes, G. Ciraolo, J. Mullerova, F. Tauro, M. I. de Lima, Jlmp del Lima, A. Maltese, F. Frances, K. Caylor, M. Kohv, M. Perks, G. Ruiz-Perez, Z. Su, G. Vico, and B. Toth.  Faculty of Geo-Information Science Earth Observation. (2018). On the use of unmanned aerial systems for environmental monitoring. Remote Sensing, 10(4), 1-28.

This paper discusses the ways in which unmanned aircraft systems can be utilized to drastically improve environmental monitoring. The standard ways of doing this combines ground surveying and satellite images which can be time consuming and has a decreased level of accuracy. Several problems with the data attained by unmanned aircraft systems were discussed including radiometric calibration and sensor calibration which makes them difficult to use. To optimize data collection when using unmanned aircraft systems there needs to be clear procedures and workflows that layout the methodology of planning flights and interpreting the data. Although utilizing these systems in environmental monitoring is relatively new, they promise to be a flexible and versatile tool to acquire high spatial and temporal resolution.

McCormick Park Field Outing

         

         For this field outing, the main focus was to think about crew resource management. The purpose for going out was to map a part of McCormick woods using the Yuneec platform. We were positioned on the Ackerman-Allen Golf course which butted up against the woods we were mapping. Approval was needed and granted since we were a little less than two miles away from the Purdue University Airport to ensure safe integration and coordination with manned traffic. The Purdue University Department of Forestry and Natural Resources needed to monitor the woods and our operation assisted them. In doing this mapping mission, the gathered data should be able to analyze the treetop structure and identify different species within the woods. This data was collected using RGB imagery that was well suited for the mission.

         The class was split up into three groups during this outing. The first group was the flight control group and they were responsible for the control of the aircraft as well as making initial radio calls and provided mission organization. The other two groups were for visual observation and were given a handheld radio to report when they had visual contact with the unmanned aerial vehicle. Personally, I was involved with one of the visual observation groups and our objective was to radio out when we had gained sight of the unmanned aerial vehicle and to radio call again when we had lost sight of the aircraft. This created a daisy chain that allowed this flight to remain compliant Part 107’s visual line of sight rules. Not only did this assure that we weren’t breaking the visual line of sight rule but it also allowed the flight control group to have an understanding of the positioning of the aircraft and any other traffic at all times. The mission was successful being that we did everything in our power to ensure safety procedures were being met.

          

         The image at the beginning of this post shows the Yunnec Platform. The two images at the bottom of this post display the view point of the furthest visual observation group. The image on the left side of the page displays the unmanned aerial vehicle over the section of McCormick Park that we were surveying with the Yuneec platform shown inside the red circle. The image on the right gives a look into the crucial communication element of this mission following Part 107 visual line of sight guidelines by maintaining radio contact with the flight control group. Kyle Sheehan is shown on the right side of the picture as well as myself making a radio call on the left side of the image.