scholarly journals Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) for Monitoring Macroalgal Biodiversity: Comparison of RGB and Multispectral Imaging Sensors for Biodiversity Assessments

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (19) ◽  
pp. 2332 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leigh Tait ◽  
Jochen Bind ◽  
Hannah Charan-Dixon ◽  
Ian Hawes ◽  
John Pirker ◽  
...  

Developments in the capabilities and affordability of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have led to an explosion in their use for a range of ecological and agricultural remote sensing applications. However, the ubiquity of visible light cameras aboard readily available UAVs may be limiting the application of these devices for fine-scale, high taxonomic resolution monitoring. Here we compare the use of RGB and multispectral cameras deployed aboard UAVs for assessing intertidal and shallow subtidal marine macroalgae to a high taxonomic resolution. Our results show that the diverse spectral profiles of marine macroalgae naturally lend themselves to remote sensing and habitat classification. Furthermore, we show that biodiversity assessments, particularly in shallow subtidal habitats, are enhanced using six-band discrete wavelength multispectral sensors (81% accuracy, Cohen’s Kappa) compared to three-band broad channel RGB sensors (79% accuracy, Cohen’s Kappa) for 10 habitat classes. Combining broad band RGB signals and narrow band multispectral sensing further improved the accuracy of classification with a combined accuracy of 90% (Cohen’s Kappa). Despite notable improvements in accuracy with multispectral imaging, RGB sensors were highly capable of broad habitat classification and rivaled multispectral sensors for classifying intertidal habitats. High spatial scale monitoring of turbid exposed rocky reefs presents a unique set of challenges, but the limitations of more traditional methods can be overcome by targeting ideal conditions with UAVs.

Sensors ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (24) ◽  
pp. 5507 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander Jenal ◽  
Georg Bareth ◽  
Andreas Bolten ◽  
Caspar Kneer ◽  
Immanuel Weber ◽  
...  

Short-wave infrared (SWIR) imaging systems with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are rarely used for remote sensing applications, like for vegetation monitoring. The reasons are that in the past, sensor systems covering the SWIR range were too expensive, too heavy, or not performing well enough, as, in contrast, it is the case in the visible and near-infrared range (VNIR). Therefore, our main objective is the development of a novel modular two-channel multispectral imaging system with a broad spectral sensitivity from the visible to the short-wave infrared spectrum (approx. 400 nm to 1700 nm) that is compact, lightweight and energy-efficient enough for UAV-based remote sensing applications. Various established vegetation indices (VIs) for mapping vegetation traits can then be set up by selecting any suitable filter combination. The study describes the selection of the individual components, starting with suitable camera modules, the optical as well as the control and storage parts. Special bandpass filters are used to select the desired wavelengths to be captured. A unique flange system has been developed, which also allows the filters to be interchanged quickly in order to adapt the system to a new application in a short time. The characterization of the system was performed in the laboratory with an integrating sphere and a climatic chamber. Finally, the integration of the novel modular VNIR/SWIR imaging system into a UAV and a subsequent first outdoor test flight, in which the functionality was tested, are described.


Author(s):  
A.A. Moykin ◽  
◽  
A.S. Medzhibovsky ◽  
S.A. Kriushin ◽  
M.V. Seleznev ◽  
...  

Nowadays, the creation of remotely-piloted aerial vehicles for various purposes is regarded as one of the most relevant and promising trends of aircraft development. FAU "25 State Research Institute of Chemmotology of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation" have studied the operation features of aircraft piston engines and developed technical requirements for motor oil for piston four-stroke UAV engines, as well as a new engine oil M-5z/20 AERO in cooperation with NPP KVALITET, LLC. Based on the complex of qualification tests, the stated operational properties of the experimental-industrial batch of M-5z/20 AERO oil are generally confirmed.


2020 ◽  
Vol 79 (11) ◽  
pp. 985-995
Author(s):  
Valerii V. Semenets ◽  
V. M. Kartashov ◽  
V. I. Leonidov

2019 ◽  
Vol 78 (9) ◽  
pp. 771-781 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. M. Kartashov ◽  
V. N. Oleynikov ◽  
S. A. Sheyko ◽  
S. I. Babkin ◽  
I. V. Korytsev ◽  
...  

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