Earth Day 2016: From mountain to sea, a world of helpful drone apps

This Earth Day, senseFly is celebrating the critical role drone technology has and continues to have on environmental sustainability. From glacial feature modelling and erosion monitoring to animal counting and species identification, the list of projects that drones are being used for is long and continues to grow.We have put together 7 incredible cases in which drone technology has been used to save our planet – from counting grey seals in Canada to assessing typhoon damage in the Philippines. The possibilities of using UAVs to our Earth’s benefit are endless.

Below is the full list of case studies and attached for a detailed infographic outlining the environmental case studies. More information and high-res images can be sent upon request.

1. Mapping the Philippines after a Typhoon

When Typhoon Haiyan, known as Yolanda in the Philippines, struck the South East coast of the in 2013, it devastated entire communities – tearing apart thousands of homes and destroying livelihoods. Many of those worst hit were ‘informal’ unplanned homes, situated at or near the water’s edge.

Over the course of six days in March 2014, senseFly drones were used in Medair to create detailed 2D base maps and 3D terrain models of Tacloban, Dulag and Julita boroughs and to assess typhoon damage and plan shelter reconstruction. The team then provided leaders with physical high-res maps that they could use to assess the damage and plan reconstruction efforts based on the current, accurate data. Without the drone data, this would not have been possible.

2. Counting grey seals in Canada

When Duke University researchers wanted to try counting seals with a drone, they headed to Canada with two senseFly eBees and several types of camera. The project’s results confirmed how UAV technology can help save time and money, highlighting in particular the promise of thermal imaging.

The team learnt a lot from the project but their main discovery – which was huge – was just how well the seals ‘pop’ in the thermal images and could be seen from miles above. This brought a significant time-saving benefit to the project; because the data recognised temperatures, the team could identify the seals by heat recognition.

“We know that there weren’t any similar sized animals to the seals, which means every object in the results that is warmer than ambient temperature – i.e. not rocks or ice – is most likely a seal. This automated approach could save us hours of manual work in the future”, David Johnston, Assistant Professor at Duke University.

3. Reducing nitrogen sage on a Russian farm

Dr. Berezovskiy and the team at Timiryazev State Agrarian University in Moscow used an eBee Ag farming drone to capture high-resolution imagery for their wheat fertilisation project. They then used this imagery to create a custom application map with which to optimise their nitrogen application. The result: the team reduced the amount of nitrogen used by 20%.

4. Counting sharks in the Seychelles

In order to assess the general health and evolution of an atoll in the Seychelles, the SaveOurSeas Foundation used senseFly eBee drones to analyse both the current state of its shores and the evolution of the shark population. Thanks to precise aerial imagery then reconstructed into a 3D model, the marine biologists have been able to study local wildlife and understand the symbiosis between different species.

5. Water mapping in Chad

Water reserves close to inhabited areas of N’djamena in Chad are drastically affected by drought periods. In order to provide local structures with precise and up-to-date information, Swiss company easy2map used a senseFly eBee drone to capture precise visual data on the region’s situation, topography and terrain. Thanks to the captures images, measures have been taken by the local authorities to react more efficiently to droughts.

6. Using drones to map a sensitive Australian heritage site

Annual monitoring of Lake Victoria’s vegetation, shoreline and cultural heritage site required the help of two senseFly eBee drones to manage harm to aboriginal objects and places. The drones produced a precise survey of the Lake Victoria shores – a total area of 5000 hectares – enabling Australian UAV to measure how the erosion is affecting the region and just what to do to combat it.

7. Counting turtles in Indonesia

In order to better understand and protect a population of Indonesian green turtles, researchers from two universities in the Netherlands used a senseFly drone to produce several aerial photographs. The precise imagery helped evaluate the population of turtles in the region, enabling scientists to better theorise their behaviour.