Introduction
This section of field and lab work surrounds the use of unmanned aerial systems (UAS). UAS surrounds the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) to perform tasks that would otherwise be unaccessable or dangerous for humans to do. These vehicles often carry a sensor or camera in order to gather data to assess a problem. Companies can purchase UAS devices for their own services or can purchase the abilities of an outside resource to gather the data for them.
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| UAS: Unmanned aerial systems (UAS) consist of any device that doesn't carry a human passenger to fly it while in air. These devices are fantastic at collecting remotely sensed data, images, and video. They can range from large plane-sized machines to RC devices. Balloons, kites and rockets can even be considered unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV). |
The task presented to the groups was to create UAS mission plans. Different groups came up with different routes/proposals for plausible employers. The scenarios listed below describe the efforts that Cody Kroening, Blake Johnson and April Leistikow.
Scenarios
Scenario #1
Subject: A proposal to use Unmanned Aerial Systems to
monitor the military testing range for the presence of desert tortoises.
Purpose: The problem is that the military’s ability to
engage in conducting its training exercises at the military testing range are
being hindered by the presence of desert tortoises. It is necessary for the
military to be able to use their testing range without any disturbances.
I suggest that we use
Unmanned Aerial Systems with a mounted sensor to monitor the testing range for
the presence of desert tortoises so that the military will be able to conduct
their training exercises without any disturbances.
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| Image 1: The above image shows a desert tortoise and his burrowed out home. As described throughout this scenario these tortoises prevent military training exercises to be performed. They tend to burrow into the ground near moist places in the desert. |
Questions: There are several questions that we would need
answered in order to accurately propose a form of aerial surveying.
The first question is,
how big is the study area? This is a very important question because different
UAS (Unmanned Aerial System) devices have different flight times. For example,
a gas powered UAS has a much longer flight time than an electric one. But
electric is much more cost and eco-friendly, so if the area were smaller the
preferred route would be to use an electric powered UAS. The problem with the
area that needs to be covered should be apparent now.
The second question is,
is there a budget? The cost of UAS systems can vary significantly. Something
such as a fixed wing copter can cost thousands of dollars. While it definitely
has its advantages, if there is a low budget for the project this option would
be out of the question. For lower budget projects there are options like a
balloon or a kite that a sensor could be mounted to. These types of UAS devices
can be as cheap as a hundred dollars. Another good thing about more primitive
methods is that there is the option of building your own device. For every UAS
there needs to a mount in order to attach the sensor to the UAS. Building your
own is one way to cut down on the cost of your project. And if you mount your
sensor to something like a kite or a balloon, the only significant cost would
be the sensor itself.
In the description of
this scenario it was stated that the military currently spends millions of
dollars to rid their training facility of the tortoises, so I think it can be
assumed that there is a fairly large budget for this project.
Possible Solutions: Because the questions above are something that
cannot really be answered through this exercise, I will be presenting you with three
different solutions to the tortoise problem. Before I can do this, there needs
to be a base knowledge of the desert tortoise.
The desert tortoise is a
large herbivore that inhabits the Mojave and Sonoran deserts in the
southwestern portion of America. The desert tortoise’s habitat is classified as
follows; semi-arid grasslands, gravely desert washes, canyon bottoms, and rocky
hillsides. Tortoises can be found near water and prefer drier soils for their
burrows.
The desert tortoise is
able to live where ground temperatures may exceed 140 degrees F because of its
ability to dig underground burrows to escape the heat. With this information
about the desert tortoise we can conclude that within the area that needs to be
surveyed, areas that contain water should be the first places to be surveyed.
Also focusing on the soils that are being surveyed can be useful too. With
remote sensing, drier soils have a higher reflectance. Once the survey is
completed, the image can be studied, and where the soils are much brighter on
the image shows the type of soil the desert tortoise prefers. Now if there is
this soil with a high reflectance near water, that is where the tortoises are
most likely going to be located.
** Attached to all of
the UAS devices in each of our solutions would be a short-wave infrared sensor.
This would enable us to see where the moisture content is in the soils. As it
was explained before, the tortoises are going to be located in drier soils that
are near water. With this sensor we would be able to see where the areas are
that have that high reflectance (Drier soils) and find the drier soils that are
closer to water sources.
Solution 1: With the
assumption that the area of study is large, we propose the use of a fixed wing,
gas powered, UAS copter. The fixed wing copter can cover a larger area than a
multi-armed copter would be able to. Think of the fixed wing as a plane and the
multi-armed as a helicopter. To cover a larger area you would want to use a
plane rather than a helicopter. The choice of using gas power over electric
came down to two factors. First, the gas powered can run for longer periods of
time, thus covering more area without having to come back and be re-powered.
The second factor is the gas power may be more expensive than electric, but
this budget for this project seems to be so large that the cost for the gas
would be irrelevant.
Solution 2: Using a
fixed wing, electric powered, UAS copter is the second solution to the problem.
If the military wishes to take a more “green “approach to solving this problem,
electric would be the way to go. It would be cheaper and better for the
environment by now using up so much gasoline. The only problem with this method
is that electric powered copters have a substantially shorter flight time.
While gas powered copters can fly for about 10 hours straight, the electric can
go for about an hour on a calm day. Depending on how large the area is, the
electric powered copter would need to continuously keep returning to the base
to be re-charged. This would increase the time it would take to survey the area
of study.
Solution 3: Using a
weather balloon or a kite in the third and final solution. This would be used
if the area of study is smaller than we presumed and the initiative for this
project is to go as “green” as possible. This solution would use no power
source, so the only real cost would be to purchase the UAS equipment (or to
make it yourself). The idea behind these is the sensor would be mounted to
either the balloon or the kite and raised up into the sky to take aerial
imagery. This method would not produce as good of images and may hinder the
surveying process.
Conclusion: In conclusion, I think purchasing one of the UAS
devices mentioned about to take aerial imagery of the desires area of study
would give you your most efficient way to locate the tortoise burrows. It would
be much more cost effective than manually surveying the land for burrows.
Depending on the route you wish to take for this project, one of the three
methods mentioned above will be your best bet for effectively completing the
project and giving you quality data as to conduct your research.
Scenario #2
Subject: To the power line
company that is seeking to lessen their expenses by moving away from the use of
helicopters.
Purpose: The
issue in this scenario revolves around creating a more efficient way to spend
money on verifying problems power line towers. The key to solving this issue is
to find a cheaper means of collecting data while also keeping maneuverability.
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| Image 2: This image shows a power line tower as described in the scenario above. These towers will often require maintenance and in this case the company needs a more cost efficient system to get good images of possibly damaged material on these towers. |
Questions:
Several questions need to be addressed in order to get the best view of how to
help this company. Knowing the answers to these questions can aid someone quite
a bit since they are relevant to costs on a wide margin.
What’s the budget? This question is
essential when deliberating on purchasing an unmanned vehicle because the costs
can reach very high amounts. A budget can either make or break what a
consulting company would suggest.
Is this cost a preventative issue/occurring
often? Knowing whether these costs are continuous or not would help in knowing
how much of a return that the power line company is actually receiving by
purchasing a UAV.
How big of an area are they covering/effecting?
I would consider this questions paramount in knowing how many devices that need
to be bought and also how many new employees need to be trained to fly these
devices.
City wide or country or even state wide?
This goes back to the above question and knowing how large of a region that we
are dealing with. The area helps to understand exactly what needs to be
purchased.
How often does monitoring occur? This
questions is a bit less prominent, but still important because it will show
whether or not spending the extra money on higher quality items is worth the price.
How do you know if there is a problem?
Finding out how to see a problem is important because it determines the precision
in which the camera needs to be and the maneuverability of the UAV.
Solutions:
At the moment it would appear that the power company is being charged far too
much for the services of a helicopter crew. These costs could be diminished
significantly by utilizing unmanned aerial systems ranging from fixed wing
devices to multi-armed copters. The costs per year could be redirected and
lessened by owning a device. The initial cost would be higher, but the only
costs afterwards are for maintenance and gas.
In the case of this power
line issue it would be most advisable to purchase a multi-armed craft because
of its maneuverability. The multi-armed copters are used to move and turn on a
dime. They don’t have a long fly life time though, but they will be able to get
the best image if the company is trying to get an accurate image of an area
that needs to be fixed.
Helicopter rental costs
are incredibly high and being able to find a helicopter near these towers could
also be difficult. The power line company would save thousands of dollars by
owning their own multi-armed copter because of the non-recurring costs other
than gas and maintenance.
Another aspect to
consider though with piloting a multi-armed copter is the danger that comes
with it. These devices, piloted by inexperienced or reckless people, can cause
death because of how the blades of the copters work. This could be a potential
danger when coming close to power lines, however it also the best device to
have for versatility. When looking at the dangers any company using the
services of a helicopter must also consider the dangers of having employees
lean out of the copter to take pictures.
Other plausible options
that would be cheaper include, a kite with a camera attached to it, a weather
balloon with a camera attached to it, and a fixed wing copter. There are a few
issues with each of these other options, but they all have the potential of
being less expensive. A kite could potentially not work if it got caught up in
the lines and potentially ruin the cameras too. The weather balloon probably
couldn’t get the image that we needed to see a problem with the tower. The
fixed wing copter is also a great option, however it won’t have the same
maneuverability as the multi-armed copter.
Scenario #3
Subject: To the oil pipeline
company who has sprung a leak in the Niger River delta in regards to finding the
leak and containing its damage in the area.
Purpose: The inability of this
oil company to obtain an accurate depiction of where this leak is has brought
them in the needs of an outside resource. They are most likely losing money
from this leak and are also doing an incredible amount of harm to the ecosystem
that is already being ravaged by pollution.
The oil company needs quick
and efficient results. Their company and local farmers are both losing a
profit/livelihood.
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| Image 3: This image shows the Niger River delta. The scenario above describes an oil companies misfortune in springing a leak in their pipe that travels through the delta. As described below, the delta is over 50,000 square kilometers and contains hundreds of species of fish. This issue needs a quick fix in order to save the ecosystem. |
Questions:
The questions below are very essential in attempting to answer the overall
problem of how to find this leak and contain it.
What
is the budget? Budget is always really important because it determines the equipment
that can be purchased.
Where
is it leaking? Knowing where the leaking is occurring can help to contain it
and fix the issue. Knowing where the pipe is leaking will solve the entire
problem.
What
are the signs of the leaking? Knowing what the signs of a leaking pipe are
important to fixing this problem because it will give the analyst a better idea
of what to look for when perusing the data.
How
polluted is the river already? Knowing the amount of pollution in the river
delta currently can give the company an idea of how badly this leak has
impacted the ecosystem.
How
large is the study area/delta? This question is answered through leg work near the
end of the report.
Where
does the pipeline run through the delta? The pipeline’s location can help in
finding the leak as well during analysis because the analysts can focus on
certain regions for specific occurrences that are associated with leaking.
How
fast is it leaking? If the amount of leaking can be tracked then the company
can have a better idea of how the oil is affecting the aquatic and land vegetation’s.
Solutions:
It would appear that the greatest need for this oil company is stop the leak so
as to not lose any more of their potential profit. The surrounding community is
in great need for this leak to get fixed as well since the oil is spilling into
their water resource. I would place this issue at high demand since it is
affecting the lives and wellbeing of those that live near the Niger river
delta. Fortunately for these people it is in the best interest of our client to
also find and fix this leak in the pipeline. There are several ways to quickly
and efficiently solve this problem and future issues along the pipeline as
well.
Some background
information about the Niger River delta is important in understanding just how
to best go about giving a valid solution to this problem. For instance, the
delta is 53,000 square kilometers and the river itself is a natural source of irrigation,
drinking water and bathing source for both people and animals. There are over
200 different species of fish living within the delta and it is considered a
crossroads for two differing habitats of fish. While the river is already very
polluted by human contact, the entrance of oil directly into the delta is bad
for both aquatic life and the livelihood of farmers.
Several options were
discussed by a team of professionals and two main options were devised with the
addition of several others depending on the oil company’s needs. The top two
ideas that were created were a weather balloon with a camera attached to it for
cost efficiency or a multi-armed rotary copter for maneuverability efficiency.
A weather balloon would be a low cost item to attach a camera to in order to
find the source of the leak. The only real issue with a balloon is the ability
to control it if you do find a region of leak.
The other option of
either a fixed wing or multi-armed copter could also work. The device itself
would cost a lot more money but the ability to maneuver would be paramount in
the search for the leaking pipe. There are two types of models to consider: a
gas powered copter used for long time lapses or an electric for cost, but less
air time. Both of these machines provide a higher source of maneuverability
than a balloon but will be much more expensive. When all is said and done, a
budget would grant the team a better clue at how much would be viable to spend
on the mission.
Depending on whether or
not the company wants to do additional research on the affects that this leak
made on their surroundings a sensor would be suggested in order to do research
on the health of the vegetation in the region. This could also be important for
future research as well since they could track the health of the vegetation
around the pipelines. A sensor would be needed to add to one of the devices,
most likely a copter.
Some additional options
to consider include the use of a rocket with a camera attached and maybe even
the use of a kite. A rocket could be a fun venture for the company but it could
be a boom or bust situation, which seems like a bad idea since the spill could
be affecting both animals and people. The other option of a kite could be a
failure as well if there is no wind present or if the area to search is too
large, which in this case, it most likely is.
Scenario #4
Initial Problem: A pineapple plantation has about 8000 acres,
and they want you to give them an idea of where they have vegetation that is
not healthy, as well as help them out with when might be a good time to
harvest.
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| Image 4: The image above shows a pineapple farm. The scenario calls for a way to tell if vegetation is healthy or not and when the best time to harvest is. As outlined below by April Leistikow, they needed infrared sensors in order to see the plans health. |
Questions to Consider: The initial question is always the
budget. More accurate information can be acquired based on how much
you want to spend. If the budget allows, the plantation could
purchase its own unmanned aerial system to fly over the land that the
pineapples are planted on to obtain how healthy the crops are doing. A
better sensor could be purchased to get more precise information about the
pineapple plants.
The way that the company
farms the pineapples is important too. The type of harvesting and
when they are harvesting could have an impact on how well the plants do.
It is important to consider if irrigation is being used to water the plants,
and what kind. The type of soil that the pineapples are planted in could
also affect their growth, because pineapples prefer light soils, but the use of
pesticides and mulch may also have an impact on the fruits’ growth. All
of these factors could contribute to the output of quantity and quality of
pineapple.
A few different options
should be considered when trying to see at a glance how healthy the pineapple
crop is doing. The following solutions are ordered from the least
costly solution to the solution with the highest cost.
Solutions:
Option One
A hyperspectral sensor
using the infrared band can be put on a weather balloon. The
infrared band is best for researching vegetation health. The
healthier the plants are, the brighter the red color will appear in the
imagery. The use of the balloon could save a lot of money. They
can travel fairly high in order to scope out the entirety of the plantation
area and it can give a good idea of what is going on in the area in a short
amount of time without having to search through a lot work. This
method is also extremely low on energy use.
Option Two
The infrared band in a
hyperspectral sensor is still the best option for sensors to see how healthy
vegetation is. An electric powered fixed wing copter may be a good
option to get more accurate data compared to the balloon. Running on
electric power copter is a cheaper option than a gas powered copter. The
flight time would not be as long, but it may be more cost effective for the
company to bring it down and charge it if the copter cannot survey the area in
one flight.
Option Three
The same kind of hyperspectral
sensor with the infrared band should still be used, but for this option, a gas
powered fixed wing copter could be used to scan the pineapple crops. This
way, the copter could be in the air longer and get more detailed information
about the plants. Since the craft is able to stay in the air longer, it could
fly closer to the ground and get more accurate information about the
pineapples’ health conditions.
Scenario #5
Initial Problem: A mining company wants to get a better idea of
the volume they remove each week. They don’t have the money for LIDAR, but want
to engage in 3D analysis.
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| Image 5: This image shows a pit mine, much like the one that could be described in the scenario above. The company wants to know how much earth that they are removing from their mine on a weekly basis and LIDAR would be the best way to do this, however they don't have the funds. |
Questions to Consider: The most important question is to ask what the
budget is for the mining company. The company could get better
information about the volume extracted from their mine depending on methods
used to collect data. The economy has a large impact on whether or not
the mine can even be active, so surveying methods costs need to be low.
One factor that could
hinder a volume calculation is if the mine is continuously productive or if
they have periods of time when productivity is stagnant. An accurate
reading cannot be given for a distinct period of time if the mine is not
constantly producing resources. It is also important to consider what
kind of mine it is and how large the mining area is.
Some options should be weighted when considering how much the mine is extracting from the land.The following solutions to this question are listed from least to highest cost.
Solutions:
Option One
A kite could be flown
over the mine with cheap imaging sensors. This would be the most
cost efficient option because the area of interest is not very large and the
materials for a kite are very cheap. Point cloud software based
sensors could be used on the kite. The software collects survey
points and creates 3D surfaces by connecting the points. Ground
control points would assist in accuracy and keeping low costs at the same time.
Option Two
The mining company can
use other cheaper software and sensors that create 3D point clouds. These
kinds of sensors can be put on any kind of aircraft. To save money,
it may be wise to use an electric powered fixed wing aircraft to fly over the
mine rather than a rotary craft. That way, you can fly the craft
over strips of land one section at a time. Flying the craft parallel
to the strip of land that was previously scanned will allow the sensors to
collect sets of data from the same point on the terrain. True x, y,
and z data can be interpolated from this parallax of a single point from
different aerial angles. Using an electric powered craft is a
cheaper option than a gas powered one. It does not have as long of a
flight time, but probably would not need to be very long because the mine pits
do not extend over a very large amount of area.
Option Three
If it is possible to get
more funding, it would be worth getting access to LIDAR data for the area of
the mine. This could also be accessible through county data if they
could have access to it. They would need to sort through the tiles
of the county LIDAR data to find where their mine land would be. This
process may be monetarily costly as well as costly with time, but it would be
worth having this kind of data. LIDAR data can be processed in
ArcGIS to estimate where the land surface once was and run a model to see how
much land mass has been removed from the mine pit.
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Image 6: This image shows the popular camera brand GoPro.
These devices are becoming much more prominent in the UAS
world since the price of these devices and their connectivity
with iPhones are reasonable. |
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Image 7: The image above shows a multi-armed rotary
copter device. There is also a sensor attached to its
base which is used to detect phenomena when
in the air. These devices are used for their
precision and maneuverability. |
Costs
One of the many
options that were listed above contained multi-armed rotary copters that run on
gas or electricity. These devices range from $700 to over $1,400. http://store.3drobotics.com/products/3dr-rtf-x8-2014.
The first UAS method
mentioned was a fixed wing, gas powered copter. This type of UAS will cost you
about $7,000. http://www.robotshop.com/en/cropcam-unmanned-aerial-vehicle-uav.html.
The second UAS method mentioned was a fixed wing, electric powered copter. This
type of UAS will run you about $1000. http://store.3drobotics.com/products/3DR-ARF-APM:Plane.
The third UAS method mentioned was using either a balloon or a kite. A kite
would cost you a little over one hundred dollars, while a balloon would cost
you about $300. http://www.kapshop.com/Lifters-Balloons-&-Blimps/c75_32/p99/Balloon-150/product_info.html.
These are without the sensors, and depending on how sophisticated of a sensor
you attach to your device, it could cost you anywhere from $50 to $5000.
Conclusion
This field activity was much different than the first two. Our actual work was to do massive amounts of research into the field of unmanned aerial systems and mission planning. Each scenario described above had its own mission plan that it needed to get done. They each also had their own requirements and budgets. This activity really spurred the imagination and critical thinking abilities of the group. Not only did we have to get background information on each of the issues, but it was also necessary to look at specific devices to suggest to each client. The importance of meeting their needs along with giving other options was paramount in creating a good outline for a possible employer.
