UAS Applications at WA DNRAn Overview
Justin SchmalSilviculture Section – Forest Resources Division
Where do Drones Fit at DNR?
• “Drone-scale” versus Existing Remotely Sensed Data• Faster acquisition and finer resolution than LiDAR and NAIP• But, covering smaller areas
• Filling in the gaps, spatially and temporally• Jobs where drones can improve operational safety• Efficient survey tool• Ad hoc surveys
In Practice
• Off-the-shelf equipment, with a few exceptions• Most of our platforms cost $1k - $3k• Flight control uses free software on a tablet or smartphone
• Straightforward, easy to learn workflows that integrate easily with current practices
Workflow:
• Mission Planning• Draw a polygon around your area on a simple map interface• Enter other parameters like image overlap and flight altitude
Workflow:
Drones fly a grid and collect overlapping images
Each point is a camera location
Workflow:
Hundreds of images like this
Workflow:
Images stitched into a3D point cloud (like LIDAR)
Not a photo!
Post-processing Workflow:
• Point cloud is processed using LiDAR tools to create metrics like:• Density• Height• Crown size• Percent Cover
• Metrics are refined into usable and familiar decision-making tools
• Decision-making tools are sent directly to the forester
Case Study: Variety Timber Sale
From Data to Decision Making Tools:
Drone Phodar versus LIDAR
Cost and efficiency
• Faster and less expensive than on-the-ground survey methods• Efficiency scales with unit size and difficulty:
• UAS surveys for 500-600 acre units average $0.59 per acre• Compare to traditional surveys $12-15 per acre
• Value of collecting population data vs. sampling plots
Other Data-centric Use Cases:
• Stream and Wetland Assessment• Cultural Resources• Incident Response• Geology & Engineering• Compliance Monitoring• Structure Inspections and Energy Audits• Wildlife Surveys• Seedling/Crop Health
Post-TreatmentPre-Treatment
Future Progress
UAS infrastructure is alreadyin place, so focusing on:• Exploring new use cases• Incident response including wildland fire• Widespread implementation• More DNR pilots
Questions?