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Building a drone from components, DroneLab, University of Exeter.

Fitting a thermal camera to a 3DR Solo Drone

Survey flights over a wet woodland, Cornwall

DroneLab

A research lab focused on developing open-source lightweight aerial platforms for research.

 

What we do:

The DroneLab is a research-group at the University of Exeter’s Environment and Sustainability Institute. We undertake cutting-edge scientific research, investigating the spatial and temporal dynamics of environmental systems using lightweight, open-source drone technology. We combine customised drone surveys with state-of-the-art image processing approaches such as structure-from-motion photogrammetry.

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In the field we ensure that our data products have very high spatial resolution and accuracy by complementing our flights with rigorous ground surveys and differential GPS capabilities. We aim to produce high quality data that allow new fine-grained understanding of landscape processes. Using CAA-trained and accredited pilots and following robust methodological protocols we are able to fly drones in a wide range of settings. 

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DroneLab is both a research group and a small University-based consultancy. For more details about the consultancy, follow the link below and watch the video on the 'videos' page of this website.

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Drone-focused publications from the DroneLab research team include:

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  1. A. CUNLIFFE, R. E. B., K. ANDERSON 2016. Ultra-fine grain landscape-scale quantification of dryland vegetation structure with drone-acquired structure-from-motion photogrammetry. Remote Sensing of Environment, 183, 129–143.

  2. ANDERSON, K. & GASTON, K. J. 2013. Lightweight unmanned aerial vehicles will revolutionize spatial ecology. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 11, 138-146.

  3. ANDERSON, K., GRIFFITHS, D., DEBELL, L., HANCOCK, S., DUFFY, J., SHUTLER, J., REINHARDT, W. & GRIFFITHS, A. 2016. A Grassroots Remote Sensing Toolkit Using Live Coding, Smartphones, Kites and Lightweight Drones. PLOS ONE, 11, e0151564.

  4. CUNLIFFE, A., ANDERSON, K., DUFFY, J. P. & DEBELL, L. 2017. A UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA)-approved operations manual for safe deployment of lightweight drones in research. International Journal of Remote Sensing.

  5. DEBELL, L., ANDERSON, K., BRAZIER, R. E., KING, N. & JONES, L. 2015. Water resource management at catchment scales using lightweight UAVs: current capabilities and future perspectives. Journal of Unmanned Vehicle Systems, 4, 7-30.

  6. J DUFFY, A. C., L DEBELL, C SANDBROOK, S WICH, JD SHUTLER, IH MYERS-SMITH, MR VARELA, K ANDERSON 2017. Location, location, location: Considerations when using lightweight drones in challenging environments. Remote Sensing in Ecology and Conservation 10.1002/rse2.58.

  7. PUTTOCK, A., CUNLIFFE, A., ANDERSON, K. & BRAZIER, R. E. 2015. Aerial photography collected with a multirotor drone reveals impact of Eurasian beaver reintroduction on ecosystem structure. Journal of Unmanned Vehicle Systems, 3, 123-130.


 

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