Overview of Airborne Platforms and Sensors Flashcards
1
Q
Limitations of quadrat research
A
- time intensive
- may not be representative
2
Q
Limitations of satellites
A
- resolution
- atmosphere gets in the way
3
Q
Uses of airborne remote sensing
A
- can help understand ‘sub pixel’ processes in courser resolution data (will have a higher resolution)
- Parameterise and / or validate models against
real-world data - Standalone or exploratory datasets
4
Q
Applications of airborne remote sensing
A
- Climate research and carbon dynamics
- conservation and land management
- precision agriculture
- forestry
- Land surface dynamics
- Coastal and Marine systems
- Wildlife population studies
- Archaeology
- Mapping
- Civil Engineering and construction
- Infrastructure and network monitoring
- Resource Exploration
5
Q
What are the two broad categories of airborne platforms
A
- Crewed Aircraft
- Uncrewed Aerial Systems
6
Q
Pros of crewed aircraft
A
- high payload capacity
- Negligible risk of loss
- On-board decision making
- Intermediate spatial scales (quite large)
- On demand & flexible
- Not limited by line-of-sight
- Site access not required
7
Q
Cons of crewed aircraft
A
- Installations require certification
- Finite weight, space, power, balance
- Airport within reasonable distance of site
- On small, unpressurised aircraft, sensor environment is challenging:
(T, P, humidity, Vibration, Contamination, Limited in-flight access)
8
Q
UK(/EU) UAS classification
A
> 25kg Airworthiness and remote pilot licensing
requirements
<25kg Classified by weight and technical
equipment and rules on flying near civilization depend on pilot qualification and operator approvals
9
Q
UAS pros
A
- Portability
- Repeatability
- Low cost – at small spatial scales
- Ultra-high resolution
- Accessibility
- Hover and point (multi-rotors)
- ‘Dull, Dirty and Dangerous’
10
Q
UAS cons
A
- Very limited spatial coverage
- Inefficient for covering large areas
- Very limited payload
- Access to recharging
- No airworthiness standards – risk of component
failure - Inexperience, procedural & human errors lead to
accidents - And regulatory limitations…
11
Q
UAS Regulatory Limitations UK (/EU)
A
- registration
- line of sight rule (400ft vertical)
- urban areas (qualification needed)
- airspace restrictions
- Subject to change
12
Q
Two platform options for unmanned aircraft
A
Multi rotor and fixed wing
13
Q
Multi rotor pros and cons
A
- Can operate virtually anywhere
- Slow or hovering flight:- Low level imaging- Extreme resolution and/or overlap- Long integration times
- Very limited endurance (e.g. ~15 min)
14
Q
Fixed wing UA pros and cons
A
- Longer endurance
- Fewer moving parts
- Need more space
- Higher speed → lower resolution
- Same line of sight rules apply
15
Q
7 criteria for selecting a UAS platform
A
- Platform Payload vs Sensor Specs (don’t forget mounting / gimbals etc.)
- Endurance – keep in mind the effect of sensor weight
- Area to be covered
- Ability to hover / fly slowly
- Operating area characteristics
- Gimbal support & sensor triggering / logging
- Development time / resources available
