UAS Field Day: 1

Unmanned aerial systems (UAS) are becoming more and more common place in the general public. Model rockets, helicopter kits, balloons, and even kites are possible systems to which a camera or sensor can be attached. Imagery (with some computer software processing) can be collected using low budget UAS and still be reliable to the user. Like all GIS projects, what the topic of interest and the area needed to survey determines how you will need to collect data. The images below are a few of the systems the class was able to see demonstrated at the soccer fields by the Eau Claire Indoor Sports Center. Plus, who doesn't like to be outside on a 60° day after a brutal Wisconsin winter in Eau Claire, WI.

Equipment:

Figure 1 (left) and 2 (right): In a multidisciplinary research venture between the geography and physics departments of UW-Eau Claire, the design and functionality of a roto-copter UAS was demonstrated for the geospatial field methods class. Both maneuverability and autopilot software were demonstrated in the 20 minute flight time.  

Figure 3 (left) and 4 (right): Roto-copters have several setup options. The figure 3 copter is the one designed by the joint research effort through UW-Eau Claire and the figure 4 copter is owned by Dr. Hupy. Dr. Hupy's copter is fitted with a gyroscope mount for a digital camera. This allows the camera to remain level to photograph while the copter is banking or turning to compensate for win or flight plans. 

Figure 5: A side-by-side comparison of the research copter (left) and Dr. Hupy's copter (right/back).  The research copter has 6 arms but only single bladed. Dr. Hupy's only has 3 arms but has double blades, one on the top and one on the underside of each arm. Depending on what the payload and flying conditions are, either setup could be beneficial. 

Figure 6 (left) and 7 (right): UAS aren't all high cost. Something as simple as a kite can capture images from the air on a small budget. This kite is 8 feet wide and as long as there's a steady wind, provides a stable option for aerial photos.

Figure 8 (left) and 9 (right): For this demonstration, a digital camera was attached to the kite string using less than 5$ worth of hardware supplies. A couple clips to wrap the kite string around, 2 flat mounting brackets, and some string is all it takes to built a digital camera sling. 

Figures 10 and 11: Once the digital camera is secure to the kite string, the kite string is let out to allow the camera to be carried high into the air. By setting the camera to take pictures in a set interval for a determined duration, all you have to worry about it flying the kite. We let about 300ft worth of string out for the kite.

Figure 12 and 13: Another type of UAS is a rocket. Model rockets come is single, double, or even triple stages. The stage determines how many engines the rocket can hold. The rocket shown is 2 stages, meaning it holds 2 engines. The first will be ignited by the electric ignition box, then the second will be ignited by the end burst of the first engine. We attached a small video camera to the body tube to record the flight from the sky. 

      Camera Results:

Figure 14: The photos above are still shots captured by the Cannon digital camera that we suspended from the kite. Even with the wind blowing strong, the kite provided a nice, stable positing for the camera to take clear photos of the surrounding area. 

Figure 15: This is the video captured by the small camera we attached to the rocket. Only the first stage fired correctly, but still made for an entertaining minute to watch.