Bridging Ecology and Technology: The Role of UAS in Enhancing Spatial and Temporal Environmental Data Collection
Presentation Type
None
In Person or Zoom Presentation
In-Person
Location
Student Union Event Center
Start Date
17-11-2025 3:35 PM
End Date
17-11-2025 4:00 PM
Presentation Description/Abstract
The integration of uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) into ecosystem research has expanded significantly in both scope and precision, driven by advances in platform technology, data processing capabilities, and the development of adaptive sensor payloads. Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU), a recognized leader in aviation innovation, leverages established partnerships with environmental scientists, municipal agencies, and organizations such as the Brevard Zoo and Stetson University Institute for Water and Environmental Resilience to advance environmental monitoring through aerial sensing technologies.
The research team has extensive experience conducting complex UAS operations and developing innovative methodologies for environmental observation and remote sensing. Utilizing state-of-the-art RGB, multispectral, thermal, and LiDAR imaging technologies, the team’s efforts are designed to augment traditional monitoring methods by addressing spatial and temporal data gaps. These aerial data products provide critical insights that support water quality management, ecosystem health assessments, and climate change research.
This interdisciplinary collaboration unites environmental scientists, engineers, and UAS operations specialists to develop scalable and replicable monitoring frameworks. The team’s adaptive approach enables coverage of remote and inaccessible locations using long-range UAS platforms. In particular, the group’s vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) systems, capable of Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) operations currently authorized in Florida, exemplify the next generation of environmentally focused aerial research and data acquisition.
Bridging Ecology and Technology: The Role of UAS in Enhancing Spatial and Temporal Environmental Data Collection
Student Union Event Center
The integration of uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) into ecosystem research has expanded significantly in both scope and precision, driven by advances in platform technology, data processing capabilities, and the development of adaptive sensor payloads. Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU), a recognized leader in aviation innovation, leverages established partnerships with environmental scientists, municipal agencies, and organizations such as the Brevard Zoo and Stetson University Institute for Water and Environmental Resilience to advance environmental monitoring through aerial sensing technologies.
The research team has extensive experience conducting complex UAS operations and developing innovative methodologies for environmental observation and remote sensing. Utilizing state-of-the-art RGB, multispectral, thermal, and LiDAR imaging technologies, the team’s efforts are designed to augment traditional monitoring methods by addressing spatial and temporal data gaps. These aerial data products provide critical insights that support water quality management, ecosystem health assessments, and climate change research.
This interdisciplinary collaboration unites environmental scientists, engineers, and UAS operations specialists to develop scalable and replicable monitoring frameworks. The team’s adaptive approach enables coverage of remote and inaccessible locations using long-range UAS platforms. In particular, the group’s vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) systems, capable of Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) operations currently authorized in Florida, exemplify the next generation of environmentally focused aerial research and data acquisition.