Dawn of Drone Ecology: Low-Cost Autonomous Aerial Vehicles for Conservation

Tropical deforestation continues to be a major driver of biodiversity loss and greenhouse gas emissions. Remote sensing technology is increasingly used to assess changes in forest cover, species distributions and carbon stocks. However, satellite and airborne sensors can be prohibitively costly and inaccessible for researchers in developing countries. Here, we describe the development and use of an inexpensive (<$2,000) unmanned aerial vehicle for surveying and mapping forests and biodiversity (referred to as ‘Conservation Drone’ hereafter). Our prototype drone is able to fly pre-programmed missions autonomously for a total flight time of ~25 minutes and over a distance of ~15 km. Non-technical operators…

• NS
  National Science Foundation
• OC
  Orangutan Conservancy
• NG
  National Geographic Society
• SN
  Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung