Drones, also known as small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (sUAV), are revolutionizing field-based scientific research. They are becoming integral to many industries and operations such as film making, infrastructure inspections, search & rescue, precision agriculture, and of course, package delivery. But drones are not without controversy and concern. In this course we will explore the technology, as well as the affordances and problems of drones. You will examine a variety of drone platforms with the opportunity to add customizations by working with rapid prototyping tools. You will learn to fly a drone and practice getting that perfect dronie (a selfie taken by a drone) to send home to your friends and family. Stunning photography and video are also possible, and we will learn techniques that can enhance research and storytelling. You will also learn how to create high resolution maps and 3D surface models for a variety of research applications. Before you take control of your drone, you and your partner will have to understand the airspace for safe flight and operations. Drones are fun, but we take them very seriously.
Students in this class will gain experience with design, critical thinking, and troubleshooting. They’ll also learn about photogrammetry, mapping, drone programming and configuration, electronics, and aerodynamics. This course is for students with interests in engineering, field sciences, photography, and filmmaking.
Dates
July 23 – August 3, 2018
Meetings Place and Times
Spatial Analysis Lab, SR-104: 9:00 AM – 11:30 AM and 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Other Locations noted in schedule
Course Objectives and Topics Covered
- Relevant Laws and Regulations – Students will get an overview of the rules currently governing use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), or Drones. We will provide resources for understanding these policies as well as context about them. We will also cover the latest draft of Smith’s own SAO (Small Airborne Object) Safety Code.
- Current Applications of the Technology – We will present scenarios in which UAVs have been used for research within Smith, as well as other prospective applications of the technology. We will discuss strengths, weaknesses, advantages, and limitations of the quadcopters and related platforms.
- Flight Mechanics – Students will learn the basic flight actions of the drone and the logic behind the parts of the vehicle that cause those actions to take place. Pitch, roll, and yaw will be explained in context of a drone.
- Piloting Skills – Students will have the opportunity to practice operating several different UAVs in controlled environments under the supervision of an FAA licensed operators. Safety will be our main priority; but we also want students to enjoy and feel comfortable learning how to pilot high-quality small UAVs.
- Mission Planning – Students will become familiar with applications to create a mission plan for image collection and mapping. They will learn the basics of plotting a path and determining the settings that the drone will use to fly its mission autonomously.
- Photogrammetry and Image Processing – Students will learn how to convert images taken using a drone into larger composite orthomosaic image and digital surface model using photogrammery software.
- Project-Based Inquiry – As part of this exploration of knowledge, students will have several small projects over the duration of the course.
- Safety – As researchers ourselves, we want to emphasize safe, responsible applications of drone technology in fields where they can be cost-effective, time-saving, and non-invasive. Students will learn how to think critically and responsibly about drone use as regulations are constantly changing and updating over time.