A prospective study of the effects of ultralow volume (ULV) aerial application of malathion on epidemic Plasmodium falciparum malaria. II. Entomologic and operational aspects.

PubMed

Taylor, R T; Solis, M; Weathers, D B; Taylor, J W

1975-03-01

In a large-scale study in the Miragoane Valley of Haiti, designed to test the effects of aerial ultralow volume (ULV) malathion on epidemic Plasmodium falciparum malaria, spray operations resulted in an immediate and sharp decline in numbers of the vector, Anopheles albimanus. The adult population of this mosquito remained at less than 1% of previous levels until several weeks after a 50-day spray period (27 October-16 December 1972) during which six cycles were completed. The study area offered ideal conditions of wind, temperature, humidity, and mountain barriers. Mosquitoes in the area were highly susceptible to malathion. Results indicated that aerial ULV treatment with malathion can reduce A. albimanus populations rapidly and effectively when applications are made over an area as large as 20,000 acres. Preliminary results showed that effective control was not achieved in areas one-quarter that size; these areas were not sufficiently large, and infiltration of mosquitoes from adjacent untreated areas was possible.

A review of the meteorological parameters which affect aerial application

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Christensen, L. S.; Frost, W.

1979-01-01

The ambient wind field and temperature gradient were found to be the most important parameters. Investigation results indicated that the majority of meteorological parameters affecting dispersion were interdependent and the exact mechanism by which these factors influence the particle dispersion was largely unknown. The types and approximately ranges of instrumented capabilities for a systematic study of the significant meteorological parameters influencing aerial applications were defined. Current mathematical dispersion models were also briefly reviewed. Unfortunately, a rigorous dispersion model which could be applied to aerial application was not available.

Aerospace toxicology overview: aerial application and cabin air quality.

PubMed

Chaturvedi, Arvind K

2011-01-01

Aerospace toxicology is a rather recent development and is closely related to aerospace medicine. Aerospace toxicology can be defined as a field of study designed to address the adverse effects of medications, chemicals, and contaminants on humans who fly within or outside the atmosphere in aviation or on space flights. The environment extending above and beyond the surface of the Earth is referred to as aerospace. The term aviation is frequently used interchangeably with aerospace. The focus of the literature review performed to prepare this paper was on aerospace toxicology-related subject matters, aerial application and aircraft cabin air quality. Among the important topics addressed are the following: · Aerial applications of agricultural chemicals, pesticidal toxicity, and exposures to aerially applied mixtures of chemicals and their associated formulating solvents/surfactants The safety of aerially encountered chemicals and the bioanalytical methods used to monitor exposures to some of them · The presence of fumes and smoke, as well as other contaminants that may generally be present in aircraft/space vehicle cabin air · And importantly, the toxic effects of aerially encountered contaminants, with emphasis on the degradation products of oils, fluids, and lubricants used in aircraft, and finally · Analytical methods used for monitoring human exposure to CO and HCN are addressed in the review, as are the signs and symptoms associated with exposures to these combustion gases. Although many agricultural chemical monitoring studies have been published, few have dealt with the occurrence of such chemicals in aircraft cabin air. However, agricultural chemicals do appear in cabin air; indeed, attempts have been made to establish maximum allowable concentrations for several of the more potentially toxic ones that are found in aircraft cabin air. In this article, I emphasize the need for precautionary measures to be taken to minimize exposures to aerially

Meteorological and Remote Sensing Applications of High Altitude Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schoenung, S. M.; Wegener, S. S.

1999-01-01

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are maturing in performance and becoming available for routine use in environmental applications including weather reconnaissance and remote sensing. This paper presents a discussion of UAV characteristics and unique features compared with other measurement platforms. A summary of potential remote sensing applications is provided, along with details for four types of tropical cyclone missions. Capabilities of platforms developed under NASA's Environmental Research Aircraft and Sensor Technology (ERAST) program are reviewed, including the Altus, Perseus, and solar- powered Pathfinder, all of which have flown to over 57,000 ft (17 km). In many scientific missions, the science objectives drive the experimental design, thus defining the sensor payload, aircraft performance, and operational requirements. Some examples of science missions and the requisite UAV / payload system are given. A discussion of technology developments needed to fully mature UAV systems for routine operational use is included, along with remarks on future science and commercial UAV business opportunities.

75 FR 52713 - Nationwide Aerial Application of Fire Retardant on National Forest System Lands

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-08-27

... DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Forest Service Nationwide Aerial Application of Fire Retardant on... statement for the continued nationwide aerial application of fire retardant on National Forest System lands... 26667, Salt Lake City, UT 84126-0667. Comments may also be sent via e- mail to Fire[email protected

A Low-Cost Imaging System for Aerial Applicators

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Agricultural aircraft provide a readily available and versatile platform for airborne remote sensing. Although various airborne imaging systems are being used for research and commercial applications, most of these systems are either too expensive or too complex to be of practical use for aerial app...

Neurodevelopmental Delay Diagnosis Rates Are Increased in a Region with Aerial Pesticide Application.

PubMed

Hicks, Steven D; Wang, Ming; Fry, Katherine; Doraiswamy, Vignesh; Wohlford, Eric M

2017-01-01

A number of studies have implicated pesticides in childhood developmental delay (DD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The influence of the route of pesticide exposure on neurodevelopmental delay is not well defined. To study this factor, we examined ASD/DD diagnoses rates in an area near our regional medical center that employs yearly aerial pyrethroid pesticide applications to combat mosquito-borne encephalitis. The aim of this study was to determine if areas with aerial pesticide exposure had higher rates of ASD/DD diagnoses. This regional study identified higher rates of ASD/DD diagnoses in an area with aerial pesticides application. Zip codes with aerial pyrethroid exposure were 37% more likely to have higher rates of ASD/DD (adjusted RR = 1.37, 95% CI = 1.06-1.78, p  = 0.02). A Poisson regression model controlling for regional characteristics (poverty, pesticide use, population density, and distance to medical center), subject characteristics (race and sex), and local birth characteristics (prematurity, low birthweight, and birth rates) identified a significant relationship between aerial pesticide use and ASD/DD rates. The relationship between pesticide application and human neurodevelopment deserves additional study to develop safe and effective methods of mosquito prevention, particularly as communities develop plans for Zika virus control.

Performance Analysis of the SIFT Operator for Automatic Feature Extraction and Matching in Photogrammetric Applications.

PubMed

Lingua, Andrea; Marenchino, Davide; Nex, Francesco

2009-01-01

In the photogrammetry field, interest in region detectors, which are widely used in Computer Vision, is quickly increasing due to the availability of new techniques. Images acquired by Mobile Mapping Technology, Oblique Photogrammetric Cameras or Unmanned Aerial Vehicles do not observe normal acquisition conditions. Feature extraction and matching techniques, which are traditionally used in photogrammetry, are usually inefficient for these applications as they are unable to provide reliable results under extreme geometrical conditions (convergent taking geometry, strong affine transformations, etc.) and for bad-textured images. A performance analysis of the SIFT technique in aerial and close-range photogrammetric applications is presented in this paper. The goal is to establish the suitability of the SIFT technique for automatic tie point extraction and approximate DSM (Digital Surface Model) generation. First, the performances of the SIFT operator have been compared with those provided by feature extraction and matching techniques used in photogrammetry. All these techniques have been implemented by the authors and validated on aerial and terrestrial images. Moreover, an auto-adaptive version of the SIFT operator has been developed, in order to improve the performances of the SIFT detector in relation to the texture of the images. The Auto-Adaptive SIFT operator (A(2) SIFT) has been validated on several aerial images, with particular attention to large scale aerial images acquired using mini-UAV systems.

23. AERIAL VIEW LOOKING SOUTHEAST AT THE PLUTONIUM OPERATION BUILDINGS ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

23. AERIAL VIEW LOOKING SOUTHEAST AT THE PLUTONIUM OPERATION BUILDINGS 771, 776/777, AND 707. BUILDING 771, IN THE FOREGROUND, WAS BUILT IN 1952 TO HOUSE ALL PLUTONIUM OPERATIONS. BY 1956, BUILDING 771 WAS NO LONGER ADEQUATE FOR PRODUCTION DEMANDS. BUILDING 776/777, TO THE SOUTH OF BUILDING 771, WAS CONSTRUCTED TO HOUSE PLUTONIUM FABRICATION AND FOUNDRY OPERATIONS. PLUTONIUM RECOVERY REMAINED IN BUILDING 771. BY 1967, CONSTRUCTION ON BUILDING 707, TO THE SOUTH OF BUILDING 776/777, BEGAN AS PRODUCTION LEVELS CONTINUED TO EXPAND NECESSITATING THE NEED FOR ADDITIONAL PLUTONIUM FABRICATION SPACE (7/1/69). - Rocky Flats Plant, Bounded by Indiana Street & Routes 93, 128 & 72, Golden, Jefferson County, CO

Field Assessment of A Variable-rate Aerial Application System

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Several experiments were conducted to evaluate the system response of a variable-rate aerial application controller to changing flow rates. The research is collaboration between the USDA, ARS, APTRU and Houma Avionics, USA, manufacturer of a widely used flow controller designed for agricultural airc...

Aerial pesticide application causes DNA damage in pilots from Sinaloa, Mexico.

PubMed

Martínez-Valenzuela, C; Waliszewski, S M; Amador-Muñoz, O; Meza, E; Calderón-Segura, M E; Zenteno, E; Huichapan-Martínez, J; Caba, M; Félix-Gastélum, R; Longoria-Espinoza, R

2017-01-01

The use of pesticides in agricultural production originates residues in the environment where they are applied. Pesticide aerial application is a frequent source of exposure to pesticides by persons dedicated to agricultural practices and those living in neighboring communities of sprayed fields. The aim of the study was to assess the genotoxic effects of pesticides in workers occupationally exposed to these chemicals during their aerial application to agricultural fields of Sinaloa, Mexico. The study involved 30 pilots of airplanes used to apply pesticides via aerial application and 30 unexposed controls. Damage was evaluated through the micronucleus assay and by other nuclear abnormalities in epithelial cells of oral mucosa. The highest frequency ratios (FR) equal to 269.5 corresponded to binucleated cells followed by 54.2, corresponding to cells with pyknotic nuclei, 45.2 of cells with chromatin condensation, 3.7 of cells with broken-egg, 3.6 of cells with micronucleus, and 2.0 of karyolytic cells. Age, worked time, smoking, and alcohol consumption did not have significant influence on nuclear abnormalities in the pilots studied. Pesticide exposure was the main factor for nuclear abnormality results and DNA damage. Marked genotoxic damage was developed even in younger pilots with 2 years of short working period, caused by their daily occupational exposure to pesticides.

Unmanned aerial vehicle applications for highway transportation : initial stage reference search.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2013-11-01

Identification of research (2006present) focusing on autonomous micro unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for transportation applications, including the examination of other industries that may also utilize micro UAVs.

Applicability of New Approaches of Sensor Orientation to Micro Aerial Vehicles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rehak, M.; Skaloud, J.

2016-06-01

This study highlights the benefits of precise aerial position and attitude control in the context of mapping with Micro Aerial Vehicles (MAVs). Accurate mapping with MAVs is gaining importance in applications such as corridor mapping, road and pipeline inspections or mapping of large areas with homogeneous surface structure, e.g. forests or agricultural fields. There, accurate aerial control plays a major role in successful terrain reconstruction and artifact-free ortophoto generation. The presented experiments focus on new approaches of aerial control. We confirm practically that the relative aerial position and attitude control can improve accuracy in difficult mapping scenarios. Indeed, the relative orientation method represents an attractive alternative in the context of MAVs for two reasons. First, the procedure is somewhat simplified, e.g. the angular misalignment, so called boresight, between the camera and the inertial measurement unit (IMU) does not have to be determined and, second, the effect of possible systematic errors in satellite positioning (e.g. due to multipath and/or incorrect recovery of differential carrier-phase ambiguities) is mitigated. First, we present a typical mapping project over an agricultural field and second, we perform a corridor road mapping. We evaluate the proposed methods in scenarios with and without automated image observations. We investigate a recently proposed concept where adjustment is performed using image observations limited to ground control and check points, so called fast aerial triangulation (Fast AT). In this context we show that accurate aerial control (absolute or relative) together with a few image observations can deliver accurate results comparable to classical aerial triangulation with thousands of image measurements. This procedure in turns reduces the demands on processing time and the requirements on the existence of surface texture. Finally, we compare the above mentioned procedures with direct sensor

Current status and future directions of precision aerial application for site-specific crop management in the USA

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The first variable-rate aerial application system was developed about a decade ago in the USA and since then, aerial application has benefitted from these technologies. Many areas of the United States rely on readily available agricultural airplanes or helicopters for pest management, and variable-...

Application of Adaptive Autopilot Designs for an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shin, Yoonghyun; Calise, Anthony J.; Motter, Mark A.

2005-01-01

This paper summarizes the application of two adaptive approaches to autopilot design, and presents an evaluation and comparison of the two approaches in simulation for an unmanned aerial vehicle. One approach employs two-stage dynamic inversion and the other employs feedback dynamic inversions based on a command augmentation system. Both are augmented with neural network based adaptive elements. The approaches permit adaptation to both parametric uncertainty and unmodeled dynamics, and incorporate a method that permits adaptation during periods of control saturation. Simulation results for an FQM-117B radio controlled miniature aerial vehicle are presented to illustrate the performance of the neural network based adaptation.

Power Sprayers, Power Dusters, and Aerial Equipment for Pesticide Application.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cole, Herbert, Jr.

This agriculture extension service publication from Pennsylvania State University discusses agricultural pesticide application equipment. The three sections of the publication are Power Sprayers, Power Dusters, and Aerial Equipment. In the section discussing power sprayers, subtopics include hydraulic sprayers, component parts, multi-purpose farm…

Calibration and Extension of a Discrete Event Operations Simulation Modeling Multiple Un-Manned Aerial Vehicles Controlled by a Single Operator

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-03-01

within systems of UAVs and between UAVs and the operators that use them. The next step for small UAVs in this direction is for one operator to be able...Team’s testing efforts, both in the planning and execution stages. The flight tests would never have taken place without the tremendous assistance...1 1.2 Unmanned Aerial Systems

A low-cost single-camera imaging system for aerial applicators

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Agricultural aircraft provide a readily available and versatile platform for airborne remote sensing. Although various airborne imaging systems are available, most of these systems are either too expensive or too complex to be of practical use for aerial applicators. The objective of this study was ...

Aircraft crashworthiness studies : findings in accidents involving an aerial application aircraft.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1980-04-01

Aircraft crashworthiness features are presented, as others have done, in terms of packaging principles. Modern aerial application aircraft are recognized as being the most crashworthy in the civil aviation fleet. Eighteen accidents involving an aeria...

Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Dynamic-Tracking Directional Wireless Antennas for Low Powered Applications that Require Reliable Extended Range Operations in Time Critical Scenarios

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Scott G. Bauer; Matthew O. Anderson; James R. Hanneman

2005-10-01

The proven value of DOD Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) will ultimately transition to National and Homeland Security missions that require real-time aerial surveillance, situation awareness, force protection, and sensor placement. Public services first responders who routinely risk personal safety to assess and report a situation for emergency actions will likely be the first to benefit from these new unmanned technologies. ‘Packable’ or ‘Portable’ small class UAVs will be particularly useful to the first responder. They require the least amount of training, no fixed infrastructure, and are capable of being launched and recovered from the point of emergency. All UAVs requiremore » wireless communication technologies for real- time applications. Typically on a small UAV, a low bandwidth telemetry link is required for command and control (C2), and systems health monitoring. If the UAV is equipped with a real-time Electro-Optical or Infrared (EO/Ir) video camera payload, a dedicated high bandwidth analog/digital link is usually required for reliable high-resolution imagery. In most cases, both the wireless telemetry and real-time video links will be integrated into the UAV with unity gain omni-directional antennas. With limited on-board power and payload capacity, a small UAV will be limited with the amount of radio-frequency (RF) energy it transmits to the users. Therefore, ‘packable’ and ‘portable’ UAVs will have limited useful operational ranges for first responders. This paper will discuss the limitations of small UAV wireless communications. The discussion will present an approach of utilizing a dynamic ground based real-time tracking high gain directional antenna to provide extend range stand-off operation, potential RF channel reuse, and assured telemetry and data communications from low-powered UAV deployed wireless assets.« less

UAV using the open-source flight-control-system in the application of aerial survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Ji-chen; Ru, Chen

2015-12-01

The aerial survey as one of the branches of the Space Information Technology system, has an important application in data acquisition of the earth's surface. In recent years, the trend of UVA (unmanned aerial vehicle) to replace traditional survey aircraft has become increasingly obvious with the progress of science and technology. At present, the price of the commercial UAV Flight Control System is higher, limiting the application of UVA. This paper mainly discusses the possibility that the open-source's flight-control-system take the place of the commercial one. Result is that the costs of UVA are reduced, and make the application more widely.

Aerial survey of insect-caused mortality...operation recorder gathers data quickly, cheaply

Treesearch

Steven L. Wert; Bruce Roettigering

1967-01-01

An Aerial survey using an operation recorder was made over a remote forested area of the Sierra Nevada, in central California. Data on insect-caused mortality were gathered. The survey saved several man-weeks of costly ground work that would have otherwise been required to obtain this information. The technique used proved to be an efficient and inexpensive way of...

Streamwater Contamination After Aerial Application of a Pelletized Herbicide

Treesearch

James H. Miller; A.C. Bace

1980-01-01

Concentrations of hexazinone and its metabolites were monitored in a Piedmont stream for 8 months after aerial application of a pelletized formulation (Velpar® Gridball™). Downstream water-users and fish are probably safe from toxic exposure if treatment areas have only small streams (less than 50 cm average channel width) and if labeled rates are not exceeded....

Aerial image databases for pipeline rights-of-way management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jadkowski, Mark A.

1996-03-01

Pipeline companies that own and manage extensive rights-of-way corridors are faced with ever-increasing regulatory pressures, operating issues, and the need to remain competitive in today's marketplace. Automation has long been an answer to the problem of having to do more work with less people, and Automated Mapping/Facilities Management/Geographic Information Systems (AM/FM/GIS) solutions have been implemented at several pipeline companies. Until recently, the ability to cost-effectively acquire and incorporate up-to-date aerial imagery into these computerized systems has been out of the reach of most users. NASA's Earth Observations Commercial Applications Program (EOCAP) is providing a means by which pipeline companies can bridge this gap. The EOCAP project described in this paper includes a unique partnership with NASA and James W. Sewall Company to develop an aircraft-mounted digital camera system and a ground-based computer system to geometrically correct and efficiently store and handle the digital aerial images in an AM/FM/GIS environment. This paper provides a synopsis of the project, including details on (1) the need for aerial imagery, (2) NASA's interest and role in the project, (3) the design of a Digital Aerial Rights-of-Way Monitoring System, (4) image georeferencing strategies for pipeline applications, and (5) commercialization of the EOCAP technology through a prototype project at Algonquin Gas Transmission Company which operates major gas pipelines in New England, New York, and New Jersey.

Near real-time shadow detection and removal in aerial motion imagery application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Silva, Guilherme F.; Carneiro, Grace B.; Doth, Ricardo; Amaral, Leonardo A.; Azevedo, Dario F. G. de

2018-06-01

This work presents a method to automatically detect and remove shadows in urban aerial images and its application in an aerospace remote monitoring system requiring near real-time processing. Our detection method generates shadow masks and is accelerated by GPU programming. To obtain the shadow masks, we converted images from RGB to CIELCh model, calculated a modified Specthem ratio, and applied multilevel thresholding. Morphological operations were used to reduce shadow mask noise. The shadow masks are used in the process of removing shadows from the original images using the illumination ratio of the shadow/non-shadow regions. We obtained shadow detection accuracy of around 93% and shadow removal results comparable to the state-of-the-art while maintaining execution time under real-time constraints.

Feasibility study to determine the economic and operational benefits of utilizing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2014-04-01

This project explored the feasibility of using Unmanned Aerial Systems (UASs) in Georgia : Department of Transportation (GDOT) operations. The research team conducted 24 interviews with : personnel in four GDOT divisions. Interviews focused on (1) th...

An Empirical Study on Operator Interface Design for Handheld Devices to Control Micro Aerial Vehicles

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-10-01

An Empirical Study on Operator Interface Design for Handheld Devices to Control Micro Aerial Vehicles Ming Hou...Report DRDC Toronto TR 2010-075 October 2010 An Empirical Study on Operator Interface Design for Handheld Devices to...drives the need for a small and light controller which will not hinder a soldier carrying it. This requirement brings an issue of designing an

Airspeed and orifice size affect spray droplet spectra from an aerial electrostatic nozzle for rotary-wing applications

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The aerial electrostatic spraying system patented by the USDA-ARS is a unique aerial application system which inductively charges spray droplets for the purpose of increasing deposition and efficacy. While this system has many potential benefits, no published data exits which describe how changes i...

Airspeed and orifice size affect spray droplet spectrum from an aerial electrostatic nozzle for fixed-wing applications

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The aerial electrostatic spraying system patented by the USDA ARS is a unique aerial application system which inductively charges spray particles for the purpose of increasing deposition and efficacy. While this system has many potential benefits, very little is known about how changes in airspeed o...

APPLICATION OF THE AERIAL PROFILING OF TERRAIN SYSTEM.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cyran, Edward J.

1985-01-01

The U. S. Geological Survey has completed the performance evaluation flight tests of the Aerial Profiling of Terrain System (APTS) and is now performing a series of application tests to determine its effectiveness and efficiency as an earth-science data collection tool. These tests are designed to evaluate the APTS at such tasks as positioning water wells, testing reliability of older maps, measuring elevations of kettle ponds, and profiling stream valleys for flood studies. The results of three application tests in Massachusetts are discussed: positioning water wells and measuring elevations along the Charles River; testing four older 1:24,000-scale quadrangle maps in the Plymouth area; and measuring elevations of several hundred kettle ponds near the Cape Cod Canal.

Development of a new modular aerial spray system and night application capability for the U.S. Air Force

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The U.S. Air Force maintains a capability with the C130 aircraft to conduct aerial spray operations over large areas for controlling insects of medical importance. The current modular aerial spray system (MASS) is custom designed to support a variety of configurations from ultralow volume space spra...

Spray Deposition and Drift Characteristics of a Low Drift Nozzle for Aerial Application at Different Application Altitudes

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

A complex interaction of controllable and uncontrollable factors is involved in aerial application of crop production and protection materials. Although it is difficult to completely characterize spray deposition and drift, these important factors can be estimated with appropriate sampling protocol ...

Unmanned Aerial Systems and Spectroscopy for Remote Sensing Applications in Archaeology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Themistocleous, K.; Agapiou, A.; Cuca, B.; Hadjimitsis, D. G.

2015-04-01

Remote sensing has open up new dimensions in archaeological research. Although there has been significant progress in increasing the resolution of space/aerial sensors and image processing, the detection of the crop (and soil marks) formations, which relate to buried archaeological remains, are difficult to detect since these marks may not be visible in the images if observed over different period or at different spatial/spectral resolution. In order to support the improvement of earth observation remote sensing technologies specifically targeting archaeological research, a better understanding of the crop/soil marks formation needs to be studied in detail. In this paper the contribution of both Unmanned Aerial Systems as well ground spectroradiometers is discussed in a variety of examples applied in the eastern Mediterranean region (Cyprus and Greece) as well in Central Europe (Hungary). In- situ spectroradiometric campaigns can be applied for the removal of atmospheric impact to simultaneous satellite overpass images. In addition, as shown in this paper, the systematic collection of ground truth data prior to the satellite/aerial acquisition can be used to detect the optimum temporal and spectral resolution for the detection of stress vegetation related to buried archaeological remains. Moreover, phenological studies of the crops from the area of interest can be simulated to the potential sensors based on their Relative Response Filters and therefore prepare better the satellite-aerial campaigns. Ground data and the use of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) can provide an increased insight for studying the formation of crop and soil marks. New algorithms such as vegetation indices and linear orthogonal equations for the enhancement of crop marks can be developed based on the specific spectral characteristics of the area. As well, UAS can be used for remote sensing applications in order to document, survey and model cultural heritage and archaeological sites.

The application of GPS precise point positioning technology in aerial triangulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yuan, Xiuxiao; Fu, Jianhong; Sun, Hongxing; Toth, Charles

In traditional GPS-supported aerotriangulation, differential GPS (DGPS) positioning technology is used to determine the 3-dimensional coordinates of the perspective centers at exposure time with an accuracy of centimeter to decimeter level. This method can significantly reduce the number of ground control points (GCPs). However, the establishment of GPS reference stations for DGPS positioning is not only labor-intensive and costly, but also increases the implementation difficulty of aerial photography. This paper proposes aerial triangulation supported with GPS precise point positioning (PPP) as a way to avoid the use of the GPS reference stations and simplify the work of aerial photography. Firstly, we present the algorithm for GPS PPP in aerial triangulation applications. Secondly, the error law of the coordinate of perspective centers determined using GPS PPP is analyzed. Thirdly, based on GPS PPP and aerial triangulation software self-developed by the authors, four sets of actual aerial images taken from surveying and mapping projects, different in both terrain and photographic scale, are given as experimental models. The four sets of actual data were taken over a flat region at a scale of 1:2500, a mountainous region at a scale of 1:3000, a high mountainous region at a scale of 1:32000 and an upland region at a scale of 1:60000 respectively. In these experiments, the GPS PPP results were compared with results obtained through DGPS positioning and traditional bundle block adjustment. In this way, the empirical positioning accuracy of GPS PPP in aerial triangulation can be estimated. Finally, the results of bundle block adjustment with airborne GPS controls from GPS PPP are analyzed in detail. The empirical results show that GPS PPP applied in aerial triangulation has a systematic error of half-meter level and a stochastic error within a few decimeters. However, if a suitable adjustment solution is adopted, the systematic error can be eliminated in GPS

Reducing environmental damage through the use of unmanned aerial vehicles as the best available technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fedulova, E. A.; Akulov, A. O.; Rada, A. O.; Alabina, T. A.; Savina, Ju Ju

2018-01-01

The article examines the possibilities of using unmanned aerial vehicles as the best available technologies in the field of agriculture and mining. The object of the study is the use of unmanned aerial vehicles as the best available technology. The main areas of application of this technology are identified: agro technical operations, aerial photography of mining operations. The technology of unmanned aerial vehicles is compared with the technologies of ground agricultural machinery. The research methodology includes an expert evaluation of the unmanned aerial vehicle technology belonging to the class of the best available technologies by the criteria: the level of environmental impact, resource saving, the use of low-waste, non-waste processes, the existence of at least two objects, economic efficiency. Expert evaluations were processed using the apparatus of fuzzy sets, which make it possible to construct membership functions. This allowed us to prove that the technology of unmanned aerial vehicles belongs to a fuzzy set of the best available technologies. The results of the research show that the use of unmanned aerial vehicles provides a saving of resources, especially non-renewable combustible minerals, reduces emissions and discharges of pollutants into the atmosphere, and also reduces soil erosion. Unmanned aerial vehicles should be included in the national directories of the best available technologies for the mining industry and agriculture.

Aerial surveillance vehicles augment security at shipping ports

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huck, Robert C.; Al Akkoumi, Muhammad K.; Cheng, Samuel; Sluss, James J., Jr.; Landers, Thomas L.

2008-10-01

With the ever present threat to commerce, both politically and economically, technological innovations provide a means to secure the transportation infrastructure that will allow efficient and uninterrupted freight-flow operations for trade. Currently, freight coming into United States ports is "spot checked" upon arrival and stored in a container yard while awaiting the next mode of transportation. For the most part, only fences and security patrols protect these container storage yards. To augment these measures, the authors propose the use of aerial surveillance vehicles equipped with video cameras and wireless video downlinks to provide a birds-eye view of port facilities to security control centers and security patrols on the ground. The initial investigation described in this paper demonstrates the use of unmanned aerial surveillance vehicles as a viable method for providing video surveillance of container storage yards. This research provides the foundation for a follow-on project to use autonomous aerial surveillance vehicles coordinated with autonomous ground surveillance vehicles for enhanced port security applications.

Ground control station software design for micro aerial vehicles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walendziuk, Wojciech; Oldziej, Daniel; Binczyk, Dawid Przemyslaw; Slowik, Maciej

2017-08-01

This article describes the process of designing the equipment part and the software of a ground control station used for configuring and operating micro unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV). All the works were conducted on a quadrocopter model being a commonly accessible commercial construction. This article contains a characteristics of the research object, the basics of operating the micro aerial vehicles (MAV) and presents components of the ground control station model. It also describes the communication standards for the purpose of building a model of the station. Further part of the work concerns the software of the product - the GIMSO application (Generally Interactive Station for Mobile Objects), which enables the user to manage the actions and communication and control processes from the UAV. The process of creating the software and the field tests of a station model are also presented in the article.

Application of Artificial Intelligence Techniques in Uninhabited Aerial Vehicle Flight

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dufrene, Warren R., Jr.

2004-01-01

This paper describes the development of an application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) control. The project was done as part of the requirements for a class in AI at NOVA Southeastearn University and a beginning project at NASA Wallops Flight Facility for a resilient, robust, and intelligent UAV flight control system. A method is outlined which allows a base level application for applying an Artificial Intelligence method, Fuzzy Logic, to aspects of Control Logic for UAV flight. One element of UAV flight, automated altitude hold, has been implemented and preliminary results displayed.

Application of Artificial Intelligence Techniques in Uninhabitated Aerial Vehicle Flight

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dufrene, Warren R., Jr.

2003-01-01

This paper describes the development of an application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) control. The project was done as part of the requirements for a class in AI at NOVA southeastern University and a beginning project at NASA Wallops Flight Facility for a resilient, robust, and intelligent UAV flight control system. A method is outlined which allows a base level application for applying an Artificial Intelligence method, Fuzzy Logic, to aspects of Control Logic for UAV flight. One element of UAV flight, automated altitude hold, has been implemented and preliminary results displayed.

Automatic Sea Bird Detection from High Resolution Aerial Imagery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mader, S.; Grenzdörffer, G. J.

2016-06-01

Great efforts are presently taken in the scientific community to develop computerized and (fully) automated image processing methods allowing for an efficient and automatic monitoring of sea birds and marine mammals in ever-growing amounts of aerial imagery. Currently the major part of the processing, however, is still conducted by especially trained professionals, visually examining the images and detecting and classifying the requested subjects. This is a very tedious task, particularly when the rate of void images regularly exceeds the mark of 90%. In the content of this contribution we will present our work aiming to support the processing of aerial images by modern methods from the field of image processing. We will especially focus on the combination of local, region-based feature detection and piecewise global image segmentation for automatic detection of different sea bird species. Large image dimensions resulting from the use of medium and large-format digital cameras in aerial surveys inhibit the applicability of image processing methods based on global operations. In order to efficiently handle those image sizes and to nevertheless take advantage of globally operating segmentation algorithms, we will describe the combined usage of a simple performant feature detector based on local operations on the original image with a complex global segmentation algorithm operating on extracted sub-images. The resulting exact segmentation of possible candidates then serves as a basis for the determination of feature vectors for subsequent elimination of false candidates and for classification tasks.

Aerial application of Agri-Fos® to prevent Sudden Oak Death in Oregon tanoak forests

Treesearch

Alan Kanaskie; Everett Hansen; Wendy Sutton; Paul Reeser; Carolyn Choquette

2010-01-01

We have been testing the practicality and efficacy of aerial application of Agri-Fos® for control of sudden oak death (SOD) in the Oregon tanoak (Lithocarpus densiflorus) forest. Helicopter application to forest stands has been compared with bole injection and groundbased spray application to seedlings and stump sprouts. We bio-assayed...

7 CFR 1755.704 - Requirements applicable to both CCSR and NMR aerial service wires.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 11 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Requirements applicable to both CCSR and NMR aerial..., ACCEPTABLE MATERIALS, AND STANDARD CONTRACT FORMS § 1755.704 Requirements applicable to both CCSR and NMR... testing—(1) Tests on 100 percent of completed wire. (i) Each conductor in the completed CCSR and NMR...

7 CFR 1755.704 - Requirements applicable to both CCSR and NMR aerial service wires.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 11 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Requirements applicable to both CCSR and NMR aerial..., ACCEPTABLE MATERIALS, AND STANDARD CONTRACT FORMS § 1755.704 Requirements applicable to both CCSR and NMR... testing—(1) Tests on 100 percent of completed wire. (i) Each conductor in the completed CCSR and NMR...

7 CFR 1755.704 - Requirements applicable to both CCSR and NMR aerial service wires.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 11 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Requirements applicable to both CCSR and NMR aerial..., ACCEPTABLE MATERIALS, AND STANDARD CONTRACT FORMS § 1755.704 Requirements applicable to both CCSR and NMR... testing—(1) Tests on 100 percent of completed wire. (i) Each conductor in the completed CCSR and NMR...

Characterization of spray deposition and drift from a low drift nozzle for aerial application at different application altitudes

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

A complex interaction of controllable and uncontrollable factors is involved in aerial application of crop production and protection materials. Although it is difficult to completely characterize spray deposition and drift, these important factors can be estimated with appropriate sampling protocol ...

Human Systems Integration and Automation Issues in Small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McCauley, Michael E.; Matsangas, Panagiotis

2004-01-01

The goal of this report is to identify Human System Integration (HSI) and automation issues that contribute to improved effectiveness and efficiency in the operation of U.S. military Small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (SUAVs). HSI issues relevant to SUAV operations are reviewed and observations from field trials are summarized. Short-term improvements are suggested research issues are identified and an overview is provided of automation technologies applicable to future SUAV design.

CFD Simulation of Aerial Crop Spraying

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Omar, Zamri; Qiang, Kua Yong; Mohd, Sofian; Rosly, Nurhayati

2016-11-01

Aerial crop spraying, also known as crop dusting, is made for aerial application of pesticides or fertilizer. An agricultural aircraft which is converted from an aircraft has been built to combine with the aerial crop spraying for the purpose. In recent years, many studies on the aerial crop spraying were conducted because aerial application is the most economical, large and rapid treatment for the crops. The main objective of this research is to study the airflow of aerial crop spraying system using Computational Fluid Dynamics. This paper is focus on the effect of aircraft speed and nozzle orientation on the distribution of spray droplet at a certain height. Successful and accurate of CFD simulation will improve the quality of spray during the real situation and reduce the spray drift. The spray characteristics and efficiency are determined from the calculated results of CFD. Turbulence Model (k-ɛ Model) is used for the airflow in the fluid domain to achieve a more accurate simulation. Furthermore, spray simulation is done by setting the Flat-fan Atomizer Model of Discrete Phase Model (DPM) at the nozzle exit. The interaction of spray from each flat-fan atomizer can also be observed from the simulation. The evaluation of this study is validation and grid dependency study using field data from industry.

Aerial spray technology: possibilities and limitations for control of pear thrips

Treesearch

Karl Mierzejewski

1991-01-01

The feasibility of using aerial application as a means of managing a pear thrips infestation in maple forest stands is examined, based on existing knowledge of forest aerial application acquired from theoretical and empirical studies. Specific strategies by which aerial application should be performed and potential problem areas are discussed. Two new tools, aircraft...

SPERTI/PBF. Contextual aerial view after PBF had begun operating, but ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

SPERT-I/PBF. Contextual aerial view after PBF had begun operating, but prior to expansion of southwest corner of Reactor Building (PER-620). Camera facing northeast. Reactor Building in center of view. Cooling Tower (PER-720) to its left. Warehouse (PER-625) at lower left was built in 1966. SPERT-I Reactor Building (PER-605) and Instrument Cell Building (PER-604) at right of view. Buried cables and piping proceed from PBF toward lower edge of view to Control Building further south and out of view. Photographer: Farmer. Date: March 26, 1976. INEEL negative no. 76-1344 - Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, SPERT-I & Power Burst Facility Area, Scoville, Butte County, ID

Targeted Applications of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (Drones) in Telemedicine.

PubMed

Bhatt, Kunj; Pourmand, Ali; Sikka, Neal

2018-02-28

Advances in technology have revolutionized the medical field and changed the way healthcare is delivered. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are the next wave of technological advancements that have the potential to make a huge splash in clinical medicine. UAVs, originally developed for military use, are making their way into the public and private sector. Because they can be flown autonomously and can reach almost any geographical location, the significance of UAVs are becoming increasingly apparent in the medical field. We conducted a comprehensive review of the English language literature via the PubMed and Google Scholar databases using search terms "unmanned aerial vehicles," "UAVs," and "drone." Preference was given to clinical trials and review articles that addressed the keywords and clinical medicine. Potential applications of UAVs in medicine are broad. Based on articles identified, we grouped UAV application in medicine into three categories: (1) Prehospital Emergency Care; (2) Expediting Laboratory Diagnostic Testing; and (3) Surveillance. Currently, UAVs have been shown to deliver vaccines, automated external defibrillators, and hematological products. In addition, they are also being studied in the identification of mosquito habitats as well as drowning victims at beaches as a public health surveillance modality. These preliminary studies shine light on the possibility that UAVs may help to increase access to healthcare for patients who may be otherwise restricted from proper care due to cost, distance, or infrastructure. As with any emerging technology and due to the highly regulated healthcare environment, the safety and effectiveness of this technology need to be thoroughly discussed. Despite the many questions that need to be answered, the application of drones in medicine appears to be promising and can both increase the quality and accessibility of healthcare.

AERIAL MEASURING SYSTEM IN JAPAN

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lyons, Craig; Colton, David

2012-01-01

The U.S. Department of Energy National Nuclear Security Agency’s Aerial Measuring System deployed personnel and equipment to partner with the U.S. Air Force in Japan to conduct multiple aerial radiological surveys. These were the first and most comprehensive sources of actionable information for U.S. interests in Japan and provided early confirmation to the government of Japan as to the extent of the release from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Generation Station. Many challenges were overcome quickly during the first 48 hours; including installation and operation of Aerial Measuring System equipment on multiple U.S. Air Force Japan aircraft, flying over difficultmore » terrain, and flying with talented pilots who were unfamiliar with the Aerial Measuring System flight patterns. These all combined to make for a dynamic and non-textbook situation. In addition, the data challenges of the multiple and on-going releases, and integration with the Japanese government to provide valid aerial radiological survey products that both military and civilian customers could use to make informed decisions, was extremely complicated. The Aerial Measuring System Fukushima response provided insight in addressing these challenges and gave way to an opportunity for the expansion of the Aerial Measuring System’s mission beyond the borders of the US.« less

Rangeland remote sensing applications with unmanned aerial systems (UAS) in the national airspace: challenges and experiences

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

In recent years, civilian applications of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) have increased considerably due to their greater availability and the miniaturization of sensors, GPS, inertial measurement units, and other hardware. UAS are well suited for rangeland remote sensing applications, because of the...

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles unique cost estimating requirements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Malone, P.; Apgar, H.; Stukes, S.; Sterk, S.

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), also referred to as drones, are aerial platforms that fly without a human pilot onboard. UAVs are controlled autonomously by a computer in the vehicle or under the remote control of a pilot stationed at a fixed ground location. There are a wide variety of drone shapes, sizes, configurations, complexities, and characteristics. Use of these devices by the Department of Defense (DoD), NASA, civil and commercial organizations continues to grow. UAVs are commonly used for intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance (ISR). They are also use for combat operations, and civil applications, such as firefighting, non-military security work, surveillance of infrastructure (e.g. pipelines, power lines and country borders). UAVs are often preferred for missions that require sustained persistence (over 4 hours in duration), or are “ too dangerous, dull or dirty” for manned aircraft. Moreover, they can offer significant acquisition and operations cost savings over traditional manned aircraft. Because of these unique characteristics and missions, UAV estimates require some unique estimating methods. This paper describes a framework for estimating UAV systems total ownership cost including hardware components, software design, and operations. The challenge of collecting data, testing the sensitivities of cost drivers, and creating cost estimating relationships (CERs) for each key work breakdown structure (WBS) element is discussed. The autonomous operation of UAVs is especially challenging from a software perspective.

Very high resolution aerial films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Becker, Rolf

1986-11-01

The use of very high resolution aerial films in aerial photography is evaluated. Commonly used panchromatic, color, and CIR films and their high resolution equivalents are compared. Based on practical experience and systematic investigations, the very high image quality and improved height accuracy that can be achieved using these films are demonstrated. Advantages to be gained from this improvement and operational restrictions encountered when using high resolution film are discussed.

Post-hurricane Rita mosquito surveillance and the efficacy of Air Force aerial applications for mosquito control in east Texas.

PubMed

Breidenbaugh, Mark S; Haagsma, Karl A; Walker, Wes W; Sanders, David M

2008-06-01

Post-Hurricane Rita mosquito surveillance was carried out in 4 east Texas counties to determine mosquito abundance, species composition, and need for mosquito control. Subsequently, aerial applications of naled (Dibrom) for mosquito control were made by the Air Force Aerial Spray Flight, while continued surveillance documented the efficacy of the applications. Psorophora columbiae was the predominant species in landing counts. Twenty-two mosquito species were represented in light trap collections with Aedes atlanitcus/tormentor, Culex nigripalpus, Ae. vexans, and Ps. columbiae making up 91% of the total. A total of 102,001 ha (252,052 acres) were aerially treated based on high mosquito abundance, exposure of first responders and residents to nuisance biting, and local interruption of electric utilities. A significant 90% decline in mosquito abundance was observed posttreatment.

[Small unmanned aerial vehicles for low-altitude remote sensing and its application progress in ecology.

PubMed

Sun, Zhong Yu; Chen, Yan Qiao; Yang, Long; Tang, Guang Liang; Yuan, Shao Xiong; Lin, Zhi Wen

2017-02-01

Low-altitude unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) remote sensing system overcomes the deficiencies of space and aerial remote sensing system in resolution, revisit period, cloud cover and cost, which provides a novel method for ecological research on mesoscale. This study introduced the composition of UAV remote sensing system, reviewed its applications in species, population, community and ecosystem ecology research. Challenges and opportunities of UAV ecology were identified to direct future research. The promising research area of UAV ecology includes the establishment of species morphology and spectral characteristic data base, species automatic identification, the revelation of relationship between spectral index and plant physiological processes, three-dimension monitoring of ecosystem, and the integration of remote sensing data from multi resources and multi scales. With the development of UAV platform, data transformation and sensors, UAV remote sensing technology will have wide application in ecology research.

Detail design of empennage of an unmanned aerial vehicle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sarker, Md. Samad; Panday, Shoyon; Rasel, Md; Salam, Md. Abdus; Faisal, Kh. Md.; Farabi, Tanzimul Hasan

2017-12-01

In order to maintain the operational continuity of air defense systems, unmanned autonomous or remotely controlled unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) plays a great role as a target for the anti-aircraft weapons. The aerial vehicle must comply with the requirements of high speed, remotely controlled tracking and navigational aids, operational sustainability and sufficient loiter time. It can also be used for aerial reconnaissance, ground surveillance and other intelligence operations. This paper aims to develop a complete tail design of an unmanned aerial vehicle using Systems Engineering approach. The design fulfils the requirements of longitudinal and directional trim, stability and control provided by the horizontal and vertical tail. Tail control surfaces are designed to provide sufficient control of the aircraft in critical conditions. Design parameters obtained from wing design are utilized in the tail design process as required. Through chronological calculations and successive iterations, optimum values of 26 tail design parameters are determined.

Wind tunnel and field evaluation of drift from aerial spray applications with multiple spray formulations

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The impact of different spray tank modifiers into an active ingredient spray mixture on spray atomization and in-field behavior under aerial application conditions were examined. Wind tunnel tests demonstrated that active ingredient solutions potentially results in significantly different atomizati...

Historical pesticide applications coincided with an altered diet of aerially foraging insectivorous chimney swifts

PubMed Central

Nocera, Joseph J.; Blais, Jules M.; Beresford, David V.; Finity, Leah K.; Grooms, Christopher; Kimpe, Lynda E.; Kyser, Kurt; Michelutti, Neal; Reudink, Matthew W.; Smol, John P.

2012-01-01

Numerous environmental pressures have precipitated long-term population reductions of many insect species. Population declines in aerially foraging insectivorous birds have also been detected, but the cause remains unknown partly because of a dearth of long-term monitoring data on avian diets. Chimney swifts (Chaetura pelagica) are a model aerial insectivore to fill such information gaps because their roosting behaviour makes them easy to sample in large numbers over long time periods. We report a 48-year-long (1944–1992) dietary record for the chimney swift, determined from a well-preserved deposit of guano and egested insect remains in Ontario (Canada). This unique archive of palaeo-environmental data reflecting past chimney swift diets revealed a steep rise in dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) and metabolites, which were correlated with a decrease in Coleoptera remains and an increase in Hemiptera remains, indicating a significant change in chimney swift prey. We argue that DDT applications decimated Coleoptera populations and dramatically altered insect community structure by the 1960s, triggering nutritional consequences for swifts and other aerial insectivores. PMID:22513860

Field scale evaluation of spray drift reduction technologies from ground and aerial application systems

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The objective of this work is to evaluate a proposed Test Plan for the validation testing of pesticide spray drift reduction technologies for row and field crops, focusing on the testing of ground and aerial application systems under full-scale field evaluations. The measure of performance for a gi...

Reliable aerial thermography for energy conservation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jack, J. R.; Bowman, R. L.

1981-01-01

A method for energy conservation, the aerial thermography survey, is discussed. It locates sources of energy losses and wasteful energy management practices. An operational map is presented for clear sky conditions. The map outlines the key environmental conditions conductive to obtaining reliable aerial thermography. The map is developed from defined visual and heat loss discrimination criteria which are quantized based on flat roof heat transfer calculations.

Survey on the novel hybrid aquatic-aerial amphibious aircraft: Aquatic unmanned aerial vehicle (AquaUAV)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Xingbang; Wang, Tianmiao; Liang, Jianhong; Yao, Guocai; Liu, Miao

2015-04-01

The aquatic unmanned aerial vehicle (AquaUAV), a kind of vehicle that can operate both in the air and the water, has been regarded as a new breakthrough to broaden the application scenario of UAV. Wide application prospects in military and civil field are more than bright, therefore many institutions have focused on the development of such a vehicle. However, due to the significant difference of the physical properties between the air and the water, it is rather difficult to design a fully-featured AquaUAV. Until now, majority of partially-featured AquaUAVs have been developed and used to verify the feasibility of an aquatic-aerial vehicle. In the present work, we classify the current partially-featured AquaUAV into three categories from the scope of the whole UAV field, i.e., the seaplane UAV, the submarine-launched UAV, and the submersible UAV. Then the recent advancements and common characteristics of the three kinds of AquaUAVs are reviewed in detail respectively. Then the applications of bionics in the design of AquaUAV, the transition mode between the air and the water, the morphing wing structure for air-water adaptation, and the power source and the propulsion type are summarized and discussed. The tradeoff analyses for different transition methods between the air and the water are presented. Furthermore, it indicates that applying the bionics into the design and development of the AquaUAV will be essential and significant. Finally, the significant technical challenges for the AquaUAV to change from a conception to a practical prototype are indicated.

Small unmanned aerial vehicles (micro-UAVs, drones) in plant ecology.

PubMed

Cruzan, Mitchell B; Weinstein, Ben G; Grasty, Monica R; Kohrn, Brendan F; Hendrickson, Elizabeth C; Arredondo, Tina M; Thompson, Pamela G

2016-09-01

Low-elevation surveys with small aerial drones (micro-unmanned aerial vehicles [UAVs]) may be used for a wide variety of applications in plant ecology, including mapping vegetation over small- to medium-sized regions. We provide an overview of methods and procedures for conducting surveys and illustrate some of these applications. Aerial images were obtained by flying a small drone along transects over the area of interest. Images were used to create a composite image (orthomosaic) and a digital surface model (DSM). Vegetation classification was conducted manually and using an automated routine. Coverage of an individual species was estimated from aerial images. We created a vegetation map for the entire region from the orthomosaic and DSM, and mapped the density of one species. Comparison of our manual and automated habitat classification confirmed that our mapping methods were accurate. A species with high contrast to the background matrix allowed adequate estimate of its coverage. The example surveys demonstrate that small aerial drones are capable of gathering large amounts of information on the distribution of vegetation and individual species with minimal impact to sensitive habitats. Low-elevation aerial surveys have potential for a wide range of applications in plant ecology.

Reducing pesticide drift by considering propeller rotation effects from aerial application and near buffer zones

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Off-target drift of chemical from agricultural spraying can damage sensitive crops, destroy beneficial insects, and intrude on human and domestic animal habitats, threatening environmental quality. Reduction of drift from aerial application can be facilitated at the edge of a field by offsetting spr...

Fate of methoprene in temperate salt marsh ditches following aerial applications.

PubMed

Tonjes, David J; McElroy, Anne E; Barnes-Pohjonen, Robin K; Ninivaggi, Dominick V; Dawydiak, Walter; Greene, Gregory T; Brownawell, Bruce J

2018-06-12

Aerial applications of liquid methoprene are used in salt marshes to control mosquitoes by preventing adult emergence. Despite concern about toxicity to non-target organisms, little is known about environmental concentrations after applications, nor methoprene's persistence in salt marsh environments. Aqueous and sediment samples were collected from two marshes receiving weekly applications. Aqueous samples were collected as early as 30 min after applications and as long as nine days afterwards; sediment samples were taken within hours of application and as long as 19 days post-application. Use of time-of-flight liquid chromatography - mass spectral analysis allowed for ultra-low detection limits (0.5 ng/L) in water samples. The data show loss of nearly all methoprene from 1 m deep marsh ditches within 1 day and presence but not accumulation of methoprene in marsh sediments despite repeated applications. Methoprene concentrations observed in salt-marsh mosquito ditches were below those found to be of toxicological significance in other studies. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Off-the-Wall Project Brings Aerial Mapping down to Earth

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davidhazy, Andrew

2008-01-01

The technology of aerial photography, photogrametry, has widespread applications in mapping and aerial surveying. A multi-billion-dollar industry, aerial surveying and mapping is "big business" in both civilian and military sectors. While the industry has grown increasingly automated, employment opportunities still exist for people with a basic…

Application of aerial photography to water-related programs in Michigan

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Enslin, W. R.; Hill-Rowley, R.; Tilmann, S. E.

1977-01-01

Aerial photography and information system technology were used to generate information required for the effective operation of three water-related programs in Michigan. Potential mosquito breeding sites were identified from specially acquired low altitude 70 mm color photography for the city of Lansing; the inventory identified 35% more surface water areas than indicated on existing field maps. A comprehensive inventory of surface water sources and potential access sites was prepared to assist fire departments in Antrim County with fire truck water-recharge operations. Remotely-sensed land cover/use data for Windsor Township, Eaton County, were integrated with other resource data into a computer-based information system for regional water quality studies. Eleven thematic maps focusing on landscape features affecting non-point water pollution and waste disposal were generated from analyses of a four-hectare grid-based data file containing land cover/use, soils, topographic and geologic (well-log) data.

Application of aerial photography to water-related programs in Michigan

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Enslin, W. R.; Hill-Rowley, R.; Tilmann, S. E.

1977-01-01

The paper describes the use of aerial photography and information system technology in the provision of information required for the effective operation of three water-related programs in Michigan. Potential mosquito breeding sites were identified from specially acquired low altitude 70 mm color photography for the City of Lansing Vector Control Area. A comprehensive inventory of surface water sources and potential access sites was prepared to assist fire departments in Antrim County with fire truck water-recharge operations. Remotely-sensed land cover/use data for Windsor Township, Eaton County were integrated with other resource data into a computer-based information system for regional water quality studies. Eleven thematic maps specifically focussed on landscape features affecting non-point water pollution and waste disposal were generated from analyses of a four-hectare grid-based data file containing land cover/use, soils, topographic and geologic (well-log) data.

Semantic Segmentation and Difference Extraction via Time Series Aerial Video Camera and its Application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amit, S. N. K.; Saito, S.; Sasaki, S.; Kiyoki, Y.; Aoki, Y.

2015-04-01

Google earth with high-resolution imagery basically takes months to process new images before online updates. It is a time consuming and slow process especially for post-disaster application. The objective of this research is to develop a fast and effective method of updating maps by detecting local differences occurred over different time series; where only region with differences will be updated. In our system, aerial images from Massachusetts's road and building open datasets, Saitama district datasets are used as input images. Semantic segmentation is then applied to input images. Semantic segmentation is a pixel-wise classification of images by implementing deep neural network technique. Deep neural network technique is implemented due to being not only efficient in learning highly discriminative image features such as road, buildings etc., but also partially robust to incomplete and poorly registered target maps. Then, aerial images which contain semantic information are stored as database in 5D world map is set as ground truth images. This system is developed to visualise multimedia data in 5 dimensions; 3 dimensions as spatial dimensions, 1 dimension as temporal dimension, and 1 dimension as degenerated dimensions of semantic and colour combination dimension. Next, ground truth images chosen from database in 5D world map and a new aerial image with same spatial information but different time series are compared via difference extraction method. The map will only update where local changes had occurred. Hence, map updating will be cheaper, faster and more effective especially post-disaster application, by leaving unchanged region and only update changed region.

Moments of Inertia - Uninhabited Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Dryden Remotely Operated Integrated Drone (DROID)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Haro, Helida C.

2010-01-01

The objective of this research effort is to determine the most appropriate, cost efficient, and effective method to utilize for finding moments of inertia for the Uninhabited Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Dryden Remotely Operated Integrated Drone (DROID). A moment is a measure of the body's tendency to turn about its center of gravity (CG) and inertia is the resistance of a body to changes in its momentum. Therefore, the moment of inertia (MOI) is a body's resistance to change in rotation about its CG. The inertial characteristics of an UAV have direct consequences on aerodynamics, propulsion, structures, and control. Therefore, it is imperative to determine the precise inertial characteristics of the DROID.

Moments of Inertia: Uninhabited Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Dryden Remotely Operated Integrated Drone (DROID)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Haro, Helida C.

2010-01-01

The objective of this research effort is to determine the most appropriate, cost efficient, and effective method to utilize for finding moments of inertia for the Uninhabited Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Dryden Remotely Operated Integrated Drone (DROID). A moment is a measure of the body's tendency to turn about its center of gravity (CG) and inertia is the resistance of a body to changes in its momentum. Therefore, the moment of inertia (MOI) is a body's resistance to change in rotation about its CG. The inertial characteristics of an UAV have direct consequences on aerodynamics, propulsion, structures, and control. Therefore, it is imperative to determine the precise inertial characteristics of the DROID.

Aerial Radiological Measuring System (ARMS): systems, procedures and sensitivity (1976)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Boyns, P K

1976-07-01

This report describes the Aerial Radiological Measuring System (ARMS) designed and operated by EG and G, Inc., for the Energy Research and Development Administration's (ERDA) Division of Operational Safety with the cooperation of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Designed to rapidly survey large areas for low-level man-made radiation, the ARMS has also proven extremely useful in locating lost radioactive sources of relatively low activity. The system consists of sodium iodide scintillation detectors, data formatting and recording equipment, positioning equipment, meteorological instruments, direct readout hardware, and data analysis equipment. The instrumentation, operational procedures, data reduction techniques and system sensitivities are described, togethermore » with their applications and sample results.« less

Preliminary Design of Aerial Spraying System for Microlight Aircraft

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Omar, Zamri; Idris, Nurfazliawati; Rahim, M. Zulafif

2017-10-01

Undoubtedly agricultural is an important sector because it provides essential nutrients for human, and consequently is among the biggest sector for economic growth worldwide. It is crucial to ensure crops production is protected from any plant diseases and pests. Thus aerial spraying system on crops is developed to facilitate farmers to for crops pests control and it is very effective spraying method especially for large and hilly crop areas. However, the use of large aircraft for aerial spaying has a relatively high operational cost. Therefore, microlight aircraft is proposed to be used for crops aerial spraying works for several good reasons. In this paper, a preliminary design of aerial spraying system for microlight aircraft is proposed. Engineering design methodology is adopted in the development of the aerial sprayer and steps involved design are discussed thoroughly. A preliminary design for the microlight to be attached with an aerial spraying system is proposed.

Response of birds to aerial application of nucleopolyhedrosis virus of the gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar

Treesearch

R.A. Lautenschlager; J.D. Podgwaite

1979-01-01

Resident populations of wild birds and caged quail, Colinus virginianus L., were evaluated to detect short-term effects from aerial applications of the nucleopolyhedrosis virus (NPV) of the gypsy moth. NPV in 2 formulations was sprayed on woodland plots in central Pennsylvania. Comparisons of prespray and postspray censuses of the common birds on the...

Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Systems for Disaster Relief: Tornado Alley

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

DeBusk, Wesley M.

2009-01-01

Unmanned aerial vehicle systems are currently in limited use for public service missions worldwide. Development of civil unmanned technology in the United States currently lags behind military unmanned technology development in part because of unresolved regulatory and technological issues. Civil unmanned aerial vehicle systems have potential to augment disaster relief and emergency response efforts. Optimal design of aerial systems for such applications will lead to unmanned vehicles which provide maximum potentiality for relief and emergency response while accounting for public safety concerns and regulatory requirements. A case study is presented that demonstrates application of a civil unmanned system to a disaster relief mission with the intent on saving lives. The concept utilizes unmanned aircraft to obtain advanced warning and damage assessments for tornados and severe thunderstorms. Overview of a tornado watch mission architecture as well as commentary on risk, cost, need for, and design tradeoffs for unmanned aerial systems are provided.

Operator selection for unmanned aerial systems: comparing video game players and pilots.

PubMed

McKinley, R Andy; McIntire, Lindsey K; Funke, Margaret A

2011-06-01

Popular unmanned aerial system (UAS) platforms such as the MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper have experienced accelerated operations tempos that have outpaced current operator training regimens, leading to a shortage of qualified UAS operators. To find a surrogate to replace pilots of manned aircraft as UAS operators, this study evaluated video game players (VGPs), pilots, and a control group on a set of UAS operation relevant cognitive tasks. There were 30 participants who volunteered for this study and were divided into 3 groups: experienced pilots (P), experienced VGPs, and a control group (C). Each was trained on eight cognitive performance tasks relevant to unmanned flight tasks. The results indicated that pilots significantly outperform the VGP and control groups on multi-attribute cognitive tasks (Tank mean: VGP = 465 +/- 1.046 vs. P = 203 +/- 0.237 vs. C = 351 +/- 0.601). However, the VGPs outperformed pilots on cognitive tests related to visually acquiring, identifying, and tracking targets (final score: VGP = 594.28 +/- 8.708 vs. P = 563.33 +/- 8.787 vs. C = 568.21 +/- 8.224). Likewise, both VGPs and pilots performed similarly on the UAS landing task, but outperformed the control group (glide slope: VGP = 40.982 +/- 3.244 vs. P = 30.461 +/- 2.251 vs. C = 57.060 +/- 4.407). Cognitive skills learned in video game play may transfer to novel environments and improve performance in UAS tasks over individuals with no video game experience.

Small unmanned aerial vehicles (micro-UAVs, drones) in plant ecology1

PubMed Central

Cruzan, Mitchell B.; Weinstein, Ben G.; Grasty, Monica R.; Kohrn, Brendan F.; Hendrickson, Elizabeth C.; Arredondo, Tina M.; Thompson, Pamela G.

2016-01-01

Premise of the study: Low-elevation surveys with small aerial drones (micro–unmanned aerial vehicles [UAVs]) may be used for a wide variety of applications in plant ecology, including mapping vegetation over small- to medium-sized regions. We provide an overview of methods and procedures for conducting surveys and illustrate some of these applications. Methods: Aerial images were obtained by flying a small drone along transects over the area of interest. Images were used to create a composite image (orthomosaic) and a digital surface model (DSM). Vegetation classification was conducted manually and using an automated routine. Coverage of an individual species was estimated from aerial images. Results: We created a vegetation map for the entire region from the orthomosaic and DSM, and mapped the density of one species. Comparison of our manual and automated habitat classification confirmed that our mapping methods were accurate. A species with high contrast to the background matrix allowed adequate estimate of its coverage. Discussion: The example surveys demonstrate that small aerial drones are capable of gathering large amounts of information on the distribution of vegetation and individual species with minimal impact to sensitive habitats. Low-elevation aerial surveys have potential for a wide range of applications in plant ecology. PMID:27672518

Determination of differences in crop injury from aerial application of glyphosate using vegetation indices and geostatistics

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Injury to crops caused by off-target drift of glyphosate can seriously reduce growth and yield, and is of great concern to farmers and aerial applicators. Determining an indirect method for assessing the levels and extent of crop injury could support management decisions. The objectives of this stud...

Aerially released spray penetration of a tall coniferous canopy

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

An aerial spray deposition project was designed to evaluate aerial application to an Eastern Hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) canopy to combat Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (Adelges tsugae). This adelgid offers a difficult target residing in the forest canopy at the nodes of branchlets. The study collected 1680 ...

Image Understanding Research and Its Application to Cartography and Computer-Based Analysis of Aerial Imagery

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-09-01

Report Al-TR-346. Artifcial Intelligence Laboratory, Mamachusetts Institute of Tech- niugy. Cambridge, Mmeh mett. June 19 [G.usmn@ A. Gaman-Arenas...Testbed Coordinator, 415/859-4395 Artificial Intelligence Center Computer Science and Technology Division Prepared for: Defense Advanced Research...to support processing of aerial photographs for such military applications as cartography, Intelligence , weapon guidance, and targeting. A key

Aerial Explorers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Young, Larry A.; Pisanich, Greg; Ippolito, Corey

2005-01-01

This paper presents recent results from a mission architecture study of planetary aerial explorers. In this study, several mission scenarios were developed in simulation and evaluated on success in meeting mission goals. This aerial explorer mission architecture study is unique in comparison with previous Mars airplane research activities. The study examines how aerial vehicles can find and gain access to otherwise inaccessible terrain features of interest. The aerial explorer also engages in a high-level of (indirect) surface interaction, despite not typically being able to takeoff and land or to engage in multiple flights/sorties. To achieve this goal, a new mission paradigm is proposed: aerial explorers should be considered as an additional element in the overall Entry, Descent, Landing System (EDLS) process. Further, aerial vehicles should be considered primarily as carrier/utility platforms whose purpose is to deliver air-deployed sensors and robotic devices, or symbiotes, to those high-value terrain features of interest.

ARM Aerial Facility ArcticShark Unmanned Aerial System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schmid, B.; Hubbell, M.; Mei, F.; Carroll, P.; Mendoza, A.; Ireland, C.; Lewko, K.

2017-12-01

The TigerShark Block 3 XP-AR "ArcticShark" Unmanned Aerial System (UAS), developed and manufactured by Navmar Applied Sciences Corporation (NASC), is a single-prop, 60 hp rotary-engine platform with a wingspan of 6.5 m and Maximum Gross Takeoff Weight of 295 Kg. The ArcticShark is owned by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and has been operated by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) since March 2017. The UAS will serve as an airborne atmospheric research observatory for DOE ARM, and, once fully operational, can be requested through ARM's annual call for proposals. The Arctic Shark is anticipated to measure a wide range of radiative, aerosol, and cloud properties using a variable instrument payload weighing up to 46 Kg. SATCOM-equipped, it is capable of taking measurements up to altitudes of 5.5 Km over ranges of up to 500 Km. The ArcticShark operates at airspeeds of 30 to 40 m/s, making it capable of slow sampling. With a full fuel load, its endurance exceeds 8 hours. The aircraft and its Mobile Operations Center (MOC) have been hardened specifically for operations in colder temperatures.ArcticShark's design facilitates rapid integration of various types of payloads. 2500 W of its 4000 W electrical systems is dedicated to payload servicing. It has an interior payload volume of almost 85 L and four wing-mounted pylons capable of carrying external probes. Its payload bay volume, electrical power, payload capacity, and flight characteristics enable the ArcticShark to accommodate multiple combinations of payloads in numerous configurations. Many instruments will be provided by the ARM Aerial Facility (AAF), but other organizations may eventually propose instrumentation for specific campaigns. AAF-provided measurement capabilities will include the following atmospheric state and thermodynamics: temperature, pressure, winds; gases: H2O and CO2; up- and down-welling broadband infrared and visible radiation; surface temperature; aerosol number concentration

Herbicidal drift control: aerial spray equipment, formulations, and supervision.

Treesearch

H. Gratkowski

1974-01-01

Public concern over environmental pollution requires increasingly sophisticated procedures when herbicides are used in silviculture. Many specialized aerial application systems and spray additives have been developed to reduce drift of herbicidal sprays. This publication provides forest-land managers with a brief description of these aerial spray systems and additives...

United States Air Force in Southeast Asia 1965-1973. Aces and Aerial Victories

DTIC Science & Technology

1976-01-01

UNITED STATES IN SOUTHEAST ACES and AERIAL VICTORIES The United States Air Force in SoutheastAsia 1965*19?3 by R Frank Fuirefl William H...TYPE 3. DATES COVERED 00-00-1976 to 00-00-1976 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE United States Air Force in Southeast Asia 1965-1973. Aces and Aerial... aces and aerial victories, 1965-1973. Includes index and glossary. 1. Vietnamese Conflict, 1961-1975-Aerial operations, American. 2. Viet- namese

7 CFR 611.21 - Availability of aerial photography.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 6 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Availability of aerial photography. 611.21 Section 611.21 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE CONSERVATION OPERATIONS SOIL SURVEYS Cartographic Operations...

7 CFR 611.21 - Availability of aerial photography.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 6 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Availability of aerial photography. 611.21 Section 611.21 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE CONSERVATION OPERATIONS SOIL SURVEYS Cartographic Operations...

7 CFR 611.21 - Availability of aerial photography.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 6 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Availability of aerial photography. 611.21 Section 611.21 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE CONSERVATION OPERATIONS SOIL SURVEYS Cartographic Operations...

7 CFR 611.21 - Availability of aerial photography.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 6 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Availability of aerial photography. 611.21 Section 611.21 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE CONSERVATION OPERATIONS SOIL SURVEYS Cartographic Operations...

7 CFR 611.21 - Availability of aerial photography.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 6 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Availability of aerial photography. 611.21 Section 611.21 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE CONSERVATION OPERATIONS SOIL SURVEYS Cartographic Operations...

Review of the SAFARI 2000 RC-10 Aerial Photography

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Myers, Jeff; Shelton, Gary; Annegarn, Harrold; Peterson, David L. (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

This presentation will review the aerial photography collected by the NASA ER-2 aircraft during the SAFARI (Southern African Regional Science Initiative) year 2000 campaign. It will include specifications on the camera and film, and will show examples of the imagery. It will also detail the extent of coverage, and the procedures to obtain film products from the South African government. Also included will be some sample applications of aerial photography for various environmental applications, and its use in augmenting other SAFARI data sets.

Autonomous aerial observations to extend and complement the Earth Observing System: a science-driven systems-oriented approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sandford, Stephen P.; Harrison, F. W.; Langford, John; Johnson, James W.; Qualls, Garry; Emmitt, David; Jones, W. Linwood; Shugart, Herman H., Jr.

2004-12-01

The current Earth observing capability depends primarily on spacecraft missions and ground-based networks to provide the critical on-going observations necessary for improved understanding of the Earth system. Aircraft missions play an important role in process studies but are limited to relatively short-duration flights. Suborbital observations have contributed to global environmental knowledge by providing in-depth, high-resolution observations that space-based and in-situ systems are challenged to provide; however, the limitations of aerial platforms - e.g., limited observing envelope, restrictions associated with crew safety and high cost of operations have restricted the suborbital program to a supporting role. For over a decade, it has been recognized that autonomous aerial observations could potentially be important. Advances in several technologies now enable autonomous aerial observation systems (AAOS) that can provide fundamentally new observational capability for Earth science and applications and thus lead scientists and engineers to rethink how suborbital assets can best contribute to Earth system science. Properly developed and integrated, these technologies will enable new Earth science and operational mission scenarios with long term persistence, higher-spatial and higher-temporal resolution at lower cost than space or ground based approaches. This paper presents the results of a science driven, systems oriented study of broad Earth science measurement needs. These needs identify aerial mission scenarios that complement and extend the current Earth Observing System. These aerial missions are analogous to space missions in their complexity and potential for providing significant data sets for Earth scientists. Mission classes are identified and presented based on science driven measurement needs in atmospheric, ocean and land studies. Also presented is a nominal concept of operations for an AAOS: an innovative set of suborbital assets that

Supporting Remote Sensing Research with Small Unmanned Aerial Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anderson, R. C.; Shanks, P. C.; Kritis, L. A.; Trani, M. G.

2014-11-01

We describe several remote sensing research projects supported with small Unmanned Aerial Systems (sUAS) operated by the NGA Basic and Applied Research Office. These sUAS collections provide data supporting Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR), NGA University Research Initiative (NURI), and Cooperative Research And Development Agreements (CRADA) efforts in addition to inhouse research. Some preliminary results related to 3D electro-optical point clouds are presented, and some research goals discussed. Additional details related to the autonomous operational mode of both our multi-rotor and fixed wing small Unmanned Aerial System (sUAS) platforms are presented.

Application of Artificial Intelligence Techniques in Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Flight

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bauer, Frank H. (Technical Monitor); Dufrene, Warren R., Jr.

2003-01-01

This paper describes the development of an application of Artificial Intelligence for Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) control. The project was done as part of the requirements for a class in Artificial Intelligence (AI) at Nova southeastern University and as an adjunct to a project at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center's Wallops Flight Facility for a resilient, robust, and intelligent UAV flight control system. A method is outlined which allows a base level application for applying an AI method, Fuzzy Logic, to aspects of Control Logic for UAV flight. One element of UAV flight, automated altitude hold, has been implemented and preliminary results displayed. A low cost approach was taken using freeware, gnu, software, and demo programs. The focus of this research has been to outline some of the AI techniques used for UAV flight control and discuss some of the tools used to apply AI techniques. The intent is to succeed with the implementation of applying AI techniques to actually control different aspects of the flight of an UAV.

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs): a new tool in counterterrorism operations?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dörtbudak, Mehmet F.

2015-05-01

Terrorism is not a new phenomenon to the world, yet it remains difficult to define and counter. Countering terrorism requires several measures that must be taken simultaneously; however, counterterrorism strategies of many countries mostly depend on military measures. In the aftermath of the 2001 terrorist attack on the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center, the United States (U.S.) has started and led the campaign of Global War on Terrorism. They have invaded Afghanistan and Iraq and have encountered insurgencies run by terrorist organizations, such as al-Qaeda and its affiliates. The U.S. made the utilization of Air and Space Power very intensively during these operations. In order to implement operations; Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) assets were used to collect the necessary information. Before the successful insertion of a small number of U.S. Special Operation Force (SOF) teams into Afghanistan, the U.S. Air Force attacked al-Qaeda and Taliban's targets such as infrastructure, airfields, ground forces, command-control facilities etc. As soon as the U.S. troops got on the ground and started to marshal to Kabul, the Air Force supported them by attacking jointly determined targets. The Air Force continued to carry out the missions and played a significant role to achieve the objective of operation during all the time. This is not the only example of utilization of Air and Space Power in counterterrorism and counterinsurgency operations. All around the world, many countries have also made the utilization of Air Power in different missions ranging from ISR to attacking. Thinking that terrorism has a psychological dimension and losing a pilot during operations may result in decreasing the population support to operations, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) started to be used by practitioners and took priority over other assets. Although UAVs have been on the theatre for a long time used for ISR mission in conventional conflicts, with the advent

Long-term impact of aerial application of 2,4,5-T to longleaf pine (Pinus palustris)

Treesearch

J.L. Michael

1980-01-01

Twenty years after aerial application of 2.24 kg ae/ha of the butoxy ethanol ester of 2,4,5-T [(2,4,5-trichlorophenoxy) acetic acid] to release grass stage longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.) seedlings, stocking was the same for each of the three treated and control 4-ha plots. Treated plots, however, had significantly greater tree diameter (10%),...

Aerial ULV application of permethrin against adult mosquitoes over open field and medium density canopy habitat in a hot-temperate zone

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Although aerial ULV application of adulticides is a common adult mosquito control strategy, not enough is known about the fate of the pesticide or its efficacy over different habitats. Dye labeling of droplets is used to evaluate ULV applications, and, by inference, their efficacy. Placement of cage...

Human dynamics scaling characteristics for aerial inbound logistics operation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Qing; Guo, Jin-Li

2010-05-01

In recent years, the study of power-law scaling characteristics of real-life networks has attracted much interest from scholars; it deviates from the Poisson process. In this paper, we take the whole process of aerial inbound operation in a logistics company as the empirical object. The main aim of this work is to study the statistical scaling characteristics of the task-restricted work patterns. We found that the statistical variables have the scaling characteristics of unimodal distribution with a power-law tail in five statistical distributions - that is to say, there obviously exists a peak in each distribution, the shape of the left part closes to a Poisson distribution, and the right part has a heavy-tailed scaling statistics. Furthermore, to our surprise, there is only one distribution where the right parts can be approximated by the power-law form with exponent α=1.50. Others are bigger than 1.50 (three of four are about 2.50, one of four is about 3.00). We then obtain two inferences based on these empirical results: first, the human behaviors probably both close to the Poisson statistics and power-law distributions on certain levels, and the human-computer interaction behaviors may be the most common in the logistics operational areas, even in the whole task-restricted work pattern areas. Second, the hypothesis in Vázquez et al. (2006) [A. Vázquez, J. G. Oliveira, Z. Dezsö, K.-I. Goh, I. Kondor, A.-L. Barabási. Modeling burst and heavy tails in human dynamics, Phys. Rev. E 73 (2006) 036127] is probably not sufficient; it claimed that human dynamics can be classified as two discrete university classes. There may be a new human dynamics mechanism that is different from the classical Barabási models.

ARM Unmanned Aerial Systems Implementation Plan

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Schmid, Beat; Ivey, Mark

Recent advances in Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) coupled with changes in the regulatory environment for operations of UAS in the National Airspace increase the potential value of UAS to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Climate Research Facility. UAS include unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) and tethered balloon systems (TBS). The roles UAVs and TBSs could play within the ARM Facility, particularly science questions they could help address, have been discussed in several workshops, reports, and vision documents, including: This document describes the implementation of a robust and vigorous program for use of UAV and TBS formore » the science missions ARM supports.« less

Floating aerial LED signage based on aerial imaging by retro-reflection (AIRR).

PubMed

Yamamoto, Hirotsugu; Tomiyama, Yuka; Suyama, Shiro

2014-11-03

We propose a floating aerial LED signage technique by utilizing retro-reflection. The proposed display is composed of LEDs, a half mirror, and retro-reflective sheeting. Directivity of the aerial image formation and size of the aerial image have been investigated. Furthermore, a floating aerial LED sign has been successfully formed in free space.

Applicability of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles in Research on Aeolian Processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Algimantas, Česnulevičius; Artūras, Bautrėnas; Linas, Bevainis; Donatas, Ovodas; Kęstutis, Papšys

2018-02-01

Surface dynamics and instabilities are characteristic of aeolian formation. The method of surface comparison is regarded as the most appropriate one for evaluation of the intensity of aeolian processes and the amount of transported sand. The data for surface comparison can be collected by topographic survey measurements and using unmanned aerial vehicles. Time cost for relief microform fixation and measurement executing topographic survey are very high. The method of unmanned aircraft aerial photographs fixation also encounters difficulties because there are no stable clear objects and contours that enable to link aerial photographs, to determine the boundaries of captured territory and to ensure the accuracy of surface measurements. Creation of stationary anchor points is irrational due to intense sand accumulation and deflation in different climate seasons. In September 2015 and in April 2016 the combined methodology was applied for evaluation of intensity of aeolian processes in the Curonian Spit. Temporary signs (marks) were installed on the surface, coordinates of the marks were fixed using GPS and then flight of unmanned aircraft was conducted. The fixed coordinates of marks ensure the accuracy of measuring aerial imagery and the ability to calculate the possible corrections. This method was used to track and measure very small (micro-rank) relief forms (5-10 cm height and 10-20 cm length). Using this method morphometric indicators of micro-terraces caused by sand dunes pressure to gytia layer were measured in a non-contact way. An additional advantage of the method is the ability to accurately link the repeated measurements. The comparison of 3D terrain models showed sand deflation and accumulation areas and quantitative changes in the terrain very clearly.

Overview of meteorological measurements for aerial spray modeling.

PubMed

Rafferty, J E; Biltoft, C A; Bowers, J F

1996-06-01

The routine meteorological observations made by the National Weather Service have a spatial resolution on the order of 1,000 km, whereas the resolution needed to conduct or model aerial spray applications is on the order of 1-10 km. Routinely available observations also do not include the detailed information on the turbulence and thermal structure of the boundary layer that is needed to predict the transport, dispersion, and deposition of aerial spray releases. This paper provides an overview of the information needed to develop the meteorological inputs for an aerial spray model such as the FSCBG and discusses the different types of instruments that are available to make the necessary measurements.

Spectral anomaly methods for aerial detection using KUT nuisance rejection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Detwiler, R. S.; Pfund, D. M.; Myjak, M. J.; Kulisek, J. A.; Seifert, C. E.

2015-06-01

This work discusses the application and optimization of a spectral anomaly method for the real-time detection of gamma radiation sources from an aerial helicopter platform. Aerial detection presents several key challenges over ground-based detection. For one, larger and more rapid background fluctuations are typical due to higher speeds, larger field of view, and geographically induced background changes. As well, the possible large altitude or stand-off distance variations cause significant steps in background count rate as well as spectral changes due to increased gamma-ray scatter with detection at higher altitudes. The work here details the adaptation and optimization of the PNNL-developed algorithm Nuisance-Rejecting Spectral Comparison Ratios for Anomaly Detection (NSCRAD), a spectral anomaly method previously developed for ground-based applications, for an aerial platform. The algorithm has been optimized for two multi-detector systems; a NaI(Tl)-detector-based system and a CsI detector array. The optimization here details the adaptation of the spectral windows for a particular set of target sources to aerial detection and the tailoring for the specific detectors. As well, the methodology and results for background rejection methods optimized for the aerial gamma-ray detection using Potassium, Uranium and Thorium (KUT) nuisance rejection are shown. Results indicate that use of a realistic KUT nuisance rejection may eliminate metric rises due to background magnitude and spectral steps encountered in aerial detection due to altitude changes and geographically induced steps such as at land-water interfaces.

Toward autonomous avian-inspired grasping for micro aerial vehicles.

PubMed

Thomas, Justin; Loianno, Giuseppe; Polin, Joseph; Sreenath, Koushil; Kumar, Vijay

2014-06-01

Micro aerial vehicles, particularly quadrotors, have been used in a wide range of applications. However, the literature on aerial manipulation and grasping is limited and the work is based on quasi-static models. In this paper, we draw inspiration from agile, fast-moving birds such as raptors, that are able to capture moving prey on the ground or in water, and develop similar capabilities for quadrotors. We address dynamic grasping, an approach to prehensile grasping in which the dynamics of the robot and its gripper are significant and must be explicitly modeled and controlled for successful execution. Dynamic grasping is relevant for fast pick-and-place operations, transportation and delivery of objects, and placing or retrieving sensors. We show how this capability can be realized (a) using a motion capture system and (b) without external sensors relying only on onboard sensors. In both cases we describe the dynamic model, and trajectory planning and control algorithms. In particular, we present a methodology for flying and grasping a cylindrical object using feedback from a monocular camera and an inertial measurement unit onboard the aerial robot. This is accomplished by mapping the dynamics of the quadrotor to a level virtual image plane, which in turn enables dynamically-feasible trajectory planning for image features in the image space, and a vision-based controller with guaranteed convergence properties. We also present experimental results obtained with a quadrotor equipped with an articulated gripper to illustrate both approaches.

Fuel Cells: A Real Option for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Propulsion

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

The possibility of implementing fuel cell technology in Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) propulsion systems is considered. Potential advantages of the Proton Exchange Membrane or Polymer Electrolyte Membrane (PEMFC) and Direct Methanol Fuel Cells (DMFC), their fuels (hydrogen and methanol), and their storage systems are revised from technical and environmental standpoints. Some operating commercial applications are described. Main constraints for these kinds of fuel cells are analyzed in order to elucidate the viability of future developments. Since the low power density is the main problem of fuel cells, hybridization with electric batteries, necessary in most cases, is also explored. PMID:24600326

Three scales of aerial photography compared for making stand measurements

Treesearch

Earl J. Rogers; Gene Avery; Roy A. Chapman

1959-01-01

Three scales of aerial photography were tested in an attempt to determine the best scale to use in forest surveying. This was done by comparing photo measurements of average tree height, average crown diameter, and crown-closure percent. These stand variables were selected for testing because of their applicability in making aerial estimates of timber volume.

Remotely deployable aerial inspection using tactile sensors

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

MacLeod, C. N.; Cao, J.; Pierce, S. G.

For structural monitoring applications, the use of remotely deployable Non-Destructive Evaluation (NDE) inspection platforms offer many advantages, including improved accessibility, greater safety and reduced cost, when compared to traditional manual inspection techniques. The use of such platforms, previously reported by researchers at the University Strathclyde facilitates the potential for rapid scanning of large areas and volumes in hazardous locations. A common problem for both manual and remote deployment approaches lies in the intrinsic stand-off and surface coupling issues of typical NDE probes. The associated complications of these requirements are obviously significantly exacerbated when considering aerial based remote inspection and deployment,more » resulting in simple visual techniques being the preferred sensor payload. Researchers at Bristol Robotics Laboratory have developed biomimetic tactile sensors modelled on the facial whiskers (vibrissae) of animals such as rats and mice, with the latest sensors actively sweeping their tips across the surface in a back and forth motion. The current work reports on the design and performance of an aerial inspection platform and the suitability of tactile whisking sensors to aerial based surface monitoring applications.« less

International-Aerial Measuring System (I-AMS) Training Program

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wasiolek, Piotre T.; Malchor, Russell L.; Maurer, Richard J.

2015-10-01

Since the Fukushima reactor accident in 2011, there has been an increased interest worldwide in developing national capabilities to rapidly map and assess ground contamination resulting from nuclear reactor accidents. The capability to rapidly measure the size of the contaminated area, determine the activity level, and identify the radionuclides can aid emergency managers and decision makers in providing timely protective action recommendations to the public and first responders. The development of an aerial detection capability requires interagency coordination to assemble the radiation experts, detection system operators, and aviation aircrews to conduct the aerial measurements, analyze and interpret the data, andmore » provide technical assessments. The Office of International Emergency Management and Cooperation (IEMC) at the U.S. Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration (DOE/NNSA) sponsors an International - Aerial Measuring System (I-AMS) training program for partner nations to develop and enhance their response to radiological emergencies. An initial series of courses can be conducted in the host country to assist in developing an aerial detection capability. As the capability develops and expands, additional experience can be gained through advanced courses with the opportunity to conduct aerial missions over a broad range of radiation environments.« less

Research on the Application of Rapid Surveying and Mapping for Large Scare Topographic Map by Uav Aerial Photography System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, Z.; Song, Y.; Li, C.; Zeng, F.; Wang, F.

2017-08-01

Rapid acquisition and processing method of large scale topographic map data, which relies on the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) low-altitude aerial photogrammetry system, is studied in this paper, elaborating the main work flow. Key technologies of UAV photograph mapping is also studied, developing a rapid mapping system based on electronic plate mapping system, thus changing the traditional mapping mode and greatly improving the efficiency of the mapping. Production test and achievement precision evaluation of Digital Orth photo Map (DOM), Digital Line Graphic (DLG) and other digital production were carried out combined with the city basic topographic map update project, which provides a new techniques for large scale rapid surveying and has obvious technical advantage and good application prospect.

Spatial Scale Gap Filling Using an Unmanned Aerial System: A Statistical Downscaling Method for Applications in Precision Agriculture.

PubMed

Hassan-Esfahani, Leila; Ebtehaj, Ardeshir M; Torres-Rua, Alfonso; McKee, Mac

2017-09-14

Applications of satellite-borne observations in precision agriculture (PA) are often limited due to the coarse spatial resolution of satellite imagery. This paper uses high-resolution airborne observations to increase the spatial resolution of satellite data for related applications in PA. A new variational downscaling scheme is presented that uses coincident aerial imagery products from "AggieAir", an unmanned aerial system, to increase the spatial resolution of Landsat satellite data. This approach is primarily tested for downscaling individual band Landsat images that can be used to derive normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and surface soil moisture (SSM). Quantitative and qualitative results demonstrate promising capabilities of the downscaling approach enabling effective increase of the spatial resolution of Landsat imageries by orders of 2 to 4. Specifically, the downscaling scheme retrieved the missing high-resolution feature of the imageries and reduced the root mean squared error by 15, 11, and 10 percent in visual, near infrared, and thermal infrared bands, respectively. This metric is reduced by 9% in the derived NDVI and remains negligibly for the soil moisture products.

Spatial Scale Gap Filling Using an Unmanned Aerial System: A Statistical Downscaling Method for Applications in Precision Agriculture

PubMed Central

Hassan-Esfahani, Leila; Ebtehaj, Ardeshir M.; McKee, Mac

2017-01-01

Applications of satellite-borne observations in precision agriculture (PA) are often limited due to the coarse spatial resolution of satellite imagery. This paper uses high-resolution airborne observations to increase the spatial resolution of satellite data for related applications in PA. A new variational downscaling scheme is presented that uses coincident aerial imagery products from “AggieAir”, an unmanned aerial system, to increase the spatial resolution of Landsat satellite data. This approach is primarily tested for downscaling individual band Landsat images that can be used to derive normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and surface soil moisture (SSM). Quantitative and qualitative results demonstrate promising capabilities of the downscaling approach enabling effective increase of the spatial resolution of Landsat imageries by orders of 2 to 4. Specifically, the downscaling scheme retrieved the missing high-resolution feature of the imageries and reduced the root mean squared error by 15, 11, and 10 percent in visual, near infrared, and thermal infrared bands, respectively. This metric is reduced by 9% in the derived NDVI and remains negligibly for the soil moisture products. PMID:28906428

29 CFR 1926.453 - Aerial lifts.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... provided the modification has been certified in writing by the manufacturer or by any other equivalent... articulating boom platforms. (i) Lift controls shall be tested each day prior to use to determine that such controls are in safe working condition. (ii) Only authorized persons shall operate an aerial lift. (iii...

29 CFR 1926.453 - Aerial lifts.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... provided the modification has been certified in writing by the manufacturer or by any other equivalent... articulating boom platforms. (i) Lift controls shall be tested each day prior to use to determine that such controls are in safe working condition. (ii) Only authorized persons shall operate an aerial lift. (iii...

29 CFR 1926.453 - Aerial lifts.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... provided the modification has been certified in writing by the manufacturer or by any other equivalent... articulating boom platforms. (i) Lift controls shall be tested each day prior to use to determine that such controls are in safe working condition. (ii) Only authorized persons shall operate an aerial lift. (iii...

29 CFR 1926.453 - Aerial lifts.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... provided the modification has been certified in writing by the manufacturer or by any other equivalent... articulating boom platforms. (i) Lift controls shall be tested each day prior to use to determine that such controls are in safe working condition. (ii) Only authorized persons shall operate an aerial lift. (iii...

29 CFR 1926.453 - Aerial lifts.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... provided the modification has been certified in writing by the manufacturer or by any other equivalent... articulating boom platforms. (i) Lift controls shall be tested each day prior to use to determine that such controls are in safe working condition. (ii) Only authorized persons shall operate an aerial lift. (iii...

76 FR 61750 - Vehicle-Mounted Elevating and Rotating Work Platforms (Aerial Lifts); Extension of the Office of...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-10-05

...] Vehicle-Mounted Elevating and Rotating Work Platforms (Aerial Lifts); Extension of the Office of... requirement contained in the Standard on Vehicle-Mounted Elevating and Rotating Work Platforms (Aerial Lifts... by ensuring that aerial lifts are in safe operating condition. DATES: Comments must be submitted...

Path planning for persistent surveillance applications using fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Keller, James F.

This thesis addresses coordinated path planning for fixed-wing Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) engaged in persistent surveillance missions. While uniquely suited to this mission, fixed wing vehicles have maneuver constraints that can limit their performance in this role. Current technology vehicles are capable of long duration flight with a minimal acoustic footprint while carrying an array of cameras and sensors. Both military tactical and civilian safety applications can benefit from this technology. We make three main contributions: C1 A sequential path planner that generates a C 2 flight plan to persistently acquire a covering set of data over a user designated area of interest. The planner features the following innovations: • A path length abstraction that embeds kino-dynamic motion constraints to estimate feasible path length. • A Traveling Salesman-type planner to generate a covering set route based on the path length abstraction. • A smooth path generator that provides C 2 routes that satisfy user specified curvature constraints. C2 A set of algorithms to coordinate multiple UAVs, including mission commencement from arbitrary locations to the start of a coordinated mission and de-confliction of paths to avoid collisions with other vehicles and fixed obstacles. C3 A numerically robust toolbox of spline-based algorithms tailored for vehicle routing validated through flight test experiments on multiple platforms. A variety of tests and platforms are discussed. The algorithms presented are based on a technical approach with approximately equal emphasis on analysis, computation, dynamic simulation, and flight test experimentation. Our planner (C1) directly takes into account vehicle maneuverability and agility constraints that could otherwise render simple solutions infeasible. This is especially important when surveillance objectives elevate the importance of optimized paths. Researchers have developed a diverse range of solutions for persistent

Astronomical Methods in Aerial Navigation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Beij, K Hilding

1925-01-01

The astronomical method of determining position is universally used in marine navigation and may also be of service in aerial navigation. The practical application of the method, however, must be modified and adapted to conform to the requirements of aviation. Much of this work of adaptation has already been accomplished, but being scattered through various technical journals in a number of languages, is not readily available. This report is for the purpose of collecting under one cover such previous work as appears to be of value to the aerial navigator, comparing instruments and methods, indicating the best practice, and suggesting future developments. The various methods of determining position and their application and value are outlined, and a brief resume of the theory of the astronomical method is given. Observation instruments are described in detail. A complete discussion of the reduction of observations follows, including a rapid method of finding position from the altitudes of two stars. Maps and map cases are briefly considered. A bibliography of the subject is appended.

Research of aerial imaging spectrometer data acquisition technology based on USB 3.0

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Junze; Wang, Yueming; He, Daogang; Yu, Yanan

2016-11-01

With the emergence of UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) platform for aerial imaging spectrometer, research of aerial imaging spectrometer DAS(data acquisition system) faces new challenges. Due to the limitation of platform and other factors, the aerial imaging spectrometer DAS requires small-light, low-cost and universal. Traditional aerial imaging spectrometer DAS system is expensive, bulky, non-universal and unsupported plug-and-play based on PCIe. So that has been unable to meet promotion and application of the aerial imaging spectrometer. In order to solve these problems, the new data acquisition scheme bases on USB3.0 interface.USB3.0 can provide guarantee of small-light, low-cost and universal relying on the forward-looking technology advantage. USB3.0 transmission theory is up to 5Gbps.And the GPIF programming interface achieves 3.2Gbps of the effective theoretical data bandwidth.USB3.0 can fully meet the needs of the aerial imaging spectrometer data transmission rate. The scheme uses the slave FIFO asynchronous data transmission mode between FPGA and USB3014 interface chip. Firstly system collects spectral data from TLK2711 of high-speed serial interface chip. Then FPGA receives data in DDR2 cache after ping-pong data processing. Finally USB3014 interface chip transmits data via automatic-dma approach and uploads to PC by USB3.0 cable. During the manufacture of aerial imaging spectrometer, the DAS can achieve image acquisition, transmission, storage and display. All functions can provide the necessary test detection for aerial imaging spectrometer. The test shows that system performs stable and no data lose. Average transmission speed and storage speed of writing SSD can stabilize at 1.28Gbps. Consequently ,this data acquisition system can meet application requirements for aerial imaging spectrometer.

Effects of Formulated Glyphosate and Adjuvant Tank Mixes on Atomization from Aerial Application Flat Fan Nozzles

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-01-01

Bradley K. Fritz,1 W. Clint Hoffmann,1 and W. E. Bagley2 Effects of Formulated Glyphosate and Adjuvant Tank Mixes on Atomization from Aerial...Application Flat Fan Nozzles REFERENCE: Fritz, Bradley K., Hoffmann, W. Clint, and Bagley, W. E., “Effects of Formulated Glyphosate and Adjuvant Tank Mixes on...factors. Twelve spray-solution treatments were evaluated, ten of which contained a formulated glyphosate product and nine of these con- tained an

Research applications of night-time aerial photography, from local to global scales

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hale, J.; Sadler, J.

2012-12-01

Artificial lighting of the earth's surface is changing at a global scale, with numerous social, economic and environmental implications. In many regions, the extent, brightness and spectral range of lighting is increasing, reflecting economic and technological development, population growth and urbanization. Its benefits include improving the perception of neighbourhood safety and increasing people's options for when activities can take place. Impacts range from the disruption of sleep patterns by a single street lamp to obscured views of the night sky for tens of kilometers surrounding an urban area. There is therefore a need to secure baseline maps of artificial lighting, and to detect changes in their extent and quality over time. Considerable success has been achieved in generating global lighting datasets from Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) Operational Linescan System (OLS) data, which have been used to support a broad range of research and policy applications. However, their coarse spatial and spectral resolution and difficulties in radiance calibration have been recognised as barriers to some potential applications. We present the first multi-spectral radiance calibrated lighting data for cities at a fine spatial resolution (10cm). We then illustrate how these data can be effective for exploring relationships between lighting and urban form, and that they can support the radiance calibration of lighting datasets with much greater spatial extents. Color night photography was collected for two major English cities - Birmingham and London. Ground photometry and radiometry surveys were undertaken, permitting the reclassification of the images to represent incident lux and the identification and classification of individual lamps. Total illuminated area and lamp density both correlated positively with percentage built surface cover, although the strength of these relationships differed between cities. This suggests that artificial lighting may

User guide for the USGS aerial camera Report of Calibration.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Tayman, W.P.

1984-01-01

Calibration and testing of aerial mapping cameras includes the measurement of optical constants and the check for proper functioning of a number of complicated mechanical and electrical parts. For this purpose the US Geological Survey performs an operational type photographic calibration. This paper is not strictly a scientific paper but rather a 'user guide' to the USGS Report of Calibration of an aerial mapping camera for compliance with both Federal and State mapping specifications. -Author

Aerial Photography Summary Record System

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

1998-01-01

The Aerial Photography Summary Record System (APSRS) describes aerial photography projects that meet specified criteria over a given geographic area of the United States and its territories. Aerial photographs are an important tool in cartography and a number of other professions. Land use planners, real estate developers, lawyers, environmental specialists, and many other professionals rely on detailed and timely aerial photographs. Until 1975, there was no systematic approach to locate an aerial photograph, or series of photographs, quickly and easily. In that year, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) inaugurated the APSRS, which has become a standard reference for users of aerial photographs.

Utilization of Local Law Enforcement Aerial Resources in Consequence Management (CM) Response

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wasiolek, Piotr T.; Malchow, Russell L.

2013-03-12

During the past decade the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was instrumental in enhancing the nation’s ability to detect and prevent a radiological or nuclear attack in the highest risk cities. Under the DHS Securing the Cities initiative, nearly 13,000 personnel in the New York City region have been trained in preventive radiological and nuclear detection operations, and nearly 8,500 pieces of radiological detection equipment have been funded. As part of the preventive radiological/nuclear detection (PRND) mission, several cities have received funding to purchase commercial aerial radiation detection systems. In 2008, the U.S. Department of Energy, National Nuclear Securitymore » Administration Aerial Measuring System (AMS) program started providing Mobile Aerial Radiological Surveillance (MARS) training to such assets, resulting in over 150 HAZMAT teams’ officers and pilots from 10 law enforcement organizations and fire departments being trained in the aerial radiation detection. From the beginning, the MARS training course covered both the PRND and consequence management (CM) missions. Even if the law enforcement main focus is PRND, their aerial assets can be utilized in the collection of initial radiation data for post-event radiological CM response. Based on over 50 years of AMS operational experience and information collected during MARS training, this presentation will focus on the concepts of CM response using aerial assets as well as utilizing law enforcement/fire department aerial assets in CM. Also discussed will be the need for establishing closer relationships between local jurisdictions’ aerial radiation detection capabilities and state and local radiation control program directors, radiological health department managers, etc. During radiological events these individuals may become primary experts/advisers to Incident Commanders for radiological emergency response, especially in the early stages of a response. The knowledge of the

Suitability of low cost commercial off-the-shelf aerial platforms and consumer grade digital cameras for small format aerial photography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Turley, Anthony Allen

Many research projects require the use of aerial images. Wetlands evaluation, crop monitoring, wildfire management, environmental change detection, and forest inventory are but a few of the applications of aerial imagery. Low altitude Small Format Aerial Photography (SFAP) is a bridge between satellite and man-carrying aircraft image acquisition and ground-based photography. The author's project evaluates digital images acquired using low cost commercial digital cameras and standard model airplanes to determine their suitability for remote sensing applications. Images from two different sites were obtained. Several photo missions were flown over each site, acquiring images in the visible and near infrared electromagnetic bands. Images were sorted and analyzed to select those with the least distortion, and blended together with Microsoft Image Composite Editor. By selecting images taken within minutes apart, radiometric qualities of the images were virtually identical, yielding no blend lines in the composites. A commercial image stitching program, Autopano Pro, was purchased during the later stages of this study. Autopano Pro was often able to mosaic photos that the free Image Composite Editor was unable to combine. Using telemetry data from an onboard data logger, images were evaluated to calculate scale and spatial resolution. ERDAS ER Mapper and ESRI ArcGIS were used to rectify composite images. Despite the limitations inherent in consumer grade equipment, images of high spatial resolution were obtained. Mosaics of as many as 38 images were created, and the author was able to record detailed aerial images of forest and wetland areas where foot travel was impractical or impossible.

The Development and Flight Testing of an Aerially Deployed Unmanned Aerial System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, Andrew

An investigation into the feasibility of aerial deployed unmanned aerial vehicles was completed. The investigation included the development and flight testing of multiple unmanned aerial systems to investigate the different components of potential aerial deployment missions. The project consisted of two main objectives; the first objective dealt with the development of an airframe capable of surviving aerial deployment from a rocket and then self assembling from its stowed configuration into its flight configuration. The second objective focused on the development of an autopilot capable of performing basic guidance, navigation, and control following aerial deployment. To accomplish these two objectives multiple airframes were developed to verify their completion experimentally. The first portion of the project, investigating the feasibility of surviving an aerial deployment, was completed using a fixed wing glider that following a successful deployment had 52 seconds of controlled flight. Before developing the autopilot in the second phase of the project, the glider was significantly upgraded to fix faults discovered in the glider flight testing and to enhance the system capabilities. Unfortunately to conform to outdoor flight restrictions imposed by the university and the Federal Aviation Administration it was required to switch airframes before flight testing of the new fixed wing platform could begin. As a result, an autopilot was developed for a quadrotor and verified experimentally completely indoors to remain within the limits of governing policies.

Airborne remote sensing assessment of the damage to cotton caused by spray drift from aerially applied glyphosate through spray deposition measurements

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Off-target drift of aerially applied glyphosate can cause plant injury, which is of great concern to farmers and aerial applicators. To determine the extent of crop injury due to near-field drift, an experiment was conducted with a single aerial application of glyphosate. For identification of the d...

Locating waterfowl observations on aerial surveys

USGS Publications Warehouse

Butler, W.I.; Hodges, J.I.; Stehn, R.A.

1995-01-01

We modified standard aerial survey data collection to obtain the geographic location for each waterfowl observation on surveys in Alaska during 1987-1993. Using transect navigation with CPS (global positioning system), data recording on continuously running tapes, and a computer data input program, we located observations with an average deviation along transects of 214 m. The method provided flexibility in survey design and data analysis. Although developed for geese nesting near the coast of the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, the methods are widely applicable and were used on other waterfowl surveys in Alaska to map distribution and relative abundance of waterfowl. Accurate location data with GIS analysis and display may improve precision and usefulness of data from any aerial transect survey.

Knowledge-based understanding of aerial surveillance video

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheng, Hui; Butler, Darren

2006-05-01

Aerial surveillance has long been used by the military to locate, monitor and track the enemy. Recently, its scope has expanded to include law enforcement activities, disaster management and commercial applications. With the ever-growing amount of aerial surveillance video acquired daily, there is an urgent need for extracting actionable intelligence in a timely manner. Furthermore, to support high-level video understanding, this analysis needs to go beyond current approaches and consider the relationships, motivations and intentions of the objects in the scene. In this paper we propose a system for interpreting aerial surveillance videos that automatically generates a succinct but meaningful description of the observed regions, objects and events. For a given video, the semantics of important regions and objects, and the relationships between them, are summarised into a semantic concept graph. From this, a textual description is derived that provides new search and indexing options for aerial video and enables the fusion of aerial video with other information modalities, such as human intelligence, reports and signal intelligence. Using a Mixture-of-Experts video segmentation algorithm an aerial video is first decomposed into regions and objects with predefined semantic meanings. The objects are then tracked and coerced into a semantic concept graph and the graph is summarized spatially, temporally and semantically using ontology guided sub-graph matching and re-writing. The system exploits domain specific knowledge and uses a reasoning engine to verify and correct the classes, identities and semantic relationships between the objects. This approach is advantageous because misclassifications lead to knowledge contradictions and hence they can be easily detected and intelligently corrected. In addition, the graph representation highlights events and anomalies that a low-level analysis would overlook.

Delivery of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ivancic, William D.; Sullivan, Donald V.

2011-01-01

To support much of NASA's Upper Atmosphere Research Program science, NASA has acquired two Global Hawk Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). Two major missions are currently planned using the Global Hawk: the Global Hawk Pacific (GloPac) and the Genesis and Rapid Intensification Processes (GRIP) missions. This paper briefly describes GloPac and GRIP, the concept of operations and the resulting requirements and communication architectures. Also discussed are requirements for future missions that may use satellite systems and networks owned and operated by third parties.

Aerial Video Imaging

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1991-01-01

When Michael Henry wanted to start an aerial video service, he turned to Johnson Space Center for assistance. Two NASA engineers - one had designed and developed TV systems in Apollo, Skylab, Apollo- Soyuz and Space Shuttle programs - designed a wing-mounted fiberglass camera pod. Camera head and angles are adjustable, and the pod is shaped to reduce vibration. The controls are located so a solo pilot can operate the system. A microprocessor displays latitude, longitude, and bearing, and a GPS receiver provides position data for possible legal references. The service has been successfully utilized by railroads, oil companies, real estate companies, etc.

Results of laboratory testing for diphacinone in seawater, fish, invertebrates, and soil following aerial application of rodenticide on Lehua Island, Kauai County, Hawaii, January 2009

USGS Publications Warehouse

Orazio, Carl E.; Tanner, Michael J.; Swenson, Chris; Herod, Jeffrey J.; Dunlevy, Peter; Gale, Robert W.

2009-01-01

In January 2009, rodenticide bait (Ramik Green pellets) containing the active ingredient diphacinone was aerially applied to Lehua Island. Reported herein are the results of laboratory analyses to determine diphacinone concentrations in samples of seawater, fillet of fish, soft tissue of limpets (opihi), whole-body crabs, and soil collected from Lehua Island, Kauai County, Hawaii, after aerial application of the rodenticide bait. Diphacinone was specifically chosen because of its low toxicity to nontarget organisms. Its use on Lehua Island is the second time it has ever been used for an aerial application to eradicate rodents. Testing of the Lehua Island samples for diphacinone utilized high-performance liquid chromatography with photodiode array detection. No detectable concentrations of diphacinone were found in any of the samples from Lehua Island. The limits of detection for diphacinone were 0.4 nanograms per milliliter (parts per billion) seawater, 15 nanograms per gram (dry weight) soil, 20 nanograms per gram (parts per billion) fish fillet, 13 nanograms per gram whole crab, and 34 nanograms per gram soft tissue limpet.

Applying Lessons Learned from Space Safety to Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Risk Assessments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Devoid, Wayne E.

2013-09-01

This paper will examine the application of current orbital launch risk methodology to assessing risk for unmanned aerial vehicle flights over populated areas. Major differences, such as the added complexity of lifting bodies, accounting for pilots-in-the-loop, and the complexity of using current population data to estimate risk for unmanned aerial vehicles, will be highlighted.

2. AERIAL VIEW OF MINUTEMAN SILOS. Low oblique aerial view ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

2. AERIAL VIEW OF MINUTEMAN SILOS. Low oblique aerial view (original in color) of the two launch silos, covered. - Edwards Air Force Base, Air Force Rocket Propulsion Laboratory, Missile Silo Type, Test Area 1-100, northeast end of Test Area 1-100 Road, Boron, Kern County, CA

Hardware Implementation of COTS Avionics System on Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Platforms

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yeh, Yoo-Hsiu; Kumar, Parth; Ishihara, Abraham; Ippolito, Corey

2010-01-01

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) can serve as low cost and low risk platforms for flight testing in Aeronautics research. The NASA Exploration Aerial Vehicle (EAV) and Experimental Sensor-Controlled Aerial Vehicle (X-SCAV) UAVs were developed in support of control systems research at NASA Ames Research Center. The avionics hardware for both systems has been redesigned and updated, and the structure of the EAV has been further strengthened. Preliminary tests show the avionics operate properly in the new configuration. A linear model for the EAV also was estimated from flight data, and was verified in simulation. These modifications and results prepare the EAV and X-SCAV to be used in a wide variety of flight research projects.

The Aeronautics Education, Research, and Industry Alliance (AERIAL) 2002 Report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bowen, Brent D.; Fink, Mary M.; Nickerson, Jocelyn S.

2002-01-01

This report presents and overview of the Aeronautics Education, Research, and Industry Alliance (AERIAL). It covers the University of Nebraska's areas of research, and its outreach to students at Native American schools as part of AERIAL. The report contains three papers: "Airborne Remote Sensing (ARS) for Agricultural Research and Commercialization Application" (White Paper), "Validated Numerical Models for the Convective Extinction of Fuel Droplets (CEFD)", and "The Small Aircraft Transportation System (SATS): Research Collaborations with the NASA Langley Research Center".

Surrogate Joint Aerial Layer Network (JALN) Experiment: Applications of Commercial-Off-The-Shelf Technologies for Researching Future JALN Challenges

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-12-01

CHALLENGES DECEMBER 2014 TECHNICAL REPORT APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE; DISTRIBUTION UNLIMITED STINFO COPY AIR FORCE RESEARCH LABORATORY INFORMATION...JOINT AERIAL LAYER NETWORK (JALN) EXPERIMENT: APPLICATION OF COMMERCIAL-OFF-THE-SHELF TECHNOLOGIES FOR RESEARCHING FUTURE JALN CHALLENGES 5a... challenge JALN developers. The use of low-cost COTS wireless technology is found to be a suitable surrogate for military hardware for investigating

Aerial image based die-to-model inspections of advanced technology masks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Jun; Lei, Wei-Guo; McCall, Joan; Zaatri, Suheil; Penn, Michael; Nagpal, Rajesh; Faivishevsky, Lev; Ben-Yishai, Michael; Danino, Udy; Tam, Aviram; Dassa, Oded; Balasubramanian, Vivek; Shah, Tejas H.; Wagner, Mark; Mangan, Shmoolik

2009-10-01

Die-to-Model (D2M) inspection is an innovative approach to running inspection based on a mask design layout data. The D2M concept takes inspection from the traditional domain of mask pattern to the preferred domain of the wafer aerial image. To achieve this, D2M transforms the mask layout database into a resist plane aerial image, which in turn is compared to the aerial image of the mask, captured by the inspection optics. D2M detection algorithms work similarly to an Aerial D2D (die-to-die) inspection, but instead of comparing a die to another die it is compared to the aerial image model. D2M is used whenever D2D inspection is not practical (e.g., single die) or when a validation of mask conformity to design is needed, i.e., for printed pattern fidelity. D2M is of particular importance for inspection of logic single die masks, where no simplifying assumption of pattern periodicity may be done. The application can tailor the sensitivity to meet the needs at different locations, such as device area, scribe lines and periphery. In this paper we present first test results of the D2M mask inspection application at a mask shop. We describe the methodology of using D2M, and review the practical aspects of the D2M mask inspection.

Aerial Explorers and Robotic Ecosystems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Young, Larry A.; Pisanich, Greg

2004-01-01

A unique bio-inspired approach to autonomous aerial vehicle, a.k.a. aerial explorer technology is discussed. The work is focused on defining and studying aerial explorer mission concepts, both as an individual robotic system and as a member of a small robotic "ecosystem." Members of this robotic ecosystem include the aerial explorer, air-deployed sensors and robotic symbiotes, and other assets such as rovers, landers, and orbiters.

Studies on an aerial propellant transfer space plane (APTSP)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jayan, N.; Biju Kumar, K. S.; Gupta, Anish Kumar; Kashyap, Akhilesh Kumar; Venkatraman, Kartik; Mathew, Joseph; Mukunda, H. S.

2004-04-01

This paper presents a study of a fully reusable earth-to-orbit launch vehicle concept with horizontal take-off and landing, employing a turbojet engine for low speed, and a rocket for high-speed acceleration and space operations. This concept uses existing technology to the maximum possible extent, thereby reducing development time, cost and effort. It uses the experience in aerial filling of military aircrafts for propellant filling at an altitude of 13 km at a flight speed of M=0.85. Aerial filling of propellant reduces the take-off weight significantly thereby minimizing the structural weight of the vehicle. The vehicle takes off horizontally and uses turbojet engines till the end of the propellant filling operation. The rocket engines provide thrust for the next phase till the injection of a satellite at LEO. A sensitivity analysis of the mission with respect to rocket engine specific impulse and overall vehicle structural factor is also presented in this paper. A conceptual design of space plane with a payload capability of 10 ton to LEO is carried out. The study shows that the realization of an aerial propellant transfer space plane is possible with limited development of new technology thus reducing the demands on the finances required for achieving the objectives.

Preliminary assessment of aerial photography techniques for canvasback population analysis

USGS Publications Warehouse

Munro, R.E.; Trauger, D.L.

1976-01-01

Recent intensive research on the canvasback has focused attention on the need for more precise estimates of population parameters. During the 1972-75 period, various types of aerial photographing equipment were evaluated to determine the problems and potentials for employing these techniques in appraisals of canvasback populations. The equipment and procedures available for automated analysis of aerial photographic imagery were also investigated. Serious technical problems remain to be resolved, but some promising results were obtained. Final conclusions about the feasibility of operational implementation await a more rigorous analysis of the data collected.

A method for using unmanned aerial vehicles for emergency investigation of single geo-hazards and sample applications of this method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Haifeng; Long, Jingjing; Yi, Wu; Yi, Qinglin; Zhang, Guodong; Lei, Bangjun

2017-11-01

In recent years, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have become widely used in emergency investigations of major natural hazards over large areas; however, UAVs are less commonly employed to investigate single geo-hazards. Based on a number of successful investigations in the Three Gorges Reservoir area, China, a complete UAV-based method for performing emergency investigations of single geo-hazards is described. First, a customized UAV system that consists of a multi-rotor UAV subsystem, an aerial photography subsystem, a ground control subsystem and a ground surveillance subsystem is described in detail. The implementation process, which includes four steps, i.e., indoor preparation, site investigation, on-site fast processing and application, and indoor comprehensive processing and application, is then elaborated, and two investigation schemes, automatic and manual, that are used in the site investigation step are put forward. Moreover, some key techniques and methods - e.g., the layout and measurement of ground control points (GCPs), route planning, flight control and image collection, and the Structure from Motion (SfM) photogrammetry processing - are explained. Finally, three applications are given. Experience has shown that using UAVs for emergency investigation of single geo-hazards greatly reduces the time, intensity and risks associated with on-site work and provides valuable, high-accuracy, high-resolution information that supports emergency responses.

Aerial photo SBVC1962". Photo no. 360. Low oblique aerial view ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

Aerial photo -SBVC-1962". Photo no. 360. Low oblique aerial view of the campus, looking southeast. Stamped on the rear: "Ron Wilhite, Sun-Telegram photo, file, 10/22/62/ - San Bernardino Valley College, 701 South Mount Vernon Avenue, San Bernardino, San Bernardino County, CA

A low-cost dual-camera imaging system for aerial applicators

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Agricultural aircraft provide a readily available remote sensing platform as low-cost and easy-to-use consumer-grade cameras are being increasingly used for aerial imaging. In this article, we report on a dual-camera imaging system we recently assembled that can capture RGB and near-infrared (NIR) i...

Evaluation of orthomosics and digital surface models derived from aerial imagery for crop mapping

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Orthomosics derived from aerial imagery acquired by consumer-grade cameras have been used for crop mapping. However, digital surface models (DSM) derived from aerial imagery have not been evaluated for this application. In this study, a novel method was proposed to extract crop height from DSM and t...

Cooperative Lander-Surface/Aerial Microflyer Missions for Mars Exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thakoor, Sarita; Lay, Norman; Hine, Butler; Zornetzer, Steven

2004-01-01

mitigation in the traverse of the long-distance surface explorer/rover. The basic requirements of design and operation of BEES to implement the scenarios are discussed. Terrestrial applications of such concepts include distributed aerial/surface measurements of meteorological events, i.e., storm watch, seismic monitoring, reconnaissance, biological chemical sensing, search and rescue, surveillance, autonomous security/ protection agents, and/or delivery and lateral distribution of agents (sensors, surface/subsurface crawlers, clean-up agents). Figure 2 illustrates an Earth demonstration that is in development, and its implementation will illustrate the value of these biomorphic mission concepts.

Review of U.S. Army Unmanned Aerial Systems Accident Reports: Analysis of Human Error Contributions

DTIC Science & Technology

2018-03-20

USAARL Report No. 2018-08 Review of U.S. Army Unmanned Aerial Systems Accident Reports: Analysis of Human Error Contributions By Kathryn A...3 Statistical Analysis Approach ..............................................................................................3 Results...1 Introduction The success of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) operations relies upon a variety of factors, including, but not limited to

Concept and realization of unmanned aerial system with different modes of operation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Czyba, Roman; Szafrański, Grzegorz; Janusz, Wojciech

2014-12-10

In this paper we describe the development process of unmanned aerial system, its mechanical components, electronics and software solutions. During the stage of design, we have formulated some necessary requirements for the multirotor vehicle and ground control station in order to build an optimal system which can be used for the reconnaissance missions. Platform is controlled by use of the ground control station (GCS) and has possibility of accomplishing video based observation tasks. In order to fulfill this requirement the on-board payload consists of mechanically stabilized camera augmented with machine vision algorithms to enable object tracking tasks. Novelty of themore » system are four modes of flight, which give full functionality of the developed UAV system. Designed ground control station is consisted not only of the application itself, but also a built-in dedicated components located inside the chassis, which together creates an advanced UAV system supporting the control and management of the flight. Mechanical part of quadrotor is designed to ensure its robustness while meeting objectives of minimizing weight of the platform. Finally the designed electronics allows for implementation of control and estimation algorithms without the needs for their excessive computational optimization.« less

Approach for Autonomous Control of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Using Intelligent Agents for Knowledge Creation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dufrene, Warren R., Jr.

2004-01-01

This paper describes the development of a planned approach for Autonomous operation of an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). A Hybrid approach will seek to provide Knowledge Generation through the application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Intelligent Agents (IA) for UAV control. The applications of several different types of AI techniques for flight are explored during this research effort. The research concentration is directed to the application of different AI methods within the UAV arena. By evaluating AI and biological system approaches. which include Expert Systems, Neural Networks. Intelligent Agents, Fuzzy Logic, and Complex Adaptive Systems, a new insight may be gained into the benefits of AI and CAS techniques applied to achieving true autonomous operation of these systems. Although flight systems were explored, the benefits should apply to many Unmanned Vehicles such as: Rovers. Ocean Explorers, Robots, and autonomous operation systems. A portion of the flight system is broken down into control agents that represent the intelligent agent approach used in AI. After the completion of a successful approach, a framework for applying an intelligent agent is presented. The initial results from simulation of a security agent for communication are presented.

Launching the AquaMAV: bioinspired design for aerial-aquatic robotic platforms.

PubMed

Siddall, R; Kovač, M

2014-09-01

Current Micro Aerial Vehicles (MAVs) are greatly limited by being able to operate in air only. Designing multimodal MAVs that can fly effectively, dive into the water and retake flight would enable applications of distributed water quality monitoring, search and rescue operations and underwater exploration. While some can land on water, no technologies are available that allow them to both dive and fly, due to dramatic design trade-offs that have to be solved for movement in both air and water and due to the absence of high-power propulsion systems that would allow a transition from underwater to air. In nature, several animals have evolved design solutions that enable them to successfully transition between water and air, and move in both media. Examples include flying fish, flying squid, diving birds and diving insects. In this paper, we review the biological literature on these multimodal animals and abstract their underlying design principles in the perspective of building a robotic equivalent, the Aquatic Micro Air Vehicle (AquaMAV). Building on the inspire-abstract-implement bioinspired design paradigm, we identify key adaptations from nature and designs from robotics. Based on this evaluation we propose key design principles for the design of successful aerial-aquatic robots, i.e. using a plunge diving strategy for water entry, folding wings for diving efficiency, water jet propulsion for water takeoff and hydrophobic surfaces for water shedding and dry flight. Further, we demonstrate the feasibility of the water jet propulsion by building a proof-of-concept water jet propulsion mechanism with a mass of 2.6 g that can propel itself up to 4.8 m high, corresponding to 72 times its size. This propulsion mechanism can be used for AquaMAV but also for other robotic applications where high-power density is of use, such as for jumping and swimming robots.

Automated Aerial Refueling Hitches a Ride on AFF

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hansen, Jennifer L.; Murray, James E.; Bever, Glenn; Campos, Norma V.; Schkolnik, Gerard

2007-01-01

The recent introduction of uninhabited aerial vehicles [UAVs (basically, remotely piloted or autonomous aircraft)] has spawned new developments in autonomous operation and posed new challenges. Automated aerial refueling (AAR) is a capability that will enable UAVs to travel greater distances and loiter longer over targets. NASA Dryden Flight Research Center, in cooperation with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR), the Naval Air Force Pacific Fleet, and the Air Force Research Laboratory, rapidly conceived and accomplished an AAR flight research project focused on collecting a unique, high-quality database on the dynamics of the hose and drogue of an aerial refueling system. This flight-derived database would be used to validate mathematical models of the dynamics in support of design and analysis of AAR systems for future UAVs. The project involved the use of two Dryden F/A-18 airplanes and an S-3 hose-drogue refueling store on loan from the Navy. In this year-long project, which was started on October 1, 2002, 583 research maneuvers were completed during 23 flights.

Aeronautic Instruments. Section VI : Aerial Navigation and Navigating Instruments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Eaton, H N

1923-01-01

This report outlines briefly the methods of aerial navigation which have been developed during the past few years, with a description of the different instruments used. Dead reckoning, the most universal method of aerial navigation, is first discussed. Then follows an outline of the principles of navigation by astronomical observation; a discussion of the practical use of natural horizons, such as sea, land, and cloud, in making extant observations; the use of artificial horizons, including the bubble, pendulum, and gyroscopic types. A description is given of the recent development of the radio direction finder and its application to navigation.

Development of test methods for scale model simulation of aerial applications in the NASA Langley Vortex Research Facility. [agricultural aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jordan, F. L., Jr.

1980-01-01

As part of basic research to improve aerial applications technology, methods were developed at the Langley Vortex Research Facility to simulate and measure deposition patterns of aerially-applied sprays and granular materials by means of tests with small-scale models of agricultural aircraft and dynamically-scaled test particles. Interactions between the aircraft wake and the dispersed particles are being studied with the objective of modifying wake characteristics and dispersal techniques to increase swath width, improve deposition pattern uniformity, and minimize drift. The particle scaling analysis, test methods for particle dispersal from the model aircraft, visualization of particle trajectories, and measurement and computer analysis of test deposition patterns are described. An experimental validation of the scaling analysis and test results that indicate improved control of chemical drift by use of winglets are presented to demonstrate test methods.

SURVEYS OF FALLOUT SHELTER--A COMPARISON BETWEEN AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHIC AND DOCUMENTARY METHODS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kleinecke, D.C.

1960-02-01

In 1959 a large part of Contra Costa County, California, was surveyed for fallout shelter areas. This survey was based on an examination of the tax assessor's records of existing buildings. A portion of this area was also surveyed independently by a method based on aerial photography. A statistical comparison of the results of these two surveys indicates that the aerial photographic method was more efficient than the documentary method in locating potential shelter space in buildings of heavy construction. This result, however, is probably not operationally significant. There is reason to believe that a combination of these two surveymore » methods could be devised which would be operationally preferable to either method. (auth)« less

Current and emerging operational uses of remote sensing in Swedish forestry

Treesearch

Hakan Olsson; Mikael Egberth; Jonas Engberg; Johan E.S. Fransson; Tina Granqvist Pahlen; < i> et al< /i>

2007-01-01

Satellite remote sensing is being used operationally by Swedish authorities in applications involving, for example, change detection of clear felled areas, use of k-Nearest Neighbour estimates of forest parameters, and post-stratification (in combination with National Forest Inventory plots). For forest management planning of estates, aerial...

A study of methods for lowering aerial environmental survey cost

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stansberry, J. R.

1973-01-01

The results are presented of a study of methods for lowering the cost of environmental aerial surveys. A wide range of low cost techniques were investigated for possible application to current pressing urban and rural problems. The objective of the study is to establish a definition of the technical problems associated with conducting aerial surveys using various low cost techniques, to conduct a survey of equipment which may be used in low cost systems, and to establish preliminary estimates of cost. A set of candidate systems were selected and described for the environmental survey tasks.

Aerial Prefeeding Followed by Ground Based Toxic Baiting for More Efficient and Acceptable Poisoning of Invasive Small Mammalian Pests

PubMed Central

Morgan, David; Warburton, Bruce; Nugent, Graham

2015-01-01

Introduced brushtail possums (Trichosurus vulpecula) and rat species (Rattus spp.) are major vertebrate pests in New Zealand, with impacts on conservation and agriculture being managed largely through poisoning operations. Aerial distribution of baits containing sodium fluoroacetate (1080) has been refined to maximise cost effectiveness and minimise environmental impact, but this method is strongly opposed by some as it is perceived as being indiscriminate. Although ground based control enables precise placement of baits, operations are often more than twice as costly as aerial control, mainly due to the high labour costs. We investigated a new approach to ground based control that combined aerial distribution of non-toxic ‘prefeed’ baits followed by sparse distribution of toxic baits at regular intervals along the GPS tracked prefeeding flight paths. This approach was tested in two field trials in which both 1080 baits and cholecalciferol baits were used in separate areas. Effectiveness of the approach, assessed primarily using ‘chewcards’, was compared with that of scheduled aerial 1080 operations that were conducted in outlying areas of both trials. Contractors carrying out ground based control were able to follow the GPS tracks of aerial prefeeding flight lines very accurately, and with 1080 baits achieved very high levels of kill of possums and rats similar to those achieved by aerial 1080 baiting. Cholecalciferol was less effective in the first trial, but by doubling the amount of cholecalciferol bait used in the second trial, few possums or rats survived. By measuring the time taken to complete ground baiting from GPS tracks, we predicted that the method (using 1080 baits) would be similarly cost effective to aerial 1080 operations for controlling possums and rats, and considerably less expensive than typical current costs of ground based control. The main limitations to the use of the method will be access to, and size of, the operational site

Identifying Contingency Requirements using Obstacle Analysis on an Unpiloted Aerial Vehicle

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lutz, Robyn R.; Nelson, Stacy; Patterson-Hine, Ann; Frost, Chad R.; Tal, Doron

2005-01-01

This paper describes experience using Obstacle Analysis to identify contingency requirements on an unpiloted aerial vehicle. A contingency is an operational anomaly, and may or may not involve component failure. The challenges to this effort were: ( I ) rapid evolution of the system while operational, (2) incremental autonomy as capabilities were transferred from ground control to software control and (3) the eventual safety-criticality of such systems as they begin to fly over populated areas. The results reported here are preliminary but show that Obstacle Analysis helped (1) identify new contingencies that appeared as autonomy increased; (2) identify new alternatives for handling both previously known and new contingencies; and (3) investigate the continued validity of existing software requirements for contingency handling. Since many mobile, intelligent systems are built using a development process that poses the same challenges, the results appear to have applicability to other similar systems.

Aerial Application of Pheromones for Mating Disruption of an Invasive Moth as a Potential Eradication Tool

PubMed Central

Brockerhoff, Eckehard G.; Suckling, David M.; Kimberley, Mark; Richardson, Brian; Coker, Graham; Gous, Stefan; Kerr, Jessica L.; Cowan, David M.; Lance, David R.; Strand, Tara; Zhang, Aijun

2012-01-01

Biological invasions can cause major ecological and economic impacts. During the early stages of invasions, eradication is desirable but tactics are lacking that are both effective and have minimal non-target effects. Mating disruption, which may meet these criteria, was initially chosen to respond to the incursion of light brown apple moth, Epiphyas postvittana (LBAM; Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), in California. The large size and limited accessibility of the infested area favored aerial application. Moth sex pheromone formulations for potential use in California or elsewhere were tested in a pine forest in New Zealand where LBAM is abundant. Formulations were applied by helicopter at a target rate of 40 g pheromone per ha. Trap catch before and after application was used to assess the efficacy and longevity of formulations, in comparison with plots treated with ground-applied pheromone dispensers and untreated control plots. Traps placed at different heights showed LBAM was abundant in the upper canopy of tall trees, which complicates control attempts. A wax formulation and polyethylene dispensers were most effective and provided trap shut-down near ground level for 10 weeks. Only the wax formulation was effective in the upper canopy. As the pheromone blend contained a behavioral antagonist for LBAM, ‘false trail following’ could be ruled out as a mechanism explaining trap shutdown. Therefore, ‘sensory impairment’ and ‘masking of females’ are the main modes of operation. Mating disruption enhances Allee effects which contribute to negative growth of small populations and, therefore, it is highly suitable for area-wide control and eradication of biological invaders. PMID:22937092

Effects on birds of fenthion aerial application for mosquito control

USGS Publications Warehouse

DeWeese, L.R.; McEwen, L.C.; Settimi, L.A.; Deblinger, R.D.

1983-01-01

Effects on birds of an aerial application of fenthion, a potent organophosphorus cholinesterase (ChE)-inhibiting insecticide, were assessed on four study sites 1.8 to 3.6 km2 in size. These sites were located within 121.5 km2 of wet meadows treated with 47 g of fenthion (AI) per ha in ultralow- volume formulation. Assessment methods were searches for sick or dead birds, measurements of brain ChE activity in specimens found dead or collected alive at different time intervals, and counts of bird populations. After treatment, 99 birds and 15 mammals were found sick or dead; 106 of these were on one site. Brain ChE activity in dead birds was depressed sufficiently to indicate that death was caused by an anti-ChE substance. Brain ChE activity in three common bird species collected alive showed the greatest reduction 2 days postspray. Two of these species had ChE activity that was still significantly (P<0.05) depressed 15 days postspray. Bird populations declined most where mortality was heaviest. Fenthion sprayed for mosquito control was life threatening to many birds inhabiting treated meadows.

Learning Scene Categories from High Resolution Satellite Image for Aerial Video Analysis

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cheriyadat, Anil M

2011-01-01

Automatic scene categorization can benefit various aerial video processing applications. This paper addresses the problem of predicting the scene category from aerial video frames using a prior model learned from satellite imagery. We show that local and global features in the form of line statistics and 2-D power spectrum parameters respectively can characterize the aerial scene well. The line feature statistics and spatial frequency parameters are useful cues to distinguish between different urban scene categories. We learn the scene prediction model from highresolution satellite imagery to test the model on the Columbus Surrogate Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (CSUAV) dataset ollected bymore » high-altitude wide area UAV sensor platform. e compare the proposed features with the popular Scale nvariant Feature Transform (SIFT) features. Our experimental results show that proposed approach outperforms te SIFT model when the training and testing are conducted n disparate data sources.« less

BOREAS Level-0 C-130 Aerial Photography

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Newcomer, Jeffrey A.; Dominguez, Roseanne; Hall, Forrest G. (Editor)

2000-01-01

For BOReal Ecosystem-Atmosphere Study (BOREAS), C-130 and other aerial photography was collected to provide finely detailed and spatially extensive documentation of the condition of the primary study sites. The NASA C-130 Earth Resources aircraft can accommodate two mapping cameras during flight, each of which can be fitted with 6- or 12-inch focal-length lenses and black-and-white, natural-color, or color-IR film, depending upon requirements. Both cameras were often in operation simultaneously, although sometimes only the lower resolution camera was deployed. When both cameras were in operation, the higher resolution camera was often used in a more limited fashion. The acquired photography covers the period of April to September 1994. The aerial photography was delivered as rolls of large format (9 x 9 inch) color transparency prints, with imagery from multiple missions (hundreds of prints) often contained within a single roll. A total of 1533 frames were collected from the C-130 platform for BOREAS in 1994. Note that the level-0 C-130 transparencies are not contained on the BOREAS CD-ROM set. An inventory file is supplied on the CD-ROM to inform users of all the data that were collected. Some photographic prints were made from the transparencies. In addition, BORIS staff digitized a subset of the tranparencies and stored the images in JPEG format. The CD-ROM set contains a small subset of the collected aerial photography that were the digitally scanned and stored as JPEG files for most tower and auxiliary sites in the NSA and SSA. See Section 15 for information about how to acquire additional imagery.

Fuel cell powered small unmanned aerial systems (UASs) for extended endurance flights

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chu, Deryn; Jiang, R.; Dunbar, Z.; Grew, Kyle; McClure, J.

2015-05-01

Small unmanned aerial systems (UASs) have been used for military applications and have additional potential for commercial applications [1-4]. For the military, these systems provide valuable intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and target acquisition (ISRTA) capabilities for units at the infantry, battalion, and company levels. The small UASs are light-weight, manportable, can be hand-launched, and are capable of carrying payloads. Currently, most small UASs are powered by lithium-ion or lithium polymer batteries; however, the flight endurance is usually limited less than two hours and requires frequent battery replacement. Long endurance small UAS flights have been demonstrated through the implementation of a fuel cell system. For instance, a propane fueled solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) stack has been used to power a small UAS and shown to extend mission flight time. The research and development efforts presented here not only apply to small UASs, but also provide merit to the viability of extending mission operations for other unmanned systems applications.

Aerial-broadcast application of diphacinone bait for rodent control in Hawai`i: Efficacy and non-target species risk assessment

USGS Publications Warehouse

Foote, David; Spurr, Eric B.; Lindsey, Gerald D.; Forbes Perry, Charlotte

2015-01-01

Introduced rats (Rattus rattus, R. exulans, and R. norvegicus) have been implicated in the decline or extinction of numerous species of plants and animals in Hawai‘i. This study investigated the efficacy of aerial-broadcast application of Ramik® Green baits containing 50 ppm (0.005%) diphacinone in reducing rat and mouse populations and the risk to non-target species. The study was undertaken in paired 45.56-ha treatment and non-treatment plots in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. All 21 radio-collared rats in the treatment plot died within nine days of bait application, whereas none of the 18 radio-collared rats in the non-treatment plot died. There was a 99% drop in both the rat capture rate and percentage of non-toxic census bait blocks gnawed by rats in the treatment plot relative to the non-treatment plot three weeks after bait application. The only rat captured in the treatment plot three weeks after bait application was not ear-tagged (i.e., it was not a recapture), whereas 44% of the 52 rats captured in the non-treatment plot were ear-tagged. Most of the bait had disappeared from the forest floor within about one month of application. No birds likely to have eaten bait were found dead, although residues of diphacinone were found in the livers of three species of introduced seed-eating/omnivorous birds captured alive after bait application. No predatory birds were found dead one month or three months after bait application. The remains of a Hawaiian hawk (Buteo solitarius) were found six months after bait application, but it was not possible to determine the cause of death. This study demonstrated the efficacy of aerially broadcast diphacinone bait for control of rats and mice in Hawaiian montane forests, and was part of the dataset submitted to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for the national registration of a diphacinone bait for the control of rat populations in conservation areas.

Application of machine learning for the evaluation of turfgrass plots using aerial images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ding, Ke; Raheja, Amar; Bhandari, Subodh; Green, Robert L.

2016-05-01

Historically, investigation of turfgrass characteristics have been limited to visual ratings. Although relevant information may result from such evaluations, final inferences may be questionable because of the subjective nature in which the data is collected. Recent advances in computer vision techniques allow researchers to objectively measure turfgrass characteristics such as percent ground cover, turf color, and turf quality from the digital images. This paper focuses on developing a methodology for automated assessment of turfgrass quality from aerial images. Images of several turfgrass plots of varying quality were gathered using a camera mounted on an unmanned aerial vehicle. The quality of these plots were also evaluated based on visual ratings. The goal was to use the aerial images to generate quality evaluations on a regular basis for the optimization of water treatment. Aerial images are used to train a neural network so that appropriate features such as intensity, color, and texture of the turfgrass are extracted from these images. Neural network is a nonlinear classifier commonly used in machine learning. The output of the neural network trained model is the ratings of the grass, which is compared to the visual ratings. Currently, the quality and the color of turfgrass, measured as the greenness of the grass, are evaluated. The textures are calculated using the Gabor filter and co-occurrence matrix. Other classifiers such as support vector machines and simpler linear regression models such as Ridge regression and LARS regression are also used. The performance of each model is compared. The results show encouraging potential for using machine learning techniques for the evaluation of turfgrass quality and color.

Evaluation of the use of live aerial video for traffic management.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1995-01-01

This report describes the evaluation of an intelligent transportation system (ITS) demonstration project in which live aerial video of traffic conditions was captured by a rotary wing aircraft operated by the Fairfax County (Virginia) Police Departme...

Geometric Calibration and Validation of Ultracam Aerial Sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gruber, Michael; Schachinger, Bernhard; Muick, Marc; Neuner, Christian; Tschemmernegg, Helfried

2016-03-01

We present details of the calibration and validation procedure of UltraCam Aerial Camera systems. Results from the laboratory calibration and from validation flights are presented for both, the large format nadir cameras and the oblique cameras as well. Thus in this contribution we show results from the UltraCam Eagle and the UltraCam Falcon, both nadir mapping cameras, and the UltraCam Osprey, our oblique camera system. This sensor offers a mapping grade nadir component together with the four oblique camera heads. The geometric processing after the flight mission is being covered by the UltraMap software product. Thus we present details about the workflow as well. The first part consists of the initial post-processing which combines image information as well as camera parameters derived from the laboratory calibration. The second part, the traditional automated aerial triangulation (AAT) is the step from single images to blocks and enables an additional optimization process. We also present some special features of our software, which are designed to better support the operator to analyze large blocks of aerial images and to judge the quality of the photogrammetric set-up.

7 CFR 1755.506 - Aerial wire services

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 11 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Aerial wire services 1755.506 Section 1755.506... § 1755.506 Aerial wire services (a) Aerial services of one through six pairs shall consist of Service...), Specifications and Drawings for Service Installations at Customer Access Locations. The wire used for aerial...

Behavioral changes from chronic exposure to pesticides used in aerial application : effects of Phosdrin on the performance of monkeys and pigeons on variable interval reinforcement schedules.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1972-08-01

The need for study of behavioral difficulties resulting from exposure to pesticides is based upon reports of behavioral difficulties in aerial applicators following organophosphate poisoning and is underscored by a recent plane crash of a cropduster ...

The Aeronautics Education, Research, and Industry Alliance (AERIAL) 2002 Report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bowen, Brent D.; Box, Richard C.; Fink, Mary; Gogos, George; Lehrer, Henry R.; Narayanan, Ram M.; Nickerson, Jocelyn S.; Tarry, Scott E.; Vlasek, Karisa D.; O'Neil, Patrick D.

2002-01-01

The NASA Nebraska Space Grant Consortium (NSGC) & EPSCoR programs at the University of Nebraska at Omaha are involved in a variety of innovative research activities. Such research is supported through the Aeronautics Education, Research, and Industry Alliance (AERIAL) and collaborative seed funds. AERIAL is a comprehensive, multi-faceted, five year NASA EPSCoR initiative that contributes substantially to the strategic research and technology priorities of NASA while intensifying Nebraska s rapidly growing aeronautics research and development endeavors. AERIAL includes three major collaborative research teams (CRTs) whose nexus is a common focus in aeronautics research. Each CRT - Small Aircraft Transportation System (SATS), Airborne Remote Sensing for Agricultural Research and Commercialization Applications (ARS), and Numerical Simulation of the Combustion of Fuel Droplets: Finite Rate Kinetics and Flame Zone Grid Adaptation (CEFD) -has a distinct research agenda. This program provides the template for funding of new and innovative research that emphasizes aerospace technology.

Selected reading in agricultural applications of small-format aerial photography

USGS Publications Warehouse

Anderson, William H.; Kroeger, Kevin J.

1980-01-01

This collection of material has been assembled in response to a growing.interest in the use of low-cost, small-format aerial photography in the management of agricultural resources. Together, these articles serve to document the prevailing level of interest in the subject and provide an insight as to what can reasonably be expected from the use of this powerful agricultural management tool. 

Aerial Insecticide Treatments for Management of Dectes Stem Borer, Dectes texanus, in Soybean

PubMed Central

Sloderbeck, P. E.; Buschman, L.L.

2011-01-01

The Dectes stem borer, Dectes texanus LeConte (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae), is an increasingly important pest of soybean and sunflower in central North America. Nine large-scale field trials were conducted over a 3-year period to determine if Dectes stem borer could be managed with insecticide treatments. Aerial applications of lambda on July 6, 12 and 15 were successful in significantly reducing adults, but applications on July 1, 20 and 24 were less successful. These data suggest that for central Kansas two aerial applications may be required to control Dectes stem borers in soybean. Based on our experience the first application should be made at the peak of adult flight about July 5th and the second application 10 days later. The local treatment schedule should be developed to follow the local Dectes stem borer adult emergence pattern. Treated aerial strips 59 m (195 ft) wide were not large enough to prevent reinfestation, but treated half-circles (24 ha or 60 acres) were successful in reducing in Dectes stem borer infestation of soybean. Sweep net samples of adults were not successful in identifying a treatment threshold, so treatment decisions will need to be based on field history of infestation. Further studies are needed to identify better sampling methods that can be used to establish treatment thresholds and to refine the best timing for treatments. PMID:21861653

Wildlife Multispecies Remote Sensing Using Visible and Thermal Infrared Imagery Acquired from AN Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (uav)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chrétien, L.-P.; Théau, J.; Ménard, P.

2015-08-01

Wildlife aerial surveys require time and significant resources. Multispecies detection could reduce costs to a single census for species that coexist spatially. Traditional methods are demanding for observers in terms of concentration and are not adapted to multispecies censuses. The processing of multispectral aerial imagery acquired from an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) represents a potential solution for multispecies detection. The method used in this study is based on a multicriteria object-based image analysis applied on visible and thermal infrared imagery acquired from a UAV. This project aimed to detect American bison, fallow deer, gray wolves, and elks located in separate enclosures with a known number of individuals. Results showed that all bison and elks were detected without errors, while for deer and wolves, 0-2 individuals per flight line were mistaken with ground elements or undetected. This approach also detected simultaneously and separately the four targeted species even in the presence of other untargeted ones. These results confirm the potential of multispectral imagery acquired from UAV for wildlife census. Its operational application remains limited to small areas related to the current regulations and available technology. Standardization of the workflow will help to reduce time and expertise requirements for such technology.

A Spherical Aerial Terrestrial Robot

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dudley, Christopher J.

This thesis focuses on the design of a novel, ultra-lightweight spherical aerial terrestrial robot (ATR). The ATR has the ability to fly through the air or roll on the ground, for applications that include search and rescue, mapping, surveillance, environmental sensing, and entertainment. The design centers around a micro-quadcopter encased in a lightweight spherical exoskeleton that can rotate about the quadcopter. The spherical exoskeleton offers agile ground locomotion while maintaining characteristics of a basic aerial robot in flying mode. A model of the system dynamics for both modes of locomotion is presented and utilized in simulations to generate potential trajectories for aerial and terrestrial locomotion. Details of the quadcopter and exoskeleton design and fabrication are discussed, including the robot's turning characteristic over ground and the spring-steel exoskeleton with carbon fiber axle. The capabilities of the ATR are experimentally tested and are in good agreement with model-simulated performance. An energy analysis is presented to validate the overall efficiency of the robot in both modes of locomotion. Experimentally-supported estimates show that the ATR can roll along the ground for over 12 minutes and cover the distance of 1.7 km, or it can fly for 4.82 minutes and travel 469 m, on a single 350 mAh battery. Compared to a traditional flying-only robot, the ATR traveling over the same distance in rolling mode is 2.63-times more efficient, and in flying mode the system is only 39 percent less efficient. Experimental results also demonstrate the ATR's transition from rolling to flying mode.

Characterization of in-swath spray deposition for CP-11TT flat-fan nozzles used in low volume aerial application of crop production and protection materials

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

For aerial application of crop production and protection materials, a complex interaction of controllable and uncontrollable factors is involved. It is difficult to completely characterize spray drift and deposition, but estimates can be made with appropriate sampling protocol and analysis. With c...

Progress on Platforms, Sensors and Applications with Unmanned Aerial Vehicles in soil science and geomorphology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anders, Niels; Suomalainen, Juha; Seeger, Manuel; Keesstra, Saskia; Bartholomeus, Harm; Paron, Paolo

2014-05-01

The recent increase of performance and endurance of electronically controlled flying platforms, such as multi-copters and fixed-wing airplanes, and decreasing size and weight of different sensors and batteries leads to increasing popularity of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) for scientific purposes. Modern workflows that implement UAS include guided flight plan generation, 3D GPS navigation for fully automated piloting, and automated processing with new techniques such as "Structure from Motion" photogrammetry. UAS are often equipped with normal RGB cameras, multi- and hyperspectral sensors, radar, or other sensors, and provide a cheap and flexible solution for creating multi-temporal data sets. UAS revolutionized multi-temporal research allowing new applications related to change analysis and process monitoring. The EGU General Assembly 2014 is hosting a session on platforms, sensors and applications with UAS in soil science and geomorphology. This presentation briefly summarizes the outcome of this session, addressing the current state and future challenges of small-platform data acquisition in soil science and geomorphology.

CMOS Imaging Sensor Technology for Aerial Mapping Cameras

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Neumann, Klaus; Welzenbach, Martin; Timm, Martin

2016-06-01

In June 2015 Leica Geosystems launched the first large format aerial mapping camera using CMOS sensor technology, the Leica DMC III. This paper describes the motivation to change from CCD sensor technology to CMOS for the development of this new aerial mapping camera. In 2002 the DMC first generation was developed by Z/I Imaging. It was the first large format digital frame sensor designed for mapping applications. In 2009 Z/I Imaging designed the DMC II which was the first digital aerial mapping camera using a single ultra large CCD sensor to avoid stitching of smaller CCDs. The DMC III is now the third generation of large format frame sensor developed by Z/I Imaging and Leica Geosystems for the DMC camera family. It is an evolution of the DMC II using the same system design with one large monolithic PAN sensor and four multi spectral camera heads for R,G, B and NIR. For the first time a 391 Megapixel large CMOS sensor had been used as PAN chromatic sensor, which is an industry record. Along with CMOS technology goes a range of technical benefits. The dynamic range of the CMOS sensor is approx. twice the range of a comparable CCD sensor and the signal to noise ratio is significantly better than with CCDs. Finally results from the first DMC III customer installations and test flights will be presented and compared with other CCD based aerial sensors.

Evaluation of pyrethrin aerial ultra-low volume applications for adult Culex tarsalis control in the desert environments of the Coachella Valley, Riverside County, California.

PubMed

Lothrop, Hugh; Lothrop, Branka; Palmer, Mark; Wheeler, Sarah; Gutierrez, Arturo; Miller, Patrick; Gomsi, Donald; Reisen, William K

2007-12-01

Eliminating infected female mosquitoes by aerial applications of ultra-low volume adulticides is the intervention strategy currently recommended to interrupt the epidemic transmission of encephalitis viruses, including West Nile. The current research optimized pyrethrin formulations and evaluated their efficacy in the desert environment of the Coachella Valley, Riverside County, California. After seven trials during 2004, a 1:2 by volume mixture of Pyrenone 25-5 in BVA oil optimized particle size, droplet descent to ground level, and kill of sentinel mosquitoes. Three subsequent experiments used 3 aerial applications of the 1:2 Pyrenone 25-5:BVA oil mixture on alternate nights to suppress Culex tarsalis Coquillett host-seeking abundance over a 1-square-mile target area. Mortality patterns among caged sentinel mosquitoes varied among sites and replicate sprays, indicating variable particle dispersion at ground level within the target area. In addition, mortality was observed for sentinels up to 1 mile downwind from the target area, indicating considerable particle drift. Geometric mean abundance of host-seeking Cx. tarsalis females collected at dry ice-baited traps within each of 3 sprayed and 2 unsprayed negative control strata varied similarly over time, indicating that our sprays minimally impacted the target population or that drift combined with other factors led to widespread area control. Experiments during March and June when recruitment rates were minimal showed general area-wide suppression of abundance following spray, whereas an experiment during September when recruitment rates were high from newly flooded marshes failed to prevent an area-wide increase in abundance. Clearly additional research is needed to standardize the efficacy of aerial applications of pyrethrins in hot dry desert environments.

Coevolving advances in animal flight and aerial robotics

PubMed Central

Lentink, David

2017-01-01

Our understanding of animal flight has inspired the design of new aerial robots with more effective flight capacities through the process of biomimetics and bioinspiration. The aerodynamic origin of the elevated performance of flying animals remains, however, poorly understood. In this themed issue, animal flight research and aerial robot development coalesce to offer a broader perspective on the current advances and future directions in these coevolving fields of research. Together, four reviews summarize and 14 reports contribute to our understanding of low Reynolds number flight. This area of applied aerodynamics research is challenging to dissect due to the complicated flow phenomena that include laminar–turbulent flow transition, laminar separation bubbles, delayed stall and nonlinear vortex dynamics. Our mechanistic understanding of low Reynolds number flight has perhaps been advanced most by the development of dynamically scaled robot models and new specialized wind tunnel facilities: in particular, the tiltable Lund flight tunnel for animal migration research and the recently developed AFAR hypobaric wind tunnel for high-altitude animal flight studies. These world-class facilities are now complemented with a specialized low Reynolds number wind tunnel for studying the effect of turbulence on animal and robot flight in much greater detail than previously possible. This is particular timely, because the study of flight in extremely laminar versus turbulent flow opens a new frontier in our understanding of animal flight. Advancing this new area will offer inspiration for developing more efficient high-altitude aerial robots and removes roadblocks for aerial robots operating in turbulent urban environments.

Unmanned aerial vehicles in construction and worker safety.

PubMed

Howard, John; Murashov, Vladimir; Branche, Christine M

2018-01-01

Applications of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for military, recreational, public, and commercial uses have expanded significantly in recent years. In the construction industry, UAVs are used primarily for monitoring of construction workflow and job site logistics, inspecting construction sites to assess structural integrity, and for maintenance assessments. As is the case with other emerging technologies, occupational safety assessments of UAVs lag behind technological advancements. UAVs may create new workplace hazards that need to be evaluated and managed to ensure their safe operation around human workers. At the same time, UAVs can perform dangerous tasks, thereby improving workplace safety. This paper describes the four major uses of UAVs, including their use in construction, the potential risks of their use to workers, approaches for risk mitigation, and the important role that safety and health professionals can play in ensuring safe approaches to the their use in the workplace. Published 2017. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

Feasibility of Turing-Style Tests for Autonomous Aerial Vehicle "Intelligence"

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Young, Larry A.

2007-01-01

A new approach is suggested to define and evaluate key metrics as to autonomous aerial vehicle performance. This approach entails the conceptual definition of a "Turing Test" for UAVs. Such a "UAV Turing test" would be conducted by means of mission simulations and/or tailored flight demonstrations of vehicles under the guidance of their autonomous system software. These autonomous vehicle mission simulations and flight demonstrations would also have to be benchmarked against missions "flown" with pilots/human-operators in the loop. In turn, scoring criteria for such testing could be based upon both quantitative mission success metrics (unique to each mission) and by turning to analog "handling quality" metrics similar to the well-known Cooper-Harper pilot ratings used for manned aircraft. Autonomous aerial vehicles would be considered to have successfully passed this "UAV Turing Test" if the aggregate mission success metrics and handling qualities for the autonomous aerial vehicle matched or exceeded the equivalent metrics for missions conducted with pilots/human-operators in the loop. Alternatively, an independent, knowledgeable observer could provide the "UAV Turing Test" ratings of whether a vehicle is autonomous or "piloted." This observer ideally would, in the more sophisticated mission simulations, also have the enhanced capability of being able to override the scripted mission scenario and instigate failure modes and change of flight profile/plans. If a majority of mission tasks are rated as "piloted" by the observer, when in reality the vehicle/simulation is fully- or semi- autonomously controlled, then the vehicle/simulation "passes" the "UAV Turing Test." In this regards, this second "UAV Turing Test" approach is more consistent with Turing s original "imitation game" proposal. The overall feasibility, and important considerations and limitations, of such an approach for judging/evaluating autonomous aerial vehicle "intelligence" will be discussed from a

The application of unmanned aerial vehicle remote sensing for monitoring secondary geological disasters after earthquakes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lei, Tianjie; Zhang, Yazhen; Wang, Xingyong; Fu, Jun'e.; Li, Lin; Pang, Zhiguo; Zhang, Xiaolei; Kan, Guangyuan

2017-07-01

Remote sensing system fitted on Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) can obtain clear images and high-resolution aerial photographs. It has advantages of strong real-time, flexibility and convenience, free from influence of external environment, low cost, low-flying under clouds and ability to work full-time. When an earthquake happened, it could go deep into the places safely and reliably which human staff can hardly approach, such as secondary geological disasters hit areas. The system can be timely precise in response to secondary geological disasters monitoring by a way of obtaining first-hand information as quickly as possible, producing a unique emergency response capacity to provide a scientific basis for overall decision-making processes. It can greatly enhance the capability of on-site disaster emergency working team in data collection and transmission. The great advantages of UAV remote sensing system played an irreplaceable role in monitoring secondary geological disaster dynamics and influences. Taking the landslides and barrier lakes for example, the paper explored the basic application and process of UAV remote sensing in the disaster emergency relief. UAV high-resolution remote sensing images had been exploited to estimate the situation of disaster-hit areas and monitor secondary geological disasters rapidly, systematically and continuously. Furthermore, a rapid quantitative assessment on the distribution and size of landslides and barrier lakes was carried out. Monitoring results could support relevant government departments and rescue teams, providing detailed and reliable scientific evidence for disaster relief and decision-making.

The DOE ARM Aerial Facility

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Schmid, Beat; Tomlinson, Jason M.; Hubbe, John M.

2014-05-01

The Department of Energy Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Program is a climate research user facility operating stationary ground sites that provide long-term measurements of climate relevant properties, mobile ground- and ship-based facilities to conduct shorter field campaigns (6-12 months), and the ARM Aerial Facility (AAF). The airborne observations acquired by the AAF enhance the surface-based ARM measurements by providing high-resolution in-situ measurements for process understanding, retrieval-algorithm development, and model evaluation that are not possible using ground- or satellite-based techniques. Several ARM aerial efforts were consolidated into the AAF in 2006. With the exception of a small aircraft used for routinemore » measurements of aerosols and carbon cycle gases, AAF at the time had no dedicated aircraft and only a small number of instruments at its disposal. In this "virtual hangar" mode, AAF successfully carried out several missions contracting with organizations and investigators who provided their research aircraft and instrumentation. In 2009, AAF started managing operations of the Battelle-owned Gulfstream I (G-1) large twin-turboprop research aircraft. Furthermore, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 provided funding for the procurement of over twenty new instruments to be used aboard the G-1 and other AAF virtual-hangar aircraft. AAF now executes missions in the virtual- and real-hangar mode producing freely available datasets for studying aerosol, cloud, and radiative processes in the atmosphere. AAF is also engaged in the maturation and testing of newly developed airborne sensors to help foster the next generation of airborne instruments.« less

Application possibilities of aerial and terrain data evaluation in particulate pollution effects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kozma-Bognar, V.; Berke, J.; Martin, G.

2012-04-01

Recently, remote sensing has become a widely used technology in order to acquire information about our environment. Data collected using remote sensing technology indispensible criteria to recognise and monitor environmental problems caused by contamination from various human activities. According to great technological change and development in the previous decade high spectral and geometric resolution sensors are more often used. The higher resolution technology allows getting more accurate and reliable results in the research processes of the environmental pollution impacts. At University of Pannonia, Georgikon Faculty (Hungary) plant-soil-atmosphere system analyses are carried out for detecting the potential harmful effects of heavy metal pollution originated from vehicle industry. Related to this research at the Department of Meteorology and Water Management, black carbon and cadmium pollution effects are being analysed on maize crops. Testing area is situated at Agro-meteorological Research Station in Keszthely, where the first time in 2011 aerial imaging technology was used in parallel with field analyses. The experiment aims to analyses correlation of the field data with aerial data. During aerial photography were taken in different spectral bands (Visible, Near Infrared, Far Infrared). High intensity, spectral and spatial resolution data was an important part of the multitemporal imagine sensing and evaluating technology, therefore original technical solutions were applied. These resolutions served accurate plot-level evaluation. Fractal structure and intensity measurement evaluation methods were applied to examine black carbon and cadmium polluted and control maize canopy after data pre-processing. Research also focused on the examination of potential negative or positive effects of irrigation so that differences between irrigated and non-irrigated maize was investigated. For the period of growing season of 2011 time-series analyses were carried out in

Delayed Monocular SLAM Approach Applied to Unmanned Aerial Vehicles.

PubMed

Munguia, Rodrigo; Urzua, Sarquis; Grau, Antoni

2016-01-01

In recent years, many researchers have addressed the issue of making Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) more and more autonomous. In this context, the state estimation of the vehicle position is a fundamental necessity for any application involving autonomy. However, the problem of position estimation could not be solved in some scenarios, even when a GPS signal is available, for instance, an application requiring performing precision manoeuvres in a complex environment. Therefore, some additional sensory information should be integrated into the system in order to improve accuracy and robustness. In this work, a novel vision-based simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) method with application to unmanned aerial vehicles is proposed. One of the contributions of this work is to design and develop a novel technique for estimating features depth which is based on a stochastic technique of triangulation. In the proposed method the camera is mounted over a servo-controlled gimbal that counteracts the changes in attitude of the quadcopter. Due to the above assumption, the overall problem is simplified and it is focused on the position estimation of the aerial vehicle. Also, the tracking process of visual features is made easier due to the stabilized video. Another contribution of this work is to demonstrate that the integration of very noisy GPS measurements into the system for an initial short period of time is enough to initialize the metric scale. The performance of this proposed method is validated by means of experiments with real data carried out in unstructured outdoor environments. A comparative study shows that, when compared with related methods, the proposed approach performs better in terms of accuracy and computational time.

AGDRIFT: A MODEL FOR ESTIMATING NEAR-FIELD SPRAY DRIFT FROM AERIAL APPLICATIONS

EPA Science Inventory

The aerial spray prediction model AgDRIFT(R) embodies the computational engine found in the near-wake Lagrangian model AGricultural DISPersal (AGDISP) but with several important features added that improve the speed and accuracy of its predictions. This article summarizes those c...

14 CFR 91.501 - Applicability.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

.... (8) Passenger ground transportation. (9) Flight planning and weather contract services. (10) An... AND GENERAL OPERATING RULES GENERAL OPERATING AND FLIGHT RULES Large and Turbine-Powered Multiengine...) Ferry or training flights; (2) Aerial work operations such as aerial photography or survey, or pipeline...

14 CFR 91.501 - Applicability.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

.... (8) Passenger ground transportation. (9) Flight planning and weather contract services. (10) An... AND GENERAL OPERATING RULES GENERAL OPERATING AND FLIGHT RULES Large and Turbine-Powered Multiengine...) Ferry or training flights; (2) Aerial work operations such as aerial photography or survey, or pipeline...

14 CFR 91.501 - Applicability.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

.... (8) Passenger ground transportation. (9) Flight planning and weather contract services. (10) An... AND GENERAL OPERATING RULES GENERAL OPERATING AND FLIGHT RULES Large and Turbine-Powered Multiengine...) Ferry or training flights; (2) Aerial work operations such as aerial photography or survey, or pipeline...

14 CFR 91.501 - Applicability.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

.... (8) Passenger ground transportation. (9) Flight planning and weather contract services. (10) An... AND GENERAL OPERATING RULES GENERAL OPERATING AND FLIGHT RULES Large and Turbine-Powered Multiengine...) Ferry or training flights; (2) Aerial work operations such as aerial photography or survey, or pipeline...

14 CFR 91.501 - Applicability.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

.... (8) Passenger ground transportation. (9) Flight planning and weather contract services. (10) An... AND GENERAL OPERATING RULES GENERAL OPERATING AND FLIGHT RULES Large and Turbine-Powered Multiengine...) Ferry or training flights; (2) Aerial work operations such as aerial photography or survey, or pipeline...

The Art of Aerial Warfare

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-03-01

14 3 THE POLITICAL DIMENSIONS OF AERIAL WARFARE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 How Political Effects in...Aerial Warfare . . . . . . Outweigh Military Effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Political Targets Versus Military Targets . . . . . 22...34 4 MILITARY AND POLITICAL EFFECTS OF STRATEGIC ATTACK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 The Premise of

47 CFR 32.6431 - Aerial wire expense.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 47 Telecommunication 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Aerial wire expense. 32.6431 Section 32.6431... FOR TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMPANIES Instructions for Expense Accounts § 32.6431 Aerial wire expense. This account shall include expenses associated with aerial wire. ...

47 CFR 32.6431 - Aerial wire expense.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 47 Telecommunication 2 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Aerial wire expense. 32.6431 Section 32.6431... FOR TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMPANIES Instructions for Expense Accounts § 32.6431 Aerial wire expense. This account shall include expenses associated with aerial wire. ...

Aerial thermography for energy conservation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jack, J. R.

1978-01-01

Thermal infrared scanning from an aircraft is a convenient and commercially available means for determining relative rates of energy loss from building roofs. The need to conserve energy as fuel costs makes the mass survey capability of aerial thermography an attractive adjunct to community energy awareness programs. Background information on principles of aerial thermography is presented. Thermal infrared scanning systems, flight and environmental requirements for data acquisition, preparation of thermographs for display, major users and suppliers of thermography, and suggested specifications for obtaining aerial scanning services were reviewed.

Applications of Experimental Suomi-NPP VIIRS Flood Inundation Maps in Operational Flood Forecasting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deweese, M. M.

2017-12-01

Flooding is the most costly natural disaster across the globe. In 2016 flooding caused more fatalities than any other natural disaster in the United States. The U.S. National Weather Service (NWS) is mandated to forecast rivers for the protection of life and property and the enhancement of the national economy. Since 2014, the NWS North Central River Forecast Center has utilized experimental near real time flood mapping products from the JPSS Suomi-NPP VIIRS satellite. These products have been demonstrated to provide reliable and high value information for forecasters in ice jam and snowmelt flooding in data sparse regions of the northern plains. In addition, they have proved valuable in rainfall induced flooding within the upper Mississippi River basin. Aerial photography and ground observations have validated the accuracy of the products. Examples are provided from numerous flooding events to demonstrate the operational application of this satellite derived information as a remotely sensed observational data source and it's utility in real time flood forecasting.

Evaluation of Deep Learning Based Stereo Matching Methods: from Ground to Aerial Images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, J.; Ji, S.; Zhang, C.; Qin, Z.

2018-05-01

Dense stereo matching has been extensively studied in photogrammetry and computer vision. In this paper we evaluate the application of deep learning based stereo methods, which were raised from 2016 and rapidly spread, on aerial stereos other than ground images that are commonly used in computer vision community. Two popular methods are evaluated. One learns matching cost with a convolutional neural network (known as MC-CNN); the other produces a disparity map in an end-to-end manner by utilizing both geometry and context (known as GC-net). First, we evaluate the performance of the deep learning based methods for aerial stereo images by a direct model reuse. The models pre-trained on KITTI 2012, KITTI 2015 and Driving datasets separately, are directly applied to three aerial datasets. We also give the results of direct training on target aerial datasets. Second, the deep learning based methods are compared to the classic stereo matching method, Semi-Global Matching(SGM), and a photogrammetric software, SURE, on the same aerial datasets. Third, transfer learning strategy is introduced to aerial image matching based on the assumption of a few target samples available for model fine tuning. It experimentally proved that the conventional methods and the deep learning based methods performed similarly, and the latter had greater potential to be explored.

Synthesis of the unmanned aerial vehicle remote control augmentation system

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tomczyk, Andrzej, E-mail: A.Tomczyk@prz.edu.pl

Medium size Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) usually flies as an autonomous aircraft including automatic take-off and landing phases. However in the case of the on-board control system failure, the remote steering is using as an emergency procedure. In this reason, remote manual control of unmanned aerial vehicle is used more often during take-of and landing phases. Depends on UAV take-off mass and speed (total energy) the potential crash can be very danger for airplane and environment. So, handling qualities of UAV is important from pilot-operator point of view. In many cases the dynamic properties of remote controlling UAV are notmore » suitable for obtaining the desired properties of the handling qualities. In this case the control augmentation system (CAS) should be applied. Because the potential failure of the on-board control system, the better solution is that the CAS algorithms are placed on the ground station computers. The method of UAV handling qualities shaping in the case of basic control system failure is presented in this paper. The main idea of this method is that UAV reaction on the operator steering signals should be similar - almost the same - as reaction of the 'ideal' remote control aircraft. The model following method was used for controller parameters calculations. The numerical example concerns the medium size MP-02A UAV applied as an aerial observer system.« less

Approach for Autonomous Control of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Using Intelligent Agents for Knowledge Creation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dufrene, Warren R., Jr.

2004-01-01

This paper describes the development of a planned approach for Autonomous operation of an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). A Hybrid approach will seek to provide Knowledge Generation thru the application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Intelligent Agents (IA) for UAV control. The application of many different types of AI techniques for flight will be explored during this research effort. The research concentration will be directed to the application of different AI methods within the UAV arena. By evaluating AI approaches, which will include Expert Systems, Neural Networks, Intelligent Agents, Fuzzy Logic, and Complex Adaptive Systems, a new insight may be gained into the benefits of AI techniques applied to achieving true autonomous operation of these systems thus providing new intellectual merit to this research field. The major area of discussion will be limited to the UAV. The systems of interest include small aircraft, insects, and miniature aircraft. Although flight systems will be explored, the benefits should apply to many Unmanned Vehicles such as: Rovers, Ocean Explorers, Robots, and autonomous operation systems. The flight system will be broken down into control agents that will represent the intelligent agent approach used in AI. After the completion of a successful approach, a framework of applying a Security Overseer will be added in an attempt to address errors, emergencies, failures, damage, or over dynamic environment. The chosen control problem was the landing phase of UAV operation. The initial results from simulation in FlightGear are presented.

Sediment Sampling in Estuarine Mudflats with an Aerial-Ground Robotic Team

PubMed Central

Deusdado, Pedro; Guedes, Magno; Silva, André; Marques, Francisco; Pinto, Eduardo; Rodrigues, Paulo; Lourenço, André; Mendonça, Ricardo; Santana, Pedro; Corisco, José; Almeida, Susana Marta; Portugal, Luís; Caldeira, Raquel; Barata, José; Flores, Luis

2016-01-01

This paper presents a robotic team suited for bottom sediment sampling and retrieval in mudflats, targeting environmental monitoring tasks. The robotic team encompasses a four-wheel-steering ground vehicle, equipped with a drilling tool designed to be able to retain wet soil, and a multi-rotor aerial vehicle for dynamic aerial imagery acquisition. On-demand aerial imagery, properly fused on an aerial mosaic, is used by remote human operators for specifying the robotic mission and supervising its execution. This is crucial for the success of an environmental monitoring study, as often it depends on human expertise to ensure the statistical significance and accuracy of the sampling procedures. Although the literature is rich on environmental monitoring sampling procedures, in mudflats, there is a gap as regards including robotic elements. This paper closes this gap by also proposing a preliminary experimental protocol tailored to exploit the capabilities offered by the robotic system. Field trials in the south bank of the river Tagus’ estuary show the ability of the robotic system to successfully extract and transport bottom sediment samples for offline analysis. The results also show the efficiency of the extraction and the benefits when compared to (conventional) human-based sampling. PMID:27618060

20. AERIAL VIEW OF THE ROCKY FLATS PLANT LOOKING NORTHEAST. ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

20. AERIAL VIEW OF THE ROCKY FLATS PLANT LOOKING NORTHEAST. THE PLANT WAS COMPOSED OF FOUR WIDELY SEPARATED AREAS, EACH ONE PERFORMING A DIFFERENT TYPE OF WORK. PLANT A (44), SOUTHWEST, FABRICATED PARTS FROM DEPLETED URANIUM, PLANT B (81), SOUTH, WAS ENRICHED URANIUM OPERATIONS, PLANT C (71), NORTH, PLUTONIUM OPERATIONS, AND PLANT D (91), EAST, WAS FINAL ASSEMBLY, SHIPPING AND RECEIVING (2/6/66). - Rocky Flats Plant, Bounded by Indiana Street & Routes 93, 128 & 72, Golden, Jefferson County, CO

Fuel Evaluation for a Missouri Pine Plantation Released by Aerial Spraying

Treesearch

Robert M. Loomis; John S. Crosby

1968-01-01

Fuel changes resulting from aerial herbicide application to control hardwoods competing with 13-year-old underplanted pine in Missouri are described. Fuel hazard is generally maximum about the fifth year after treatment and is affected by relative pine and hardwood densities.

Application of Unmanned Aerial Systems in Spatial Downscaling of Landsat VIR imageries of Agricultural Fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Torres, A.; Hassan Esfahani, L.; Ebtehaj, A.; McKee, M.

2016-12-01

While coarse space-time resolution of satellite observations in visible to near infrared (VIR) is a serious limiting factor for applications in precision agriculture, high resolution remotes sensing observation by the Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) systems are also site-specific and still practically restrictive for widespread applications in precision agriculture. We present a modern spatial downscaling approach that relies on new sparse approximation techniques. The downscaling approach learns from a large set of coincident low- and high-resolution satellite and UAS observations to effectively downscale the satellite imageries in VIR bands. We focus on field experiments using the AggieAirTM platform and Landsat 7 ETM+ and Landsat 8 OLI observations obtained in an intensive field campaign in 2013 over an agriculture field in Scipio, Utah. The results show that the downscaling methods can effectively increase the resolution of Landsat VIR imageries by the order of 2 to 4 from 30 m to 15 and 7.5 m, respectively. Specifically, on average, the downscaling method reduces the root mean squared errors up to 26%, considering bias corrected AggieAir imageries as the reference.

Improved chemical control for the Mexican rice borer (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) in sugarcane: Larval exposure, a novel scouting method, and efficacy of a single aerial insecticide application

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

A three-treatment aerial application insecticide experiment was conducted in five commercial sugarcane, Saccharum spp., fields in south Texas to evaluate the use of pheromone traps for improving chemical control of the Mexican rice borer, Eoreuma loftini (Dyar), in 2009 and 2010. A threshold of 20 m...

Grab a coffee: your aerial images are already analyzed

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garetto, Anthony; Rademacher, Thomas; Schulz, Kristian

2015-07-01

For over 2 decades the AIMTM platform has been utilized in mask shops as the standard for actinic review of photomask sites in order to perform defect disposition and repair review. Throughout this time the measurement throughput of the systems has been improved in order to keep pace with the requirements demanded by a manufacturing environment, however the analysis of the sites captured has seen little improvement and remained a manual process. This manual analysis of aerial images is time consuming, subject to error and unreliability and contributes to holding up turn-around time (TAT) and slowing process flow in a manufacturing environment. AutoAnalysis, the first application available for the FAVOR® platform, offers a solution to these problems by providing fully automated data transfer and analysis of AIMTM aerial images. The data is automatically output in a customizable format that can be tailored to your internal needs and the requests of your customers. Savings in terms of operator time arise from the automated analysis which no longer needs to be performed. Reliability is improved as human error is eliminated making sure the most defective region is always and consistently captured. Finally the TAT is shortened and process flow for the back end of the line improved as the analysis is fast and runs in parallel to the measurements. In this paper the concept and approach of AutoAnalysis will be presented as well as an update to the status of the project. A look at the benefits arising from the automation and the customizable approach of the solution will be shown.

Photogrammetric mapping using unmanned aerial vehicle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Graça, N.; Mitishita, E.; Gonçalves, J.

2014-11-01

Nowadays Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) technology has attracted attention for aerial photogrammetric mapping. The low cost and the feasibility to automatic flight along commanded waypoints can be considered as the main advantages of this technology in photogrammetric applications. Using GNSS/INS technologies the images are taken at the planned position of the exposure station and the exterior orientation parameters (position Xo, Yo, Zo and attitude ω, φ, χ) of images can be direct determined. However, common UAVs (off-the-shelf) do not replace the traditional aircraft platform. Overall, the main shortcomings are related to: difficulties to obtain the authorization to perform the flight in urban and rural areas, platform stability, safety flight, stability of the image block configuration, high number of the images and inaccuracies of the direct determination of the exterior orientation parameters of the images. In this paper are shown the obtained results from the project photogrammetric mapping using aerial images from the SIMEPAR UAV system. The PIPER J3 UAV Hydro aircraft was used. It has a micro pilot MP2128g. The system is fully integrated with 3-axis gyros/accelerometers, GPS, pressure altimeter, pressure airspeed sensors. A Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W300 was calibrated and used to get the image block. The flight height was close to 400 m, resulting GSD near to 0.10 m. The state of the art of the used technology, methodologies and the obtained results are shown and discussed. Finally advantages/shortcomings found in the study and main conclusions are presented

Comparative Analysis of the Tour Jete and Aerial with Detailed Analysis of Aerial Takeoff Mechanics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pierson, Mimi; Coplin, Kim

2006-10-01

Whether internally as muscle tension or from external sources, forces are necessary for all motion. This research focused on athletic rotations where conditions of flight are established during takeoff. By studying reaction forces that produce torques, moments of inertia, and linear and angular differences between distinct rotations around different principle axes of the body (tour jete in ballet - longitudinal axis; aerial in gymnastics - anteroposterior axis), and by looking at the values of angular momentum in the specific mechanics of aerial takeoff, we can gain insight into possible causes of injury, flaws in technique and limitations of athletes. Results showed significant differences in the horizontal and vertical components of takeoff between the tour jete and the aerial, and a realization that torque was produced in different biomechanical planes. Both rotations showed braking forces before takeoff to counteract forward momentum and increase vertical lift, but the angle of applied force varied, and the horizontal components of velocity and force and vertical velocity as well as moment of inertia throughout flight were consistently greater for the aerial. Breakdown of aerial takeoff highlighted the relative importance of the takeoff phases, showing that completion depends fundamentally upon the rotation of the rear foot and torso twisting during takeoff rather than the last foot in contact with the ground.

Aerial monitoring in active mud volcano by UAV technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pisciotta, Antonino; Capasso, Giorgio; Madonia, Paolo

2016-04-01

UAV photogrammetry opens various new applications in the close range domain, combining aerial and terrestrial photogrammetry, but also introduces low-cost alternatives to the classical manned aerial photogrammetry. Between 2014 and 2015 tree aerial surveys have been carried out. Using a quadrotor drone, equipped with a compact camera, it was possible to generate high resolution elevation models and orthoimages of The "Salinelle", an active mud volcanoes area, located in territory of Paternò (South Italy). The main risks are related to the damages produced by paroxysmal events. Mud volcanoes show different cyclic phases of activity, including catastrophic events and periods of relative quiescence characterized by moderate activity. Ejected materials often are a mud slurry of fine solids suspended in liquids which may include water and hydrocarbon fluids, the bulk of released gases are carbon dioxide, with some methane and nitrogen, usually pond-shaped of variable dimension (from centimeters to meters in diameter). The scope of the presented work is the performance evaluation of a UAV system that was built to rapidly and autonomously acquire mobile three-dimensional (3D) mapping data in a volcanic monitoring scenario.

Aerial 3D display by use of a 3D-shaped screen with aerial imaging by retro-reflection (AIRR)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kurokawa, Nao; Ito, Shusei; Yamamoto, Hirotsugu

2017-06-01

The purpose of this paper is to realize an aerial 3D display. We design optical system that employs a projector below a retro-reflector and a 3D-shaped screen. A floating 3D image is formed with aerial imaging by retro-reflection (AIRR). Our proposed system is composed of a 3D-shaped screen, a projector, a quarter-wave retarder, a retro-reflector, and a reflective polarizer. Because AIRR forms aerial images that are plane-symmetric of the light sources regarding the reflective polarizer, the shape of the 3D screen is inverted from a desired aerial 3D image. In order to expand viewing angle, the 3D-shaped screen is surrounded by a retro-reflector. In order to separate the aerial image from reflected lights on the retro- reflector surface, the retro-reflector is tilted by 30 degrees. A projector is located below the retro-reflector at the same height of the 3D-shaped screen. The optical axis of the projector is orthogonal to the 3D-shaped screen. Scattered light on the 3D-shaped screen forms the aerial 3D image. In order to demonstrate the proposed optical design, a corner-cube-shaped screen is used for the 3D-shaped screen. Thus, the aerial 3D image is a cube that is floating above the reflective polarizer. For example, an aerial green cube is formed by projecting a calculated image on the 3D-shaped screen. The green cube image is digitally inverted in depth by our developed software. Thus, we have succeeded in forming aerial 3D image with our designed optical system.

Automatic Classification of Aerial Imagery for Urban Hydrological Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paul, A.; Yang, C.; Breitkopf, U.; Liu, Y.; Wang, Z.; Rottensteiner, F.; Wallner, M.; Verworn, A.; Heipke, C.

2018-04-01

In this paper we investigate the potential of automatic supervised classification for urban hydrological applications. In particular, we contribute to runoff simulations using hydrodynamic urban drainage models. In order to assess whether the capacity of the sewers is sufficient to avoid surcharge within certain return periods, precipitation is transformed into runoff. The transformation of precipitation into runoff requires knowledge about the proportion of drainage-effective areas and their spatial distribution in the catchment area. Common simulation methods use the coefficient of imperviousness as an important parameter to estimate the overland flow, which subsequently contributes to the pipe flow. The coefficient of imperviousness is the percentage of area covered by impervious surfaces such as roofs or road surfaces. It is still common practice to assign the coefficient of imperviousness for each particular land parcel manually by visual interpretation of aerial images. Based on classification results of these imagery we contribute to an objective automatic determination of the coefficient of imperviousness. In this context we compare two classification techniques: Random Forests (RF) and Conditional Random Fields (CRF). Experimental results performed on an urban test area show good results and confirm that the automated derivation of the coefficient of imperviousness, apart from being more objective and, thus, reproducible, delivers more accurate results than the interactive estimation. We achieve an overall accuracy of about 85 % for both classifiers. The root mean square error of the differences of the coefficient of imperviousness compared to the reference is 4.4 % for the CRF-based classification, and 3.8 % for the RF-based classification.

Power Management for Fuel Cell and Battery Hybrid Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stein, Jared Robert

As electric powered unmanned aerial vehicles enter a new age of commercial viability, market opportunities in the small UAV sector are expanding. Extending UAV flight time through a combination of fuel cell and battery technologies enhance the scope of potential applications. A brief survey of UAV history provides context and examples of modern day UAVs powered by fuel cells are given. Conventional hybrid power system management employs DC-to-DC converters to control the power split between battery and fuel cell. In this study, a transistor replaces the DC-to-DC converter which lowers weight and cost. Simulation models of a lithium ion battery and a proton exchange membrane fuel cell are developed and integrated into a UAV power system model. Flight simulations demonstrate the operation of the transistor-based power management scheme and quantify the amount of hydrogen consumed by a 5.5 kg fixed wing UAV during a six hour flight. Battery power assists the fuel cell during high throttle periods but may also augment fuel cell power during cruise flight. Simulations demonstrate a 60 liter reduction in hydrogen consumption when battery power assists the fuel cell during cruise flight. Over the full duration of the flight, averaged efficiency of the power system exceeds 98%. For scenarios where inflight battery recharge is desirable, a constant current battery charger is integrated into the UAV power system. Simulation of inflight battery recharge is performed. Design of UAV hybrid power systems must consider power system weight against potential flight time. Data from the flight simulations are used to identify a simple formula that predicts flight time as a function of energy stored onboard the modeled UAV. A small selection of commercially available batteries, fuel cells, and compressed air storage tanks are listed to characterize the weight of possible systems. The formula is then used in conjunction with the weight data to generate a graph of power system weight

The future of structural fieldwork - UAV assisted aerial photogrammetry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vollgger, Stefan; Cruden, Alexander

2015-04-01

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), commonly referred to as drones, are opening new and low cost possibilities to acquire high-resolution aerial images and digital surface models (DSM) for applications in structural geology. UAVs can be programmed to fly autonomously along a user defined grid to systematically capture high-resolution photographs, even in difficult to access areas. The photographs are subsequently processed using software that employ SIFT (scale invariant feature transform) and SFM (structure from motion) algorithms. These photogrammetric routines allow the extraction of spatial information (3D point clouds, digital elevation models, 3D meshes, orthophotos) from 2D images. Depending on flight altitude and camera setup, sub-centimeter spatial resolutions can be achieved. By "digitally mapping" georeferenced 3D models and images, orientation data can be extracted directly and used to analyse the structural framework of the mapped object or area. We present UAV assisted aerial mapping results from a coastal platform near Cape Liptrap (Victoria, Australia), where deformed metasediments of the Palaeozoic Lachlan Fold Belt are exposed. We also show how orientation and spatial information of brittle and ductile structures extracted from the photogrammetric model can be linked to the progressive development of folds and faults in the region. Even though there are both technical and legislative limitations, which might prohibit the use of UAVs without prior commercial licensing and training, the benefits that arise from the resulting high-resolution, photorealistic models can substantially contribute to the collection of new data and insights for applications in structural geology.

Digital computer processing of peach orchard multispectral aerial photography

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Atkinson, R. J.

1976-01-01

Several methods of analysis using digital computers applicable to digitized multispectral aerial photography, are described, with particular application to peach orchard test sites. This effort was stimulated by the recent premature death of peach trees in the Southeastern United States. The techniques discussed are: (1) correction of intensity variations by digital filtering, (2) automatic detection and enumeration of trees in five size categories, (3) determination of unhealthy foliage by infrared reflectances, and (4) four band multispectral classification into healthy and declining categories.

Integrated remote sensing and visualization (IRSV) system for transportation infrastructure operations and management, phase two, volume 5 : aerial bridge deck imaging data collection and software revision.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2012-02-01

For rapid deployment of bridge scan missions, sub-inch aerial imaging using small format aerial photography : is suggested. Under-belly photography is used to generate high resolution aerial images that can be geo-referenced and : used for quantifyin...

29. AERIAL VIEW OF THE ROCKY FLATS PLANT LOOKING SOUTH. ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

29. AERIAL VIEW OF THE ROCKY FLATS PLANT LOOKING SOUTH. IN 1983, THE PERIMETER SECURITY ZONE SURROUNDING THE PLUTONIUM OPERATIONS WAS COMPLETED. IT CONSISTED OF A DOUBLE PERIMETER FENCE, CLOSED CIRCUIT TELEVISIONS, ALARMS, AND AN UNINTERRUPTED POWER SUPPLY (7/29/83). - Rocky Flats Plant, Bounded by Indiana Street & Routes 93, 128 & 72, Golden, Jefferson County, CO

Aerial detection surveys in the United States

Treesearch

E. W. Johnson; D. Wittwer

2006-01-01

Aerial detection surveys, also known as aerial sketchmapping, is a remote sensing technique of observing forest change events from an aircraft and documenting them manually onto a map. Data from aerial surveys have become an important component of the Forest Health Monitoring, a national program designed to determine the status, changes, and trends in indicators of...

Drones in Automation - Secured Unmanned Aerial Systems

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Morales Rodriguez, Marissa E.; Rooke, Sterling; Fuhr, Peter L.

Factories, refineries, utilities (water/wastewater, electric) and related industrial sites are complex systems and structures with inspection and maintenance procedures required for optimal operation and regulatory compliance. As a specific example, consider just the bulk electric power system which is comprised of more than 200,000 miles of highvoltage transmission lines, thousands of generation plants and millions of digital controls. More than 1,800 entities own and operate portions of the grid system, with thousands more involved in the operation of distribution networks across North America. The interconnected and interdependent nature of the bulk power system requires a consistent and systematic application ofmore » risk mitigation across the entire grid system to be truly effective. Similar situations are found throughout automation where frequently an aging infrastructure is in place too. Consider, for example, the situation present in a refinery or chemical processing setting with the requirement for leak detection inspection of pipes, interconnects and systems stretching across the plant. The current practices and challenges relating just to this task - leak detection and repair (LDAR) – of detecting any fugitive emissions present and documenting all measurements thereby meeting air compliance regulations are typically “handled” by a small army of individuals with handheld or backpack-sized detectors who crawl through piping racks conducting measurements at each flange. Such work is performed in difficult conditions (temperature, humidity, physically challenging) with frequently a high level of employee turnover. Finaly, enter low cost sensors and mobile platforms – in other words unmanned aerial systems (UASs, or drones) with enhanced sensing capabilities.« less

Drones in Automation - Secured Unmanned Aerial Systems

DOE PAGES

Morales Rodriguez, Marissa E.; Rooke, Sterling; Fuhr, Peter L.; ...

2017-05-01

Factories, refineries, utilities (water/wastewater, electric) and related industrial sites are complex systems and structures with inspection and maintenance procedures required for optimal operation and regulatory compliance. As a specific example, consider just the bulk electric power system which is comprised of more than 200,000 miles of highvoltage transmission lines, thousands of generation plants and millions of digital controls. More than 1,800 entities own and operate portions of the grid system, with thousands more involved in the operation of distribution networks across North America. The interconnected and interdependent nature of the bulk power system requires a consistent and systematic application ofmore » risk mitigation across the entire grid system to be truly effective. Similar situations are found throughout automation where frequently an aging infrastructure is in place too. Consider, for example, the situation present in a refinery or chemical processing setting with the requirement for leak detection inspection of pipes, interconnects and systems stretching across the plant. The current practices and challenges relating just to this task - leak detection and repair (LDAR) – of detecting any fugitive emissions present and documenting all measurements thereby meeting air compliance regulations are typically “handled” by a small army of individuals with handheld or backpack-sized detectors who crawl through piping racks conducting measurements at each flange. Such work is performed in difficult conditions (temperature, humidity, physically challenging) with frequently a high level of employee turnover. Finaly, enter low cost sensors and mobile platforms – in other words unmanned aerial systems (UASs, or drones) with enhanced sensing capabilities.« less

The Smart Aerial Release Machine, a Universal System for Applying the Sterile Insect Technique

PubMed Central

Mubarqui, Ruben Leal; Perez, Rene Cano; Kladt, Roberto Angulo; Lopez, Jose Luis Zavala; Parker, Andrew; Seck, Momar Talla; Sall, Baba; Bouyer, Jérémy

2014-01-01

Background Beyond insecticides, alternative methods to control insect pests for agriculture and vectors of diseases are needed. Management strategies involving the mass-release of living control agents have been developed, including genetic control with sterile insects and biological control with parasitoids, for which aerial release of insects is often required. Aerial release in genetic control programmes often involves the use of chilled sterile insects, which can improve dispersal, survival and competitiveness of sterile males. Currently available means of aerially releasing chilled fruit flies are however insufficiently precise to ensure homogeneous distribution at low release rates and no device is available for tsetse. Methodology/Principal Findings Here we present the smart aerial release machine, a new design by the Mubarqui Company, based on the use of vibrating conveyors. The machine is controlled through Bluetooth by a tablet with Android Operating System including a completely automatic guidance and navigation system (MaxNav software). The tablet is also connected to an online relational database facilitating the preparation of flight schedules and automatic storage of flight reports. The new machine was compared with a conveyor release machine in Mexico using two fruit flies species (Anastrepha ludens and Ceratitis capitata) and we obtained better dispersal homogeneity (% of positive traps, p<0.001) for both species and better recapture rates for Anastrepha ludens (p<0.001), especially at low release densities (<1500 per ha). We also demonstrated that the machine can replace paper boxes for aerial release of tsetse in Senegal. Conclusions/Significance This technology limits damages to insects and allows a large range of release rates from 10 flies/km2 for tsetse flies up to 600 000 flies/km2 for fruit flies. The potential of this machine to release other species like mosquitoes is discussed. Plans and operating of the machine are provided to allow its

The smart aerial release machine, a universal system for applying the sterile insect technique.

PubMed

Leal Mubarqui, Ruben; Perez, Rene Cano; Kladt, Roberto Angulo; Lopez, Jose Luis Zavala; Parker, Andrew; Seck, Momar Talla; Sall, Baba; Bouyer, Jérémy

2014-01-01

Beyond insecticides, alternative methods to control insect pests for agriculture and vectors of diseases are needed. Management strategies involving the mass-release of living control agents have been developed, including genetic control with sterile insects and biological control with parasitoids, for which aerial release of insects is often required. Aerial release in genetic control programmes often involves the use of chilled sterile insects, which can improve dispersal, survival and competitiveness of sterile males. Currently available means of aerially releasing chilled fruit flies are however insufficiently precise to ensure homogeneous distribution at low release rates and no device is available for tsetse. Here we present the smart aerial release machine, a new design by the Mubarqui Company, based on the use of vibrating conveyors. The machine is controlled through Bluetooth by a tablet with Android Operating System including a completely automatic guidance and navigation system (MaxNav software). The tablet is also connected to an online relational database facilitating the preparation of flight schedules and automatic storage of flight reports. The new machine was compared with a conveyor release machine in Mexico using two fruit flies species (Anastrepha ludens and Ceratitis capitata) and we obtained better dispersal homogeneity (% of positive traps, p<0.001) for both species and better recapture rates for Anastrepha ludens (p<0.001), especially at low release densities (<1500 per ha). We also demonstrated that the machine can replace paper boxes for aerial release of tsetse in Senegal. This technology limits damages to insects and allows a large range of release rates from 10 flies/km2 for tsetse flies up to 600,000 flies/km2 for fruit flies. The potential of this machine to release other species like mosquitoes is discussed. Plans and operating of the machine are provided to allow its use worldwide.

Towards collaboration between unmanned aerial and ground vehicles for precision agriculture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhandari, Subodh; Raheja, Amar; Green, Robert L.; Do, Dat

2017-05-01

This paper presents the work being conducted at Cal Poly Pomona on the collaboration between unmanned aerial and ground vehicles for precision agriculture. The unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), equipped with multispectral/hyperspectral cameras and RGB cameras, take images of the crops while flying autonomously. The images are post processed or can be processed onboard. The processed images are used in the detection of unhealthy plants. Aerial data can be used by the UAVs and unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) for various purposes including care of crops, harvest estimation, etc. The images can also be useful for optimized harvesting by isolating low yielding plants. These vehicles can be operated autonomously with limited or no human intervention, thereby reducing cost and limiting human exposure to agricultural chemicals. The paper discuss the autonomous UAV and UGV platforms used for the research, sensor integration, and experimental testing. Methods for ground truthing the results obtained from the UAVs will be used. The paper will also discuss equipping the UGV with a robotic arm for removing the unhealthy plants and/or weeds.

Accuracy Assessment of Direct Georeferencing for Photogrammetric Applications on Small Unmanned Aerial Platforms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mian, O.; Lutes, J.; Lipa, G.; Hutton, J. J.; Gavelle, E.; Borghini, S.

2016-03-01

Efficient mapping from unmanned aerial platforms cannot rely on aerial triangulation using known ground control points. The cost and time of setting ground control, added to the need for increased overlap between flight lines, severely limits the ability of small VTOL platforms, in particular, to handle mapping-grade missions of all but the very smallest survey areas. Applanix has brought its experience in manned photogrammetry applications to this challenge, setting out the requirements for increasing the efficiency of mapping operations from small UAVs, using survey-grade GNSS-Inertial technology to accomplish direct georeferencing of the platform and/or the imaging payload. The Direct Mapping Solution for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (DMS-UAV) is a complete and ready-to-integrate OEM solution for Direct Georeferencing (DG) on unmanned aerial platforms. Designed as a solution for systems integrators to create mapping payloads for UAVs of all types and sizes, the DMS produces directly georeferenced products for any imaging payload (visual, LiDAR, infrared, multispectral imaging, even video). Additionally, DMS addresses the airframe's requirements for high-accuracy position and orientation for such tasks as precision RTK landing and Precision Orientation for Air Data Systems (ADS), Guidance and Control. This paper presents results using a DMS comprised of an Applanix APX-15 UAV with a Sony a7R camera to produce highly accurate orthorectified imagery without Ground Control Points on a Microdrones md4-1000 platform conducted by Applanix and Avyon. APX-15 UAV is a single-board, small-form-factor GNSS-Inertial system designed for use on small, lightweight platforms. The Sony a7R is a prosumer digital RGB camera sensor, with a 36MP, 4.9-micron CCD producing images at 7360 columns by 4912 rows. It was configured with a 50mm AF-S Nikkor f/1.8 lens and subsequently with a 35mm Zeiss Sonnar T* FE F2.8 lens. Both the camera/lens combinations and the APX-15 were mounted to a

Titan Aerial Daughtercraft (TAD) for Surface Studies from a Lander or Balloon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matthies, L.; Tokumaru, P.; Sherrit, S.; Beauchamp, P.

2014-06-01

Recent rapid progress on autonomous navigation of micro air vehicles for terrestrial applications opens new possibilities for a small aerial vehicle that could deploy from a Titan lander or balloon to acquire samples for analysis on the mothership.

Low-cost Tools for Aerial Video Geolocation and Air Traffic Analysis for Delay Reduction Using Google Earth

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zetterlind, V.; Pledgie, S.

2009-12-01

Low-cost, low-latency, robust geolocation and display of aerial video is a common need for a wide range of earth observing as well as emergency response and security applications. While hardware costs for aerial video collection systems, GPS, and inertial sensors have been decreasing, software costs for geolocation algorithms and reference imagery/DTED remain expensive and highly proprietary. As part of a Federal Small Business Innovative Research project, MosaicATM and EarthNC, Inc have developed a simple geolocation system based on the Google Earth API and Google's 'built-in' DTED and reference imagery libraries. This system geolocates aerial video based on platform and camera position, attitude, and field-of-view metadata using geometric photogrammetric principles of ray-intersection with DTED. Geolocated video can be directly rectified and viewed in the Google Earth API during processing. Work is underway to extend our geolocation code to NASA World Wind for additional flexibility and a fully open-source platform. In addition to our airborne remote sensing work, MosaicATM has developed the Surface Operations Data Analysis and Adaptation (SODAA) tool, funded by NASA Ames, which supports analysis of airport surface operations to optimize aircraft movements and reduce fuel burn and delays. As part of SODAA, MosaicATM and EarthNC, Inc have developed powerful tools to display national airspace data and time-animated 3D flight tracks in Google Earth for 4D analysis. The SODAA tool can convert raw format flight track data, FAA National Flight Data (NFD), and FAA 'Adaptation' airport surface data to a spatial database representation and then to Google Earth KML. The SODAA client provides users with a simple graphical interface through which to generate queries with a wide range of predefined and custom filters, plot results, and export for playback in Google Earth in conjunction with NFD and Adaptation overlays.

Improving Operational Effectiveness of Tactical Long Endurance Unmanned Aerial Systems (TALEUAS) by Utilizing Solar Power

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-06-01

Speed xiii TEK Total Energy Compensated TSP traveling salesman problem UAV unmanned aerial vehicle UDP user datagram protocol UKF unscented...discretized map, and use the map to optimally solve the navigation task. The optimal navigation solution utilizes the well-known “ travelling salesman problem ...2 C. FORMULATION OF THE PROBLEM .................................................. 3 D

Aerial surveillance based on hierarchical object classification for ground target detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vázquez-Cervantes, Alberto; García-Huerta, Juan-Manuel; Hernández-Díaz, Teresa; Soto-Cajiga, J. A.; Jiménez-Hernández, Hugo

2015-03-01

Unmanned aerial vehicles have turned important in surveillance application due to the flexibility and ability to inspect and displace in different regions of interest. The instrumentation and autonomy of these vehicles have been increased; i.e. the camera sensor is now integrated. Mounted cameras allow flexibility to monitor several regions of interest, displacing and changing the camera view. A well common task performed by this kind of vehicles correspond to object localization and tracking. This work presents a hierarchical novel algorithm to detect and locate objects. The algorithm is based on a detection-by-example approach; this is, the target evidence is provided at the beginning of the vehicle's route. Afterwards, the vehicle inspects the scenario, detecting all similar objects through UTM-GPS coordinate references. Detection process consists on a sampling information process of the target object. Sampling process encode in a hierarchical tree with different sampling's densities. Coding space correspond to a huge binary space dimension. Properties such as independence and associative operators are defined in this space to construct a relation between the target object and a set of selected features. Different densities of sampling are used to discriminate from general to particular features that correspond to the target. The hierarchy is used as a way to adapt the complexity of the algorithm due to optimized battery duty cycle of the aerial device. Finally, this approach is tested in several outdoors scenarios, proving that the hierarchical algorithm works efficiently under several conditions.

Aerial of the Orion EFT-1 Arrival at KSC

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-12-18

An aerial view reveals the Orion crew module, enclosed in its crew module transportation fixture and secured on a flatbed truck is proceeding to the Multi-Operation Support Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. Orion made the 2,700 mile overland trip from Naval Base San Diego in California. The spacecraft was recovered from the Pacific Ocean after completing a two-orbit, four-and-a-half hour mission Dec. 5 to test systems critical to crew safety, including the launch abort system, the heat shield and the parachute system. The Ground Systems Development and Operations Program led the recovery, offload and transportation efforts.

Application of aerial photography to the study of small scale upper ocean phenomena

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ichiye, T.; Carnes, M.

1981-01-01

The industrial waste dumped 180 n. miles south of Galveston was monitored in July 1977 by water sampling, hydrographic measurements, acoustic tracking on board two vessels, and by aerial photography. The plume of the waste diffused vertically and horizontally. Photodensitometry of aerial photos of the plume showed lateral dispersion of the plume in agreement with two other methods: acoustic tracking of the waste suspensoid and transmissometer sampling. In addition, the method showed small scale features like the lateral and longitudinal variations in the photodensity, indicating the waste concentration. This waste concentration showed periodic changes in its axial distance, with the spectral peak at about 160 m wave length. It shows a sharp increase at the windward edge of the plume as do the acoustic records. This phenomenon is explained in terms of the shearing current near the surface together with vertical diffusion. The periodic change along the axis is explained in terms of the Langmuir circulation and in terms of internal ship waves.

Infrared film for aerial photography

USGS Publications Warehouse

Anderson, William H.

1979-01-01

Considerable interest has developed recently in the use of aerial photographs for agricultural management. Even the simplest hand-held aerial photographs, especially those taken with color infrared film, often provide information not ordinarily available through routine ground observation. When fields are viewed from above, patterns and variations become more apparent, often allowing problems to be spotted which otherwise may go undetected.

47 CFR 32.2421 - Aerial cable.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 47 Telecommunication 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Aerial cable. 32.2421 Section 32.2421 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (CONTINUED) COMMON CARRIER SERVICES UNIFORM SYSTEM OF ACCOUNTS FOR TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMPANIES Instructions for Balance Sheet Accounts § 32.2421 Aerial cable. (a...

Combining Human Computing and Machine Learning to Make Sense of Big (Aerial) Data for Disaster Response.

PubMed

Ofli, Ferda; Meier, Patrick; Imran, Muhammad; Castillo, Carlos; Tuia, Devis; Rey, Nicolas; Briant, Julien; Millet, Pauline; Reinhard, Friedrich; Parkan, Matthew; Joost, Stéphane

2016-03-01

Aerial imagery captured via unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) is playing an increasingly important role in disaster response. Unlike satellite imagery, aerial imagery can be captured and processed within hours rather than days. In addition, the spatial resolution of aerial imagery is an order of magnitude higher than the imagery produced by the most sophisticated commercial satellites today. Both the United States Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the European Commission's Joint Research Center (JRC) have noted that aerial imagery will inevitably present a big data challenge. The purpose of this article is to get ahead of this future challenge by proposing a hybrid crowdsourcing and real-time machine learning solution to rapidly process large volumes of aerial data for disaster response in a time-sensitive manner. Crowdsourcing can be used to annotate features of interest in aerial images (such as damaged shelters and roads blocked by debris). These human-annotated features can then be used to train a supervised machine learning system to learn to recognize such features in new unseen images. In this article, we describe how this hybrid solution for image analysis can be implemented as a module (i.e., Aerial Clicker) to extend an existing platform called Artificial Intelligence for Disaster Response (AIDR), which has already been deployed to classify microblog messages during disasters using its Text Clicker module and in response to Cyclone Pam, a category 5 cyclone that devastated Vanuatu in March 2015. The hybrid solution we present can be applied to both aerial and satellite imagery and has applications beyond disaster response such as wildlife protection, human rights, and archeological exploration. As a proof of concept, we recently piloted this solution using very high-resolution aerial photographs of a wildlife reserve in Namibia to support rangers with their wildlife conservation efforts (SAVMAP project, http://lasig.epfl.ch/savmap ). The

Oblique Aerial Photography Tool for Building Inspection and Damage Assessment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murtiyoso, A.; Remondino, F.; Rupnik, E.; Nex, F.; Grussenmeyer, P.

2014-11-01

Aerial photography has a long history of being employed for mapping purposes due to some of its main advantages, including large area imaging from above and minimization of field work. Since few years multi-camera aerial systems are becoming a practical sensor technology across a growing geospatial market, as complementary to the traditional vertical views. Multi-camera aerial systems capture not only the conventional nadir views, but also tilted images at the same time. In this paper, a particular use of such imagery in the field of building inspection as well as disaster assessment is addressed. The main idea is to inspect a building from four cardinal directions by using monoplotting functionalities. The developed application allows to measure building height and distances and to digitize man-made structures, creating 3D surfaces and building models. The realized GUI is capable of identifying a building from several oblique points of views, as well as calculates the approximate height of buildings, ground distances and basic vectorization. The geometric accuracy of the results remains a function of several parameters, namely image resolution, quality of available parameters (DEM, calibration and orientation values), user expertise and measuring capability.

24. AERIAL VIEW LOOKING SOUTHEAST AT BUILDING 371 UNDER CONSTRUCTION ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

24. AERIAL VIEW LOOKING SOUTHEAST AT BUILDING 371 UNDER CONSTRUCTION IN 1974. BY 1968, BUILDING 771 WAS OUTMODED AND NEW TECHNOLOGIES HAD BEEN DEVELOPED FOR PLUTONIUM RECOVERY. AS A RESULT, A NEW RECOVERY BUILDING, BUILDING 371 WAS PLANNED. BUILDING 371 SUFFERED FROM VARIOUS DESIGN PROBLEMS, WHICH PREVENTED ITS OPENING UNTIL 1981 AND CAUSED TERMINATION OF RECOVERY OPERATIONS IN 1986. IT NEVER BECAME FULLY OPERATIONAL. TO THE EAST OF BUILDING 371, IS THE 700 BUILDING COMPLEX (4/74). - Rocky Flats Plant, Bounded by Indiana Street & Routes 93, 128 & 72, Golden, Jefferson County, CO

Low-altitude aerial color digital photographic survey of the San Andreas Fault

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lynch, David K.; Hudnut, Kenneth W.; Dearborn, David S.P.

2010-01-01

southeast leg and 300 m AGL on the northwest leg. Spatial resolution (pixel size or ground sample distance) is a few centimeters. Time and geographic coordinates of the aircraft were automatically written into the exchangeable image file format (EXIF) data within each jpeg photograph. A few hours after acquisition and validation, the photographs were uploaded to a publically accessible Web page. The goal was to obtain quick-turnaround, low-cost, high-resolution, overlapping, and contiguous imagery for use in planning field operations, and to provide imagery for a wide variety of land use and educational studies. This work was carried out in support of ongoing geological research on the San Andreas fault, but the technique is widely applicable beyond geology.

Common Operating Picture: UAV Security Study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2004-01-01

This initial communication security study is a top-level assessment of basic security issues related to the operation of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) in the National Airspace System (NAS). Security considerations will include information relating to the use of International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Aeronautical Telecommunications Network (ATN) protocols and applications identifying their maturity, as well as the use of IPV4 and a version of mobile IPV6. The purpose of this assessment is to provide an initial analysis of the security implications of introducing UAVs into the NAS.

Detection of Tree Crowns Based on Reclassification Using Aerial Images and LIDAR Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Talebi, S.; Zarea, A.; Sadeghian, S.; Arefi, H.

2013-09-01

Tree detection using aerial sensors in early decades was focused by many researchers in different fields including Remote Sensing and Photogrammetry. This paper is intended to detect trees in complex city areas using aerial imagery and laser scanning data. Our methodology is a hierarchal unsupervised method consists of some primitive operations. This method could be divided into three sections, in which, first section uses aerial imagery and both second and third sections use laser scanners data. In the first section a vegetation cover mask is created in both sunny and shadowed areas. In the second section Rate of Slope Change (RSC) is used to eliminate grasses. In the third section a Digital Terrain Model (DTM) is obtained from LiDAR data. By using DTM and Digital Surface Model (DSM) we would get to Normalized Digital Surface Model (nDSM). Then objects which are lower than a specific height are eliminated. Now there are three result layers from three sections. At the end multiplication operation is used to get final result layer. This layer will be smoothed by morphological operations. The result layer is sent to WG III/4 to evaluate. The evaluation result shows that our method has a good rank in comparing to other participants' methods in ISPRS WG III/4, when assessed in terms of 5 indices including area base completeness, area base correctness, object base completeness, object base correctness and boundary RMS. With regarding of being unsupervised and automatic, this method is improvable and could be integrate with other methods to get best results.

Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) application to the structural health assessment of large civil engineering structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Castiglioni, Carlo A.; Rabuffetti, Angelo S.; Chiarelli, Gian P.; Brambilla, Giovanni; Georgi, Julia

2017-09-01

This paper summarizes the experience gained in the structural assessment of an existing Thermal Power Plant (TPP) located near Pristina, focusing on the cooling tower and the flue gas stack, which are the main structures of the TPP. Scope of the work was the evaluation of the actual conditions of the structures and to identify the eventual repair measures in order to guarantee a safe and reliable operation of the TPP in view of the extension of its operational lifetime for the next 30 years. With this aim, a sequence of different activities was performed, like: a topographic survey to compare the actual geometrical configuration with the design one, an investigation of the material properties, an in depth visual inspection in order to detect any visible existing damage. Due to the very high elevations of the constructions and to the lack of appropriate structures aimed to their inspections and maintenance, this activity could not be performed without using Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). This resulted the safest, most economical and less time-consuming solution identified to map the surface damage in the reinforced concrete elements of these large structures including zones that could not be inspected because out of reach by other means.

Looking for an old aerial photograph

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

1997-01-01

Attempts to photograph the surface of the Earth date from the 1800's, when photographers attached cameras to balloons, kites, and even pigeons. Today, aerial photographs and satellite images are commonplace. The rate of acquiring aerial photographs and satellite images has increased rapidly in recent years. Views of the Earth obtained from aircraft or satellites have become valuable tools to Government resource planners and managers, land-use experts, environmentalists, engineers, scientists, and a wide variety of other users. Many people want historical aerial photographs for business or personal reasons. They may want to locate the boundaries of an old farm or a piece of family property. Or they may want a photograph as a record of changes in their neighborhood, or as a gift. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) maintains the Earth Science Information Centers (ESIC?s) to sell aerial photographs, remotely sensed images from satellites, a wide array of digital geographic and cartographic data, as well as the Bureau?s wellknown maps. Declassified photographs from early spy satellites were recently added to the ESIC offerings of historical images. Using the Aerial Photography Summary Record System database, ESIC researchers can help customers find imagery in the collections of other Federal agencies and, in some cases, those of private companies that specialize in esoteric products.

Vehicle Detection of Aerial Image Using TV-L1 Texture Decomposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Y.; Wang, G.; Li, Y.; Huang, Y.

2016-06-01

Vehicle detection from high-resolution aerial image facilitates the study of the public traveling behavior on a large scale. In the context of road, a simple and effective algorithm is proposed to extract the texture-salient vehicle among the pavement surface. Texturally speaking, the majority of pavement surface changes a little except for the neighborhood of vehicles and edges. Within a certain distance away from the given vector of the road network, the aerial image is decomposed into a smoothly-varying cartoon part and an oscillatory details of textural part. The variational model of Total Variation regularization term and L1 fidelity term (TV-L1) is adopted to obtain the salient texture of vehicles and the cartoon surface of pavement. To eliminate the noise of texture decomposition, regions of pavement surface are refined by seed growing and morphological operation. Based on the shape saliency analysis of the central objects in those regions, vehicles are detected as the objects of rectangular shape saliency. The proposed algorithm is tested with a diverse set of aerial images that are acquired at various resolution and scenarios around China. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm can detect vehicles at the rate of 71.5% and the false alarm rate of 21.5%, and that the speed is 39.13 seconds for a 4656 x 3496 aerial image. It is promising for large-scale transportation management and planning.

Persistent aerial video registration and fast multi-view mosaicing.

PubMed

Molina, Edgardo; Zhu, Zhigang

2014-05-01

Capturing aerial imagery at high resolutions often leads to very low frame rate video streams, well under full motion video standards, due to bandwidth, storage, and cost constraints. Low frame rates make registration difficult when an aircraft is moving at high speeds or when global positioning system (GPS) contains large errors or it fails. We present a method that takes advantage of persistent cyclic video data collections to perform an online registration with drift correction. We split the persistent aerial imagery collection into individual cycles of the scene, identify and correct the registration errors on the first cycle in a batch operation, and then use the corrected base cycle as a reference pass to register and correct subsequent passes online. A set of multi-view panoramic mosaics is then constructed for each aerial pass for representation, presentation and exploitation of the 3D dynamic scene. These sets of mosaics are all in alignment to the reference cycle allowing their direct use in change detection, tracking, and 3D reconstruction/visualization algorithms. Stereo viewing with adaptive baselines and varying view angles is realized by choosing a pair of mosaics from a set of multi-view mosaics. Further, the mosaics for the second pass and later can be generated and visualized online as their is no further batch error correction.

Agricultural aviation application in the USA

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The United States has the most advanced equipment and applications in agricultural aviation. It also has a complete service system in agricultural aviation. This article introduces the current status of aerial application including service, equipment, and aerial application techniques. It has a c...

Aerial Refueling Boom/Receptacle Guide

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-07-28

Alleviation System; AR – Aerial Refueling; IDS – Independent Disconnect System; PDL – Pilot Director Lights; PSIG – Pounds per square inch gauge; TMF...proprietary, sensitive, classified or otherwise restricted information. ARSAG documents, as prepared, are not DOD, MOD or NATO standards, but provide...Boom Nozzle Disconnect Provisions, Aerial Refueling Fuel System and Tanker Aids and Cues for the Receiver Aircraft. Also included are Receiver

Aerial Photography

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1985-01-01

John Hill, a pilot and commercial aerial photographer, needed an information base. He consulted NERAC and requested a search of the latest developments in camera optics. NERAC provided information; Hill contacted the manufacturers of camera equipment and reduced his photographic costs significantly.

D City Transformations by Time Series of Aerial Images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adami, A.

2015-02-01

Recent photogrammetric applications, based on dense image matching algorithms, allow to use not only images acquired by digital cameras, amateur or not, but also to recover the vast heritage of analogue photographs. This possibility opens up many possibilities in the use and enhancement of existing photos heritage. The research of the original figuration of old buildings, the virtual reconstruction of disappeared architectures and the study of urban development are some of the application areas that exploit the great cultural heritage of photography. Nevertheless there are some restrictions in the use of historical images for automatic reconstruction of buildings such as image quality, availability of camera parameters and ineffective geometry of image acquisition. These constrains are very hard to solve and it is difficult to discover good dataset in the case of terrestrial close range photogrammetry for the above reasons. Even the photographic archives of museums and superintendence, while retaining a wealth of documentation, have no dataset for a dense image matching approach. Compared to the vast collection of historical photos, the class of aerial photos meets both criteria stated above. In this paper historical aerial photographs are used with dense image matching algorithms to realize 3d models of a city in different years. The models can be used to study the urban development of the city and its changes through time. The application relates to the city centre of Verona, for which some time series of aerial photographs have been retrieved. The models obtained in this way allowed, right away, to observe the urban development of the city, the places of expansion and new urban areas. But a more interesting aspect emerged from the analytical comparison between models. The difference, as the Euclidean distance, between two models gives information about new buildings or demolitions. As considering accuracy it is necessary point out that the quality of final

Preliminary applications of Landsat images and aerial photography for determining land-use, geologic, and hydrologic characteristics, Yampa River basin, Colorado and Wyoming

USGS Publications Warehouse

Heimes, F.J.; Moore, G.K.; Steele, T.D.

1978-01-01

Expanded energy- and recreation-related activities in the Yampa River basin, Colorado and Wyoming, have caused a rapid increase in economic development which will result in increased demand and competition for natural resources. In planning for efficient allocation of the basin 's natural resources, Landsat images and small-scale color and color-infrared photographs were used for selected geologic, hydrologic and land-use applications within the Yampa River basin. Applications of Landsat data included: (1) regional land-use classification and mapping, (2) lineament mapping, and (3) areal snow-cover mapping. Results from the Landsat investigations indicated that: (1) Landsat land-use classification maps, at a regional level, compared favorably with areal land-use patterns that were defined from available ground information, (2) lineaments were mapped in sufficient detail using recently developed techniques for interpreting aerial photographs, (3) snow cover generally could be mapped for large areas with the exception of some densely forested areas of the basin and areas having a large percentage of winter-season cloud cover. Aerial photographs were used for estimation of turbidity for eight stream locations in the basin. Spectral reflectance values obtained by digitizing photographs were compared with measured turbidity values. Results showed strong correlations (variances explained of greater than 90 percent) between spectral reflectance obtained from color photographs and measured turbidity values. (Woodard-USGS)

Mapping Urban Ecosystem Services Using High Resolution Aerial Photography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pilant, A. N.; Neale, A.; Wilhelm, D.

2010-12-01

Ecosystem services (ES) are the many life-sustaining benefits we receive from nature: e.g., clean air and water, food and fiber, cultural-aesthetic-recreational benefits, pollination and flood control. The ES concept is emerging as a means of integrating complex environmental and economic information to support informed environmental decision making. The US EPA is developing a web-based National Atlas of Ecosystem Services, with a component for urban ecosystems. Currently, the only wall-to-wall, national scale land cover data suitable for this analysis is the National Land Cover Data (NLCD) at 30 m spatial resolution with 5 and 10 year updates. However, aerial photography is acquired at higher spatial resolution (0.5-3 m) and more frequently (1-5 years, typically) for most urban areas. Land cover was mapped in Raleigh, NC using freely available USDA National Agricultural Imagery Program (NAIP) with 1 m ground sample distance to test the suitability of aerial photography for urban ES analysis. Automated feature extraction techniques were used to extract five land cover classes, and an accuracy assessment was performed using standard techniques. Results will be presented that demonstrate applications to mapping ES in urban environments: greenways, corridors, fragmentation, habitat, impervious surfaces, dark and light pavement (urban heat island). Automated feature extraction results mapped over NAIP color aerial photograph. At this scale, we can look at land cover and related ecosystem services at the 2-10 m scale. Small features such as individual trees and sidewalks are visible and mappable. Classified aerial photo of Downtown Raleigh NC Red: impervious surface Dark Green: trees Light Green: grass Tan: soil

Draper Laboratory small autonomous aerial vehicle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

DeBitetto, Paul A.; Johnson, Eric N.; Bosse, Michael C.; Trott, Christian A.

1997-06-01

The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc. and students from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Boston University have cooperated to develop an autonomous aerial vehicle that won the 1996 International Aerial Robotics Competition. This paper describes the approach, system architecture and subsystem designs for the entry. This entry represents a combination of many technology areas: navigation, guidance, control, vision processing, human factors, packaging, power, real-time software, and others. The aerial vehicle, an autonomous helicopter, performs navigation and control functions using multiple sensors: differential GPS, inertial measurement unit, sonar altimeter, and a flux compass. The aerial transmits video imagery to the ground. A ground based vision processor converts the image data into target position and classification estimates. The system was designed, built, and flown in less than one year and has provided many lessons about autonomous vehicle systems, several of which are discussed. In an appendix, our current research in augmenting the navigation system with vision- based estimates is presented.

47 CFR 32.2431 - Aerial wire.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 47 Telecommunication 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Aerial wire. 32.2431 Section 32.2431... FOR TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMPANIES Instructions for Balance Sheet Accounts § 32.2431 Aerial wire. (a) This account shall include the original cost of bare line wire and other material used in the...

47 CFR 32.2431 - Aerial wire.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 47 Telecommunication 2 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Aerial wire. 32.2431 Section 32.2431... FOR TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMPANIES Instructions for Balance Sheet Accounts § 32.2431 Aerial wire. (a) This account shall include the original cost of bare line wire and other material used in the...

Real time target allocation in cooperative unmanned aerial vehicles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kudleppanavar, Ganesh

The prolific development of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV's) in recent years has the potential to provide tremendous advantages in military, commercial and law enforcement applications. While safety and performance take precedence in the development lifecycle, autonomous operations and, in particular, cooperative missions have the ability to significantly enhance the usability of these vehicles. The success of cooperative missions relies on the optimal allocation of targets while taking into consideration the resource limitation of each vehicle. The task allocation process can be centralized or decentralized. This effort presents the development of a real time target allocation algorithm that considers available stored energy in each vehicle while minimizing the communication between each UAV. The algorithm utilizes a nearest neighbor search algorithm to locate new targets with respect to existing targets. Simulations show that this novel algorithm compares favorably to the mixed integer linear programming method, which is computationally more expensive. The implementation of this algorithm on Arduino and Xbee wireless modules shows the capability of the algorithm to execute efficiently on hardware with minimum computation complexity.

Integrating Unmanned Aerial Vehicles into Surveillance Systems in Complex Maritime Environments

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-09-01

endurance (HALE) Unmanned Aerial Surveillance System and 31 provides the U.S. Navy with demonstration capability primarily for doctrine , concept of...measures against information leakage Implement corresponding doctrines 1.4 Set up communication with other partners Set up communication with...Command and control for joint maritime operations. Joint publication 3-32, change 1. Retrieved from http://www.dtic.mil/ doctrine /new_pubs

A Comparison of Platforms for the Aerial Exploration of Titan

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wright, Henry S.; Gasbarre, Joseph F.; Levine, Joel S.

2005-01-01

Exploration of Titan, envisioned as a follow-on to the highly successful Cassini-Huygens mission, is described in this paper. A mission blending measurements from a dedicated orbiter and an in-situ aerial explorer is discussed. Summary description of the science rationale and the mission architecture, including the orbiter, is provided. The mission has been sized to ensure it can be accommodated on an existing expendable heavy-lift launch vehicle. A launch to Titan in 2018 with a 6-year time of flight to Titan using a combination of Solar Electric Propulsion and aeroassist (direct entry and aerocapture) forms the basic mission architecture. A detailed assessment of different platforms for aerial exploration of Titan has been performed. A rationale for the selection of the airship as the baseline platform is provided. Detailed description of the airship, its subsystems, and its operational strategies are provided.

Use of low-altitude aerial photography to identify submersed aquatic macrophytes

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schloesser, Donald W.; Manny, Bruce A.; Brown, Charles L.; Jaworski, Eugene

1987-01-01

The feasibility of using low-altitude aerial photography to identify beds of submersed macrophytes is demonstrated. True color aerial photos and collateral ground survey information for submersed aquatic macrophyte beds at 10 sites in the St.Clair-Detroit River system were obtained in September 1978. Using the photos and collateral ground survey information, a dichotomous key was developed for the identification of six classes - beds of five genera of macrophytes and one substrate type. A test was prepared to determine how accurately photo interpreters could identify the six classes. The test required an interpreter to examine an unlabeled, outlined area on photographs and identify it using the key. Six interpreters were tested. One pair of interpreters was trained in the interpretation of a variety of aerial photos, a second pair had field experience in the collection and identification of submersed macrophytes in the river system, and a third pair had neither training in the interpretation of aerial photos nor field experience. The criteria that we developed were applied equally well by the interpretors, regardless of their training or experience. Overall accuracy (i.e., omission errors) of all six classes combined was 68% correct, whereas, overall accuracy of individual classes ranged from 50 to 100% correct. Mapping accuracy (i.e. omission and commission errors) of individual classes ranged from 36 to 75%. Although the key developed for this study has only limited application outside the context of the data and sites examined in this study, it is concluded that low-altitude aerial photography, together with limited amounts of collateral ground survey information, can be used to economically identify beds of submersed macrophytes in the St. Clair-Detroit River system and other similar water bodies.

Automatic digital surface model (DSM) generation from aerial imagery data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Nan; Cao, Shixiang; He, Hongyan; Xing, Kun; Yue, Chunyu

2018-04-01

Aerial sensors are widely used to acquire imagery for photogrammetric and remote sensing application. In general, the images have large overlapped region, which provide a lot of redundant geometry and radiation information for matching. This paper presents a POS supported dense matching procedure for automatic DSM generation from aerial imagery data. The method uses a coarse-to-fine hierarchical strategy with an effective combination of several image matching algorithms: image radiation pre-processing, image pyramid generation, feature point extraction and grid point generation, multi-image geometrically constraint cross-correlation (MIG3C), global relaxation optimization, multi-image geometrically constrained least squares matching (MIGCLSM), TIN generation and point cloud filtering. The image radiation pre-processing is used in order to reduce the effects of the inherent radiometric problems and optimize the images. The presented approach essentially consists of 3 components: feature point extraction and matching procedure, grid point matching procedure and relational matching procedure. The MIGCLSM method is used to achieve potentially sub-pixel accuracy matches and identify some inaccurate and possibly false matches. The feasibility of the method has been tested on different aerial scale images with different landcover types. The accuracy evaluation is based on the comparison between the automatic extracted DSMs derived from the precise exterior orientation parameters (EOPs) and the POS.

Aerial video mosaicking using binary feature tracking

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Minnehan, Breton; Savakis, Andreas

2015-05-01

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles are becoming an increasingly attractive platform for many applications, as their cost decreases and their capabilities increase. Creating detailed maps from aerial data requires fast and accurate video mosaicking methods. Traditional mosaicking techniques rely on inter-frame homography estimations that are cascaded through the video sequence. Computationally expensive keypoint matching algorithms are often used to determine the correspondence of keypoints between frames. This paper presents a video mosaicking method that uses an object tracking approach for matching keypoints between frames to improve both efficiency and robustness. The proposed tracking method matches local binary descriptors between frames and leverages the spatial locality of the keypoints to simplify the matching process. Our method is robust to cascaded errors by determining the homography between each frame and the ground plane rather than the prior frame. The frame-to-ground homography is calculated based on the relationship of each point's image coordinates and its estimated location on the ground plane. Robustness to moving objects is integrated into the homography estimation step through detecting anomalies in the motion of keypoints and eliminating the influence of outliers. The resulting mosaics are of high accuracy and can be computed in real time.

Swarming Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVS): Extending Marine Aviation Ground Task Force Communications Using UAVS

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-03-02

balloons , large UAVs, and satellite communications are all employed to mitigate LOS and OTH communication on the battlefield. The Marine Corps’ fleets...Phang, N. S. (2006). Tethered operation of autonomous aerial vehicles to provide extended fields of view for autonomous ground vehicles (Master’s

First demonstration of aerial gamma-ray imaging using drone for prompt radiation survey in Fukushima

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mochizuki, S.; Kataoka, J.; Tagawa, L.; Iwamoto, Y.; Okochi, H.; Katsumi, N.; Kinno, S.; Arimoto, M.; Maruhashi, T.; Fujieda, K.; Kurihara, T.; Ohsuka, S.

2017-11-01

Considerable amounts of radioactive substances (mainly 137Cs and 134Cs) were released into the environment after the Japanese nuclear disaster in 2011. Some restrictions on residence areas were lifted in April 2017, owing to the successive and effective decontamination operations. However, the distribution of radioactive substances in vast areas of mountain, forest and satoyama close to the city is still unknown; thus, decontamination operations in such areas are being hampered. In this paper, we report on the first aerial gamma-ray imaging of a schoolyard in Fukushima using a drone that carries a high sensitivity Compton camera. We show that the distribution of 137Cs in regions with a diameter of several tens to a hundred meters can be imaged with a typical resolution of 2-5 m within a 10-20 min flights duration. The aerial gamma-ray images taken 10 m and 20 m above the ground are qualitatively consistent with a dose map reconstructed from the ground-based measurements using a survey meter. Although further quantification is needed for the distance and air-absorption corrections to derive in situ dose map, such an aerial drone system can reduce measurement time by a factor of ten and is suitable for place where ground-based measurement are difficult.

Application of high resolution images from unmanned aerial vehicles for hydrology and range science

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

A common problem in many natural resource disciplines is the lack of high-enough spatial resolution images that can be used for monitoring and modeling purposes. Advances have been made in the utilization of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) in hydrology and rangeland science. By utilizing low fligh...

Aerial spray deposition on corn silks applied at high and low spray rates

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Corn earworm is a major pest of sweet corn, especially when grown organically. Aerial application of insecticides is important for both conventionally- and organically-grown sweet corn production as sweet corn is frequently irrigated to assure return on investment given the high production costs. ...

Rangeland resource assessment, monitoring, and management using unmanned aerial vehicle-based remote sensing

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Civilian applications of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) have rapidly been expanding recently. Thanks to military development many civil UAVs come via the defense sector. Although numerous UAVs can perform civilian tasks, the regulations imposed by FAA in the national airspace system and military e...

Search and Pursuit with Unmanned Aerial Vehicles in Road Networks

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-11-01

production volume in each area for use in consumer electronics. Simultaneously, a shift in defense strategy towards unmanned vehicles, particularly...Vöcking. Randomized pursuit-evasion in graphs. Combinatorics, Probability and Computing, 12:225–244, May 2003. [3] AeroVironment Inc. Raven Product Data...Ali and Mubarak Shah. COCOA - tracking in aerial imagery. In SPIE Airborne Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance Systems and Applications, 2006

7 CFR 1755.704 - Requirements applicable to both CCSR and NMR aerial service wires.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... service wires. 1755.704 Section 1755.704 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture... aerial service wires. (a) Acceptance testing. (1) The tests described in §§ 1755.700 through 1755.704 are intended for acceptance of wire designs and major modifications of accepted designs. What constitutes a...

7 CFR 1755.704 - Requirements applicable to both CCSR and NMR aerial service wires.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... service wires. 1755.704 Section 1755.704 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture... aerial service wires. (a) Acceptance testing. (1) The tests described in §§ 1755.700 through 1755.704 are intended for acceptance of wire designs and major modifications of accepted designs. What constitutes a...

Computer discrimination procedures applicable to aerial and ERTS multispectral data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Richardson, A. J.; Torline, R. J.; Allen, W. A.

1970-01-01

Two statistical models are compared in the classification of crops recorded on color aerial photographs. A theory of error ellipses is applied to the pattern recognition problem. An elliptical boundary condition classification model (EBC), useful for recognition of candidate patterns, evolves out of error ellipse theory. The EBC model is compared with the minimum distance to the mean (MDM) classification model in terms of pattern recognition ability. The pattern recognition results of both models are interpreted graphically using scatter diagrams to represent measurement space. Measurement space, for this report, is determined by optical density measurements collected from Kodak Ektachrome Infrared Aero Film 8443 (EIR). The EBC model is shown to be a significant improvement over the MDM model.

Integration of aerial oblique imagery and terrestrial imagery for optimized 3D modeling in urban areas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Bo; Xie, Linfu; Hu, Han; Zhu, Qing; Yau, Eric

2018-05-01

Photorealistic three-dimensional (3D) models are fundamental to the spatial data infrastructure of a digital city, and have numerous potential applications in areas such as urban planning, urban management, urban monitoring, and urban environmental studies. Recent developments in aerial oblique photogrammetry based on aircraft or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) offer promising techniques for 3D modeling. However, 3D models generated from aerial oblique imagery in urban areas with densely distributed high-rise buildings may show geometric defects and blurred textures, especially on building façades, due to problems such as occlusion and large camera tilt angles. Meanwhile, mobile mapping systems (MMSs) can capture terrestrial images of close-range objects from a complementary view on the ground at a high level of detail, but do not offer full coverage. The integration of aerial oblique imagery with terrestrial imagery offers promising opportunities to optimize 3D modeling in urban areas. This paper presents a novel method of integrating these two image types through automatic feature matching and combined bundle adjustment between them, and based on the integrated results to optimize the geometry and texture of the 3D models generated from aerial oblique imagery. Experimental analyses were conducted on two datasets of aerial and terrestrial images collected in Dortmund, Germany and in Hong Kong. The results indicate that the proposed approach effectively integrates images from the two platforms and thereby improves 3D modeling in urban areas.

Usability of aerial video footage for 3-D scene reconstruction and structural damage assessment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cusicanqui, Johnny; Kerle, Norman; Nex, Francesco

2018-06-01

Remote sensing has evolved into the most efficient approach to assess post-disaster structural damage, in extensively affected areas through the use of spaceborne data. For smaller, and in particular, complex urban disaster scenes, multi-perspective aerial imagery obtained with unmanned aerial vehicles and derived dense color 3-D models are increasingly being used. These type of data allow the direct and automated recognition of damage-related features, supporting an effective post-disaster structural damage assessment. However, the rapid collection and sharing of multi-perspective aerial imagery is still limited due to tight or lacking regulations and legal frameworks. A potential alternative is aerial video footage, which is typically acquired and shared by civil protection institutions or news media and which tends to be the first type of airborne data available. Nevertheless, inherent artifacts and the lack of suitable processing means have long limited its potential use in structural damage assessment and other post-disaster activities. In this research the usability of modern aerial video data was evaluated based on a comparative quality and application analysis of video data and multi-perspective imagery (photos), and their derivative 3-D point clouds created using current photogrammetric techniques. Additionally, the effects of external factors, such as topography and the presence of smoke and moving objects, were determined by analyzing two different earthquake-affected sites: Tainan (Taiwan) and Pescara del Tronto (Italy). Results demonstrated similar usabilities for video and photos. This is shown by the short 2 cm of difference between the accuracies of video- and photo-based 3-D point clouds. Despite the low video resolution, the usability of these data was compensated for by a small ground sampling distance. Instead of video characteristics, low quality and application resulted from non-data-related factors, such as changes in the scene, lack of

Aerial of the Orion EFT-1 Arrival at KSC

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-12-18

An aerial view reveals the Orion crew module, enclosed in its crew module transportation fixture and secured on a flatbed truck is passing the Space Station Processing Facility at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on its way to the Multi-Operation Support Building. Orion made the 2,700 mile overland trip from Naval Base San Diego in California. The spacecraft was recovered from the Pacific Ocean after completing a two-orbit, four-and-a-half hour mission Dec. 5 to test systems critical to crew safety, including the launch abort system, the heat shield and the parachute system. The Ground Systems Development and Operations Program led the recovery, offload and transportation efforts.

An aerial radiological survey of the Evans Area, US Army Communications-Electronics Command, Fort Monmouth, New Jersey

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Maurer, R.J.

1989-12-01

An aerial radiological survey was conducted over the Evans Area, US Army Communications-Electronics Command, Fort Monmouth, New Jersey, during the period November 14--18, 1988. The purposes of the survey were to document the terrestrial gamma environment of the Evans site and surrounding area and to determine if there had been any radiological impact on the area due to past laboratory operations. The results of the aerial survey are reported as inferred radiation exposure rates at 1 meter above ground level in the form of a contour map. The aerial data were compared to ground-based benchmark'' exposure rate measurements and radionuclidemore » assay of soil samples obtained at sites outside the survey perimeter. Similar ground-based measurements were also made at several locations on the Evans site and at the bank of the Shark River bordering the Evans Area. No evidence for contamination was identified by either radionuclide assay of soil samples or the aerial survey. 6 refs., 5 figs., 2 tabs.« less

MEMS Based Micro Aerial Vehicles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Joshi, Niranjan; Köhler, Elof; Enoksson, Peter

2016-10-01

Designing a flapping wing insect robot requires understanding of insect flight mechanisms, wing kinematics and aerodynamic forces. These subsystems are interconnected and their dependence on one another affects the overall performance. Additionally it requires an artificial muscle like actuator and transmission to power the wings. Several kinds of actuators and mechanisms are candidates for this application with their own strengths and weaknesses. This article provides an overview of the insect scaled flight mechanism along with discussion of various methods to achieve the Micro Aerial Vehicle (MAV) flight. Ongoing projects in Chalmers is aimed at developing a low cost and low manufacturing time MAV. The MAV design considerations and design specifications are mentioned. The wings are manufactured using 3D printed carbon fiber and are under experimental study.

Online Aerial Terrain Mapping for Ground Robot Navigation

PubMed Central

Peterson, John; Chaudhry, Haseeb; Abdelatty, Karim; Bird, John; Kochersberger, Kevin

2018-01-01

This work presents a collaborative unmanned aerial and ground vehicle system which utilizes the aerial vehicle’s overhead view to inform the ground vehicle’s path planning in real time. The aerial vehicle acquires imagery which is assembled into a orthomosaic and then classified. These terrain classes are used to estimate relative navigation costs for the ground vehicle so energy-efficient paths may be generated and then executed. The two vehicles are registered in a common coordinate frame using a real-time kinematic global positioning system (RTK GPS) and all image processing is performed onboard the unmanned aerial vehicle, which minimizes the data exchanged between the vehicles. This paper describes the architecture of the system and quantifies the registration errors between the vehicles. PMID:29461496

Online Aerial Terrain Mapping for Ground Robot Navigation.

PubMed

Peterson, John; Chaudhry, Haseeb; Abdelatty, Karim; Bird, John; Kochersberger, Kevin

2018-02-20

This work presents a collaborative unmanned aerial and ground vehicle system which utilizes the aerial vehicle's overhead view to inform the ground vehicle's path planning in real time. The aerial vehicle acquires imagery which is assembled into a orthomosaic and then classified. These terrain classes are used to estimate relative navigation costs for the ground vehicle so energy-efficient paths may be generated and then executed. The two vehicles are registered in a common coordinate frame using a real-time kinematic global positioning system (RTK GPS) and all image processing is performed onboard the unmanned aerial vehicle, which minimizes the data exchanged between the vehicles. This paper describes the architecture of the system and quantifies the registration errors between the vehicles.

Data Acquisition (DAQ) system dedicated for remote sensing applications on Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Keleshis, C.; Ioannou, S.; Vrekoussis, M.; Levin, Z.; Lange, M. A.

2014-08-01

Continuous advances in unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) and the increased complexity of their applications raise the demand for improved data acquisition systems (DAQ). These improvements may comprise low power consumption, low volume and weight, robustness, modularity and capability to interface with various sensors and peripherals while maintaining the high sampling rates and processing speeds. Such a system has been designed and developed and is currently integrated on the Autonomous Flying Platforms for Atmospheric and Earth Surface Observations (APAESO/NEA-YΠOΔOMH/NEKΠ/0308/09) however, it can be easily adapted to any UAV or any other mobile vehicle. The system consists of a single-board computer with a dual-core processor, rugged surface-mount memory and storage device, analog and digital input-output ports and many other peripherals that enhance its connectivity with various sensors, imagers and on-board devices. The system is powered by a high efficiency power supply board. Additional boards such as frame-grabbers, differential global positioning system (DGPS) satellite receivers, general packet radio service (3G-4G-GPRS) modems for communication redundancy have been interfaced to the core system and are used whenever there is a mission need. The onboard DAQ system can be preprogrammed for automatic data acquisition or it can be remotely operated during the flight from the ground control station (GCS) using a graphical user interface (GUI) which has been developed and will also be presented in this paper. The unique design of the GUI and the DAQ system enables the synchronized acquisition of a variety of scientific and UAV flight data in a single core location. The new DAQ system and the GUI have been successfully utilized in several scientific UAV missions. In conclusion, the novel DAQ system provides the UAV and the remote-sensing community with a new tool capable of reliably acquiring, processing, storing and transmitting data from any sensor integrated

USGS Releases New Digital Aerial Products

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

2005-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Center for Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) has initiated distribution of digital aerial photographic products produced by scanning or digitizing film from its historical aerial photography film archive. This archive, located in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, contains thousands of rolls of film that contain more than 8 million frames of historic aerial photographs. The largest portion of this archive consists of original film acquired by Federal agencies from the 1930s through the 1970s to produce 1:24,000-scale USGS topographic quadrangle maps. Most of this photography is reasonably large scale (USGS photography ranges from 1:8,000 to 1:80,000) to support the production of the maps. Two digital products are currently available for ordering: high-resolution scanned products and medium-resolution digitized products.

Biologically Inspired Behavioral Strategies for Autonomous Aerial Explorers on Mars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Plice, Laura; Pisanich, Greg; Lau, Benton; Young, Larry A.

2002-01-01

The natural world is a rich source of problem- solving approaches. This paper discusses the feasibility and technical challenges underlying mimicking, or analogously adapting, biological behavioral strategies to mission/flight planning for aerial vehicles engaged in planetary exploration. Two candidate concepts based on natural resource utilization and searching behaviors are adapted io technological applications. Prototypes and test missions addressing the difficulties of implementation and their solutions are also described.

Detection and clustering of features in aerial images by neuron network-based algorithm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vozenilek, Vit

2015-12-01

The paper presents the algorithm for detection and clustering of feature in aerial photographs based on artificial neural networks. The presented approach is not focused on the detection of specific topographic features, but on the combination of general features analysis and their use for clustering and backward projection of clusters to aerial image. The basis of the algorithm is a calculation of the total error of the network and a change of weights of the network to minimize the error. A classic bipolar sigmoid was used for the activation function of the neurons and the basic method of backpropagation was used for learning. To verify that a set of features is able to represent the image content from the user's perspective, the web application was compiled (ASP.NET on the Microsoft .NET platform). The main achievements include the knowledge that man-made objects in aerial images can be successfully identified by detection of shapes and anomalies. It was also found that the appropriate combination of comprehensive features that describe the colors and selected shapes of individual areas can be useful for image analysis.

Topographic data acquisition in tsunami-prone coastal area using Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marfai, M. A.; Sunarto; Khakim, N.; Cahyadi, A.; Rosaji, F. S. C.; Fatchurohman, H.; Wibowo, Y. A.

2018-04-01

The southern coastal area of Java Island is one of the nine seismic gaps prone to tsunamis. The entire coastline in one of the regencies, Gunungkidul, is exposed to the subduction zone in the Indian Ocean. Also, the growing tourism industries in the regency increase its vulnerability, which places most of its areas at high risk of tsunamis. The same case applies to Kukup, i.e., one of the most well-known beaches in Gunungkidul. Structurally shaped cliffs that surround it experience intensive wave erosion process, but it has very minimum access for evacuation routes. Since tsunami modeling is a very advanced analysis, it requires an accurate topographic data. Therefore, the research aimed to generate the topographic data of Kukup Beach as the baseline in tsunami risk reduction analysis and disaster management. It used aerial photograph data, which was acquired using Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). The results showed that the aerial photographs captured by drone had accurate elevation and spatial resolution. Therefore, they are applicable for tsunami modeling and disaster management.

Fuel cell system with sodium borohydride as hydrogen source for unmanned aerial vehicles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Kyunghwan; Kim, Taegyu; Lee, Kiseong; Kwon, Sejin

In this study, we design and fabricate a fuel cell system for application as a power source in unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The fuel cell system consists of a fuel cell stack, hydrogen generator, and hybrid power management system. PEMFC stack with an output power of 100 W is prepared and tested to decide the efficient operating conditions; the stack must be operated in the dead-end mode with purge in order to ensure prolonged stack performance. A hydrogen generator is fabricated to supply gaseous hydrogen to the stack. Sodium borohydride (NaBH 4) is used as the hydrogen source in the present study. Co/Al 2O 3 catalyst is prepared for the hydrolysis of the alkaline NaBH 4 solution at room temperature. The fabricated Co catalyst is comparable to the Ru catalyst. The UAV consumes more power in the takeoff mode than in the cruising mode. A hybrid power management system using an auxiliary battery is developed and evaluated for efficient energy management. Hybrid power from both the fuel cell and battery powers takeoff and turning flight operations, while the fuel cell supplies steady power during the cruising flight. The capabilities of the fuel-cell UAVs for long endurance flights are validated by successful flight tests.

Environmental applications utilizing digital aerial imagery

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Monday, H.M.

1995-06-01

This paper discusses the use of satellite imagery, aerial photography, and computerized airborne imagery as applied to environmental mapping, analysis, and monitoring. A project conducted by the City of Irving, Texas involves compliance with national pollutant discharge elimination system (NPDES) requirements stipulated by the Environmental Protection Agency. The purpose of the project was the development and maintenance of a stormwater drainage utility. Digital imagery was collected for a portion of the city to map the City`s porous and impervious surfaces which will then be overlaid with property boundaries in the City`s existing Geographic information System (GIS). This information will allowmore » the City to determine an equitable tax for each land parcel according to the amount of water each parcel is contributing to the stormwater system. Another project involves environmental compliance for warm water discharges created by utility companies. Environmental consultants are using digital airborne imagery to analyze thermal plume affects as well as monitoring power generation facilities. A third project involves wetland restoration. Due to freeway and other forms of construction, plus a major reduction of fresh water supplies, the Southern California coastal wetlands are being seriously threatened. These wetlands, rich spawning grounds for plant and animal life, are home to thousands of waterfowl and shore birds who use this habitat for nesting and feeding grounds. Under the leadership of Southern California Edison (SCE) and CALTRANS (California Department of Transportation), several wetland areas such as the San Dieguito Lagoon (Del Mar, California), the Sweetwater Marsh (San Diego, California), and the Tijuana Estuary (San Diego, California) are being restored and closely monitored using digital airborne imagery.« less

Unsupervised building detection from irregularly spaced LiDAR and aerial imagery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shorter, Nicholas Sven

As more data sources containing 3-D information are becoming available, an increased interest in 3-D imaging has emerged. Among these is the 3-D reconstruction of buildings and other man-made structures. A necessary preprocessing step is the detection and isolation of individual buildings that subsequently can be reconstructed in 3-D using various methodologies. Applications for both building detection and reconstruction have commercial use for urban planning, network planning for mobile communication (cell phone tower placement), spatial analysis of air pollution and noise nuisances, microclimate investigations, geographical information systems, security services and change detection from areas affected by natural disasters. Building detection and reconstruction are also used in the military for automatic target recognition and in entertainment for virtual tourism. Previously proposed building detection and reconstruction algorithms solely utilized aerial imagery. With the advent of Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) systems providing elevation data, current algorithms explore using captured LiDAR data as an additional feasible source of information. Additional sources of information can lead to automating techniques (alleviating their need for manual user intervention) as well as increasing their capabilities and accuracy. Several building detection approaches surveyed in the open literature have fundamental weaknesses that hinder their use; such as requiring multiple data sets from different sensors, mandating certain operations to be carried out manually, and limited functionality to only being able to detect certain types of buildings. In this work, a building detection system is proposed and implemented which strives to overcome the limitations seen in existing techniques. The developed framework is flexible in that it can perform building detection from just LiDAR data (first or last return), or just nadir, color aerial imagery. If data from both LiDAR and

From Operating-System Correctness to Pervasively Verified Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Daum, Matthias; Schirmer, Norbert W.; Schmidt, Mareike

Though program verification is known and has been used for decades, the verification of a complete computer system still remains a grand challenge. Part of this challenge is the interaction of application programs with the operating system, which is usually entrusted with retrieving input data from and transferring output data to peripheral devices. In this scenario, the correct operation of the applications inherently relies on operating-system correctness. Based on the formal correctness of our real-time operating system Olos, this paper describes an approach to pervasively verify applications running on top of the operating system.

Modeling vegetation heights from high resolution stereo aerial photography: an application for broad-scale rangeland monitoring

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gillan, Jeffrey K.; Karl, Jason W.; Duniway, Michael; Elaksher, Ahmed

2014-01-01

Vertical vegetation structure in rangeland ecosystems can be a valuable indicator for assessing rangeland health and monitoring riparian areas, post-fire recovery, available forage for livestock, and wildlife habitat. Federal land management agencies are directed to monitor and manage rangelands at landscapes scales, but traditional field methods for measuring vegetation heights are often too costly and time consuming to apply at these broad scales. Most emerging remote sensing techniques capable of measuring surface and vegetation height (e.g., LiDAR or synthetic aperture radar) are often too expensive, and require specialized sensors. An alternative remote sensing approach that is potentially more practical for managers is to measure vegetation heights from digital stereo aerial photographs. As aerial photography is already commonly used for rangeland monitoring, acquiring it in stereo enables three-dimensional modeling and estimation of vegetation height. The purpose of this study was to test the feasibility and accuracy of estimating shrub heights from high-resolution (HR, 3-cm ground sampling distance) digital stereo-pair aerial images. Overlapping HR imagery was taken in March 2009 near Lake Mead, Nevada and 5-cm resolution digital surface models (DSMs) were created by photogrammetric methods (aerial triangulation, digital image matching) for twenty-six test plots. We compared the heights of individual shrubs and plot averages derived from the DSMs to field measurements. We found strong positive correlations between field and image measurements for several metrics. Individual shrub heights tended to be underestimated in the imagery, however, accuracy was higher for dense, compact shrubs compared with shrubs with thin branches. Plot averages of shrub height from DSMs were also strongly correlated to field measurements but consistently underestimated. Grasses and forbs were generally too small to be detected with the resolution of the DSMs. Estimates of

Spray droplet size, drift potential, and risks to nontarget organisms from aerially applied glyphosate for coca control in Colombia.

PubMed

Hewitt, Andrew J; Solomon, Keith R; Marshall, E J P

2009-01-01

A wind tunnel atomization study was conducted to measure the emission droplet size spectra for water and Glyphos (a glyphosate formulation sold in Colombia) + Cosmo-flux sprays for aerial application to control coca and poppy crops in Colombia. The droplet size spectra were measured in a wind tunnel for an Accu-Flo nozzle (with 16 size 0.085 [2.16 mm] orifices), under appropriate simulated aircraft speeds (up to 333 km/h), using a laser diffraction instrument covering a dynamic size range for droplets of 0.5 to 3,500 microm. The spray drift potential of the glyphosate was modeled using the AGDISP spray application and drift model, using input parameters representative of those occurring in Colombia for typical aerial application operations. The droplet size spectra for tank mixes containing glyphosate and Cosmo-Flux were considerably finer than water and became finer with higher aircraft speeds. The tank mix with 44% glyphosate had a D(v0.5) of 128 microm, while the value at the 4.9% glyphosate rate was 140 microm. These are classified as very fine to fine sprays. Despite being relatively fine, modeling showed that the droplets would not evaporate as rapidly as most similarly sized agricultural sprays because the nonvolatile proportion of the tank mix (active and inert adjuvant ingredients) was large. Thus, longer range drift is small and most drift that does occur will deposit relatively close to the application area. Drift will only occur downwind and, with winds of velocity less than the modeled maximum of 9 km/h, the drift distance would be substantially reduced. Spray drift potential might be additionally reduced through various practices such as the selection of nozzles, tank mix adjuvants, aircraft speeds, and spray pressures that would produce coarser sprays. Species sensitivity distributions to glyphosate were constructed for plants and amphibians. Based on modeled drift and 5th centile concentrations, appropriate no-spray buffer zones (distance from the

BOREAS Level-0 ER-2 Aerial Photography

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Newcomer, Jeffrey A.; Dominquez, Roseanne; Hall, Forrest G. (Editor)

2000-01-01

For BOReal Ecosystem-Atmosphere Study (BOREAS), the ER-2 and other aerial photography was collected to provide finely detailed and spatially extensive documentation of the condition of the primary study sites. The ER-2 aerial photography consists of color-IR transparencies collected during flights in 1994 and 1996 over the study areas.

Building block extraction and classification by means of aerial images fused with super-resolution reconstructed elevation data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Panagiotopoulou, Antigoni; Bratsolis, Emmanuel; Charou, Eleni; Perantonis, Stavros

2017-10-01

The detailed three-dimensional modeling of buildings utilizing elevation data, such as those provided by light detection and ranging (LiDAR) airborne scanners, is increasingly demanded today. There are certain application requirements and available datasets to which any research effort has to be adapted. Our dataset includes aerial orthophotos, with a spatial resolution 20 cm, and a digital surface model generated from LiDAR, with a spatial resolution 1 m and an elevation resolution 20 cm, from an area of Athens, Greece. The aerial images are fused with LiDAR, and we classify these data with a multilayer feedforward neural network for building block extraction. The innovation of our approach lies in the preprocessing step in which the original LiDAR data are super-resolution (SR) reconstructed by means of a stochastic regularized technique before their fusion with the aerial images takes place. The Lorentzian estimator combined with the bilateral total variation regularization performs the SR reconstruction. We evaluate the performance of our approach against that of fusing unprocessed LiDAR data with aerial images. We present the classified images and the statistical measures confusion matrix, kappa coefficient, and overall accuracy. The results demonstrate that our approach predominates over that of fusing unprocessed LiDAR data with aerial images.

7 CFR 1755.703 - Nonmetallic reinforced (NMR) aerial service wire.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 11 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Nonmetallic reinforced (NMR) aerial service wire... MATERIALS, AND STANDARD CONTRACT FORMS § 1755.703 Nonmetallic reinforced (NMR) aerial service wire. (a... resistance of each conductor in a completed NMR aerial service wire shall comply with the requirement...

7 CFR 1755.703 - Nonmetallic reinforced (NMR) aerial service wire.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 11 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Nonmetallic reinforced (NMR) aerial service wire... MATERIALS, AND STANDARD CONTRACT FORMS § 1755.703 Nonmetallic reinforced (NMR) aerial service wire. (a... resistance of each conductor in a completed NMR aerial service wire shall comply with the requirement...

7 CFR 1755.703 - Nonmetallic reinforced (NMR) aerial service wire.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 11 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Nonmetallic reinforced (NMR) aerial service wire... MATERIALS, AND STANDARD CONTRACT FORMS § 1755.703 Nonmetallic reinforced (NMR) aerial service wire. (a... resistance of each conductor in a completed NMR aerial service wire shall comply with the requirement...

A Distributed Operating System for BMD Applications.

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-01-01

Defense) applications executing on distributed hardware with local and shared memories. The objective was to develop real - time operating system functions...make the Basic Real - Time Operating System , and the set of new EPL language primitives that provide BMD application processes with efficient mechanisms

Estimating occupancy and abundance using aerial images with imperfect detection

USGS Publications Warehouse

Williams, Perry J.; Hooten, Mevin B.; Womble, Jamie N.; Bower, Michael R.

2017-01-01

Species distribution and abundance are critical population characteristics for efficient management, conservation, and ecological insight. Point process models are a powerful tool for modelling distribution and abundance, and can incorporate many data types, including count data, presence-absence data, and presence-only data. Aerial photographic images are a natural tool for collecting data to fit point process models, but aerial images do not always capture all animals that are present at a site. Methods for estimating detection probability for aerial surveys usually include collecting auxiliary data to estimate the proportion of time animals are available to be detected.We developed an approach for fitting point process models using an N-mixture model framework to estimate detection probability for aerial occupancy and abundance surveys. Our method uses multiple aerial images taken of animals at the same spatial location to provide temporal replication of sample sites. The intersection of the images provide multiple counts of individuals at different times. We examined this approach using both simulated and real data of sea otters (Enhydra lutris kenyoni) in Glacier Bay National Park, southeastern Alaska.Using our proposed methods, we estimated detection probability of sea otters to be 0.76, the same as visual aerial surveys that have been used in the past. Further, simulations demonstrated that our approach is a promising tool for estimating occupancy, abundance, and detection probability from aerial photographic surveys.Our methods can be readily extended to data collected using unmanned aerial vehicles, as technology and regulations permit. The generality of our methods for other aerial surveys depends on how well surveys can be designed to meet the assumptions of N-mixture models.

Effects of temperature and aerial exposure on the BOD of waste zebra mussels removed from navigational locks.

PubMed

Aldridge, D W; Payne, B S

2001-08-01

This laboratory study evaluated the effects of temperature and aerial exposure on BOD5 (5-day BOD) of waste zebra mussels of the type generated by maintenance operations on dams and navigational locks. The term waste zebra mussels includes the mussels and their associated debris with the latter including sediment, feces, pseudofeces and other small aquatic organisms. The BOD5 of waste zebra mussel was evaluated after aerial exposure of 3 and 10 days at temperatures of 5, 10, and 20 degrees C. The mean BOD5 values for waste zebra mussels in this study ranged from 18,500 to 30,600 mg O2/l. Factorial ANOVA analysis revealed that both temperature and aerial exposure had a negative effect on waste zebra mussel BOD5 (P<0.05) but there was no significant interaction effect (P = 0.119). Multiple regression analysis predicted that for the range of treatment conditions used in this study each 1 degrees C increase in temperature reduced the waste zebra mussel BOD5 by 284mg O2/l or 0.93% of the maximum mean BOD5. Each I day increase in aerial exposure reduced waste zebra mussel BOD5 by 987 mg O2/l or 3.22% of the maximum mean BOD5. Aerial exposure of waste zebra mussels substantially reduces waste BOD5.

43 CFR 3592.1 - Operating plans.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... OPERATIONS Plans and Maps § 3592.1 Operating plans. (a) Before conducting any operations under any lease(s... description of geologic conditions and mineral resources, with appropriate maps, within the area where mining is to be conducted; (3) A copy of a suitable map or aerial photograph showing the topography, the...

43 CFR 3592.1 - Operating plans.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... OPERATIONS Plans and Maps § 3592.1 Operating plans. (a) Before conducting any operations under any lease(s... description of geologic conditions and mineral resources, with appropriate maps, within the area where mining is to be conducted; (3) A copy of a suitable map or aerial photograph showing the topography, the...

43 CFR 3592.1 - Operating plans.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... OPERATIONS Plans and Maps § 3592.1 Operating plans. (a) Before conducting any operations under any lease(s... description of geologic conditions and mineral resources, with appropriate maps, within the area where mining is to be conducted; (3) A copy of a suitable map or aerial photograph showing the topography, the...

Small Unmanned Aerial Systems: Implications of the Evolving Legal Context for Use in Natural Resources Science and Management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walker, M. J.

2016-12-01

Small unmanned aerial systems (sUAS, also known as drones) potentially provide researchers and managers with the capacity to enhance temporal and spatial resolution of data sets for natural resources science and management. sUAS have been used for many types of data collection and have a partial definition in mass of the aircraft, ranging from 0.5 to <55 lbs (0.2 to <24.9 kg). Aircraft within this range of mass can present a collision hazard to other aircraft. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) recently faced the challenge of removing regulatory barriers to sUAS application while minimizing risk in the national airspace. The regulatory and legal framework developed for using sUAS in natural resources science and management has evolved from a very conservative approach prior in the first decade of the 21st century. FAA's recently revised operating rules for sUAS, significantly changing pilot certification requirements and operating rules in the national airspace. The next 2-5 years will bring advances in sUAS applications for science and management, building upon the accomplishments of users who complied with the former regulatory environment. We review the current operating rules (49 CFR, part 107) that apply specifically to sUAS and discuss the implications for researchers and managers. While part 107 relaxed many restrictions, it is important to understand the regulatory framework currently in place that encourages development of applications for sUAS while adhering to the mandate that the national airspace be safe and secure. We consider potential applications for natural resources science and management in the context of the recently released operating rules, especially with respect to training requirements and protocols for use.

7 CFR 1755.703 - Nonmetallic reinforced (NMR) aerial service wire.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 11 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Nonmetallic reinforced (NMR) aerial service wire... MATERIALS, AND STANDARD CONTRACT FORMS § 1755.703 Nonmetallic reinforced (NMR) aerial service wire. (a..., paragraphs 2.2 and 2.2.1. The ANSI/ICEA S-89-648-1993 Standard For Telecommunications Aerial Service Wire...

7 CFR 1755.703 - Nonmetallic reinforced (NMR) aerial service wire.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 11 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Nonmetallic reinforced (NMR) aerial service wire... MATERIALS, AND STANDARD CONTRACT FORMS § 1755.703 Nonmetallic reinforced (NMR) aerial service wire. (a..., paragraphs 2.2 and 2.2.1. The ANSI/ICEA S-89-648-1993 Standard For Telecommunications Aerial Service Wire...

7 CFR 1755.700 - RUS specification for aerial service wires.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 11 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false RUS specification for aerial service wires. 1755.700..., AND STANDARD CONTRACT FORMS § 1755.700 RUS specification for aerial service wires. §§ 1755.701 through 1755.704 cover the requirements for aerial service wires. [61 FR 26074, May 24, 1996] ...

7 CFR 1755.700 - RUS specification for aerial service wires.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 11 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false RUS specification for aerial service wires. 1755.700..., AND STANDARD CONTRACT FORMS § 1755.700 RUS specification for aerial service wires. §§ 1755.701 through 1755.704 cover the requirements for aerial service wires. [61 FR 26074, May 24, 1996] ...

Use of 35-mm color aerial photography to acquire mallard sex ratio data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ferguson, Edgar L.; Jorde, Dennis G.; Sease, John L.

1981-01-01

A conventional 35-mm camera equipped with an f2.8 135-mm lens and ASA 64 color film was used to acquire sex ratio data on mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) wintering in the Platte River Valley of south-central Nebraska. Prelight focusing for a distance of 30.5 metres and setting of shutter speed at 1/2000 of a second eliminated focusing and reduced image motion problems and resulted in high-resolution, large-scale aerial photography of small targets. This technique has broad application to the problem of determining sex ratios of various species of waterfowl concentrated on wintering and staging areas. The aerial photographic method was cheaper than the ground ocular method when costs were compared on a per-100 bird basis.

Breakaway: A Look at the Integration of Aerial Refueling and Unmanned Aircraft Systems in Future Operations

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-06-15

possibility of air refueling unmanned platforms that will prolong their loiter time. Because of the senior leader pressure to get a persistent presence...future force of 2025 will undoubtedly include many unmanned aircraft and manned aircraft. This thesis investigates how aerial refueling and unmanned...leader pressure to get a persistent presence of unmanned aircraft through air refueling, they might have waived the “sanity check” for this, or

Application of Concurrent Engineering Methods to the Design of an Autonomous Aerial Robot

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-12-01

power within the system, either airborne or at a ground station, was left to the team’s discretion. Data link from the aerial vehicle to the ground...Design Process 1 4 10 0% Conceptual 100% Preliminary 100% Detailed 100% Design Freedom Kowledge About the Design TIME INTO THE DESIGN PROCESS Figure 15...mission planning and control tasks was accomplished. Key system issues regarding power up and component initialization procedures began to be addressed

Automatic forest-fire measuring using ground stations and Unmanned Aerial Systems.

PubMed

Martínez-de Dios, José Ramiro; Merino, Luis; Caballero, Fernando; Ollero, Anibal

2011-01-01

This paper presents a novel system for automatic forest-fire measurement using cameras distributed at ground stations and mounted on Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS). It can obtain geometrical measurements of forest fires in real-time such as the location and shape of the fire front, flame height and rate of spread, among others. Measurement of forest fires is a challenging problem that is affected by numerous potential sources of error. The proposed system addresses them by exploiting the complementarities between infrared and visual cameras located at different ground locations together with others onboard Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS). The system applies image processing and geo-location techniques to obtain forest-fire measurements individually from each camera and then integrates the results from all the cameras using statistical data fusion techniques. The proposed system has been extensively tested and validated in close-to-operational conditions in field fire experiments with controlled safety conditions carried out in Portugal and Spain from 2001 to 2006.

Automatic Forest-Fire Measuring Using Ground Stations and Unmanned Aerial Systems

PubMed Central

Martínez-de Dios, José Ramiro; Merino, Luis; Caballero, Fernando; Ollero, Anibal

2011-01-01

This paper presents a novel system for automatic forest-fire measurement using cameras distributed at ground stations and mounted on Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS). It can obtain geometrical measurements of forest fires in real-time such as the location and shape of the fire front, flame height and rate of spread, among others. Measurement of forest fires is a challenging problem that is affected by numerous potential sources of error. The proposed system addresses them by exploiting the complementarities between infrared and visual cameras located at different ground locations together with others onboard Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS). The system applies image processing and geo-location techniques to obtain forest-fire measurements individually from each camera and then integrates the results from all the cameras using statistical data fusion techniques. The proposed system has been extensively tested and validated in close-to-operational conditions in field fire experiments with controlled safety conditions carried out in Portugal and Spain from 2001 to 2006. PMID:22163958

Geography via Aerial Field Trips: Do It This Way, 6.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Richason, Benjamin F., Jr.; Guell, Carl E.

To provide guidance for geography teachers, this booklet presents information on how to plan and execute aerial field trips. The aerial field trip can be employed as an effective visual aid technique in the teaching of geography, especially for presenting earth generalizations and interrelationships. The benefits of an aerial field trip are…

Number of lightning discharges causing damage to lightning arrester cables for aerial transmission lines in power systems

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nikiforov, E. P.

2009-07-15

Damage by lightning discharges to lightning arrester cables for 110-175 kV aerial transmission lines is analyzed using data from power systems on incidents with aerial transmission lines over a ten year operating period (1997-2006). It is found that failures of lightning arrester cables occur when a tensile force acts on a cable heated to the melting point by a lightning current. The lightning currents required to heat a cable to this extent are greater for larger cable cross sections. The probability that a lightning discharge will develop decreases as the amplitude of the lightning current increases, which greatly reduces themore » number of lightning discharges which damage TK-70 cables compared to TK-50 cables. In order to increase the reliability of lightning arrester cables for 110 kV aerial transmission lines, TK-70 cables should be used in place of TK-50 cables. The number of lightning discharges per year which damage lightning arrester cables is lowered when the density of aerial transmission lines is reduced within the territory of electrical power systems. An approximate relationship between these two parameters is obtained.« less

Development and Integration of a Solar Powered Unmanned Aerial Vehicle and a Wireless Sensor Network to Monitor Greenhouse Gases

PubMed Central

Malaver, Alexander; Motta, Nunzio; Corke, Peter; Gonzalez, Felipe

2015-01-01

Measuring gases for environmental monitoring is a demanding task that requires long periods of observation and large numbers of sensors. Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) currently represent the best alternative to monitor large, remote, and difficult access areas, as these technologies have the possibility of carrying specialized gas sensing systems. This paper presents the development and integration of a WSN and an UAV powered by solar energy in order to enhance their functionality and broader their applications. A gas sensing system implementing nanostructured metal oxide (MOX) and non-dispersive infrared sensors was developed to measure concentrations of CH4 and CO2. Laboratory, bench and field testing results demonstrate the capability of UAV to capture, analyze and geo-locate a gas sample during flight operations. The field testing integrated ground sensor nodes and the UAV to measure CO2 concentration at ground and low aerial altitudes, simultaneously. Data collected during the mission was transmitted in real time to a central node for analysis and 3D mapping of the target gas. The results highlights the accomplishment of the first flight mission of a solar powered UAV equipped with a CO2 sensing system integrated with a WSN. The system provides an effective 3D monitoring and can be used in a wide range of environmental applications such as agriculture, bushfires, mining studies, zoology and botanical studies using a ubiquitous low cost technology. PMID:25679312

Development and integration of a solar powered unmanned aerial vehicle and a wireless sensor network to monitor greenhouse gases.

PubMed

Malaver, Alexander; Motta, Nunzio; Corke, Peter; Gonzalez, Felipe

2015-02-11

Measuring gases for environmental monitoring is a demanding task that requires long periods of observation and large numbers of sensors. Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) currently represent the best alternative to monitor large, remote, and difficult access areas, as these technologies have the possibility of carrying specialized gas sensing systems. This paper presents the development and integration of a WSN and an UAV powered by solar energy in order to enhance their functionality and broader their applications. A gas sensing system implementing nanostructured metal oxide (MOX) and non-dispersive infrared sensors was developed to measure concentrations of CH4 and CO2. Laboratory, bench and field testing results demonstrate the capability of UAV to capture, analyze and geo-locate a gas sample during flight operations. The field testing integrated ground sensor nodes and the UAV to measure CO2 concentration at ground and low aerial altitudes, simultaneously. Data collected during the mission was transmitted in real time to a central node for analysis and 3D mapping of the target gas. The results highlights the accomplishment of the first flight mission of a solar powered UAV equipped with a CO2 sensing system integrated with a WSN. The system provides an effective 3D monitoring and can be used in a wide range of environmental applications such as agriculture, bushfires, mining studies, zoology and botanical studies using a ubiquitous low cost technology.

a Method for Simultaneous Aerial and Terrestrial Geodata Acquisition for Corridor Mapping

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Molina, P.; Blázquez, M.; Sastre, J.; Colomina, I.

2015-08-01

In this paper, we present mapKITE, a new mobile, simultaneous terrestrial and aerial, geodata collection and post-processing method. On one side, the method combines a terrestrial mobile mapping system (TMMS) with an unmanned aerial mapping one, both equipped with remote sensing payloads (at least, a nadir-looking visible-band camera in the UA) by means of which aerial and terrestrial geodata are acquired simultaneously. This tandem geodata acquisition system is based on a terrestrial vehicle (TV) and on an unmanned aircraft (UA) linked by a 'virtual tether', that is, a mechanism based on the real-time supply of UA waypoints by the TV. By means of the TV-to-UA tether, the UA follows the TV keeping a specific relative TV-to-UA spatial configuration enabling the simultaneous operation of both systems to obtain highly redundant and complementary geodata. On the other side, mapKITE presents a novel concept for geodata post-processing favoured by the rich geometrical aspects derived from the mapKITE tandem simultaneous operation. The approach followed for sensor orientation and calibration of the aerial images captured by the UA inherits the principles of Integrated Sensor Orientation (ISO) and adds the pointing-and-scaling photogrammetric measurement of a distinctive element observed in every UA image, which is a coded target mounted on the roof of the TV. By means of the TV navigation system, the orientation of the TV coded target is performed and used in the post-processing UA image orientation approach as a Kinematic Ground Control Point (KGCP). The geometric strength of a mapKITE ISO network is therefore high as it counts with the traditional tie point image measurements, static ground control points, kinematic aerial control and the new point-and-scale measurements of the KGCPs. With such a geometry, reliable system and sensor orientation and calibration and eventual further reduction of the number of traditional ground control points is feasible. The different

The Impact of Conflicting Spatial Representations in Airborne Unmanned Aerial System Sensor Control

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-02-01

Spatial Discordance 1 Running head: SPATIAL DISCORDANCE IN AIRBORNE UAS OPERATIONS The impact of conflicting spatial...representations in airborne unmanned aerial system sensor control Joseph W Geeseman, James E Patrey, Caroline Davy, Katherine Peditto, & Christine Zernickow...system (UAS) simulation while riding in the fuselage of an airborne Lockheed P-3 Orion. The P-3 flew a flight profile of intermittent ascending

47 CFR 1.83 - Applications for radio operator licenses.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 47 Telecommunication 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Applications for radio operator licenses. 1.83... Rules of Practice and Procedure Miscellaneous Proceedings § 1.83 Applications for radio operator licenses. (a) Application filing procedures for amateur radio operator licenses are set forth in part 97 of...

Precision measurements from very-large scale aerial digital imagery.

PubMed

Booth, D Terrance; Cox, Samuel E; Berryman, Robert D

2006-01-01

Managers need measurements and resource managers need the length/width of a variety of items including that of animals, logs, streams, plant canopies, man-made objects, riparian habitat, vegetation patches and other things important in resource monitoring and land inspection. These types of measurements can now be easily and accurately obtained from very large scale aerial (VLSA) imagery having spatial resolutions as fine as 1 millimeter per pixel by using the three new software programs described here. VLSA images have small fields of view and are used for intermittent sampling across extensive landscapes. Pixel-coverage among images is influenced by small changes in airplane altitude above ground level (AGL) and orientation relative to the ground, as well as by changes in topography. These factors affect the object-to-camera distance used for image-resolution calculations. 'ImageMeasurement' offers a user-friendly interface for accounting for pixel-coverage variation among images by utilizing a database. 'LaserLOG' records and displays airplane altitude AGL measured from a high frequency laser rangefinder, and displays the vertical velocity. 'Merge' sorts through large amounts of data generated by LaserLOG and matches precise airplane altitudes with camera trigger times for input to the ImageMeasurement database. We discuss application of these tools, including error estimates. We found measurements from aerial images (collection resolution: 5-26 mm/pixel as projected on the ground) using ImageMeasurement, LaserLOG, and Merge, were accurate to centimeters with an error less than 10%. We recommend these software packages as a means for expanding the utility of aerial image data.

Use of Aerial Photography to Monitor Fall Chinook Salmon Spawning in the Columbia River

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Visser, Richard H.; Dauble, Dennis D.; Geist, David R.

2002-11-01

This paper compares two methods for enumerating salmon redds and their application to monitoring spawning activity. Aerial photographs of fall chinook salmon spawning areas in the Hanford Reach of the Columbia River were digitized and mapped using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) techniques in 1994 and 1995 as part of an annual assessment of the population. The number of visible redds from these photographs were compared to counts obtained from visual surveys with fixed wing aircraft. The proportion of the total redds within each of five general survey areas was similar for the two monitoring techniques. However, the total number ofmore » redds based on aerial photographs was 2.2 and 3.0 times higher than those observed during visual surveys for 1994 and 1995, respectively. The divergence in redd counts was most evident near peak spawning activity when the number of redds within individual spawning clusters exceeded 500. Aerial photography improved our ability to monitor numbers of visible salmon redds and to quantify habitat use.« less

Automated aerial image based CD metrology initiated by pattern marking with photomask layout data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davis, Grant; Choi, Sun Young; Jung, Eui Hee; Seyfarth, Arne; van Doornmalen, Hans; Poortinga, Eric

2007-05-01

The photomask is a critical element in the lithographic image transfer process from the drawn layout to the final structures on the wafer. The non-linearity of the imaging process and the related MEEF impose a tight control requirement on the photomask critical dimensions. Critical dimensions can be measured in aerial images with hardware emulation. This is a more recent complement to the standard scanning electron microscope measurement of wafers and photomasks. Aerial image measurement includes non-linear, 3-dimensional, and materials effects on imaging that cannot be observed directly by SEM measurement of the mask. Aerial image measurement excludes the processing effects of printing and etching on the wafer. This presents a unique contribution to the difficult process control and modeling tasks in mask making. In the past, aerial image measurements have been used mainly to characterize the printability of mask repair sites. Development of photomask CD characterization with the AIMS TM tool was motivated by the benefit of MEEF sensitivity and the shorter feedback loop compared to wafer exposures. This paper describes a new application that includes: an improved interface for the selection of meaningful locations using the photomask and design layout data with the Calibre TM Metrology Interface, an automated recipe generation process, an automated measurement process, and automated analysis and result reporting on a Carl Zeiss AIMS TM system.

Feasibility Analysis of UAV Technology to Improve Tactical Surveillance in South Korea’s Rear Area Operations

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-03-01

determine the optimum required operational capability of the unmanned aerial vehicles to support Korean rear area operations. We use Map Aware Non ...area operations. Through further experimentations and analyses, we were able to find the optimum characteristics of an improved unmanned aerial...operations. We use Map Aware Non -Uniform Automata, an agent-based simulation software platform for computational experiments. The study models a scenario

Initial Efforts toward Mission-Representative Imaging Surveys from Aerial Explorers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pisanich, Greg; Plice, Laura; Ippolito, Corey; Young, Larry A.; Lau, Benton; Lee, Pascal

2004-01-01

Numerous researchers have proposed the use of robotic aerial explorers to perform scientific investigation of planetary bodies in our solar system. One of the essential tasks for any aerial explorer is to be able to perform scientifically valuable imaging surveys. The focus of this paper is to discuss the challenges implicit in, and recent observations related to, acquiring mission-representative imaging data from a small fixed-wing UAV, acting as a surrogate planetary aerial explorer. This question of successfully performing aerial explorer surveys is also tied to other topics of technical investigation, including the development of unique bio-inspired technologies.

Career Profile- Jim Ross, Aerial Photographer

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-12-21

Check out what it takes to “capture the moment” at Mach speeds. The stunning aerial imagery of NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center comes from well-skilled photographers like Jim Ross, Photo Lead. This career profile video highlights Jim’s job responsibilities in documenting aircraft hardware installations, aerial research, and mission work that happens both on center and around the world. During Jim’s 27-year career, he has logged over 800 flight hours in twelve different types of aircraft.

Arachnid aloft: directed aerial descent in neotropical canopy spiders.

PubMed

Yanoviak, Stephen P; Munk, Yonatan; Dudley, Robert

2015-09-06

The behaviour of directed aerial descent has been described for numerous taxa of wingless hexapods as they fall from the tropical rainforest canopy, but is not known in other terrestrial arthropods. Here, we describe similar controlled aerial behaviours for large arboreal spiders in the genus Selenops (Selenopidae). We dropped 59 such spiders from either canopy platforms or tree crowns in Panama and Peru; the majority (93%) directed their aerial trajectories towards and then landed upon nearby tree trunks. Following initial dorsoventral righting when necessary, falling spiders oriented themselves and then translated head-first towards targets; directional changes were correlated with bilaterally asymmetric motions of the anterolaterally extended forelegs. Aerial performance (i.e. the glide index) decreased with increasing body mass and wing loading, but not with projected surface area of the spider. Along with the occurrence of directed aerial descent in ants, jumping bristletails, and other wingless hexapods, this discovery of targeted gliding in selenopid spiders further indicates strong selective pressures against uncontrolled falls into the understory for arboreal taxa. © 2015 The Author(s).

An Assessment of Hickam Air Force Base's Capability to Support Strategic Airlift Throughput when Operating under an Avian Flu Pandemic

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Brigantic, Robert T.; Campbell, James R.; Doctor, Pamela G.

Hickam Air Force Base (AFB), Hawaii provides an ideal waypoint for U.S. strategic airlift aircraft to refuel and receive other services on their way to Northeast and Southeast Asia from the continental United States. Hickam AFB also serves as a critical aerial port of debarkation (APOD) for deploying U.S. forces and equipment to more distant lands as needed. Making use of the United States Transportation Command’s Aerial Port of Debarkation Plus model, this paper examines the ability of Hickam AFB to serve in its important role as an APOD when operating under the effects of a major avian flu pandemic.more » In this regard, the major influence on Hickam AFB will be a serious degradation to the number of available personnel to service aircraft and operate Hickam AFB’s aerial port. It is noted that the results presented herein are based on simplistic attrition rate assumptions. Nonetheless, it is envisioned that this work is applicable to more realistic input attrition rates as avian flu epidemiological models are refined, as well as attrition associated with other types of contagious pandemic disease or willful biological warfare attack.« less

Persistent effects of aerial applications of disparlure on gypsy moth: trap catch and mating success

Treesearch

Kevin W. Thorpe; Ksenia S. Tcheslavskaia; Patrick C. Tobin; Laura M. Blackburn; Donna S. Leonard; E. Anderson Roberts

2007-01-01

In forest plots treated aerially with a plastic laminated flake formulation (Disrupt® II) of the gypsy moth sex pheromone disparlure to disrupt gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar (L.) (Lepidoptera: Lymantriidae), mating was monitored the year of treatment and 1-2 years after treatment to determine the effects of the treatment on suppression of...

Modeling vegetation heights from high resolution stereo aerial photography: an application for broad-scale rangeland monitoring.

PubMed

Gillan, Jeffrey K; Karl, Jason W; Duniway, Michael; Elaksher, Ahmed

2014-11-01

Vertical vegetation structure in rangeland ecosystems can be a valuable indicator for assessing rangeland health and monitoring riparian areas, post-fire recovery, available forage for livestock, and wildlife habitat. Federal land management agencies are directed to monitor and manage rangelands at landscapes scales, but traditional field methods for measuring vegetation heights are often too costly and time consuming to apply at these broad scales. Most emerging remote sensing techniques capable of measuring surface and vegetation height (e.g., LiDAR or synthetic aperture radar) are often too expensive, and require specialized sensors. An alternative remote sensing approach that is potentially more practical for managers is to measure vegetation heights from digital stereo aerial photographs. As aerial photography is already commonly used for rangeland monitoring, acquiring it in stereo enables three-dimensional modeling and estimation of vegetation height. The purpose of this study was to test the feasibility and accuracy of estimating shrub heights from high-resolution (HR, 3-cm ground sampling distance) digital stereo-pair aerial images. Overlapping HR imagery was taken in March 2009 near Lake Mead, Nevada and 5-cm resolution digital surface models (DSMs) were created by photogrammetric methods (aerial triangulation, digital image matching) for twenty-six test plots. We compared the heights of individual shrubs and plot averages derived from the DSMs to field measurements. We found strong positive correlations between field and image measurements for several metrics. Individual shrub heights tended to be underestimated in the imagery, however, accuracy was higher for dense, compact shrubs compared with shrubs with thin branches. Plot averages of shrub height from DSMs were also strongly correlated to field measurements but consistently underestimated. Grasses and forbs were generally too small to be detected with the resolution of the DSMs. Estimates of

Uas for Archaeology - New Perspectives on Aerial Documentation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fallavollita, P.; Balsi, M.; Esposito, S.; Melis, M. G.; Milanese, M.; Zappino, L.

2013-08-01

In this work some Unmanned Aerial Systems applications are discussed and applied to archaeological sites survey and 3D model reconstructions. Interesting results are shown for three important and different aged sites on north Sardinia (Italy). An easy and simplified procedure has proposed permitting the adoption of multi-rotor aircrafts for daily archaeological survey during excavation and documentation, involving state of art in UAS design, flight control systems, high definition sensor cameras and innovative photogrammetric software tools. Very high quality 3D models results are shown and discussed and how they have been simplified the archaeologist work and decisions.

A Technology Analysis to Support Acquisition of UAVs for Gulf Coalition Forces Operations

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-06-01

their selection of the most suitable and cost-effective unmanned aerial vehicles to support detection operations. This study uses Map Aware Non ...being detected by Gulf Coalition Forces and improved time to detect them, support the use of UAVs in detection missions. Computer experimentations and...aerial vehicles to support detection operations. We use Map Aware Non - Uniform Automata, an agent-based simulation software platform, for the

Human factors considerations for the integration of unmanned aerial vehicles in the National Airspace System : an analysis of reports submitted to the Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS)

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2017-06-06

Successful integration of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) operations into the National Airspace System requires the identification and mitigation of operational risks. This report reviews human factors issues that have been identified in operational as...

Noise from aerial bursts of fireworks

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Maglieri, D. J.; Henderson, H. R.

1973-01-01

A study was made recording the pressure time histories of the aerial bursts of mortars of various sizes launched during an actual fireworks display. The peak overpressure and duration of blast noise as well as the energy spectral density are compared with the characteristics of a blasting cap and of an F-104 aircraft at a Mach number of 1.4 and an altitude of 42,000 ft. Noise levels of the fireworks aerial bursts peaked 15 decibels below levels deemed damaging to hearing.

Resource understanding: a challenge to aerial methods

USGS Publications Warehouse

Udall, Stewart L.

1965-01-01

Aerial survey methods are speeding acquisition of survey data needed to provide and manage the nation's resources. These methods have been applied to topographic mapping for a number of years and the record clearly shows their advantages in terms of cost and speed in contrast to the ground methods that have been historically employed. Limited use is now being made of aerial methods to assist cadastral surveys, in location, acquisition and development of National Parks, in mapping the geology of the nation, in locating and developing water resources, and in surveys of the oceans. It is the purpose of this paper to call attention to these uses and to encourage the scientific community to further refine aerial methods so that their use may be increased and the veracity of data improved.

Operational Protection from Unmanned Aerial Systems

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-05-15

future threat posed by adversary UAS to U.S. forces, both in the form of system capabilities and methods of employment . It also addresses present...both in the form of system capabilities and methods of employment . It also addresses present counter UAS capabilities and recommends ways and means to...capabilities and methods of employment . It also addresses present counter UAS capabilities and recommends ways and means to provide better operational

The Alfred Nobel rocket camera. An early aerial photography attempt

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ingemar Skoog, A.

2010-02-01

Alfred Nobel (1833-1896), mainly known for his invention of dynamite and the creation of the Nobel Prices, was an engineer and inventor active in many fields of science and engineering, e.g. chemistry, medicine, mechanics, metallurgy, optics, armoury and rocketry. Amongst his inventions in rocketry was the smokeless solid propellant ballistite (i.e. cordite) patented for the first time in 1887. As a very wealthy person he actively supported many Swedish inventors in their work. One of them was W.T. Unge, who was devoted to the development of rockets and their applications. Nobel and Unge had several rocket patents together and also jointly worked on various rocket applications. In mid-1896 Nobel applied for patents in England and France for "An Improved Mode of Obtaining Photographic Maps and Earth or Ground Measurements" using a photographic camera carried by a "…balloon, rocket or missile…". During the remaining of 1896 the mechanical design of the camera mechanism was pursued and cameras manufactured. In April 1897 (after the death of Alfred Nobel) the first aerial photos were taken by these cameras. These photos might be the first documented aerial photos taken by a rocket borne camera. Cameras and photos from 1897 have been preserved. Nobel did not only develop the rocket borne camera but also proposed methods on how to use the photographs taken for ground measurements and preparing maps.

Melon yield prediction using small unmanned aerial vehicles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Tiebiao; Wang, Zhongdao; Yang, Qi; Chen, YangQuan

2017-05-01

Thanks to the development of camera technologies, small unmanned aerial systems (sUAS), it is possible to collect aerial images of field with more flexible visit, higher resolution and much lower cost. Furthermore, the performance of objection detection based on deeply trained convolutional neural networks (CNNs) has been improved significantly. In this study, we applied these technologies in the melon production, where high-resolution aerial images were used to count melons in the field and predict the yield. CNN-based object detection framework-Faster R-CNN is applied in the melon classification. Our results showed that sUAS plus CNNs were able to detect melons accurately in the late harvest season.

SITE I - AERIAL - MSC

NASA Image and Video Library

1966-07-01

S66-42379 (1966) --- Aerial view of construction progress at the Manned Spacecraft Center, Houston, Texas. NOTE: The Manned Spacecraft Center was named Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center in memory of the late President following his death.

Monitoring and Estimation of Soil Losses from Ephemeral Gully Erosion in Mediterranean Region Using Low Altitude Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gündoğan, R.; Alma, V.; Dindaroğlu, T.; Günal, H.; Yakupoğlu, T.; Susam, T.; Saltalı, K.

2017-11-01

Calculation of gullies by remote sensing images obtained from satellite or aerial platforms is often not possible because gullies in agricultural fields, defined as the temporary gullies are filled in a very short time with tillage operations. Therefore, fast and accurate estimation of sediment loss with the temporary gully erosion is of great importance. In this study, it is aimed to monitor and calculate soil losses caused by the gully erosion that occurs in agricultural areas with low altitude unmanned aerial vehicles. According to the calculation with Pix4D, gully volume was estimated to be 10.41 m3 and total loss of soil was estimated to be 14.47 Mg. The RMSE value of estimations was found to be 0.89. The results indicated that unmanned aerial vehicles could be used in predicting temporary gully erosion and losses of soil.

Application of System Operational Effectiveness Methodology to Space Launch Vehicle Development and Operations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Watson, Michael D.; Kelley, Gary W.

2012-01-01

The Department of Defense (DoD) defined System Operational Effectiveness (SOE) model provides an exceptional framework for an affordable approach to the development and operation of space launch vehicles and their supporting infrastructure. The SOE model provides a focal point from which to direct and measure technical effectiveness and process efficiencies of space launch vehicles. The application of the SOE model to a space launch vehicle's development and operation effort leads to very specific approaches and measures that require consideration during the design phase. This paper provides a mapping of the SOE model to the development of space launch vehicles for human exploration by addressing the SOE model key points of measurement including System Performance, System Availability, Technical Effectiveness, Process Efficiency, System Effectiveness, Life Cycle Cost, and Affordable Operational Effectiveness. In addition, the application of the SOE model to the launch vehicle development process is defined providing the unique aspects of space launch vehicle production and operations in lieu of the traditional broader SOE context that examines large quantities of fielded systems. The tailoring and application of the SOE model to space launch vehicles provides some key insights into the operational design drivers, capability phasing, and operational support systems.

Drogue tracking using 3D flash lidar for autonomous aerial refueling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Chao-I.; Stettner, Roger

2011-06-01

Autonomous aerial refueling (AAR) is an important capability for an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to increase its flying range and endurance without increasing its size. This paper presents a novel tracking method that utilizes both 2D intensity and 3D point-cloud data acquired with a 3D Flash LIDAR sensor to establish relative position and orientation between the receiver vehicle and drogue during an aerial refueling process. Unlike classic, vision-based sensors, a 3D Flash LIDAR sensor can provide 3D point-cloud data in real time without motion blur, in the day or night, and is capable of imaging through fog and clouds. The proposed method segments out the drogue through 2D analysis and estimates the center of the drogue from 3D point-cloud data for flight trajectory determination. A level-set front propagation routine is first employed to identify the target of interest and establish its silhouette information. Sufficient domain knowledge, such as the size of the drogue and the expected operable distance, is integrated into our approach to quickly eliminate unlikely target candidates. A statistical analysis along with a random sample consensus (RANSAC) is performed on the target to reduce noise and estimate the center of the drogue after all 3D points on the drogue are identified. The estimated center and drogue silhouette serve as the seed points to efficiently locate the target in the next frame.

Ground-Cover Measurements: Assessing Correlation Among Aerial and Ground-Based Methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Booth, D. Terrance; Cox, Samuel E.; Meikle, Tim; Zuuring, Hans R.

2008-12-01

Wyoming’s Green Mountain Common Allotment is public land providing livestock forage, wildlife habitat, and unfenced solitude, amid other ecological services. It is also the center of ongoing debate over USDI Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) adjudication of land uses. Monitoring resource use is a BLM responsibility, but conventional monitoring is inadequate for the vast areas encompassed in this and other public-land units. New monitoring methods are needed that will reduce monitoring costs. An understanding of data-set relationships among old and new methods is also needed. This study compared two conventional methods with two remote sensing methods using images captured from two meters and 100 meters above ground level from a camera stand (a ground, image-based method) and a light airplane (an aerial, image-based method). Image analysis used SamplePoint or VegMeasure software. Aerial methods allowed for increased sampling intensity at low cost relative to the time and travel required by ground methods. Costs to acquire the aerial imagery and measure ground cover on 162 aerial samples representing 9000 ha were less than 3000. The four highest correlations among data sets for bare ground—the ground-cover characteristic yielding the highest correlations (r)—ranged from 0.76 to 0.85 and included ground with ground, ground with aerial, and aerial with aerial data-set associations. We conclude that our aerial surveys are a cost-effective monitoring method, that ground with aerial data-set correlations can be equal to, or greater than those among ground-based data sets, and that bare ground should continue to be investigated and tested for use as a key indicator of rangeland health.

SITE I - AERIAL - MSC

NASA Image and Video Library

1965-08-01

S65-51530 (September 1965) --- Aerial view of Manned Spacecraft Center, Site 1, Houston, Texas, looking north. NOTE: The Manned Spacecraft Center was named Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center in memory of the late President following his death.

Advanced Image Processing of Aerial Imagery

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Woodell, Glenn; Jobson, Daniel J.; Rahman, Zia-ur; Hines, Glenn

2006-01-01

Aerial imagery of the Earth is an invaluable tool for the assessment of ground features, especially during times of disaster. Researchers at the NASA Langley Research Center have developed techniques which have proven to be useful for such imagery. Aerial imagery from various sources, including Langley's Boeing 757 Aries aircraft, has been studied extensively. This paper discusses these studies and demonstrates that better-than-observer imagery can be obtained even when visibility is severely compromised. A real-time, multi-spectral experimental system will be described and numerous examples will be shown.

AERIAL OF SHUTTLE LANDING FACILITY [SLF] POURING OF CONCRETE

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1975-01-01

AERIAL OF SHUTTLE LANDING FACILITY [SLF] POURING OF CONCRETE KSC-375C-10036.31 108-KSC-375C-10036.31, P-21426, ARCHIVE-04502 Aerial oblique of Shuttle runway facilities. Pouring concrete on runway. Direction north - altitude 100'.

Multispectral radiation envelope characteristics of aerial infrared targets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kou, Tian; Zhou, Zhongliang; Liu, Hongqiang; Yang, Yuanzhi; Lu, Chunguang

2018-07-01

Multispectral detection signals are relatively stable and complementary to single spectral detection signals with deficiencies of severe scintillation and poor anti-interference. To take advantage of multispectral radiation characteristics in the application of infrared target detection, the concept of a multispectral radiation envelope is proposed. To build the multispectral radiation envelope model, the temperature distribution of an aerial infrared target is calculated first. By considering the coupling heat transfer process, the heat balance equation is built by using the node network, and the convective heat transfer laws as a function of target speed are uncovered. Then, the tail flame temperature distribution model is built and the temperature distributions at different horizontal distances are calculated. Second, to obtain the optimal detection angles, envelope models of reflected background multispectral radiation and target multispectral radiation are built. Finally, the envelope characteristics of the aerial target multispectral radiation are analyzed in different wavebands in detail. The results we obtained reflect Wien's displacement law and prove the effectiveness and reasonableness of the envelope model, and also indicate that the major difference between multispectral wavebands is greatly influenced by the target speed. Moreover, optimal detection angles are obtained by numerical simulation, and these are very important for accurate and fast target detection, attack decision-making and developing multispectral detection platforms.

Neural-network classifiers for automatic real-world aerial image recognition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Greenberg, Shlomo; Guterman, Hugo

1996-08-01

We describe the application of the multilayer perceptron (MLP) network and a version of the adaptive resonance theory version 2-A (ART 2-A) network to the problem of automatic aerial image recognition (AAIR). The classification of aerial images, independent of their positions and orientations, is required for automatic tracking and target recognition. Invariance is achieved by the use of different invariant feature spaces in combination with supervised and unsupervised neural networks. The performance of neural-network-based classifiers in conjunction with several types of invariant AAIR global features, such as the Fourier-transform space, Zernike moments, central moments, and polar transforms, are examined. The advantages of this approach are discussed. The performance of the MLP network is compared with that of a classical correlator. The MLP neural-network correlator outperformed the binary phase-only filter (BPOF) correlator. It was found that the ART 2-A distinguished itself with its speed and its low number of required training vectors. However, only the MLP classifier was able to deal with a combination of shift and rotation geometric distortions.

Neural-network classifiers for automatic real-world aerial image recognition.

PubMed

Greenberg, S; Guterman, H

1996-08-10

We describe the application of the multilayer perceptron (MLP) network and a version of the adaptive resonance theory version 2-A (ART 2-A) network to the problem of automatic aerial image recognition (AAIR). The classification of aerial images, independent of their positions and orientations, is required for automatic tracking and target recognition. Invariance is achieved by the use of different invariant feature spaces in combination with supervised and unsupervised neural networks. The performance of neural-network-based classifiers in conjunction with several types of invariant AAIR global features, such as the Fourier-transform space, Zernike moments, central moments, and polar transforms, are examined. The advantages of this approach are discussed. The performance of the MLP network is compared with that of a classical correlator. The MLP neural-network correlator outperformed the binary phase-only filter (BPOF) correlator. It was found that the ART 2-A distinguished itself with its speed and its low number of required training vectors. However, only the MLP classifier was able to deal with a combination of shift and rotation geometric distortions.

Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) associated DTM quality evaluation and hazard assessment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Mei-Jen; Chen, Shao-Der; Chao, Yu-Jui; Chiang, Yi-Lin; Chang, Kuo-Jen

2014-05-01

Taiwan, due to the high seismicity and high annual rainfall, numerous landslides triggered every year and severe impacts affect the island. Concerning to the catastrophic landslides, the key information of landslide, including range of landslide, volume estimation and the subsequent evolution are important when analyzing the triggering mechanism, hazard assessment and mitigation. Thus, the morphological analysis gives a general overview for the landslides and been considered as one of the most fundamental information. We try to integrate several technologies, especially by Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) and multi-spectral camera, to decipher the consequence and the potential hazard, and the social impact. In recent years, the remote sensing technology improves rapidly, providing a wide range of image, essential and precious information. Benefited of the advancing of informatics, remote-sensing and electric technologies, the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) photogrammetry mas been improve significantly. The study tries to integrate several methods, including, 1) Remote-sensing images gathered by Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) and by aerial photos taken in different periods; 2) field in-situ geologic investigation; 3) Differential GPS, RTK GPS and Ground LiDAR field in-site geoinfomatics measurements; 4) Construct the DTMs before and after landslide, as well as the subsequent periods using UAV and aerial photos; 5) Discrete element method should be applied to understand the geomaterial composing the slope failure, for predicting earthquake-induced and rainfall-induced landslides displacement. First at all, we evaluate the Microdrones MD4-1000 UAV airphotos derived Digital Terrain Model (DTM). The ground resolution of the DSM point cloud of could be as high as 10 cm. By integrated 4 ground control point within an area of 56 hectares, compared with LiDAR DSM and filed RTK-GPS surveying, the mean error is as low as 6cm with a standard deviation of 17cm. The quality of the

Ecological Energetics of an Abundant Aerial Insectivore, the Purple Martin

PubMed Central

Kelly, Jeffrey F.; Bridge, Eli S.; Frick, Winifred F.; Chilson, Phillip B.

2013-01-01

The atmospheric boundary layer and lower free atmosphere, or aerosphere, is increasingly important for human transportation, communication, environmental monitoring, and energy production. The impacts of anthropogenic encroachment into aerial habitats are not well understood. Insectivorous birds and bats are inherently valuable components of biodiversity and play an integral role in aerial trophic dynamics. Many of these insectivores are experiencing range-wide population declines. As a first step toward gaging the potential impacts of these declines on the aerosphere’s trophic system, estimates of the biomass and energy consumed by aerial insectivores are needed. We developed a suite of energetics models for one of the largest and most common avian aerial insectivores in North America, the Purple Martin ( Progne subis ). The base model estimated that Purple Martins consumed 412 (± 104) billion insects*y-1 with a biomass of 115,860 (± 29,192) metric tonnes*y-1. During the breeding season Purple Martins consume 10.3 (+ 3.0) kg of prey biomass per km3 of aerial habitat, equal to about 36,000 individual insects*km-3. Based on these calculations, the cumulative seasonal consumption of insects*km-3 is greater in North America during the breeding season than during other phases of the annual cycle, however the maximum daily insect consumption*km-3 occurs during fall migration. This analysis provides the first range-wide quantitative estimate of the magnitude of the trophic impact of this large and common aerial insectivore. Future studies could use a similar modeling approach to estimate impacts of the entire guild of aerial insectivores at a variety of temporal and spatial scales. These analyses would inform our understanding of the impact of population declines among aerial insectivores on the aerosphere’s trophic dynamics. PMID:24086755

An Early Survey of Best Practices for the Use of Small Unmanned Aerial Systems by the Electric Utility Industry

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lusk, Rick M.; Monday, William

This technical manual is about doing things safely. It isn’t so much a how-to guide as it is a collection of best practices from unmanned aerial system (UAS) operators from all over the world. The desired end state is to provide a touchstone for utility businesses, directors, managers, and operators that will inform them as they begin to strategize, plan, and incorporate this technology into day-to-day operations.

Comparative Study of Wing Lift Distribution Analysis for High Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) Unmaned Aerial Vehicle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Silitonga, Faber Y.; Agoes Moelyadi, M.

2018-04-01

The development of High Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) has been emerged for both civil and military purposes. Its ability of operating in high altitude with long endurance is important in supporting maritime applications.Preliminary analysis of HALE UAV lift distribution of the wing presented to give decisive consideration for its early development. Ensuring that the generated lift is enough to compensate its own weight. Therotical approach using Pradtl’s non-linear lifting line theory will be compared with modern numerical approach using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). Results of wing lift distribution calculated from both methods will be compared to study the reliability of it. HALE UAV ITB has high aspect ratio wing and will be analyze at cruise flight condition. The result indicates difference between Non-linear Lifting Line and CFD method.

Multiple vehicle tracking in aerial video sequence using driver behavior analysis and improved deterministic data association

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Xunxun; Xu, Hongke; Fang, Jianwu

2018-01-01

Along with the rapid development of the unmanned aerial vehicle technology, multiple vehicle tracking (MVT) in aerial video sequence has received widespread interest for providing the required traffic information. Due to the camera motion and complex background, MVT in aerial video sequence poses unique challenges. We propose an efficient MVT algorithm via driver behavior-based Kalman filter (DBKF) and an improved deterministic data association (IDDA) method. First, a hierarchical image registration method is put forward to compensate the camera motion. Afterward, to improve the accuracy of the state estimation, we propose the DBKF module by incorporating the driver behavior into the Kalman filter, where artificial potential field is introduced to reflect the driver behavior. Then, to implement the data association, a local optimization method is designed instead of global optimization. By introducing the adaptive operating strategy, the proposed IDDA method can also deal with the situation in which the vehicles suddenly appear or disappear. Finally, comprehensive experiments on the DARPA VIVID data set and KIT AIS data set demonstrate that the proposed algorithm can generate satisfactory and superior results.

Low-resolution ship detection from high-altitude aerial images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qi, Shengxiang; Wu, Jianmin; Zhou, Qing; Kang, Minyang

2018-02-01

Ship detection from optical images taken by high-altitude aircrafts such as unmanned long-endurance airships and unmanned aerial vehicles has broad applications in marine fishery management, ship monitoring and vessel salvage. However, the major challenge is the limited capability of information processing on unmanned high-altitude platforms. Furthermore, in order to guarantee the wide detection range, unmanned aircrafts generally cruise at high altitudes, resulting in imagery with low-resolution targets and strong clutters suffered by heavy clouds. In this paper, we propose a low-resolution ship detection method to extract ships from these high-altitude optical images. Inspired by a recent research on visual saliency detection indicating that small salient signals could be well detected by a gradient enhancement operation combined with Gaussian smoothing, we propose the facet kernel filtering to rapidly suppress cluttered backgrounds and delineate candidate target regions from the sea surface. Then, the principal component analysis (PCA) is used to compute the orientation of the target axis, followed by a simplified histogram of oriented gradient (HOG) descriptor to characterize the ship shape property. Finally, support vector machine (SVM) is applied to discriminate real targets and false alarms. Experimental results show that the proposed method actually has high efficiency in low-resolution ship detection.

An algorithm for approximate rectification of digital aerial images

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

High-resolution aerial photography is one of the most valuable tools available for managing extensive landscapes. With recent advances in digital camera technology, computer hardware, and software, aerial photography is easier to collect, store, and transfer than ever before. Images can be automa...

Contribution of aerial hyphae of Aspergillus oryzae to respiration in a model solid-state fermentation system.

PubMed

Rahardjo, Yovita S P; Weber, Frans J; le Comte, E Paul; Tramper, Johannes; Rinzema, Arjen

2002-06-05

Oxygen transfer is for two reasons a major concern in scale-up and process control in industrial application of aerobic fungal solid-state fermentation (SSF): 1) heat production is proportional to oxygen uptake and it is well known that heat removal is one of the main problems in scaled-up fermenters, and 2) oxygen supply to the mycelium on the surface of or inside the substrate particles may be hampered by diffusion limitation. This article gives the first experimental evidence that aerial hyphae are important for fungal respiration in SSF. In cultures of A. oryzae on a wheat-flour model substrate, aerial hyphae contributed up to 75% of the oxygen uptake rate by the fungus. This is due to the fact that A. oryzae forms very abundant aerial mycelium and diffusion of oxygen in the gas-filled pores of the aerial hyphae layer is rapid. It means that diffusion limitation in the densely packed mycelium layer that is formed closer to the substrate surface and that has liquid-filled pores is much less important for A. oryzae than was previously reported for R. oligosporus and C. minitans. It also means that the overall oxygen uptake rate for A. oryzae is much higher than the oxygen uptake rate that can be predicted in the densely packed mycelium layer for R. oligosporus and C. minitans. This would imply that cooling problems become more pronounced. Therefore, it is very important to clarify the physiological role of aerial hyphae in SSF. Copyright 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Biotechnol Bioeng 78: 539-544, 2002.

Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) data analysis for fertilization dose assessment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kavvadias, Antonis; Psomiadis, Emmanouil; Chanioti, Maroulio; Tsitouras, Alexandros; Toulios, Leonidas; Dercas, Nicholas

2017-10-01

The growth rate monitoring of crops throughout their biological cycle is very important as it contributes to the achievement of a uniformly optimum production, a proper harvest planning, and reliable yield estimation. Fertilizer application often dramatically increases crop yields, but it is necessary to find out which is the ideal amount that has to be applied in the field. Remote sensing collects spatially dense information that may contribute to, or provide feedback about, fertilization management decisions. There is a potential goal to accurately predict the amount of fertilizer needed so as to attain an ideal crop yield without excessive use of fertilizers cause financial loss and negative environmental impacts. The comparison of the reflectance values at different wavelengths, utilizing suitable vegetation indices, is commonly used to determine plant vigor and growth. Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) have several advantages; because they can be deployed quickly and repeatedly, they are flexible regarding flying height and timing of missions, and they can obtain very high-resolution imagery. In an experimental crop field in Eleftherio Larissa, Greece, different dose of pre-plant and in-season fertilization was applied in 27 plots. A total of 102 aerial photos in two flights were taken using an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle based on the scheduled fertilization. Α correlation of experimental fertilization with the change of vegetation indices values and with the increase of the vegetation cover rate during those days was made. The results of the analysis provide useful information regarding the vigor and crop growth rate performance of various doses of fertilization.

Automatic Feature Detection, Description and Matching from Mobile Laser Scanning Data and Aerial Imagery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hussnain, Zille; Oude Elberink, Sander; Vosselman, George

2016-06-01

In mobile laser scanning systems, the platform's position is measured by GNSS and IMU, which is often not reliable in urban areas. Consequently, derived Mobile Laser Scanning Point Cloud (MLSPC) lacks expected positioning reliability and accuracy. Many of the current solutions are either semi-automatic or unable to achieve pixel level accuracy. We propose an automatic feature extraction method which involves utilizing corresponding aerial images as a reference data set. The proposed method comprise three steps; image feature detection, description and matching between corresponding patches of nadir aerial and MLSPC ortho images. In the data pre-processing step the MLSPC is patch-wise cropped and converted to ortho images. Furthermore, each aerial image patch covering the area of the corresponding MLSPC patch is also cropped from the aerial image. For feature detection, we implemented an adaptive variant of Harris-operator to automatically detect corner feature points on the vertices of road markings. In feature description phase, we used the LATCH binary descriptor, which is robust to data from different sensors. For descriptor matching, we developed an outlier filtering technique, which exploits the arrangements of relative Euclidean-distances and angles between corresponding sets of feature points. We found that the positioning accuracy of the computed correspondence has achieved the pixel level accuracy, where the image resolution is 12cm. Furthermore, the developed approach is reliable when enough road markings are available in the data sets. We conclude that, in urban areas, the developed approach can reliably extract features necessary to improve the MLSPC accuracy to pixel level.

On Board Data Acquisition System with Intelligent Transducers for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rochala, Zdzisław

2012-02-01

This report presents conclusions from research project no. ON50900363 conducted at the Mechatronics Department, Military University of Technology in the years 2007-2010. As the main object of the study involved the preparation of a concept and the implementation of an avionics data acquisition system intended for research during flight of unmanned aerial vehicles of the mini class, this article presents a design of an avionics system and describes equipment solutions of a distributed measurement system intended for data acquisition consisting of intelligent transducers. The data collected during a flight controlled by an operator confirmed proper operation of the individual components of the data acquisition system.

Analyzing the reliability of mechanical parts in 10 kV aerial transmission lines under ice-coating and wind effects in view of their design features

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Doletskaya, L. I.; Solopov, R. V.; Kavchenkov, V. P.; Andreenkov, E. S.

2017-12-01

The physical features of the damage of aerial lines with a voltage of 10 kV under ice and wind loads are examined, mathematical models for estimating the reliability the mechanical part in aerial lines with the application of analytical theoretical methods and corresponding mathematical models taking into account the probabilistic nature of ice and wind loads are described, calculation results on reliability, specific damage and average time for restoration in case of emergency outages of 10 kV high-voltage transmission aerial lines with the use of uninsulated and protected wires are presented.

Final Environmental Assessment for Aerial Spraying for Invasive Species Control MacDill AFB, Florida

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-09-01

bark tree (Melaleuca quinquinervia), Australian pine (Casuarina equisetifolia), Japanese mimosa (Albizia julibrissin) and, cogan grass (Imperata...inaccessible areas of the base. 2.1 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PROPOSED ACTION Invasive plant species such as Brazilian pepper, melaleuca, and mimosa are...principle invasive plant species proposed for treatment through the aerial application of herbicides include Brazilian pepper, melaleuca, and mimosa

Film cameras or digital sensors? The challenge ahead for aerial imaging

USGS Publications Warehouse

Light, D.L.

1996-01-01

Cartographic aerial cameras continue to play the key role in producing quality products for the aerial photography business, and specifically for the National Aerial Photography Program (NAPP). One NAPP photograph taken with cameras capable of 39 lp/mm system resolution can contain the equivalent of 432 million pixels at 11 ??m spot size, and the cost is less than $75 per photograph to scan and output the pixels on a magnetic storage medium. On the digital side, solid state charge coupled device linear and area arrays can yield quality resolution (7 to 12 ??m detector size) and a broader dynamic range. If linear arrays are to compete with film cameras, they will require precise attitude and positioning of the aircraft so that the lines of pixels can be unscrambled and put into a suitable homogeneous scene that is acceptable to an interpreter. Area arrays need to be much larger than currently available to image scenes competitive in size with film cameras. Analysis of the relative advantages and disadvantages of the two systems show that the analog approach is more economical at present. However, as arrays become larger, attitude sensors become more refined, global positioning system coordinate readouts become commonplace, and storage capacity becomes more affordable, the digital camera may emerge as the imaging system for the future. Several technical challenges must be overcome if digital sensors are to advance to where they can support mapping, charting, and geographic information system applications.

Vehicle detection in aerial surveillance using dynamic Bayesian networks.

PubMed

Cheng, Hsu-Yung; Weng, Chih-Chia; Chen, Yi-Ying

2012-04-01

We present an automatic vehicle detection system for aerial surveillance in this paper. In this system, we escape from the stereotype and existing frameworks of vehicle detection in aerial surveillance, which are either region based or sliding window based. We design a pixelwise classification method for vehicle detection. The novelty lies in the fact that, in spite of performing pixelwise classification, relations among neighboring pixels in a region are preserved in the feature extraction process. We consider features including vehicle colors and local features. For vehicle color extraction, we utilize a color transform to separate vehicle colors and nonvehicle colors effectively. For edge detection, we apply moment preserving to adjust the thresholds of the Canny edge detector automatically, which increases the adaptability and the accuracy for detection in various aerial images. Afterward, a dynamic Bayesian network (DBN) is constructed for the classification purpose. We convert regional local features into quantitative observations that can be referenced when applying pixelwise classification via DBN. Experiments were conducted on a wide variety of aerial videos. The results demonstrate flexibility and good generalization abilities of the proposed method on a challenging data set with aerial surveillance images taken at different heights and under different camera angles.

The Use of Small Scale Aerial Photography in a Regional Agricultural Survey

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Draeger, W. C.

1971-01-01

The feasibility of performing inventories of agricultural resources using very small scale aerial or space photography has been investigated. Results to date are encouraging on two counts: (1) the questions posed initially are being answered, and (2) it would seem that a fully operational agricultural inventory using very small scale photography is not beyond the scope of present technology. The biggest problems to be faced in establishing a functional inventory system are those concerning logistics and data handling.

Laser Doppler velocimeter aerial spray measurements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zalay, A. D.; Eberle, W. R.; Howle, R. E.; Shrider, K. R.

1978-01-01

An experimental research program for measuring the location, spatial extent, and relative concentration of airborne spray clouds generated by agricultural aircraft is described. The measurements were conducted with a ground-based laser Doppler velocimeter. The remote sensing instrumentation, experimental tests, and the results of the flight tests are discussed. The cross section of the aerial spray cloud and the observed location, extent, and relative concentration of the airborne particulates are presented. It is feasible to use a mobile laser Doppler velocimeter to track and monitor the transport and dispersion of aerial spray generated by an agricultural aircraft.

Surveying a Landslide in a Road Embankment Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Photogrammetry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carvajal, F.; Agüera, F.; Pérez, M.

2011-09-01

Most of the works of civil engineering, and some others applications, need to be designed using a basic cartography with a suitable scale to the accuracy and extension of the plot.The Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Photogrammetry covers the gap between classical manned aerial photogrammetry and hand- made surveying techniques because it works in the close-range domain, combining aerial and terrestrial photogrammetry, but also introduces low-cost alternatives. The aim of this work is developing of an accurate and low-cost method to characterize landslides located on the size of a road. It was applied at the kilometric point 339 belonging to the A92 dual carriageway, in the Abla municipal term, province of Almeria, Spain. A photogrammetric project was carried out from a set of images taken from an md4-200 Microdrones with an on-board calibrated camera 12 Megapixels Pentax Optio A40. The flight was previously planned to cover the whole extension of the embankment with three passes composed of 18 photos each one. All the images were taken with the vertical axe and it was registered 85% and 60% longitudinal and transversal overlaps respectively. The accuracy of the products, with planimetric and altimetric errors of 0.049 and 0.108m repectively, lets to take measurements of the landslide and projecting preventive and palliative actuations.

Pheromone-based disruption of Eucosma sonomana and Rhyacionia zozana (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) using aerially applied microencapsulated pheromone

Treesearch

Nancy E. Gillette; John D. Stein; Donald R. Owen; Jeffrey N. Webster; Sylvia R. Mori

2006-01-01

Two aerial applications of microencapsulated pheromone were conducted on five 20.2 ha plots to disrupt western pine shoot borer (Eucosma sonomana Kearfott) and ponderosa pine tip moth (Rhyacionia zowna (Kearfott): Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) orientation to pheromones and oviposition in ponderosa pine plantations in 2002 and 2004...

Geodetic glacier mass balances at the push of a button: application of Structure from Motion technology on aerial images in mountain regions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bolch, T.; Mölg, N.

2017-12-01

The application of Structure-from-Motion (SfM) to generate digital terrain models (DTMs) derived out of images from various kinds of sources has strongly increased in recent years. The major reason for this is its easy-to-use handling in comparison to conventional photogrammetry. In glaciology, DTMs are intensely used, among others, to calculate the geodetic mass balances. Few studies investigated the application of SfM to aerial images in mountainous terrain and results look promising. We tested this technique in a demanding environment in the Swiss Alps including very steep slopes, snow and ice covered terrain. SfM (using the commercial software packages of Agisoft Photoscan and Pix4DMapper) and conventional photogrammetry (ERDAS Photogrammetry) were applied on archival aerial images for nine dates between 1946 and 2005 the results were compared regarding bundle adjustment and final DTM quality. The overall precision of the DTMs could be defined with the use of a modern, high-quality reference DTM by Swisstopo. Results suggest a high performance of SfM to produce DTMs of similar quality as conventional photogrammetry. A ground resolution of high quality (little noise and artefacts) can be up to 50% higher, with 3-6 times less user effort. However, the controls on the commercial SfM software packages are limited in comparison to ERDAS Photogrammetry. SfM performs less reliably when few images with little overlap are processed. Overall, the uncertainty of DTMs from the different software are comparable and mostly within the uncertainty range of the reference DTM, making them highly valuable for glaciological purposes. Even though SfM facilitates the largely automated production of high quality DTMs, the user is not exempt from a thorough quality check, at best with reference data where available.

36 CFR 1237.24 - What are special considerations for storage and maintenance of aerial photographic records?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... maintenance of aerial photographic records? (a) Mark each aerial film container with a unique identification code to facilitate identification and filing. (b) Mark aerial film indexes with the unique aerial film identification codes or container codes for the aerial film that they index. Also, file and mark the aerial...

36 CFR 1237.24 - What are special considerations for storage and maintenance of aerial photographic records?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... maintenance of aerial photographic records? (a) Mark each aerial film container with a unique identification code to facilitate identification and filing. (b) Mark aerial film indexes with the unique aerial film identification codes or container codes for the aerial film that they index. Also, file and mark the aerial...

36 CFR 1237.24 - What are special considerations for storage and maintenance of aerial photographic records?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... maintenance of aerial photographic records? (a) Mark each aerial film container with a unique identification code to facilitate identification and filing. (b) Mark aerial film indexes with the unique aerial film identification codes or container codes for the aerial film that they index. Also, file and mark the aerial...

36 CFR 1237.24 - What are special considerations for storage and maintenance of aerial photographic records?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... maintenance of aerial photographic records? (a) Mark each aerial film container with a unique identification code to facilitate identification and filing. (b) Mark aerial film indexes with the unique aerial film identification codes or container codes for the aerial film that they index. Also, file and mark the aerial...

Performance Characterization of a Lithium-ion Gel Polymer Battery Power Supply System for an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reid, Concha M.; Manzo, Michelle A.; Logan, Michael J.

2004-01-01

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are currently under development for NASA missions, earth sciences, aeronautics, the military, and commercial applications. The design of an all electric power and propulsion system for small UAVs was the focus of a detailed study. Currently, many of these small vehicles are powered by primary (nonrechargeable) lithium-based batteries. While this type of battery is capable of satisfying some of the mission needs, a secondary (rechargeable) battery power supply system that can provide the same functionality as the current system at the same or lower system mass and volume is desired. A study of commercially available secondary battery cell technologies that could provide the desired performance characteristics was performed. Due to the strict mass limitations and wide operating temperature requirements of small UAVs, the only viable cell chemistries were determined to be lithium-ion liquid electrolyte systems and lithium-ion gel polymer electrolyte systems. Two lithium-ion gel polymer cell designs were selected as candidates and were tested using potential load profiles for UAV applications. Because lithium primary batteries have a higher specific energy and energy density, for the same mass and volume allocation, the secondary batteries resulted in shorter flight times than the primary batteries typically provide. When the batteries were operated at lower ambient temperatures (0 to -20 C), flight times were even further reduced. Despite the reduced flight times demonstrated, for certain UAV applications, the secondary batteries operated within the acceptable range of flight times at room temperature and above. The results of this testing indicate that a secondary battery power supply system can provide some benefits over the primary battery power supply system. A UAV can be operated for hundreds of flights using a secondary battery power supply system that provides the combined benefits of rechargeability and an inherently safer

Real-time implementations of acoustic signal enhancement techniques for aerial based surveillance and rescue applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ramos, Antonio L. L.; Shao, Zhili; Holthe, Aleksander; Sandli, Mathias F.

2017-05-01

The introduction of the System-on-Chip (SoC) technology has brought exciting new opportunities for the development of smart low cost embedded systems spanning a wide range of applications. Currently available SoC devices are capable of performing high speed digital signal processing tasks in software while featuring relatively low development costs and reduced time-to-market. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) are an application example that has shown tremendous potential in an increasing number of scenarios, ranging from leisure to surveillance as well as in search and rescue missions. Video capturing from UAV platforms is a relatively straightforward task that requires almost no preprocessing. However, that does not apply to audio signals, especially in cases where the data is to be used to support real-time decision making. In fact, the enormous amount of acoustic interference from the surroundings, including the noise from the UAVs propellers, becomes a huge problem. This paper discusses a real-time implementation of the NLMS adaptive filtering algorithm applied to enhancing acoustic signals captured from UAV platforms. The model relies on a combination of acoustic sensors and a computational inexpensive algorithm running on a digital signal processor. Given its simplicity, this solution can be incorporated into the main processing system of an UAV using the SoC technology, and run concurrently with other required tasks, such as flight control and communications. Simulations and real-time DSP-based implementations have shown significant signal enhancement results by efficiently mitigating the interference from the noise generated by the UAVs propellers as well as from other external noise sources.

Vision-Based Corrosion Detection Assisted by a Micro-Aerial Vehicle in a Vessel Inspection Application.

PubMed

Ortiz, Alberto; Bonnin-Pascual, Francisco; Garcia-Fidalgo, Emilio; Company-Corcoles, Joan P

2016-12-14

Vessel maintenance requires periodic visual inspection of the hull in order to detect typical defective situations of steel structures such as, among others, coating breakdown and corrosion. These inspections are typically performed by well-trained surveyors at great cost because of the need for providing access means (e.g., scaffolding and/or cherry pickers) that allow the inspector to be at arm's reach from the structure under inspection. This paper describes a defect detection approach comprising a micro-aerial vehicle which is used to collect images from the surfaces under inspection, particularly focusing on remote areas where the surveyor has no visual access, and a coating breakdown/corrosion detector based on a three-layer feed-forward artificial neural network. As it is discussed in the paper, the success of the inspection process depends not only on the defect detection software but also on a number of assistance functions provided by the control architecture of the aerial platform, whose aim is to improve picture quality. Both aspects of the work are described along the different sections of the paper, as well as the classification performance attained.

Vision-Based Corrosion Detection Assisted by a Micro-Aerial Vehicle in a Vessel Inspection Application

PubMed Central

Ortiz, Alberto; Bonnin-Pascual, Francisco; Garcia-Fidalgo, Emilio; Company-Corcoles, Joan P.

2016-01-01

Vessel maintenance requires periodic visual inspection of the hull in order to detect typical defective situations of steel structures such as, among others, coating breakdown and corrosion. These inspections are typically performed by well-trained surveyors at great cost because of the need for providing access means (e.g., scaffolding and/or cherry pickers) that allow the inspector to be at arm’s reach from the structure under inspection. This paper describes a defect detection approach comprising a micro-aerial vehicle which is used to collect images from the surfaces under inspection, particularly focusing on remote areas where the surveyor has no visual access, and a coating breakdown/corrosion detector based on a three-layer feed-forward artificial neural network. As it is discussed in the paper, the success of the inspection process depends not only on the defect detection software but also on a number of assistance functions provided by the control architecture of the aerial platform, whose aim is to improve picture quality. Both aspects of the work are described along the different sections of the paper, as well as the classification performance attained. PMID:27983627

Optimization of the choice of unmanned aerial vehicles used to monitor the implementation of selected construction projects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Skorupka, Dariusz; Duchaczek, Artur; Waniewska, Agnieszka; Kowacka, Magdalena

2017-07-01

Due to their properties unmanned aerial vehicles have huge number of possibilities for application in construction engineering. The nature and extent of construction works performedmakes the decision to purchase the right equipment significant for the possibility for its further use while monitoring the implementation of these works. Technical factors, such as the accuracy and quality of the applied measurement instruments are especially important when monitoring the realization of construction projects. The paper presents the optimization of the choice of unmanned aerial vehicles using the Bellinger method. The decision-making analysis takes into account criteria that are particularly crucial by virtue of the range of monitoring of ongoing construction works.

Monitoring and Assuring the Quality of Digital Aerial Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Christopherson, Jon

2007-01-01

This viewgraph presentation explains the USGS plan for monitoring and assuring the quality of digital aerial data. The contents include: 1) History of USGS Aerial Imaging Involvement; 2) USGS Research and Results; 3) Outline of USGS Quality Assurance Plan; 4) Other areas of Interest; and 5) Summary

Arctic Oil Spill Mapping and Response Using Unmanned Aerial Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cunningham, K. W.

2011-12-01

The University of Alaska Fairbanks works extensively with unmanned aerial systems and various sensor payloads used in mapping. Recent projects with Royal Dutch Shell and British Petroleum have demonstrated that unmanned aerial systems, including fixed and rotary winged platforms, can provide quick response to oil spill mapping in a variety of flight conditions, including those not well suited for manned aerial systems. We describe this collaborative research between the University and oil companies exploring and developing oil resources in Alaska and the Arctic.

Measurements from an Aerial Vehicle: A New Tool for Planetary Exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wright, Henry S.; Levine, Joel S.; Croom, Mark A.; Edwards, William C.; Qualls, Garry D.; Gasbarre, Joseph F.

2004-01-01

Aerial vehicles fill a unique planetary science measurement gap, that of regional-scale, near-surface observation, while providing a fresh perspective for potential discovery. Aerial vehicles used in planetary exploration bridge the scale and resolution measurement gaps between orbiters (global perspective with limited spatial resolution) and landers (local perspective with high spatial resolution) thus complementing and extending orbital and landed measurements. Planetary aerial vehicles can also survey scientifically interesting terrain that is inaccessible or hazardous to landed missions. The use of aerial assets for performing observations on Mars, Titan, or Venus will enable direct measurements and direct follow-ons to recent discoveries. Aerial vehicles can be used for remote sensing of the interior, surface and atmosphere of Mars, Venus and Titan. Types of aerial vehicles considered are airplane "heavier than air" and airships and balloons "lighter than air". Interdependencies between the science measurements, science goals and objectives, and platform implementation illustrate how the proper balance of science, engineering, and cost, can be achieved to allow for a successful mission. Classification of measurement types along with how those measurements resolve science questions and how these instruments are accommodated within the mission context are discussed.

The use of high altitude aerial photography to inventory wildlife habitat in Kansas: An initial evaluation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Merchant, J. W.; Waddell, B. H.

1974-01-01

The use of aerial photography as a method for determining the wildlife conditions of an area is discussed. Color infrared photography is investigated as the most effective type of remote sensor. The characteristics of the remote sensing systems are described. Examples of the remote sensing operation and the method for reducing the data are presented.

Fuzzy C-Means Algorithm for Segmentation of Aerial Photography Data Obtained Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Akinin, M. V.; Akinina, N. V.; Klochkov, A. Y.; Nikiforov, M. B.; Sokolova, A. V.

2015-05-01

The report reviewed the algorithm fuzzy c-means, performs image segmentation, give an estimate of the quality of his work on the criterion of Xie-Beni, contain the results of experimental studies of the algorithm in the context of solving the problem of drawing up detailed two-dimensional maps with the use of unmanned aerial vehicles. According to the results of the experiment concluded that the possibility of applying the algorithm in problems of decoding images obtained as a result of aerial photography. The considered algorithm can significantly break the original image into a plurality of segments (clusters) in a relatively short period of time, which is achieved by modification of the original k-means algorithm to work in a fuzzy task.

Calculated Drag of an Aerial Refueling Assembly Through Airplane Performance Analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vachon, Jake; Ray, Ronald; Calianno, Carl

2004-01-01

This viewgraph document reviews NASA Dryden's work on Aerial refueling, with specific interest in calculating the drag of the refueling system. The aerodynamic drag of an aerial refueling assembly was calculated during the Automated Aerial Refueling project at the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center. An F/A-18A airplane was specially instrumented to obtain accurate fuel flow measurements and to determine engine thrust

Heuristic approach to the development of ratings and tactics applicable to the one-on-one aerial combat (dogfight) encounter

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hague, D. S.

1977-01-01

Computer simulations of the one-on-one aerial combat encounter are generated under the control of specified guidance laws. Given an initial state, the vehicle and atmospheric characteristics, and the guidance laws, the aerial combat encounter is simulated by forward integration of the two vehicles' motions. The development of a combat guidance law which converts positional advantage into an improved firing opportunity is reported. A combination of lag, line of sight, and lead pursuit steering paths are followed in the guidance law. The law is based on steering error, target angle-off and the relative velocities. It readily is automated either as an onboard aid to manned aircraft pilots or as a combat guidance law for unmanned vehicles.

Assessing a potential solution for spatially referencing of historical aerial photography in South Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Denner, Michele; Raubenheimer, Jacobus H.

2018-05-01

Historical aerial photography has become a valuable commodity in any country, as it provides a precise record of historical land management over time. In a developing country, such as South Africa, that has undergone enormous political and social change over the last years, such photography is invaluable as it provides a clear indication of past injustices and serves as an aid to addressing post-apartheid issues such as land reform and land redistribution. National mapping organisations throughout the world have vast repositories of such historical aerial photography. In order to effectively use these datasets in today's digital environment requires that it be georeferenced to an accuracy that is suitable for the intended purpose. Using image-to-image georeferencing techniques, this research sought to determine the accuracies achievable for ortho-rectifying large volumes of historical aerial imagery, against the national standard for ortho-rectification in South Africa, using two different types of scanning equipment. The research conducted four tests using aerial photography from different time epochs over a period of sixty years, where the ortho-rectification matched each test to an already ortho-rectified mosaic of a developed area of mixed land use. The results of each test were assessed in terms of visual accuracy, spatial accuracy and conformance to the national standard for ortho-rectification in South Africa. The results showed a decrease in the overall accuracy of the image as the epoch range between the historical image and the reference image increased. Recommendations on the applications possible given the different epoch ranges and scanning equipment used are provided.

Estimating tree heights from shadows on vertical aerial photographs

Treesearch

Earl J. Rogers

1947-01-01

Aerial photographs are now being applied more and more to practical forestry - especially to forest survey. Many forest characteristics can be recognized on aerial photographs in greater detail than is possible through ground methods alone. The basic need is for tools and methods for interpreting the detail in quantitative terms.

Pipeline monitoring with unmanned aerial vehicles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kochetkova, L. I.

2018-05-01

Pipeline leakage during transportation of combustible substances leads to explosion and fire thus causing death of people and destruction of production and accommodation facilities. Continuous pipeline monitoring allows identifying leaks in due time and quickly taking measures for their elimination. The paper describes the solution of identification of pipeline leakage using unmanned aerial vehicles. It is recommended to apply the spectral analysis with input RGB signal to identify pipeline damages. The application of multi-zone digital images allows defining potential spill of oil hydrocarbons as well as possible soil pollution. The method of multi-temporal digital images within the visible region makes it possible to define changes in soil morphology for its subsequent analysis. The given solution is cost efficient and reliable thus allowing reducing timing and labor resources in comparison with other methods of pipeline monitoring.

Phytotoxic activity and chemical composition of Cassia absus seeds and aerial parts.

PubMed

Zribi, I; Sbai, H; Ghezal, N; Richard, G; Trisman, D; Fauconnier, M L; Haouala, R

2017-12-01

The present study was conducted to assess the phytotoxic potential and the phytochemical composition of Cassia absus. Aqueous extracts caused significant reduction in root growth of Lactuca sativa. Seed extract was more effective than aerial part extract. Successive extractions of this plant were performed using solvents with increasing polarities. The methanolic seed extract exerted strong phytotoxic effect on seedling growth, followed by petroleum ether extract of the aerial part. The phytochemical investigation showed that among the organic extracts, methanol extracts of seeds and aerial parts contained the highest amounts of total phenolics and proanthocyanidins. Seeds were rich in linoleic acid followed by palmitic acids. Palmitic, stearic and arachidic acids were the major fatty acids in aerial parts. HPLC-DAD analysis of the methanolic extracts revealed the presence of luteolin in C. absus aerial parts.

AERIAL OF SHUTTLE LANDING FACILITY [SLF] POURING CONCRETE ON RUNWAY

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1975-01-01

AERIAL OF SHUTTLE LANDING FACILITY [SLF] POURING CONCRETE ON RUNWAY KSC-375C-10036.32 108-KSC-375C-10036.32, P-21425, ARCHIVE-04501 Aerial oblique of Shuttle Landing Facility. Pouring concrete on runway. Direction North - Altitude 100'.

AERIAL OF SHUTTLE LANDING FACILITY [SLF] SAFING AND PARKING AREA

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1975-01-01

AERIAL OF SHUTTLE LANDING FACILITY [SLF] SAFING AND PARKING AREA KSC-375C-0654.18 108-KSC-375C-654.18, P-18812, ARCHIVE-04493 Aerial oblique - safing and parking area, Shuttle Orbiter Landing Facility. Altitude 800' direction- west.

77 FR 36250 - Information Collection Request; Request for Aerial Photography

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-18

... the responsibility for conducting and coordinating the FSA's aerial photography, remote sensing... FSA Aerial Photography Field Office (APFO) uses the information from this form to collect the customer... respond, including through the use of appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other...

36 CFR § 1237.24 - What are special considerations for storage and maintenance of aerial photographic records?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... maintenance of aerial photographic records? (a) Mark each aerial film container with a unique identification code to facilitate identification and filing. (b) Mark aerial film indexes with the unique aerial film identification codes or container codes for the aerial film that they index. Also, file and mark the aerial...

The ABCs of New Zealand Sign Language: Aerial Spelling.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Forman, Wayne

2003-01-01

Aerial spelling is the term given for the way many people with deafness in New Zealand (NZ) manually represent letters of the alphabet. This article examines the nature and role of aerial spelling in New Zealand Sign Language, particularly that form used by older members of the NZ deaf community. (Contains references.) (Author/CR)

Aerial spraying of low-grade hardwood stands with 2,4,5-T in West Virginia

Treesearch

George W. Wendel

1966-01-01

Aerial application of herbicides to poor hardwood stands shows promise of being an effective aid in converting stands of low-grade hardwoods to conifers in West Virginia. Many of the sites now occupied by low-grade hardwoods are incapable of producing quality hardwoods - even under good management - and are generally much better suited to certain conifers, particularly...

Systematic evaluation of deep learning based detection frameworks for aerial imagery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sommer, Lars; Steinmann, Lucas; Schumann, Arne; Beyerer, Jürgen

2018-04-01

Object detection in aerial imagery is crucial for many applications in the civil and military domain. In recent years, deep learning based object detection frameworks significantly outperformed conventional approaches based on hand-crafted features on several datasets. However, these detection frameworks are generally designed and optimized for common benchmark datasets, which considerably differ from aerial imagery especially in object sizes. As already demonstrated for Faster R-CNN, several adaptations are necessary to account for these differences. In this work, we adapt several state-of-the-art detection frameworks including Faster R-CNN, R-FCN, and Single Shot MultiBox Detector (SSD) to aerial imagery. We discuss adaptations that mainly improve the detection accuracy of all frameworks in detail. As the output of deeper convolutional layers comprise more semantic information, these layers are generally used in detection frameworks as feature map to locate and classify objects. However, the resolution of these feature maps is insufficient for handling small object instances, which results in an inaccurate localization or incorrect classification of small objects. Furthermore, state-of-the-art detection frameworks perform bounding box regression to predict the exact object location. Therefore, so called anchor or default boxes are used as reference. We demonstrate how an appropriate choice of anchor box sizes can considerably improve detection performance. Furthermore, we evaluate the impact of the performed adaptations on two publicly available datasets to account for various ground sampling distances or differing backgrounds. The presented adaptations can be used as guideline for further datasets or detection frameworks.

Influence of Gsd for 3d City Modeling and Visualization from Aerial Imagery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alrajhi, Muhamad; Alam, Zafare; Afroz Khan, Mohammad; Alobeid, Abdalla

2016-06-01

Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs (MOMRA), aims to establish solid infrastructure required for 3D city modelling, for decision making to set a mark in urban development. MOMRA is responsible for the large scale mapping 1:1,000; 1:2,500; 1:10,000 and 1:20,000 scales for 10cm, 20cm and 40 GSD with Aerial Triangulation data. As 3D city models are increasingly used for the presentation exploration, and evaluation of urban and architectural designs. Visualization capabilities and animations support of upcoming 3D geo-information technologies empower architects, urban planners, and authorities to visualize and analyze urban and architectural designs in the context of the existing situation. To make use of this possibility, first of all 3D city model has to be created for which MOMRA uses the Aerial Triangulation data and aerial imagery. The main concise for 3D city modelling in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia exists due to uneven surface and undulations. Thus real time 3D visualization and interactive exploration support planning processes by providing multiple stakeholders such as decision maker, architects, urban planners, authorities, citizens or investors with a three - dimensional model. Apart from advanced visualization, these 3D city models can be helpful for dealing with natural hazards and provide various possibilities to deal with exotic conditions by better and advanced viewing technological infrastructure. Riyadh on one side is 5700m above sea level and on the other hand Abha city is 2300m, this uneven terrain represents a drastic change of surface in the Kingdom, for which 3D city models provide valuable solutions with all possible opportunities. In this research paper: influence of different GSD (Ground Sample Distance) aerial imagery with Aerial Triangulation is used for 3D visualization in different region of the Kingdom, to check which scale is more sophisticated for obtaining better results and is cost manageable, with GSD (7.5cm, 10cm, 20cm and 40cm

Oceanic gamefish/Skylab project field operating plan for operations 4, 5 August. [in Gulf of Mexico

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1973-01-01

The operation plans are presented for the oceanic Gamefish/Skylab Experiment 240, which was conducted to obtain fish catch data for the northeast area of the Gulf of Mexico. The plans for surface measurements, aerial observations, and communications are included.

Measurement Capabilities of the DOE ARM Aerial Facility

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schmid, B.; Tomlinson, J. M.; Hubbe, J.; Comstock, J. M.; Kluzek, C. D.; Chand, D.; Pekour, M. S.

2012-12-01

The Department of Energy Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Program is a climate research user facility operating stationary ground sites in three important climatic regimes that provide long-term measurements of climate relevant properties. ARM also operates mobile ground- and ship-based facilities to conduct shorter field campaigns (6-12 months) to investigate understudied climate regimes around the globe. Finally, airborne observations by ARM's Aerial Facility (AAF) enhance the surface-based ARM measurements by providing high-resolution in situ measurements for process understanding, retrieval algorithm development, and model evaluation that is not possible using ground-based techniques. AAF started out in 2007 as a "virtual hangar" with no dedicated aircraft and only a small number of instruments owned by ARM. In this mode, AAF successfully carried out several missions contracting with organizations and investigators who provided their research aircraft and instrumentation. In 2009, the Battelle owned G-1 aircraft was included in the ARM facility. The G-1 is a large twin turboprop aircraft, capable of measurements up to altitudes of 7.5 km and a range of 2,800 kilometers. Furthermore the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 provided funding for the procurement of seventeen new instruments to be used aboard the G-1 and other AAF virtual-hangar aircraft. AAF now executes missions in the virtual- and real-hangar mode producing freely available datasets for studying aerosol, cloud, and radiative processes in the atmosphere. AAF is also heavily engaged in the maturation and testing of newly developed airborne sensors to help foster the next generation of airborne instruments. In the presentation we will showcase science applications based on measurements from recent field campaigns such as CARES, CALWATER and TCAP.

Integration of aerial remote sensing imaging data in a 3D-GIS environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moeller, Matthias S.

2003-03-01

For some years sensor systems have been available providing digital images of a new quality. Especially aerial stereo scanners acquire digital multispectral images with an extremely high ground resolution of about 0.10 - 0.15m and provide in addition a Digital Surface Models (DSM). These imaging products both can be used for a detailed monitoring at scales up to 1:500. The processed georeferenced multispectral orthoimages can be readily integrated into GIS making them useful for a number of applications. The DSM, derived from forward and backward facing sensors of an aerial imaging system provides a ground resolution of 0.5 m and can be used for 3D visualization purposes. In some cases it is essential, to store the ground elevation as a Digital Terrain Model (DTM) and also the height of 3-dimensional objects in a separated database. Existing automated algorithms do not work precise for the extraction of DTM from aerial scanner DSM. This paper presents a new approach which combines the visible image data and the DSM data for the generation of DTM with a reliable geometric accuracy. Already existing cadastral data can be used as a knowledge base for the extraction of building heights in cities. These elevation data is the essential source for a GIS based urban information system with a 3D visualization component.

Ontogeny of aerial righting and wing flapping in juvenile birds.

PubMed

Evangelista, Dennis; Cam, Sharlene; Huynh, Tony; Krivitskiy, Igor; Dudley, Robert

2014-08-01

Mechanisms of aerial righting in juvenile chukar partridge (Alectoris chukar) were studied from hatching to 14 days-post-hatching (dph). Asymmetric movements of the wings were used from 1 to 8 dph to effect progressively more successful righting behaviour via body roll. Following 8 dph, wing motions transitioned to bilaterally symmetric flapping that yielded aerial righting via nose-down pitch, along with substantial increases in vertical force production during descent. Ontogenetically, the use of such wing motions to effect aerial righting precedes both symmetric flapping and a previously documented behaviour in chukar (i.e. wing-assisted incline running) hypothesized to be relevant to incipient flight evolution in birds. These findings highlight the importance of asymmetric wing activation and controlled aerial manoeuvres during bird development and are potentially relevant to understanding the origins of avian flight. © 2014 The Author(s) Published by the Royal Society. All rights reserved.

Aerial Views of KSC

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-07-23

This aerial view, looking northwest, shows the newly opened Space Commerce Way that winds from S.R 3 on the right to its exit on S.R. 405 (near the top) in the background. The road is the new public access from Merritt Island to the KSC Visitor Complex (seen at top).

Greenhouse Gas Sensing Using Small Unmanned Aerial Systems - Field Experiment Results and Future Directions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aubrey, A. D.; Christensen, L. E.; Brockers, R.; Thompson, D. R.

2014-12-01

Requirements for greenhouse gas point source detection and quantification often require high spatial resolution on the order of meters. These applications, which help close the gap in emissions estimate uncertainties, also demand sensing with high sensitivity and in a fashion that accounts for spatiotemporal variability on the order of seconds to minutes. Low-cost vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) small unmanned aerial systems (sUAS) provide a means to detect and identify the location of point source gas emissions while offering ease of deployment and high maneuverability. Our current fielded gas sensing sUAS platforms are able to provide instantaneous in situ concentration measurements at locations within line of sight of the operator. Recent results from field experiments demonstrating methane detection and plume characterization will be discussed here, including performance assessment conducted via a controlled release experiment in 2013. The logical extension of sUAS gas concentration measurement is quantification of flux rate. We will discuss the preliminary strategy for quantitative flux determination, including intrinsic challenges and heritage from airborne science campaigns, associated with this point source flux quantification. This system approach forms the basis for intelligent autonomous quantitative characterization of gas plumes, which holds great value for applications in commercial, regulatory, and safety environments.

Aerial vehicles collision avoidance using monocular vision

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Balashov, Oleg; Muraviev, Vadim; Strotov, Valery

2016-10-01

In this paper image-based collision avoidance algorithm that provides detection of nearby aircraft and distance estimation is presented. The approach requires a vision system with a single moving camera and additional information about carrier's speed and orientation from onboard sensors. The main idea is to create a multi-step approach based on a preliminary detection, regions of interest (ROI) selection, contour segmentation, object matching and localization. The proposed algorithm is able to detect small targets but unlike many other approaches is designed to work with large-scale objects as well. To localize aerial vehicle position the system of equations relating object coordinates in space and observed image is solved. The system solution gives the current position and speed of the detected object in space. Using this information distance and time to collision can be estimated. Experimental research on real video sequences and modeled data is performed. Video database contained different types of aerial vehicles: aircrafts, helicopters, and UAVs. The presented algorithm is able to detect aerial vehicles from several kilometers under regular daylight conditions.

Inertial instrument system for aerial surveying

USGS Publications Warehouse

Brown, R.H.; Chapman, W.H.; Hanna, W.F.; Mongan, C.E.; Hursh, J.W.

1985-01-01

An inertial guidance system for aerial surveying has been developed under contract to the U.S. Geological Survey. This prototype system, known as the aerial profiling of terrain (APT) system, is designed to determine continuously the positions of points along an aircraft flight path, or the underlying terrain profile, to an accuracy of + or - 0.5 ft (15 cm) vertically and + or - 2 ft (61 cm) horizontally. The system 's objective thus is to accomplish, from a fixed-wing aircraft, what would traditionally be accomplished from ground-based topographic surveys combined with aerial photography and photogrammetry. The two-part strategy for measuring the terrain profile entails: (1) use of an inertial navigator for continuous determination of the three-coordinate position of the aircraft, and (2) use of an eye-safe pulsed laser profiler for continuous measurement of the vertical distance from aircraft to land surface, so that the desired terrain profile can then be directly computed. The APT system, installed in a DeHavilland Twin Otter aircraft, is typically flown at a speed of 115 mph (105 knots) at an altitude of 2,000 ft (610 m) above the terrain. Performance-evaluation flights have shown that the vertical and horizontal accuracy specifications are met. (USGS)

Aerial image measurement technique for automated reticle defect disposition (ARDD) in wafer fabs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zibold, Axel M.; Schmid, Rainer M.; Stegemann, B.; Scheruebl, Thomas; Harnisch, Wolfgang; Kobiyama, Yuji

2004-08-01

The Aerial Image Measurement System (AIMS)* for 193 nm lithography emulation has been brought into operation successfully worldwide. A second generation system comprising 193 nm AIMS capability, mini-environment and SMIF, the AIMS fab 193 plus is currently introduced into the market. By adjustment of numerical aperture (NA), illumination type and partial illumination coherence to match the conditions in 193 nm steppers or scanners, it can emulate the exposure tool for any type of reticles like binary, OPC and PSM down to the 65 nm node. The system allows a rapid prediction of wafer printability of defects or defect repairs, and critical features, like dense patterns or contacts on the masks without the need to perform expensive image qualification consisting of test wafer exposures followed by SEM measurements. Therefore, AIMS is a mask quality verification standard for high-end photo masks and established in mask shops worldwide. The progress on the AIMS technology described in this paper will highlight that besides mask shops there will be a very beneficial use of the AIMS in the wafer fab and we propose an Automated Reticle Defect Disposition (ARDD) process. With smaller nodes, where design rules are 65 nm or less, it is expected that smaller defects on reticles will occur in increasing numbers in the wafer fab. These smaller mask defects will matter more and more and become a serious yield limiting factor. With increasing mask prices and increasing number of defects and severability on reticles it will become cost beneficial to perform defect disposition on the reticles in wafer production. Currently ongoing studies demonstrate AIMS benefits for wafer fab applications. An outlook will be given for extension of 193 nm aerial imaging down to the 45 nm node based on emulation of immersion scanners.

Entropy-aware projected Landweber reconstruction for quantized block compressive sensing of aerial imagery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Hao; Li, Kangda; Wang, Bing; Tang, Hainie; Gong, Xiaohui

2017-01-01

A quantized block compressive sensing (QBCS) framework, which incorporates the universal measurement, quantization/inverse quantization, entropy coder/decoder, and iterative projected Landweber reconstruction, is summarized. Under the QBCS framework, this paper presents an improved reconstruction algorithm for aerial imagery, QBCS, with entropy-aware projected Landweber (QBCS-EPL), which leverages the full-image sparse transform without Wiener filter and an entropy-aware thresholding model for wavelet-domain image denoising. Through analyzing the functional relation between the soft-thresholding factors and entropy-based bitrates for different quantization methods, the proposed model can effectively remove wavelet-domain noise of bivariate shrinkage and achieve better image reconstruction quality. For the overall performance of QBCS reconstruction, experimental results demonstrate that the proposed QBCS-EPL algorithm significantly outperforms several existing algorithms. With the experiment-driven methodology, the QBCS-EPL algorithm can obtain better reconstruction quality at a relatively moderate computational cost, which makes it more desirable for aerial imagery applications.

Aerial of the Orion EFT-1 Arrival at KSC

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-12-18

An aerial view near NASA's Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex reveals the Orion crew module, enclosed in its crew module transportation fixture and secured on a flatbed truck on the NASA Causeway that leads to the entrance gate to Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Orion made the 2,700 mile overland trip from Naval Base San Diego in California. The spacecraft was recovered from the Pacific Ocean after completing a two-orbit, four-and-a-half hour mission Dec. 5 to test systems critical to crew safety, including the launch abort system, the heat shield and the parachute system. The Ground Systems Development and Operations Program led the recovery, offload and transportation efforts.

Aerial of the Orion EFT-1 Arrival at KSC

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-12-18

An aerial view reveals the Orion crew module, enclosed in its crew module transportation fixture and secured on a flatbed truck that is proceeding along the NASA Causeway at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. In the background is the iconic Vehicle Assembly Building. Orion made the 2,700 mile overland trip from Naval Base San Diego in California. The spacecraft was recovered from the Pacific Ocean after completing a two-orbit, four-and-a-half hour mission Dec. 5 to test systems critical to crew safety, including the launch abort system, the heat shield and the parachute system. The Ground Systems Development and Operations Program led the recovery, offload and transportation efforts.

Aerial of the Orion EFT-1 Arrival at KSC

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-12-18

An aerial view near NASA's Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex reveals the Orion crew module, enclosed in its crew module transportation fixture and secured on a flatbed truck that is proceeding along the NASA Causeway to the entrance gate to Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Orion made the 2,700 mile overland trip from Naval Base San Diego in California. The spacecraft was recovered from the Pacific Ocean after completing a two-orbit, four-and-a-half hour mission Dec. 5 to test systems critical to crew safety, including the launch abort system, the heat shield and the parachute system. The Ground Systems Development and Operations Program led the recovery, offload and transportation efforts.

Aerial of the Orion EFT-1 Arrival at KSC

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-12-18

An aerial view near NASA's Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex reveals the Orion crew module, enclosed in its crew module transportation fixture and secured on a flatbed truck that is proceeding onto the NASA Causeway that leads to the entrance gate to Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Orion made the 2,700 mile overland trip from Naval Base San Diego in California. The spacecraft was recovered from the Pacific Ocean after completing a two-orbit, four-and-a-half hour mission Dec. 5 to test systems critical to crew safety, including the launch abort system, the heat shield and the parachute system. The Ground Systems Development and Operations Program led the recovery, offload and transportation efforts.

Aerial shows Stennis test stands

NASA Image and Video Library

2004-04-16

An aerial photo shows the B-1/B-2 Test Stand (foreground), A-2 Test Stand (middle) and A-1 Test Stand (back). The historic stands have been used to test engines used on every manned Apollo and space shuttle mission.

The remote characterization of vegetation using Unmanned Aerial Vehicle photography

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) can fly in place of piloted aircraft to gather remote sensing information on vegetation characteristics. The type of sensors flown depends on the instrument payload capacity available, so that, depending on the specific UAV, it is possible to obtain video, aerial phot...

Aerial sampling using drones for measuring trace gases

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chang, Chih-Chung; Wang, Jia-Lin; Chang, Chih-Yuan; Lin, Ming-Ren; Ou-Yang, Chang-Feng; Pan, Xiang-Xu; Lin, Neng-Huei

2017-04-01

Aerial and ground-level samples were simultaneously collected at the northern tip of Taiwan, Cape Fuguei, which is commonly served as a receptor site to receive air parcels from East Asia, Asian continent, the northwest Pacific Ocean and the island of Taiwan itself. Both aerial and surface samples were analyzed for 106 volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and divided into three categories as follows: 1. the total concentrations of 106 VOC (T-VOC) at 300-m height that are lower than the T-VOC level at the surface (Category A), 2. T-VOC concentrations at 300-m that are higher than those at the surface (Category B), and 3. comparable concentrations (Category C). Ten VOCs were exploited as tracers for a variety of emission sources linking to possible sources and transport routes of airborne pollutants. The first two categories A and B showed significant differences in the observed composition and concentrations of tracers between aerial and ground-level samples, implying that the pollutants at different heights may have resulted from different sources and poor air mixing, despite only a 300-m difference in vertical height. In contrast, Category C showed good vertical mixing, as indicated by the comparable concentrations between the aerial and surface measurements. Since the three categories occurred in specific meteorological conditions (between, prior to, and after cold fronts), respectively, it suggests that varied prevailing meteorology controlled the distribution and transport of airborne pollutants. Unlike sampling commonly performed at the surface, this study uses aerial sampling to demonstrate that layered structures under different meteorological conditions. Sampling aloft in lower boundary layer avoids samples being over-influenced by the close-by surface sources such as traffic to reveal signatures of a broader region.

Hypermedia and intelligent tutoring applications in a mission operations environment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ames, Troy; Baker, Clifford

1990-01-01

Hypermedia, hypertext and Intelligent Tutoring System (ITS) applications to support all phases of mission operations are investigated. The application of hypermedia and ITS technology to improve system performance and safety in supervisory control is described - with an emphasis on modeling operator's intentions in the form of goals, plans, tasks, and actions. Review of hypermedia and ITS technology is presented as may be applied to the tutoring of command and control languages. Hypertext based ITS is developed to train flight operation teams and System Test and Operation Language (STOL). Specific hypermedia and ITS application areas are highlighted, including: computer aided instruction of flight operation teams (STOL ITS) and control center software development tools (CHIMES and STOL Certification Tool).

Metrically preserving the USGS aerial film archive

USGS Publications Warehouse

Moe, Donald; Longhenry, Ryan

2013-01-01

Since 1972, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, has provided fi lm-based products to the public. EROS is home to an archive of 12 million frames of analog photography ranging from 1937 to the present. The archive contains collections from both aerial and satellite platforms including programs such as the National High Altitude Program (NHAP), National Aerial Photography Program (NAPP), U.S. Antarctic Resource Center (USARC), Declass 1(CORONA, ARGON, and LANYARD), Declass 2 (KH-7 and KH-9), and Landsat (1972 – 1992, Landsat 1–5).

Evaluating effective swath width and droplet distribution of aerial spraying systems on M-18B and Thrush 510G airplanes

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Aerial spraying plays an important role in promoting agricultural production and protecting the biological environment due to its flexibility, high effectiveness, and large operational area per unit of time. In order to evaluate the performance parameters of the spraying systems on two fixed wing ai...

FlyAR: augmented reality supported micro aerial vehicle navigation.

PubMed

Zollmann, Stefanie; Hoppe, Christof; Langlotz, Tobias; Reitmayr, Gerhard

2014-04-01

Micro aerial vehicles equipped with high-resolution cameras can be used to create aerial reconstructions of an area of interest. In that context automatic flight path planning and autonomous flying is often applied but so far cannot fully replace the human in the loop, supervising the flight on-site to assure that there are no collisions with obstacles. Unfortunately, this workflow yields several issues, such as the need to mentally transfer the aerial vehicle’s position between 2D map positions and the physical environment, and the complicated depth perception of objects flying in the distance. Augmented Reality can address these issues by bringing the flight planning process on-site and visualizing the spatial relationship between the planned or current positions of the vehicle and the physical environment. In this paper, we present Augmented Reality supported navigation and flight planning of micro aerial vehicles by augmenting the user’s view with relevant information for flight planning and live feedback for flight supervision. Furthermore, we introduce additional depth hints supporting the user in understanding the spatial relationship of virtual waypoints in the physical world and investigate the effect of these visualization techniques on the spatial understanding.

Evaluation of the Trajectory Operations Applications Software Task (TOAST)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Perkins, Sharon; Martin, Andrea; Bavinger, Bill

1990-01-01

The Trajectory Operations Applications Software Task (TOAST) is a software development project under the auspices of the Mission Operations Directorate. Its purpose is to provide trajectory operation pre-mission and real-time support for the Space Shuttle program. As an Application Manager, TOAST provides an isolation layer between the underlying Unix operating system and the series of user programs. It provides two main services: a common interface to operating system functions with semantics appropriate for C or FORTRAN, and a structured input and output package that can be utilized by user application programs. In order to evaluate TOAST as an Application Manager, the task was to assess current and planned capabilities, compare capabilities to functions available in commercially-available off the shelf (COTS) and Flight Analysis Design System (FADS) users for TOAST implementation. As a result of the investigation, it was found that the current version of TOAST is well implemented and meets the needs of the real-time users. The plans for migrating TOAST to the X Window System are essentially sound; the Executive will port with minor changes, while Menu Handler will require a total rewrite. A series of recommendations for future TOAST directions are included.

Aerial Application of Mancozeb and Urinary Ethylene Thiourea (ETU) Concentrations among Pregnant Women in Costa Rica: The Infants’ Environmental Health Study (ISA)

PubMed Central

Mora, Ana María; Córdoba, Leonel; Cano, Juan Camilo; Quesada, Rosario; Faniband, Moosa; Wesseling, Catharina; Ruepert, Clemens; Öberg, Mattias; Eskenazi, Brenda; Mergler, Donna; Lindh, Christian H.

2014-01-01

Background: Mancozeb and its main metabolite ethylene thiourea (ETU) may alter thyroid function; thyroid hormones are essential for fetal brain development. In Costa Rica, mancozeb is aerially sprayed at large-scale banana plantations on a weekly basis. Objectives: Our goals were to evaluate urinary ETU concentrations in pregnant women living near large-scale banana plantations, compare their estimated daily intake (EDI) with established reference doses (RfDs), and identify factors that predict their urinary ETU concentrations. Methods: We enrolled 451 pregnant women from Matina County, Costa Rica, which has large-scale banana production. We visited 445 women up to three times during pregnancy to obtain urine samples (n = 872) and information on factors that possibly influence exposure. We determined urinary ETU concentrations using liquid chromatography mass spectrometry. Results: Pregnant women’s median urinary ETU concentrations were more than five times higher than those reported for other general populations. Seventy-two percent of the women had EDIs above the RfD. Women who lived closest (1st quartile, < 48 m) to banana plantations on average had a 45% (95% CI: 23, 72%) higher urinary ETU compared with women who lived farthest away (4th quartile, ≥ 565 m). Compared with the other women, ETU was also higher in women who washed agricultural work clothes on the day before sampling (11%; 95% CI: 4.9, 17%), women who worked in agriculture during pregnancy (19%; 95% CI: 9.3, 29%), and immigrant women (6.2%; 95% CI: 1.0, 13%). Conclusions: The pregnant women’s urinary ETU concentrations are of concern, and the principal source of exposure is likely to be aerial spraying of mancozeb. The factors predicting ETU provide insight into possibilities for exposure reduction. Citation: van Wendel de Joode B, Mora AM, Córdoba L, Cano JC, Quesada R, Faniband M, Wesseling C, Ruepert C, Öberg M, Eskenazi B, Mergler D, Lindh CH. 2014. Aerial application of mancozeb and

Satellite and Aerial Remote Sensing in Support of Disaster Response Operations Conducted by the Texas Division of Emergency Management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wells, G. L.; Tapley, B. D.; Bettadpur, S. V.; Howard, T.; Porter, B.; Smith, S.; Teng, L.; Tapley, C.

2014-12-01

The effective use of remote sensing products as guidance to emergency managers and first responders during field operations requires close coordination and communication with state-level decision makers, incident commanders and the leaders of individual strike teams. Information must be tailored to meet the needs of different emergency support functions and must contain current (ideally near real-time) data delivered in standard formats in time to influence decisions made under rapidly changing conditions. Since 2003, a representative of the University of Texas Center for Space Research (CSR) has served as a member of the Governor's Emergency Management Council and has directed the flow of information from remote sensing observations and high performance computing modeling and simulations to the Texas Division of Emergency Management in the State Operations Center. The CSR team has supported response and recovery missions resulting from hurricanes, tornadoes, flash floods, wildfires, oil spills and other natural and man-made disasters in Texas and surrounding states. Through web mapping services, state emergency managers and field teams have received threat model forecasts, real-time vehicle tracking displays and imagery to support search-and-clear operations before hurricane landfall, search-and-rescue missions following floods, tactical wildfire suppression, pollution monitoring and hazardous materials detection. Data servers provide near real-time satellite imagery collected by CSR's direct broadcast receiving system and post data products delivered during activations of the United Nations International Charter on Space and Major Disasters. In the aftermath of large-scale events, CSR is charged with tasking state aviation resources, including the Air National Guard and Texas Civil Air Patrol, to acquire geolocated aerial photography of the affected region for wide area damage assessment. A data archive for each disaster is available online for years following

Using high-resolution digital aerial imagery to map land cover

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dieck, J.J.; Robinson, Larry

2014-01-01

The Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center (UMESC) has used aerial photography to map land cover/land use on federally owned and managed lands for over 20 years. Until recently, that process used 23- by 23-centimeter (9- by 9-inch) analog aerial photos to classify vegetation along the Upper Mississippi River System, on National Wildlife Refuges, and in National Parks. With digital aerial cameras becoming more common and offering distinct advantages over analog film, UMESC transitioned to an entirely digital mapping process in 2009. Though not without challenges, this method has proven to be much more accurate and efficient when compared to the analog process.

Kite Aerial Photography (KAP) as a Tool for Field Teaching

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sander, Lasse

2014-01-01

Kite aerial photography (KAP) is proposed as a creative tool for geography field teaching and as a medium to approach the complexity of readily available geodata. The method can be integrated as field experiment, surveying technique or group activity. The acquired aerial images can instantaneously be integrated in geographic information systems…

Aerial photo interpretation of understories in two Oregon oak stands.

Treesearch

H. Gyde Lund; George R. Fahnestock; John F. Wear

1967-01-01

Aerial color photography has shown promise for evaluating understory vegetation as a forest-fire fuel. Mapping understory vegetation from special aerial photography produced results reasonably similar to those obtained by an independent ground check. Differences in the methods used in the exploratory work prevented strict comparability, but agreement was close enough...

47 CFR 90.137 - Applications for operation at temporary locations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... evidence of frequency coordination. (b) When any unit or units of a base station or fixed station which are... Applications for operation at temporary locations. (a) An application for authority to operate a base or a... the following: (1) When one or more individual transmitters are to be operated by a licensee as a base...

An Improved Aerial Target Localization Method with a Single Vector Sensor

PubMed Central

Zhao, Anbang; Bi, Xuejie; Hui, Juan; Zeng, Caigao; Ma, Lin

2017-01-01

This paper focuses on the problems encountered in the actual data processing with the use of the existing aerial target localization methods, analyzes the causes of the problems, and proposes an improved algorithm. Through the processing of the sea experiment data, it is found that the existing algorithms have higher requirements for the accuracy of the angle estimation. The improved algorithm reduces the requirements of the angle estimation accuracy and obtains the robust estimation results. The closest distance matching estimation algorithm and the horizontal distance estimation compensation algorithm are proposed. The smoothing effect of the data after being post-processed by using the forward and backward two-direction double-filtering method has been improved, thus the initial stage data can be filtered, so that the filtering results retain more useful information. In this paper, the aerial target height measurement methods are studied, the estimation results of the aerial target are given, so as to realize the three-dimensional localization of the aerial target and increase the understanding of the underwater platform to the aerial target, so that the underwater platform has better mobility and concealment. PMID:29135956

Aerial Observation Needs Workshop, May 13-14, 2015

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nasiri, Shaima; Serbin, Shawn; Lesmes, David

2015-10-01

The mission of the Climate and Environmental Sciences Division (CESD) of the Office of Biological and Environmental Research (BER) within the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Science is "to advance a robust, predictive understanding of Earth's climate and environmental systems and to inform the development of sustainable solutions to the nation's energy and environmental challenges." Accomplishing this mission requires aerial observations of the atmospheric and terrestrial components of the climate system. CESD is assessing its current and future aerial observation needs to develop a strategy and roadmap of capability requirements for the next decade. To facilitate this process,more » a workshop was convened that consisted of invited experts in the atmospheric and terrestrial sciences, airborne observations, and modeling. This workshop report summarizes the community input prior to and during the workshop on research challenges and opportunities, as well as specific science questions and observational needs that require aerial observations to address.« less

The Role of Unmanned Aerial Systems-Sensors in Air Quality Research

EPA Science Inventory

The use of unmanned aerial systems (UASs) and miniaturized sensors for a variety of scientific and security purposes has rapidly increased. UASs include aerostats (tethered balloons) and remotely controlled, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) including lighter-than-air vessels, fix...

Unmanned Aerial Systems in Occupational Hygiene-Learning from Allied Disciplines.

PubMed

Eninger, Robert M; Johnson, Robert L

2015-10-01

Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) technologies are rapidly developing, lowering cost, and technology barriers for their use in numerous applications. This review and commentary summarizes relevant literature in allied fields and evaluates potential application and utility of UAS technology in the discipline of occupational hygiene. Disciplines closely related to occupational hygiene are moving to investigate potential uses--and in some cases--already employing this technology for research or commercial purposes. The literature was reviewed to formulate a cross-sectional picture of how UAS technology is being used in these closely allied disciplines which could inform or guide potential use in occupational hygiene. Discussed are UAS applications in environmental monitoring, emergency response, epidemiology, safety, and process optimization. A rapidly developing state of the art indicates that there is potential utility for this technology in occupational hygiene. Benefits may include cost savings, time savings, and averting hazardous environments via remote sensing. The occupational hygiene community can look to allied fields to garner lessons and possible applications to their own practice. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Occupational Hygiene Society 2015.

The application of the unmanned aerial vehicle remote sensing technology in the FAST project construction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Boqin

2015-08-01

The purpose of using unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) remote sensing application in Five-hundred-meter aperture spherical telescope (FAST) project is to dynamically record the construction process with high resolution image, monitor the environmental impact, and provide services for local environmental protection and the reserve immigrants. This paper introduces the use of UAV remote sensing system and the course design and implementation for the FAST site. Through the analysis of the time series data, we found that: (1) since the year 2012, the project has been widely carried out; (2) till 2013, the internal project begun to take shape;(3) engineering excavation scope was kept stable in 2014, and the initial scale of the FAST engineering construction has emerged as in the meantime, the vegetation recovery went well on the bare soil area; (4) in 2015, none environmental problems caused by engineering construction and other engineering geological disaster were found in the work area through the image interpretation of UAV images. This paper also suggested that the UAV technology need some improvements to fulfill the requirements of surveying and mapping specification., including a new data acquisition and processing measures assigned with the background of highly diverse elevation, usage of telephoto camera, hierarchical photography with different flying height, and adjustment with terrain using the joint empty three settlement method.

The Role of Unmanned Aerial Systems/Sensors in Air Quality Research

EPA Science Inventory

The use of unmanned aerial systems (UASs) for a variety of scientific and security purposes has rapidly increased. UASs include aerostats (tethered balloons) and remotely controlled, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) including lighter-than-air vessels, fixed wing airplanes, and he...

Low-cost, quantitative assessment of highway bridges through the use of unmanned aerial vehicles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ellenberg, Andrew; Kontsos, Antonios; Moon, Franklin; Bartoli, Ivan

2016-04-01

Many envision that in the near future the application of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) will impact the civil engineering industry. Use of UAVs is currently experiencing tremendous growth, primarily in military and homeland security applications. It is only a matter of time until UAVs will be widely accepted as platforms for implementing monitoring/surveillance and inspection in other fields. Most UAVs already have payloads as well as hardware/software capabilities to incorporate a number of non-contact remote sensors, such as high resolution cameras, multi-spectral imaging systems, and laser ranging systems (LIDARs). Of critical importance to realizing the potential of UAVs within the infrastructure realm is to establish how (and the extent to which) such information may be used to inform preservation and renewal decisions. Achieving this will depend both on our ability to quantify information from images (through, for example, optical metrology techniques) and to fuse data from the array of non-contact sensing systems. Through a series of applications to both laboratory-scale and field implementations on operating infrastructure, this paper will present and evaluate (through comparison with conventional approaches) various image processing and data fusion strategies tailored specifically for the assessment of highway bridges. Example scenarios that guided this study include the assessment of delaminations within reinforced concrete bridge decks, the quantification of the deterioration of steel coatings, assessment of the functionality of movement mechanisms, and the estimation of live load responses (inclusive of both strain and displacement).

Optical illusions and life-threatening traffic crashes: A perspective on aerial perspective.

PubMed

Redelmeier, Donald A; Raza, Sheharyar

2018-05-01

Aerial perspective illusion is a feature of visual perception where landscapes appear relatively close in clear light and distant in dim light. We hypothesized that bright sunlight might cause drivers to perceive distant terrain as relatively close and misinterpret the approach speed of surrounding landscape as unduly slow. This hypothesis would mean, in turn, that drivers in bright sunlight may underestimate their progress on the road, compensate by traveling at a faster baseline speed, and ultimately increase the prevailing risk of a life-threatening traffic crash. We conducted three pilot studies to illustrate how the illusion might contribute to a life- threatening traffic crash. The first illustration used a questionnaire to demonstrate that most respondents were mistaken when judging the distance between simple balls in different positions. The second illustration involved an experimental manipulation to assess whether aerial perspective influenced judgments about the relative positions of vehicles in traffic. The third illustration analyzed a segment of high-volume fast-speed traffic and found an increased frequency of speeding under bright sunlight. Together with past work based on the visual arts, these examples illustrate how an aerial perspective illusion can affect distance perception, may appear in realistic traffic situations, and could potentially contribute to the risk of a life-threatening traffic crash. An awareness of this hypothesis might lead to applications on how optical illusions could extend to everyday traffic and might potentially inform safety warnings to prevent life- threatening crashes. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Interactions between Streptomyces coelicolor and Bacillus subtilis: Role of surfactants in raising aerial structures.

PubMed

Straight, Paul D; Willey, Joanne M; Kolter, Roberto

2006-07-01

Using mixed-species cultures, we have undertaken a study of interactions between two common spore-forming soil bacteria, Bacillus subtilis and Streptomyces coelicolor. Our experiments demonstrate that the development of aerial hyphae and spores by S. coelicolor is inhibited by surfactin, a lipopeptide surfactant produced by B. subtilis. Current models of aerial development by sporulating bacteria and fungi postulate a role for surfactants in reducing surface tension at air-liquid interfaces, thereby removing the major barrier to aerial growth. S. coelicolor produces SapB, an amphipathic peptide that is surface active and required for aerial growth on certain media. Loss of aerial hyphae in developmental mutants can be rescued by addition of purified SapB. While a surfactant from a fungus can substitute for SapB in a mutant that lacks aerial hyphae, not all surfactants have this effect. We show that surfactin is required for formation of aerial structures on the surface of B. subtilis colonies. However, in contrast to this positive role, our experiments reveal that surfactin acts antagonistically by arresting S. coelicolor aerial development and causing altered expression of developmental genes. Our observations support the idea that surfactants function specifically for a given organism regardless of their shared ability to reduce surface tension. Production of surfactants with antagonistic activity could provide a powerful competitive advantage during surface colonization and in competition for resources.

An Examination of Drag Reduction Mechanisms in Marine Animals, with Potential Applications to Uninhabited Aerial Vehicles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Musick, John A.; Patterson, Mark R.; Dowd, Wesley W.

2002-01-01

Previous engineering research and development has documented the plausibility of applying biomimetic approaches to aerospace engineering. Past cooperation between the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) and NASA focused on the drag reduction qualities of the microscale dermal denticles of shark skin. This technology has subsequently been applied to submarines and aircraft. The present study aims to identify and document the three-dimensional geometry of additional macroscale morphologies that potentially confer drag reducing hydrodynamic qualities upon marine animals and which could be applied to enhance the range and endurance of Uninhabited Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). Such morphologies have evolved over eons to maximize organismal energetic efficiency by reducing the energetic input required to maintain cruising speeds in the viscous marine environment. These drag reduction qualities are manifested in several groups of active marine animals commonly encountered by ongoing VIMS research programs: namely sharks, bony fishes such as tunas, and sea turtles. Through spatial data acquired by molding and digital imagery analysis of marine specimens provided by VIMS, NASA aims to construct scale models of these features and to test these potential drag reduction morphologies for application to aircraft design. This report addresses the efforts of VIMS and NASA personnel on this project between January and November 2001.

Application of Human-Autonomy Teaming (HAT) Patterns to Reduced Crew Operations (RCO)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shively, R. Jay; Brandt, Summer L.; Lachter, Joel; Matessa, Mike; Sadler, Garrett; Battiste, Henri

2016-01-01

As part of the Air Force - NASA Bi-Annual Research Council Meeting, slides will be presented on recent Reduced Crew Operations (RCO) work. Unmanned aerial systems, robotics, advanced cockpits, and air traffic management are all examples of domains that are seeing dramatic increases in automation. While automation may take on some tasks previously performed by humans, humans will still be required, for the foreseeable future, to remain in the system. The collaboration with humans and these increasingly autonomous systems will begin to resemble cooperation between teammates, rather than simple task allocation. It is critical to understand this human-autonomy teaming (HAT) to optimize these systems in the future. One methodology to understand HAT is by identifying recurring patterns of HAT that have similar characteristics and solutions. A methodology for identifying HAT patterns to an advanced cockpit project is discussed.

Verification of aerial photo stand volume tables for southeast Alaska.

Treesearch

Theodore S. Setzer; Bert R. Mead

1988-01-01

Aerial photo volume tables are used in the multilevel sampling system of Alaska Forest Inventory and Analysis. These volume tables are presented with a description of the data base and methods used to construct the tables. Volume estimates compiled from the aerial photo stand volume tables and associated ground-measured values are compared and evaluated.

High Density Aerial Image Matching: State-Of and Future Prospects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haala, N.; Cavegn, S.

2016-06-01

Ongoing innovations in matching algorithms are continuously improving the quality of geometric surface representations generated automatically from aerial images. This development motivated the launch of the joint ISPRS/EuroSDR project "Benchmark on High Density Aerial Image Matching", which aims on the evaluation of photogrammetric 3D data capture in view of the current developments in dense multi-view stereo-image matching. Originally, the test aimed on image based DSM computation from conventional aerial image flights for different landuse and image block configurations. The second phase then put an additional focus on high quality, high resolution 3D geometric data capture in complex urban areas. This includes both the extension of the test scenario to oblique aerial image flights as well as the generation of filtered point clouds as additional output of the respective multi-view reconstruction. The paper uses the preliminary outcomes of the benchmark to demonstrate the state-of-the-art in airborne image matching with a special focus of high quality geometric data capture in urban scenarios.

Modelling and Closed-Loop System Identification of a Quadrotor-Based Aerial Manipulator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dube, Chioniso; Pedro, Jimoh O.

2018-05-01

This paper presents the modelling and system identification of a quadrotor-based aerial manipulator. The aerial manipulator model is first derived analytically using the Newton-Euler formulation for the quadrotor and Recursive Newton-Euler formulation for the manipulator. The aerial manipulator is then simulated with the quadrotor under Proportional Derivative (PD) control, with the manipulator in motion. The simulation data is then used for system identification of the aerial manipulator. Auto Regressive with eXogenous inputs (ARX) models are obtained from the system identification for linear accelerations \\ddot{X} and \\ddot{Y} and yaw angular acceleration \\ddot{\\psi }. For linear acceleration \\ddot{Z}, and pitch and roll angular accelerations \\ddot{θ } and \\ddot{φ }, Auto Regressive Moving Average with eXogenous inputs (ARMAX) models are identified.

ESTIMATING DENSITIES OF ESTUARINE EELGRASS AND BENTHIC MACROALGAE VIA AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY

EPA Science Inventory

The goal of this research was to distinguish meadows of native eelgrass (Zostera marina L.) from adjacent beds of benthic green macroalgae in the exposed intertidal zone of Pacific Northwest estuaries, using false-color near-infrared aerial photography. Aerial photographs of Yaq...

Development and prospect of unmanned aerial vehicles for agricultural production management

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Unmanned aerial vehicles have been developed and applied to support agricultural production management. Compared to piloted aircrafts, an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) can focus on small crop fields in lower flight altitude than regular airplanes to perform site-specific management with high precisi...

The Ground Control Room as an Enabling Technology in the Unmanned Aerial System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gear, Gary; Mace, Thomas

2007-01-01

This viewgraph presentation reviews the development of the ground control room as an required technology for the use of an Unmanned Aerial system. The Unmanned Aerial system is a strategic component of the Global Observing System, which will serve global science needs. The unmanned aerial system will use the same airspace as manned aircraft, therefore there will be unique telemetry needs.

An Analysis of Fuel Cell Options for an All-electric Unmanned Aerial Vehicle

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kohout, Lisa L.; Schmitz, Paul C.

2007-01-01

A study was conducted to assess the performance characteristics of both PEM and SOFC-based fuel cell systems for an all-electric high altitude, long endurance Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). Primary and hybrid systems were considered. Fuel options include methane, hydrogen, and jet fuel. Excel-based models were used to calculate component mass as a function of power level and mission duration. Total system mass and stored volume as a function of mission duration for an aircraft operating at 65 kft altitude were determined and compared.

Neural-network-based navigation and control of unmanned aerial vehicles for detecting unintended emissions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zargarzadeh, H.; Nodland, David; Thotla, V.; Jagannathan, S.; Agarwal, S.

2012-06-01

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are versatile aircraft with many applications, including the potential for use to detect unintended electromagnetic emissions from electronic devices. A particular area of recent interest has been helicopter unmanned aerial vehicles. Because of the nature of these helicopters' dynamics, high-performance controller design for them presents a challenge. This paper introduces an optimal controller design via output feedback control for trajectory tracking of a helicopter UAV using a neural network (NN). The output-feedback control system utilizes the backstepping methodology, employing kinematic, virtual, and dynamic controllers and an observer. Optimal tracking is accomplished with a single NN utilized for cost function approximation. The controller positions the helicopter, which is equipped with an antenna, such that the antenna can detect unintended emissions. The overall closed-loop system stability with the proposed controller is demonstrated by using Lyapunov analysis. Finally, results are provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed control design for positioning the helicopter for unintended emissions detection.

Application of AI techniques to blast furnace operations

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Iida, Osamu; Ushijima, Yuichi; Sawada, Toshiro

1995-10-01

It was during the first stages of application of artificial intelligence (AI) to industrial fields, that the ironmaking division of Mizushima works at Kawasaki Steel recognized its potential. Since that time, the division has sought applications for these techniques to solve various problems. AI techniques applied to control the No. 3 blast furnace operations at the Mizushima works include: Blast furnace control by a diagnostic type of expert system that gives guidance to the actions required for blast furnace operation as well as control of furnace heat by automatically setting blast temperature; Hot stove combustion control by a combination ofmore » fuzzy inference and a physical model to insure good thermal efficiency of the stove; and blast furnace burden control using neural networks makes it possible to connect the pattern of gas flow distribution with the condition of the furnace. Experience of AI to control the blast furnace and other ironmaking operations has proved its capability for achieving automation and increased operating efficiency. The benefits are very high. For these reasons, the applications of AI techniques will be extended in the future and new techniques studied to further improve the power of AI.« less

Updating the USDA ARS rotary wing nozzle models

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Optimizing aerial spray applications requires proper setup of the sprayer system, particularly with respect to nozzle selection and operation, which significantly affects spray deposition, product efficacy, and spray drift. Droplet size from an aerial application is a function of the combination of...

Multi-Dimensional Signal Processing Research Program

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-09-30

applications to real-time image processing and analysis. A specific long-range application is the automated processing of aerial reconnaissance imagery...Non-supervised image segmentation is a potentially im- portant operation in the automated processing of aerial reconnaissance pho- tographs since it

Collecting maple sap with unvented spouts, using aerial and ground lines

Treesearch

H. Clay Smith; Carter B. Gibbs

1971-01-01

Two methods of using plastic tubing to collect sugar maple sap were tried: aerial lines and ground lines. Unvented spouts were used in both. We found that the sap yields collected from the aerial and ground lines were not statistically different from each other.

Development of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles for Site-Specific Crop Production Management

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) have been developed and applied to support the practice of precision agriculture. Compared to piloted aircrafts, an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle can focus on much smaller crop fields with much lower flight altitude than regular airplanes to perform site-specific management ...

Applicability of Tenets of Operational Art in Low Intensity Conflict Operations (LICO) in India

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-04-04

Major, Indian Army N/A N/A N/A USMC Command and Staff College Marine Corps University 2076 South Street Quantico, VA 22134-5068 N/A N/A N/A N/A...Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited N/A The identification and application of the tenets of operational art in LICO in the Indian ...and the security forces in particular. A thorough and deep understanding of the tenets of operational art as applicable to LICO in the Indian context

Wageningen UR Unmanned Aerial Remote Sensing Facility - Overview of activities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bartholomeus, Harm; Keesstra, Saskia; Kooistra, Lammert; Suomalainen, Juha; Mucher, Sander; Kramer, Henk; Franke, Jappe

2016-04-01

To support environmental management there is an increasing need for timely, accurate and detailed information on our land. Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) are increasingly used to monitor agricultural crop development, habitat quality or urban heat efficiency. An important reason is that UAS technology is maturing quickly while the flexible capabilities of UAS fill a gap between satellite based and ground based geo-sensing systems. In 2012, different groups within Wageningen University and Research Centre have established an Unmanned Airborne Remote Sensing Facility. The objective of this facility is threefold: a) To develop innovation in the field of remote sensing science by providing a platform for dedicated and high-quality experiments; b) To support high quality UAS services by providing calibration facilities and disseminating processing procedures to the UAS user community; and c) To promote and test the use of UAS in a broad range of application fields like habitat monitoring, precision agriculture and land degradation assessment. The facility is hosted by the Laboratory of Geo-Information Science and Remote Sensing (GRS) and the Department of Soil Physics and Land Management (SLM) of Wageningen University together with the team Earth Informatics (EI) of Alterra. The added value of the Unmanned Aerial Remote Sensing Facility is that compared to for example satellite based remote sensing more dedicated science experiments can be prepared. This includes for example higher frequent observations in time (e.g., diurnal observations), observations of an object under different observation angles for characterization of BRDF and flexibility in use of camera's and sensors types. In this way, laboratory type of set ups can be tested in a field situation and effects of up-scaling can be tested. In the last years we developed and implemented different camera systems (e.g. a hyperspectral pushbroom system, and multispectral frame cameras) which we operated in projects all

Detection of Aspens Using High Resolution Aerial Laser Scanning Data and Digital Aerial Images

PubMed Central

Säynäjoki, Raita; Packalén, Petteri; Maltamo, Matti; Vehmas, Mikko; Eerikäinen, Kalle

2008-01-01

The aim was to use high resolution Aerial Laser Scanning (ALS) data and aerial images to detect European aspen (Populus tremula L.) from among other deciduous trees. The field data consisted of 14 sample plots of 30 m × 30 m size located in the Koli National Park in the North Karelia, Eastern Finland. A Canopy Height Model (CHM) was interpolated from the ALS data with a pulse density of 3.86/m2, low-pass filtered using Height-Based Filtering (HBF) and binarized to create the mask needed to separate the ground pixels from the canopy pixels within individual areas. Watershed segmentation was applied to the low-pass filtered CHM in order to create preliminary canopy segments, from which the non-canopy elements were extracted to obtain the final canopy segmentation, i.e. the ground mask was analysed against the canopy mask. A manual classification of aerial images was employed to separate the canopy segments of deciduous trees from those of coniferous trees. Finally, linear discriminant analysis was applied to the correctly classified canopy segments of deciduous trees to classify them into segments belonging to aspen and those belonging to other deciduous trees. The independent variables used in the classification were obtained from the first pulse ALS point data. The accuracy of discrimination between aspen and other deciduous trees was 78.6%. The independent variables in the classification function were the proportion of vegetation hits, the standard deviation of in pulse heights, accumulated intensity at the 90th percentile and the proportion of laser points reflected at the 60th height percentile. The accuracy of classification corresponded to the validation results of earlier ALS-based studies on the classification of individual deciduous trees to tree species. PMID:27873799

Maritime Tactical Unmanned Aerial Systems (TUAS) in Navy Strike Groups Can Improve Maritime Domain Awareness for the Operational Commander

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-10-31

Proposal, staff study, 5 September 2007. 4 Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. The 9/11 Commission Report: Final Report of the National...January 2008. http://www.cnaf.navy.mil/nae/main.asp?ItemID=12.   41  Tim Dunigan, “Vertical Take-off and Landing Tactical Unmanned Air Vehicle...September 2007. Berner , Robert A. The Effective Use of Multiple Unmanned Aerial Vehicles in Surface Search and Control. Ft. Belvoir: Defense

NASA Flight Operations of Ikhana and Global Hawk

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Posada, Herman

2010-01-01

This slide presentation reviews the flight operations for NASA's Ikhana and Globalhawk unmanned aerial vehicles. It includes information on the ground support systems, vehicle specifications, payloads, mission planning and the 2007 Western States Fire Mission Objectives.

Locating Shallow Groundwater Discharge to Streams Near Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations Using Aerial Infrared Thermography: A Novel Potential Pollution Detection Method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mapes, K. L.; Pricope, N. G.

2017-12-01

The Cape Fear River Basin (CFRB) has some of the highest densities of concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFO) in the United States (factoryfarmmap.org) and was recently named one of the country's most endangered rivers (americanrivers.org). There is high potential for CAFO land use to degrade stream water quality by introducing pollutants, primarily nitrates and fecal coliform, into sub-surface and surface waters. The regionally high water table in the Lower CFRB increases the risk of water quality degradation due to increased connectivity of ground- and surface water. The Lower CFRB is periodically subjected to frequent or intense hurricanes, which have been shown to exacerbate water quality issues associated with CAFOs. Additionally, the growing population in this region is placing more pressure on an already taxed water source and will continue to rely on the Cape Fear River for drinking water and wastewater discharge. While there are documented occurrences of groundwater contamination from CAFOs, we still have little understanding on how and where pollution may be entering streams by shallow sub-surface discharge. Shallow groundwater discharge to streams is becoming easier to detect using thermal infrared imaging cameras onboard unmanned aerial systems. The temperature differences between groundwater and stream water are easily distinguished in the resulting images. While this technology cannot directly measure water quality, it can locate areas of shallow groundwater discharge that can later be tested for pollutants using conventional methods. We will utilize a thermal infrared camera onboard a SenseFly eBee Plus to determine the feasibility of using this technology on a larger scale within the Lower CFRB as an inexpensive means of identifying sites of potential pollution input. Aerial surveys will be conducted in two sub-watersheds: one containing swine CAFO and a control that lacks swine CAFO. Information from this study can be integrated into

The NASA Dryden Flight Test Approach to an Aerial Refueling System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hansen, Jennifer L.; Murray, James E.; Campos, Norma V.

2005-01-01

The integration of uninhabited aerial vehicles (UAVs) into controlled airspace has generated a new era of autonomous technologies and challenges. Autonomous aerial refueling would enable UAVs to travel further distances and loiter for extended periods over time-critical targets. The NASA Dryden Flight Research Center recently has completed a flight research project directed at developing a dynamic hose and drogue system model to support the development of an automated aerial refueling system. A systematic dynamic model of the hose and drogue system would include the effects of various influences on the system, such as flight condition, hose and drogue type, tanker type and weight, receiver type, and tanker and receiver maneuvering. Using two NASA F/A-18 aircraft and a conventional hose and drogue aerial refueling store from the Navy, NASA has obtained flight research data that document the response of the hose and drogue system to these effects. Preliminary results, salient trends, and important lessons are presented

Comparison of SLAR images and small-scale, low-sun aerial photographs.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clark, M. M.

1971-01-01

A comparison of side-looking airborne radar (SLAR) images and black and white aerial photos of similar scale and illumination of an area in the Mojave Desert of California shows that aerial photos yield far more information about geology than do SLAR images because of greater resolution, tonal range, and geometric fidelity, and easier use in stereo. Nevertheless, radar can differentiate some materials or surfaces that aerial photos cannot; thus, they should be considered as complementary, rather than competing tools in geologic investigations. The most significant advantage of SLAR, however, is its freedom from the stringent conditions of weather, date, and time that are required by small-scale aerial photos taken with a specified direction and angle of illumination. Indeed, in low latitudes, SLAR is the only way to obtain small-scale images with low illumination from certain directions; moreover, in areas of nearly continuous cloudiness, radar may be the only practical source of small-scale images.

11. Photographic copy of aerial photograph dated ca. 1954; Photographer ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

11. Photographic copy of aerial photograph dated ca. 1954; Photographer unknown; Original owned by Waterloo Courier, Waterloo, Iowa; AERIAL VIEW OF RATH COMPLEX, LOOKING WEST; BEEF KILLING BUILDING (149 AND LIVESTOCK HOLDING AREAS ARE AT LEFT CENTER; FERTILIZER PLANT/STORAGE BUILDINGS ARE AT BOTTOM OF PHOTO - Rath Packing Company, Sycamore Street between Elm & Eighteenth Streets, Waterloo, Black Hawk County, IA

AERIAL - MSC SITE - CONSTRUCTION PROGRESS - MSC

NASA Image and Video Library

1963-12-24

S63-23656 (1963) --- Aerial view of construction progress at the Manned Spacecraft Center, Houston, Texas. NOTE: The Manned Spacecraft Center was named Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center in memory of the late President following his death.

Space System Applications to Tactical Operations.

DTIC Science & Technology

1984-10-01

AD-AI51 884 SPACE SYSTEM APPLICATIONS TO TACTICAL OPERATIONSIU) I, ADVISORY GROU)P FOR AEROSPACE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT NEUILIT-SUR-SEINE (FRANCE...FOR1’ AIIII [ I [IiP[E REEAC [ [llllvd[ N I AGARD CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS No.344 Space System Applications to Tactical Operations DTIC ELECTE...nota %ii. .tm’ ih1.1i .Il t oning oiii.ian later oil Ili thre centturv are charaeteri/ed. Bloth the ad’.antage’. and limitation%. iii space ’.’.’tem

InkTag: Secure Applications on an Untrusted Operating System.

PubMed

Hofmann, Owen S; Kim, Sangman; Dunn, Alan M; Lee, Michael Z; Witchel, Emmett

2013-01-01

InkTag is a virtualization-based architecture that gives strong safety guarantees to high-assurance processes even in the presence of a malicious operating system. InkTag advances the state of the art in untrusted operating systems in both the design of its hypervisor and in the ability to run useful applications without trusting the operating system. We introduce paraverification , a technique that simplifies the InkTag hypervisor by forcing the untrusted operating system to participate in its own verification. Attribute-based access control allows trusted applications to create decentralized access control policies. InkTag is also the first system of its kind to ensure consistency between secure data and metadata, ensuring recoverability in the face of system crashes.

System Analysis Applied to Autonomy: Application to High-Altitude Long-Endurance Remotely Operated Aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Young, Larry A.; Yetter, Jeffrey A.; Guynn, Mark D.

2006-01-01

Maturation of intelligent systems technologies and their incorporation into aerial platforms are dictating the development of new analysis tools and incorporation of such tools into existing system analysis methodologies in order to fully capture the trade-offs of autonomy on vehicle and mission success. A first-order "system analysis of autonomy" methodology is outlined in this paper. Further, this analysis methodology is subsequently applied to notional high-altitude long-endurance (HALE) aerial vehicle missions.

Modeling and Optimization of Multiple Unmanned Aerial Vehicles System Architecture Alternatives

PubMed Central

Wang, Weiping; He, Lei

2014-01-01

Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) systems have already been used in civilian activities, although very limitedly. Confronted different types of tasks, multi UAVs usually need to be coordinated. This can be extracted as a multi UAVs system architecture problem. Based on the general system architecture problem, a specific description of the multi UAVs system architecture problem is presented. Then the corresponding optimization problem and an efficient genetic algorithm with a refined crossover operator (GA-RX) is proposed to accomplish the architecting process iteratively in the rest of this paper. The availability and effectiveness of overall method is validated using 2 simulations based on 2 different scenarios. PMID:25140328

Theoretical study of network design methodologies for the aerial relay system. [energy consumption and air traffic control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rivera, J. M.; Simpson, R. W.

1980-01-01

The aerial relay system network design problem is discussed. A generalized branch and bound based algorithm is developed which can consider a variety of optimization criteria, such as minimum passenger travel time and minimum liner and feeder operating costs. The algorithm, although efficient, is basically useful for small size networks, due to its nature of exponentially increasing computation time with the number of variables.

2. AERIAL VIEW OF SLC3 FROM THE NORTH. SLC3W IN ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

2. AERIAL VIEW OF SLC-3 FROM THE NORTH. SLC-3W IN FOREGROUND; SLC-3E IN BACKGROUND. LAUNCH OPERATIONS BUILDING (LOB; BLDG. 763) AND CABLE TRAYS BETWEEN LOB AND THE PADS VISIBLE IMMEDIATELY EAST (LEFT) OF THE PADS. VEHICLE SUPPORT BUILDING (BLDG. 766) LOCATED EAST OF ROAD IN LEFT FOREGROUND. TECHNICAL SUPPORT BUILDING (BLDG. 762/762A) AND SLC-3 AIR FORCE BUILDING (BLDG. 761) VISIBLE EAST OF LOG IN LEFT BACKGROUND. - Vandenberg Air Force Base, Space Launch Complex 3, Napa & Alden Roads, Lompoc, Santa Barbara County, CA

An aerial radiological survey of the Nevada Test Site

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hendricks, T J; Riedhauser, S R

1999-12-01

A team from the Remote Sensing Laboratory conducted an aerial radiological survey of the US Department of Energy's Nevada Test Site including three neighboring areas during August and September 1994. The survey team measured the terrestrial gamma radiation at the Nevada Test Site to determine the levels of natural and man-made radiation. This survey included the areas covered by previous surveys conducted from 1962 through 1993. The results of the aerial survey showed a terrestrial background exposure rate that varied from less than 6 microroentgens per hour (mR/h) to 50 mR/h plus a cosmic-ray contribution that varied from 4.5 mR/hmore » at an elevation of 900 meters (3,000 feet) to 8.5 mR/h at 2,400 meters (8,000 feet). In addition to the principal gamma-emitting, naturally occurring isotopes (potassium-40, thallium-208, bismuth-214, and actinium-228), the man-made radioactive isotopes found in this survey were cobalt-60, cesium-137, europium-152, protactinium-234m an indicator of depleted uranium, and americium-241, which are due to human actions in the survey area. Individual, site-wide plots of gross terrestrial exposure rate, man-made exposure rate, and americium-241 activity (approximating the distribution of all transuranic material) are presented. In addition, expanded plots of individual areas exhibiting these man-made contaminations are given. A comparison is made between the data from this survey and previous aerial radiological surveys of the Nevada Test Site. Some previous ground-based measurements are discussed and related to the aerial data. In regions away from man-made activity, the exposure rates inferred from the gamma-ray measurements collected during this survey agreed very well with the exposure rates inferred from previous aerial surveys.« less

Point of injury tourniquet application during Operation Protective Edge-What do we learn?

PubMed

Shlaifer, Amir; Yitzhak, Avraham; Baruch, Erez N; Shina, Avi; Satanovsky, Alexandra; Shovali, Amiram; Almog, Ofer; Glassberg, Elon

2017-08-01

Hemorrhage is a leading cause of preventable death on the battlefield. Timely tourniquet application to massively bleeding extremity wounds is critical for casualty survival albeit with reported adverse effects to extremity integrity. The aim of this study was to describe the immediate- and short-term outcomes of point of injury (POI) tourniquet applications during "Operation Protective Edge" (OPE). A case series study regarding tourniquet application at the POI during OPE was collected. The data gathered included reports by medical providers at the POI, aerial and land evacuation vehicles, and receiving hospitals. Variables collected included, the number of tourniquet applications, caregiver level, tourniquet type, limb characters, tourniquet effectiveness, in-hospital procedures, complications, and short-term limb outcome. During OPE, the Israeli Defense Forces Medical Corps treated 704 casualties. Of these, 90 casualties were treated with 119 tourniquets of which 79 survived. Penetrating trauma was the mechanism of injury in 97.8% (88 of 90) of the casualties. Injuries sustained from improvised explosive devices and shrapnel were related to the use of more than one tourniquet per casualty and per limb (p = 0.034). The success rate of the first tourniquet was reported to be 70% (84 of 119), regardless of caregiver level (p = 0.56), tourniquet type (p = 0.16), or limb characters (p = 0.48). Twenty-seven (25.7%) of 105 of the tourniquets were converted to direct pressure dressings enroute to receiving hospitals two of the conversions failed and thus a new tourniquet was applied. Fasciotomy was performed on eight casualties (a single limb in each). Vascular injury was presumed to be the indication for fasciotomy in three of these cases, in the other five limbs (6%, 5 of 85), no vascular involvement was discovered during surgery, and the fasciotomy is suspected as tourniquet related. 7%) 6 of 85) suffered from neurological sequela that could not be explained by their

The application of hydrometeorological data obtained by remote sensing techniques for multipurpose reservoir operations. [Arizona

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Warskow, W. L.; Wilson, T. T., Jr.; Kirdar, K.

1975-01-01

Watershed snowpack and streamflow data obtained and transmitted by (ERTS) satellite were used in the operational and water management decisions in the Salt River Project. Located in central Arizona, the Project provides water and electric power for the more than 1.1 million residents of the Salt River Valley. The water supply source is a 33,670 square kilometer (13,000 square mile) watershed and 250 deep well pumps. Six storage reservoirs, four of which have hydroelectric capability, located on two river systems have a storage capacity of over 246,600 hectare-meters (2,000,000 AF.). Information from the watershed during the normal runoff period of December to May and more especially during critical periods of high runoff and minimum reservoir storage capacity is necessary for the reservoir operation regimen. Extent of the snowpack, depth of snow, and the condition of the pack were observed in aerial flights over the watershed.

Control of a Quadcopter Aerial Robot Using Optic Flow Sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hurd, Michael Brandon

This thesis focuses on the motion control of a custom-built quadcopter aerial robot using optic flow sensing. Optic flow sensing is a vision-based approach that can provide a robot the ability to fly in global positioning system (GPS) denied environments, such as indoor environments. In this work, optic flow sensors are used to stabilize the motion of quadcopter robot, where an optic flow algorithm is applied to provide odometry measurements to the quadcopter's central processing unit to monitor the flight heading. The optic-flow sensor and algorithm are capable of gathering and processing the images at 250 frames/sec, and the sensor package weighs 2.5 g and has a footprint of 6 cm2 in area. The odometry value from the optic flow sensor is then used a feedback information in a simple proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller on the quadcopter. Experimental results are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of using optic flow for controlling the motion of the quadcopter aerial robot. The technique presented herein can be applied to different types of aerial robotic systems or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), as well as unmanned ground vehicles (UGV).

30 CFR 77.1602 - Use of aerial tramways to transport persons.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Use of aerial tramways to transport persons. 77.1602 Section 77.1602 Mineral Resources MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR COAL... UNDERGROUND COAL MINES Loading and Haulage § 77.1602 Use of aerial tramways to transport persons. Persons...

[Death by explosion of an aerial mine].

PubMed

Stockhausen, Sarah; Wöllner, Kirsten; Madea, Burkhard; Doberentz, Elke

2014-01-01

Civilians are rarely killed by military weapons except in times of war. In early 2014, a 50-year-old man died in an explosion of an aerial mine from the Second World War when he was crushing concrete chunks with an excavator at a recycling plant. In the burned operator's cab, the remains of a body were found on the driver's seat. The thorax and the head were missing. Still sticking in the shoe, the right foot severed at the ankle was found about 7 m from the excavator together with numerous small to tiny body parts. At autopsy, the completely disrupted, strongly charred lower torso of a male connected to the left extremities as well as a large number of small tissue fragments and calcined bones were found. According to calculations performed by the seismographical station on the basis of seismic data, only about 45-60 percent of the charge had detonated. The autopsy results illustrate all the more the massive impact of such an explosion.

Multiple multicontrol unitary operations: Implementation and applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Qing

2018-04-01

The efficient implementation of computational tasks is critical to quantum computations. In quantum circuits, multicontrol unitary operations are important components. Here, we present an extremely efficient and direct approach to multiple multicontrol unitary operations without decomposition to CNOT and single-photon gates. With the proposed approach, the necessary two-photon operations could be reduced from O( n 3) with the traditional decomposition approach to O( n), which will greatly relax the requirements and make large-scale quantum computation feasible. Moreover, we propose the potential application to the ( n- k)-uniform hypergraph state.

[Chemical constituents from aerial part of Aconitum brachypodum].

PubMed

Wang, Hong-Yun; Zuo, Ai-Xue; Sun, Yun; Rao, Gao-Xiong

2014-08-01

To study the chemical constituents from the aerial part of Aconitum brachypodum. The constituents were isolated and purified by silica gel, activated alumina and Sephadex LH-20 column chromatography. their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectral data and physiochemical evidence. Eleven compounds were isolated from 80% ethanol extract and identified as secokaraconitine (1), brachyaconitines A (2), C (3), talatisamine (4), hypaconitine (5), songrine (6), bullatine A (7), 7-carbony sitosterone (8), lupeol (9), β-sitosterol (10) and daucosterol (11). All compounds are isolated from the aerial part of Aconitum brachypodum for the first time.

Transport properties of the mung bean (Vigna radiata) non-aerial hypocotyl membrane: permselectivity to hydrophilic compounds.

PubMed

Aponte, John; Baur, Peter

2014-01-01

Aerial plant surfaces are covered by a lipophilic cuticular membrane (CM) that restricts the transport of water and small solutes. Non-aerial tissues do not exhibit such a barrier. Recent data have shown that large relative to CM hydrophilic agrochemicals were able to pass at high rates through the non-aerial coleoptile. A moderately large hydrophilic solute like PEG 1000 with a mean molar volume of 782 cm(3) mol(-1) was rejected by the non-aerial hypocotyl. Uptake of smaller solutes like urea (46.5 cm(3) mol(-1) ) was fast and with 99% after 1 day. Cut-off size estimations suggest a pore size diameter below 1.5 nm. Aerial and non-aerial CM differ largely in their absolute barrier properties. This difference is related to the absence of embedded cuticular waxes in the non-aerial hypocotyl membrane, which make the CM physically dense and cause low solubility of hydrophilic solutes. The free volume for diffusion at the interface of the non-aerial hypocotyl cuticle to the environment is much larger resulting in higher penetration rates. It is suggested that diffusion through the non-aerial hypocotyl does not proceed in a real channel system with continuous aqueous phase but is more like transport through a filter with restricted diffusion in the pore openings. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry.

On parallel hybrid-electric propulsion system for unmanned aerial vehicles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hung, J. Y.; Gonzalez, L. F.

2012-05-01

This paper presents a review of existing and current developments and the analysis of Hybrid-Electric Propulsion Systems (HEPS) for small fixed-wing Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). Efficient energy utilisation on an UAV is essential to its functioning, often to achieve the operational goals of range, endurance and other specific mission requirements. Due to the limitations of the space available and the mass budget on the UAV, it is often a delicate balance between the onboard energy available (i.e. fuel) and achieving the operational goals. One technology with potential in this area is with the use of HEPS. In this paper, information on the state-of-art technology in this field of research is provided. A description and simulation of a parallel HEPS for a small fixed-wing UAV by incorporating an Ideal Operating Line (IOL) control strategy is described. Simulation models of the components in a HEPS were designed in the MATLAB Simulink environment. An IOL analysis of an UAV piston engine was used to determine the most efficient points of operation for this engine. The results show that an UAV equipped with this HEPS configuration is capable of achieving a fuel saving of 6.5%, compared to the engine-only configuration.

InkTag: Secure Applications on an Untrusted Operating System

PubMed Central

Hofmann, Owen S.; Kim, Sangman; Dunn, Alan M.; Lee, Michael Z.; Witchel, Emmett

2014-01-01

InkTag is a virtualization-based architecture that gives strong safety guarantees to high-assurance processes even in the presence of a malicious operating system. InkTag advances the state of the art in untrusted operating systems in both the design of its hypervisor and in the ability to run useful applications without trusting the operating system. We introduce paraverification, a technique that simplifies the InkTag hypervisor by forcing the untrusted operating system to participate in its own verification. Attribute-based access control allows trusted applications to create decentralized access control policies. InkTag is also the first system of its kind to ensure consistency between secure data and metadata, ensuring recoverability in the face of system crashes. PMID:24429939

Photocopy of recent aerial photograph (from U.S. Army Support Command ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

Photocopy of recent aerial photograph (from U.S. Army Support Command Hawaii, Wheeler Army Air Base, Hawaii) Photographer unknown, Circa 1990 OBLIQUE AERIAL VIEW SHOWING MAIN SECTION OF BASE WITH LAKE WILSON IN THE FOREGROUND AND WAIANAE MOUNTAINS IN THE BACKGROUND. - Schofield Barracks Military Reservation, Wilikina Drive & Kunia Road, Wahiawa, Honolulu County, HI

Distribution patterns of MCA-coated granules aerially applied to corn fields of Southern Hungary between 2000 and 2002.

PubMed

Wennemann, L; Hummel, H E

2003-01-01

Field studies in corn (Zea mays L.) were conducted to evaluate distribution patterns of 4-methoxy-cinnamaldehyde (MCA) coated corn grits after aerial application with a Dromader fixed wing aircraft. The kairomone mimic MCA is synthetically available and a quite specific and efficient adult attractant for the invasive alien maize pest western corn rootworm (WCR) Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte. Orientation disruptive properties of MCA for WCR when applied at unphysiologically high concentrations are currently under investigation. For successful implementation of the MCA disruption technique, the distribution patterns of MCA coated corn granules ('grits') in the field are important. Grits are degrained corn cobs, shredded to different sizes, coated with MCA and used as a carrier material to disseminate MCA vapors into corn fields. Granules of 10-12 mesh size were aerially applied eight times at rates ranging from 12.4 to 25.0 kg/ha. The goal is to evaluate distribution patterns of corn grits treated with MCA in three fields located at Csanadpalota, Kardoskút and Mezöhegyes in Southern Hungary between 2000 and 2002. Increasing rates reflect our attempts in finding and optimising the most even distribution of granules in the field. Field experiments were evaluated by collecting grits in 30-cm plastic saucers and by counting grits accumulated on corn plant parts. Variation in grit number per unit area and frequency of corn granule number per plant showed some transient technical application problems. Analysis of grits collected in the saucers revealed some statistical difference between the different application dates as well as differences in rates applied. Altogether grits in saucers were more evenly distributed in comparison to the grits collected on plant parts. As the corn plants age, their leaves and whorls present a smaller and smaller surface area where granules can accumulate. Altogether, however, grit distribution patterns indicate that aerial

Interactive intelligent remote operations: application to space robotics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dupuis, Erick; Gillett, G. R.; Boulanger, Pierre; Edwards, Eric; Lipsett, Michael G.

1999-11-01

A set of tolls addressing the problems specific to the control and monitoring of remote robotic systems from extreme distances has been developed. The tools include the capability to model and visualize the remote environment, to generate and edit complex task scripts, to execute the scripts to supervisory control mode and to monitor and diagnostic equipment from multiple remote locations. Two prototype systems are implemented for demonstration. The first demonstration, using a prototype joint design called Dexter, shows the applicability of the approach to space robotic operation in low Earth orbit. The second demonstration uses a remotely controlled excavator in an operational open-pit tar sand mine. This demonstrates that the tools developed can also be used for planetary exploration operations as well as for terrestrial mining applications.

Low altitude aerial photogrammetry application to braided river systems. Example of the Buech River, Alps, France.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jules Fleury, Thomas; Pothin, Virginie; Vella, Claude; Dussouillez, Philippe; Izem, Abdelkoddouss

2015-04-01

Low-altitude aerial photogrammetry offers new opportunities for geomorphology and other fields requiring very high-resolution topographic data. It combines the advantages of the reproducibility of GPS topographic surveys with the high accuracy of LIDAR, but at relatively low-cost, easy-to-deploy and with the synaptic advantage of remote sensing. In order to evaluate the potential of photogrammetry on river systems and to assess river-bed changes and erosion-accretion processes, we conducted several surveys over the period of one year on the Buech river, a gravel-bed braided river located in the French Southern Alps. The study area is located directly upstream of a gravel pit and there is an interest in evaluating its effects on the riverbed. Our field protocol was comprised of vertical aerial photographs taken from a microlight aircraft flying approximately 300 ft above the ground. The equipment used was a full-frame DSLR with a wide angle lense, synchronised with a DGPS onboard. Fourty 40cm wide targets were placed on the ground and georeferenced by RTK DGPS with an accuracy of 2cm. In addition, close to one thousand Ground Control Points (GCPs) were measured within the different types of ground surfaces (vegetated, water, gravels) in order to assess the Digital Terrain Model (DTM) accuracy. We operated the production of the 3D model and its derived products: Digital Surface Model (DSM) and orthophotography, with user-friendly Agisoft (c) Photoscan Professional software. The processing of several hundred pictures with 2.5 cm ground resolution resulted in a DSM with a resolution of 10 cm and a vertical accuracy within 5 cm. As is expected, accuracy was best on bare bars and decreased with increasing vegetation density. To complement the DSM in the wetted channels, we used the orthophotos to establish a relationship between water color and flow depth using statistical multivariate regressions. Merging the bathymetric model and the DSM produced a DTM with a vertical

An Overview of Small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles for Air Quality Measurements: Present Applications and Future Prospectives

PubMed Central

Villa, Tommaso Francesco; Gonzalez, Felipe; Miljievic, Branka; Ristovski, Zoran D.; Morawska, Lidia

2016-01-01

Assessment of air quality has been traditionally conducted by ground based monitoring, and more recently by manned aircrafts and satellites. However, performing fast, comprehensive data collection near pollution sources is not always feasible due to the complexity of sites, moving sources or physical barriers. Small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) equipped with different sensors have been introduced for in-situ air quality monitoring, as they can offer new approaches and research opportunities in air pollution and emission monitoring, as well as for studying atmospheric trends, such as climate change, while ensuring urban and industrial air safety. The aims of this review were to: (1) compile information on the use of UAVs for air quality studies; and (2) assess their benefits and range of applications. An extensive literature review was conducted using three bibliographic databases (Scopus, Web of Knowledge, Google Scholar) and a total of 60 papers was found. This relatively small number of papers implies that the field is still in its early stages of development. We concluded that, while the potential of UAVs for air quality research has been established, several challenges still need to be addressed, including: the flight endurance, payload capacity, sensor dimensions/accuracy, and sensitivity. However, the challenges are not simply technological, in fact, policy and regulations, which differ between countries, represent the greatest challenge to facilitating the wider use of UAVs in atmospheric research. PMID:27420065

Extracting Objects for Aerial Manipulation on UAVs Using Low Cost Stereo Sensors.

PubMed

Ramon Soria, Pablo; Bevec, Robert; Arrue, Begoña C; Ude, Aleš; Ollero, Aníbal

2016-05-14

Giving unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) the possibility to manipulate objects vastly extends the range of possible applications. This applies to rotary wing UAVs in particular, where their capability of hovering enables a suitable position for in-flight manipulation. Their manipulation skills must be suitable for primarily natural, partially known environments, where UAVs mostly operate. We have developed an on-board object extraction method that calculates information necessary for autonomous grasping of objects, without the need to provide the model of the object's shape. A local map of the work-zone is generated using depth information, where object candidates are extracted by detecting areas different to our floor model. Their image projections are then evaluated using support vector machine (SVM) classification to recognize specific objects or reject bad candidates. Our method builds a sparse cloud representation of each object and calculates the object's centroid and the dominant axis. This information is then passed to a grasping module. Our method works under the assumption that objects are static and not clustered, have visual features and the floor shape of the work-zone area is known. We used low cost cameras for creating depth information that cause noisy point clouds, but our method has proved robust enough to process this data and return accurate results.

49 CFR 234.243 - Wire on pole line and aerial cable.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 49 Transportation 4 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Wire on pole line and aerial cable. 234.243... Maintenance, Inspection, and Testing Maintenance Standards § 234.243 Wire on pole line and aerial cable. Wire... bracket supported by a pole or other support. Wire shall not interfere with, or be interfered with by...

49 CFR 234.243 - Wire on pole line and aerial cable.