Equipment
UAS Platforms
Our primary UAS platform is the Trinity F90 Pro made by Quantum Systems. Using VTOL (Vertical Take Off and Landing) technology, the Trinity F90+ allows DII to acquire data using photogrammetry and LiDAR payloads. With 90 minutes of flight time, the F90 Pro is a fantastic system for mapping over large areas.
With a mighty 1-inch 20 megapixel RGB sensor, the Autel Evo II Pro V3 is ideal for recording high-resolution videos and photo data. Easy to set up and launch, the Evo II Pro V3 is an excellent choice for fast-response missions that require videos or mapping smaller areas.
For damage assessments, the Autel Evo II Pro V3 is a great platform for scouting damage, identifying the damage path especially in remote locations, and mapping confined areas or where rapid clean-up is occurring.
Cameras
DII uses the Micasense Altum-PT, from Ag Eagle Aerial Systems Inc., to assess vegetation stress and damage to vegetation. This multispectral camera collects information in the visible bands (blue, green, red), RedEdge, near-Infrared and thermal bands.
Why use multispectral?
This payload is commonly used in agriculture to monitor vegetation health and research because of the sensitivity and spectral response in the red, RedEdge, and near-Infrared (NIR) bands. Vegetation is highly responsive in the near-Infrared band followed by the red band. The red-Edge band is particularly useful to distinguish between types of vegetation and in their lifecycle because of chlorophyll absorption in these wavelengths.
Damage to cornfields in Iowa in the August 10, 2020 Midwest Derecho. Wagner, M.A., 2020. Collaborative Research: RAPID-Multi-Scale Investigation into the Storm Processes of the 10 August 2020 Midwest Derecho. NSF Award Number 2054677. Directorate for Geosciences, 20(2054677), p.54677.