Surface flow measurements from drones
Author(s)
Date Issued
2016
Type
article
Volume
540
Start Page
240
End Page
245
Journal
Abstract
Drones are transforming the way we sense and interact with the environment. However, despite their increased capabilities, the use of drones in geophysical sciences usually focuses on image acquisition for generating high-resolution maps. Motivated by the increasing demand for innovative and high performance geophysical observational methodologies, we posit the integration of drone technology and optical sensing toward a quantitative characterization of surface flow phenomena. We demonstrate that a recreational drone can be used to yield accurate surface flow maps of sub-meter water bodies. Specifically, drone's vibrations do not hinder surface flow observations, and velocity measurements are in agreement with traditional techniques. This first instance of quantitative water flow sensing from a flying drone paves the way to novel observations of the environment.
File(s)![Thumbnail Image]()
Name
1-s2.0-S0022169416303638-main (1).pdf
Description
Accepted Manuscript
Size
916.75 KB
Format
Adobe PDF
Checksum (MD5)
83f4e8c6afd2f8a005528addc9e70bfe