Unmanned Aerial Vehicles in the Environmental Industry

Since 2017, Aspen has been using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), or drones, to support field data collection efforts, such as aerial imagery capture and raster data analysis. Recently, we have expanded our fleet of drones to include the Skydio 2+ UAVs. These drones are 100% made in the US and are more field capable than previous units. Utilizing the latest drone technology, we are able to field mobilize quicker, capture even higher resolution imagery and video of projects, and reduce post-processing time of data to deliverable client products. We have both Biological and Cultural crews flying drones in Southern and Northern California, expanding our knowledge of project issues every time we fly.

We are able to use imagery captured from drone flights to detect features on the ground such as Joshua Trees and increase our verification accuracy by comparing remote data analysis versus field observations.  By utilizing multiple sources of data capture, we increase the absolute accuracy of the data and our analysis.

Expanding on our experience with flying drones, we are embarking on a LiDAR data acquisition platform where we will provide additional data-rich feature analyses to our clients, such as change detection through project life cycle, vegetation encroachment in utility corridor rights-of-way, digital terrain modeling, and support for visual simulation and viewshed analysis modeling.  Leveraging various payload platforms to support LiDAR and aerial cameras, we can fly within a day’s notice to capture accurate data for our clients’ needs at a fraction of the cost of a fixed-wing or rotary-blade aircraft.

For more information about remote-sensed data capture with UAVs or how to efficiently implement a UAV for your project, please contact Aspen’s Geospatial Sciences Group at (818) 338-6715.