We're not spying on you; it's more interesting watching grass grow-

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1 We're not spying on you; it's more interesting watching grass grow- Using Unmanned Aircraft Systems in Rangeland Monitoring Connie Maxwell USDA Agricultural Research Service Jornada Experimental Range 6/24/10 CWS

2 On this journey we will see. The Jornada Unmanned aircraft FAA UAS flight requirements Flights on the Jornada how we do what we do Data applications Possibilities 10/17/2006 Ace Tank Dikes

3 USDA Agricultural Research Service Jornada Experimental Range Las Cruces, NM Established /20/10 SCAN

4 The Jornada Experimental Range is located in southern New Mexico 780 km 2 Jornada Experimental Range 10/16/2006 JORNEX Grassland

ARS Project Plan 2013-2017 Management Technologies for Conservation of Western

systems and technologies for management, conservation, monitoring, and assessment

5 ARS Project Plan Management Technologies for Conservation of Western Rangelands The goal of the Jornada is to develop ecologically based knowledge systems and technologies for management, conservation, monitoring, and assessment of western rangelands. 10/7/2010 SCAN

6 How does the UAS program fit into this? Developing both knowledge systems and technologies. Using the MLB Co. Bat 3 and Bat 4 UAS to acquire high resolution aerial imagery for analyses and interpretation. 8/12/10 SCAN

What is a UAS? UAS Unmanned Aircraft System Components: Aircraft Ground station Computer PGS RC transmitter(s) Antennas Communication GPS Video Video recorder R/C SCM 2.

7 What is a UAS? UAS Unmanned Aircraft System Components: Aircraft Ground station Computer PGS RC transmitter(s) Antennas Communication GPS Video Video recorder R/C SCM 2.4 GHz Flight Planning Real-time Data Wired PCM 2.4 GHz Patch Antenna 900 MHz MLB Ground Station Computer With PCC flight software GPS Real-time Video Omni Antenna 900 MHz Piccolo Ground Station Satellite Tracking Video Antenna 2.4 GHz 6/24/10 CWS

8 What is a UAV or UA? UAV Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Unmanned Aircraft A component of the Unmanned Aircraft System 10/16/06 JORNEX Playa

9 What is an RPA or ROA? RPA Remotely Piloted Aircraft ROA Remotely Operated Aircraft Military terminology for UAV 10/17/06 Bajada

10 What is a Drone? Common designation for UAS, UAV, UA, RPA, ROA; originally an unpiloted aerial target. 10/16/06 JORNEX Tarbush

FAA Requirements for UAS Flights in the National Airspace System (NAS): Crew Flights under 400 Above Ground Level FAA Private Pilot Knowledge test 2 year FAA

11 FAA Requirements for UAS Flights in the National Airspace System (NAS): Crew Flights under 400 Above Ground Level FAA Private Pilot Knowledge test 2 year FAA Class 2 medical commercial, 1 year Flights above 400 AGL FAA Private Pilot Knowledge test FAA Class 2 medical FAA Private Pilot certification - current 6/24/10 CWS

FAA Requirements for UAS Flights in the National Airspace System (NAS), continued: Certificate of Authorization Only public agencies may receive a COA.

12 FAA Requirements for UAS Flights in the National Airspace System (NAS), continued: Certificate of Authorization Only public agencies may receive a COA. A COA is for a specific location, aircraft, and time. Public agencies are government agencies, or academic institutions that receive government funding. Three to six months for approval. Recipient is responsible for all FAA notifications and reports. 8/20/10 SCAN

13 8/20/10 TFT Another FAA Requirement for UAS flights in the NAS: UAS Registration A new requirement for unmanned aircraft flown under a COA. Submit documentation to the FAA to receive an aircraft N-number (tail number).

Requirements for UAS Flights on the Jornada: National Airspace System A Certificate of Authorization (COA) The COA covering the Jornada belongs to NMSU Physical Science Laboratory UAS Flight Test

14 Requirements for UAS Flights on the Jornada: National Airspace System A Certificate of Authorization (COA) The COA covering the Jornada belongs to NMSU Physical Science Laboratory UAS Flight Test Center and covers all of southern NM. PSL FTC participation is required for all Jornada flights. They are responsible for all FAA interactions. They supply a Mission Commander, data collector, and observers, if necessary. 8/28/13 JAS

15 More requirements for UAS Flights on the Jornada: National Airspace System Qualified Jornada crew: Pilot in Command (licensed pilot) External Pilot radio control of aircraft Internal Pilot computer flight control Visual Observer incoming aircraft alert Additional crew: Ground support aircraft setup and checks Payload specialist ground station setup, preflight and post-flight checks EP comms communication between EP and IP 9/10/10 TW

Requirements for UAS Flights on the Jornada, continued: White Sands Missile Range Restricted Airspace Memorandum of Understanding no $$$$ Data Request Letter detailed information about UAS Frequency

16 Requirements for UAS Flights on the Jornada, continued: White Sands Missile Range Restricted Airspace Memorandum of Understanding no $$$$ Data Request Letter detailed information about UAS Frequency Request Authorization unlicensed communication frequencies, 900 MHz and 2.4 GHz Clearance two weeks before flight request airspace scheduling. Receive clearance code prior to flight. Day of flight at scheduled time call for green range. 10/17/06 Yarbrough Dam

17 Restricted Airspace White Sands Missile Range JER / WSMR buffer Jornada Experimental Range Restricted Airspace National Airspace System White Sands Missile Range Restricted Airspace Las Cruces

18 More Jornada flight requirements: Good Weather clear sky, light breeze within two hours of solar noon Crew qualified pilots and observers Clearance NAS or WSMR Restricted Airspace 8/12/10 SCAN

19 What do we fly? MLB Bat m wingspan 10 kg with payload 5 hr flight time $50,000 in 2006 MLB Bat 4 4 m wingspan 38 kg with payload 5 hr flight time $170,000 in 2013 Flights 200+ Hours just under 200 Images 130,000+ Mosaics from images 200+

20 MLB Bat 3 catapult launched 6-band multispectral camera mounted in nose Canon SD900 mounted in wing 6/3/10

21 MLB Bat 4 manual rolling take off, runway required 6-band multispectral camera mounted in payload bay Canon EOS 5D Mark II mounted in payload bay

22 Sensors Tetracam mini-mca 6-band multi-spectral Bat 3, Bat 4 Canon EOS 5D Mark II 21 mp Bat 4 Video Bat 3, Bat 4 Canon SD mp Bat 3 10/16/2006 JORNEX Tarbush

23 Potential Sensors Thermal infrared Color Infrared converting SLR with internal filter change LIDAR - Light Detection and Ranging Stereo camera 5/26/10 SCAN

24 Mobile ground control unit.

25 Mobile ground control unit - ground station.

26 FAA approved transport flightplan Sense and avoid requirement

27 What do we do? 40% side lap Acquire imagery for mosaics. 75% forward lap 8/12/10 SCAN

28 Outlined area covered by previous slide. Mosaic finished product from previous imagery.

erosion Extraction of fine-detail digital surface models

29 Data Applications Watching grass grow Invasive species detection and monitoring Monitoring soil disturbance and erosion Extraction of fine-detail digital surface models Phenology Comparing data collection techniques 9/10/10 TW

30 August 2011 Late-monsoon May 2011 Pre-monsoon Red Green Blue Watching grass grow. Color Infrared Normalized Difference Vegetation Index Aerial imagery collected by the Jornada Experimental Range UAS team and prepared by Craig Winters and Amy Slaughter.

31 JER Vegetation and Soil Classification Map Invasive Species Detection and Monitoring Object Based Image Analysis 11/3/11 P9E Aerial imagery collected by the Jornada Experimental Range UAS team and prepared by Amy Slaughter.

32 11/3/11 P9E Zoomed-in View

33 10/19/11 WGEW WGEW Classification Map

34 10/19/11 WGEW Zoomed-in View

x 160 m Imagery acquired 4/7/2009 MLB Bat 3 Pre-disturbance

35 Monitoring soil disturbance and erosion Study area: 800 ha (three sections) Up to 2605 images/flight SD900 image size at 213 AGL 213 x 160 m Imagery acquired 4/7/2009 MLB Bat 3 Pre-disturbance imagery Canon SD mp camera 213 m AGL 7 9 cm resolution 4/7/09 TRAC

10 meters Imaged six 50m x 50m test plots 152.4 m flying height (500 ft) 2.

36 10 meters Imaged six 50m x 50m test plots m flying height (500 ft) 2.7 cm resolution ~20 images used to reconstruct Digital Elevation Models for each plot Images acquisition was very haphazard due to wind Aerial imagery collected by the Jornada Experimental Range UAS team and prepared by Jeff Gillan.

37 Surface Point Cloud using Agisoft PhotoScan 1 meter

1 0 2 4 6 8 TRANSECT DISTANCE (M) Erosion Bridge Aerial DEM Erosion Bridge Aerial DEM Plot 216-Erosion Bridge 3 Plot 216-Erosion Bridge 4 Plot 216-Erosion Bridge

38 RELATIVE ELEVATION (M) RELATIVE ELEVATION (M) RELATIVE ELEVATION (M) RELATIVE ELEVATION (M) RELATIVE ELEVATION (M) 1 2 v. 3 Erosion Bridge 5 4 Plot 216-Erosion Bridge 1 Plot 216-Erosion Bridge TRANSECT DISTANCE (M) TRANSECT DISTANCE (M) Erosion Bridge Aerial DEM Erosion Bridge Aerial DEM Plot 216-Erosion Bridge 3 Plot 216-Erosion Bridge 4 Plot 216-Erosion Bridge TRANSECT DISTANCE (M) TRANSECT DISTANCE (M) TRANSECT DISTANCE (M) Erosion Bridge Aerial DEM Erosion Bridge Aerial DEM Erosion Bridge Aerial DEM

39 9/11/14 PAS9 Remote Sensing and Phenology

40 Reynolds Creek Experimental Watershed, Idaho National Airspace System COA required Runway built for UAS flight Bat 3 with Canon SD900 camera at 213 m AGL When there are more than eight plots imagery analysis is more cost effective. Data collection technique comparison UAS imagery and ground data Correlation values for bare ground, total veg, grass and forb, and shrubs were.9827, , and (pretty good!) September 2008

and Canon SD900 at 213 m AGL 6-band multispectral Multispectral RGB Methods for

41 Walnut Gulch Experimental Watershed, AZ National Airspace System COA required Used local road as runway Bat 3 with Tetracam 6-band MCA (Multi-Camera Array) and Canon SD900 at 213 m AGL 6-band multispectral Multispectral RGB Methods for identifying and monitoring invasive species UAS imagery and ground data October 2011

Oliktok Point, Alaska Sandia National Labs, Atmospheric Radiation Monitoring (ARM) Climate Research Facility North Slope of Alaska on Arctic Ocean Established

42 Oliktok Point, Alaska Sandia National Labs, Atmospheric Radiation Monitoring (ARM) Climate Research Facility North Slope of Alaska on Arctic Ocean Established runway Restricted airspace no COA required Bat 3 with Canon SD900 camera at 213m AGL Testing small UAS under Arctic conditions for atmospheric monitoring October 2012

43 Central Plains Experimental Range, CO National Airspace System COA required Runway to be built for UAS flight Bat 3 with Canon SD900 and Tetracam 6-band MCA (Multi-Camera Array) at 213 m AGL Compare ground measures of plant biomass to estimates derived from imagery. Slated for August 2015

44 What do you do if you re not a public agency? Commercial Exemptions issued by FAA Fourteen issued within the last few months for: Film and video production Aerial surveying Construction-site monitoring Oil-rig inspections Real estate photography Precision agriculture Much easier to obtain for remote, unpopulated areas. 9/14/06 JAS

45 Myths Myth #1: The FAA doesn't control airspace below 400 feet Fact The FAA is responsible for the safety of U.S. airspace from the ground up. Myth #2: Commercial UAS flights are OK if I'm over private property and stay below 400 feet. Fact Commercial operations are only authorized on a case-by-case basis. Requires - a certified aircraft a licensed pilot operating approval You may not fly a UAS for commercial purposes by claiming that you re operating according to the Model Aircraft guidelines (below 400 feet, 3 miles from an airport, away from populated areas). 2/28/14 TRAC

More Myths Myth #3: Commercial UAS operations are a gray area in FAA regulations. Fact There are no shades of gray in FAA regulations. Anyone who wants to fly an aircraft manned or unmanned in U.S. airspace needs some level of FAA approval.

46 More Myths Myth #3: Commercial UAS operations are a gray area in FAA regulations. Fact There are no shades of gray in FAA regulations. Anyone who wants to fly an aircraft manned or unmanned in U.S. airspace needs some level of FAA approval. Private sector (civil) users can obtain an experimental airworthiness certificate to conduct research and development, training and flight demonstrations. Flying model aircraft solely for hobby or recreational reasons does not require FAA approval. Hobbyists are advised to operate according to the Model Aircraft guidelines. Read more myths at: 6/3/10 GRN

47 So, you really want to fly some sort of UA sensefly ebee $12,000 DJI Phantom $759 - $1359 Wish List: Inexpensive Simple to operate Reliable Durable Portable Long-lasting battery Payload Zephyr 2 UAV $17,995 10/16/06 JORNEX TRAN

48 What we ve seen. The beautiful Jornada Unmanned aircraft FAA requirements How we conduct flights on the Jornada How the imagery is used in data applications Possibilities 7/31/12 TRAC

49 Acknowledgements: Jornada Bat Flight Crew NMSU PSL UAS FTC Craig Winters Amy Slaughter Dawn Browning Jeff Gillan Andrea Laliberte Thank You!! 8/26/10 GIBPE

Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) at the Jornada Experimental Range

Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) at the Jornada Experimental Range Al Rango and the Jornada UAS Flight Team: Connie Maxwell, Amy Slaughter, Andrea Laliberte, Chris Pierce, Dave Thatcher, Jim Lenz, and Craig