Students get a bird’s-eye view of the environment
Environment and geography students from Southampton Solent University will be honing their piloting skills and taking to the skies with unmanned aerial vehicle technology, popularly known as drones, this autumn.
Having moved beyond the realms of military stealth, unmanned aircraft have become hugely popular in commercial industries – from crop dusting to cinematic filming - and their use can open up a whole new range of possibilities in environmental surveying.
Realising their potential, the environment and geography team at the University’s Technology School has invested in four lightweight (380g) Parrot AR drones, equipped with GPS units.
“Environmental and geography scientists are currently using aerial images taken using expensive flyovers with light aircraft, or even satellites. However, monitoring rapid environmental change requires a more responsive, flexible and cheap technology,” says Laurie Wright, lecturer in environmental science.
“Parrot drones are especially useful in difficult to access environments, and can be used to gather essential information and data in a variety of situations such as the monitoring of landslips; mudflats erosion; occupancy of nest boxes; monitoring pollution incidents; and archaeological assessments,” he continues.
Students will be able to make highly accurate and detailed maps of rapidly changing environments cheaply and quickly. With a heavier payload, they will also be able to map vegetation types and create highly accurate digital terrain maps - a significant part of assessing environmental impact, and an area of the sector many graduates go on to work in.
“This is part of a wider push to introduce our environmental students to the cutting edge technology that is becoming commonplace in the environment sector.” says Laurie. “We are equipping them with the skills they need to succeed in the industry.”
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT THE MEDIA OFFICE ON 023 8031 9040 or press.office@solent.ac.uk
Southampton Solent University offers more than 23,000 students over 200 qualifications ranging from HND to PhD, in subjects such as maritime education and training, fashion and design, media and television, music, health, sport and leisure, business, IT and technology. The University was awarded the 2013 Quality Assurance kitemark for quality and standards of teaching and learning. Solent was voted one of the most creative universities in the UK in a Which? University 2013 poll of students. Solent Business School has been awarded ‘Gold approval’ by the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) and the Small Business Charter Award, which is supported by the Association of Business Schools and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
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