Using Drones to Explore Snow, Ice, and Education
Researchers from the University of Alaska Fairbanks are using drones to study tough environments.
Checking Snow and Ice with Drones
A team led by Achille Capelli is working on a project called LASSITOS. They want to find better ways to measure snow and ice thickness. This is important for things like navigating ships and building ice roads.
Capelli says, “Unmanned aerial vehicles can fly over ice inaccessible to surface travel, allow flexible deployment from land and marine platforms, and cause less disturbance than manned aircrafts.” This means they can gather data in tricky places without bothering the area too much.
Capelli will talk about this at a meeting on Monday, Dec. 9, from 1:40 to 5:30 p.m.
Check out more about polar research at UAF on their website.
Looking at the Sea Floor with Drones
Michael Roddewig is changing how we map coasts using drones equipped with lidar systems. Normally, this needs expensive manned flights, but now it’s done with a drone run by UAF.
- Drones are cheaper and can be used in bad weather.
- They help in mapping sea floors, counting fish, and studying tiny water creatures.
Roddewig mentions, “Alaska’s remoteness, inclement weather, and limited personnel capacity provide unique challenges to data gathering with traditional maritime lidar.”
He’ll share more about this on Tuesday, Dec. 10, from 1:40 to 5:30 p.m.
More details on UAF’s lidar tech can be found here.
Teaching Kids in Remote Areas with Drones
Helena Buurman is leading the “Drones on Ice!” program. It helps kids in faraway parts of Alaska learn about drones. NASA funds this program.
Buurman states, “Taught as a three-day workshop in Alaska’s remote villages, the program activities tie academic concepts into traditional and Indigenous knowledge and education systems to create a relevant and impactful learning experience for students.”
This program has reached places like Venetie, Shageluk, and Utqiaġvik, with plans to grow into new tech areas. She’ll discuss it on Tuesday, Dec. 10, from 1:40 to 5:30 p.m.
Read more about the program here.
We think learning with drones sounds like fun!
