Remote-Controlled Planes Used For Wildlife Conservation

Damien1972 writes "Conservationists have converted a remote-controlled plane into a potent tool for conservation. The drone — an HK Bixler equipped with cameras, sensors and GPS — has been used to map deforestation, count orangutans and elephants, and get a bird's eye view of hard-to-access forest areas. During their 4 days of testing in Sumatra, the drone flew 30 missions without a single crash. A mission, which typically lasts about 25 minutes, can cover 50 hectares. The drone, full equipped, costs less than $2,000."

Comments

ArduPilot

[Change]

They're using the DIYDrones ArduPilot, the image in the article shows the ArduPilot Mission Planner software. For a few hundred dollars you can turn an RC aircraft into an autonomous craft, it's a very nifty project.

Re:Fukushima needs this too

[Samantha Wright]

As it so happens, the radiation was ridiculously problematic for electronics. The insertion of the first robots into the facility was delayed by months because they required special shielding. It was so bad that cables had to be used for communication, not the robots' native wireless transceivers. A flying drone would be totally useless, especially in the tight corridors of the plant and because it'd be too heavy to fly with the shielding. Sorry.