Principal Organizers: Toby Dogwiler, Missouri State University.
Description: Students or faculty interested in acquiring aerial imagery
with drones will learn how to easily and inexpensively integrate small unmanned aerial
systems (i.e., sUAS or drones) into their research and teaching. Topics covered will
include FAA certification, risk management and safety, selection of sUAS and related
equipment, field-based methodologies, and post-processing workflows. This short course
will introduce participants to the opportunities for using drones into their research or
teaching. No prior experience with drones is expected or necessary.
Drone-based remote sensing can be an asset to any type of fieldwork because it allows
on-demand acquisition of aerial imagery and three-dimensional elevation data at very
high resolutions. However, certification and licensure issues, the process of purchasing
a sUAS, risk management and safety, learning to acquire the imagery in the field, and
then figuring out how to process it afterward can be intimidating for the uninitiated.
Everything that one needs to know to get started with sUAS will be covered, including how
to obtain the necessary certifications, how to ensure safety and manage risks related to
operating sUAS, the appropriate field-based methodologies for acquiring the aerial
imagery and necessary ground control points for georeferencing, and the post-processing
workflow that transforms aerial images into orthophotos and digital surface models. Many
of these steps will include hands-on demonstrations, and participants will leave the
workshop with templates, written workflows, and safety checklists for both the field and
post-processing methodologies.