651-4280-00L  Application of Small Drones for Geological Data Acquisition

SemesterSpring Semester 2021
LecturersM. Ziegler
Periodicityyearly recurring course
Language of instructionEnglish
CommentNumber of participants limited to 10.


AbstractRemote sensing data from unmanned airborne platforms are increasingly used in industry, public sector, and science. Geological applications include but are not limited to high-resolution photographic images, photogrammetric 2.5D modelling, spectral imaging, or laserscanning. The course will teach the necessary skills to plan, setup, and carry out drone flights for photogrammetric data acquisition.
ObjectiveThe major goal of this workshop is to teach the student the necessary details to plan and carry out a safe and successful UAV flight in typcial geological outdoor environments. At the end of the course the student should be familiar with the important aspects of flight planning and UAV (copter system) operation. Successful course participation, including practical training and a case study report, will allow the student to use the Earth Science Department's drone system for her or his MSc project.
ContentThe course contains a theoretical and a practical part.

The theory part includes:
- Regulations on operating Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) in Switzerland and abroad
- Drone systems and capabilities
- Introduction in photogrammetric data processing
- UAV flight planning for copter systems
- Procedure to deploy the drone in your project

The practical part includes:
- UAV flight planning (for flights at a test location, for the student's field area / case study)
- Manual and (semi)automated UAV flights