Application of UAV Data in Temperate and Arctic Environmental Research
Provider: Faculty of Science

Activity no.: 5389-17-05-31 
Enrollment deadline: 08/03/2017
PlaceDepartment of Geoscience and Natural Resource Management
Date and time03.04.2017, at: 09:00 - 07.04.2017, at: 16:00
Regular seats28
ECTS credits3.00
Contact personAndreas Westergaard-Nielsen    E-mail address: awn@ign.ku.dk
Enrolment Handling/Course OrganiserAndreas Westergaard-Nielsen    E-mail address: awn@ign.ku.dk
Written languageEnglish
Teaching languageEnglish
Semester/BlockSpring
Block noteDuration: 5 days, 3 - 7 April 2017
Exam formCompleted/not completed
Course workload
Course workload categoryHours
Preparation / Self-Study55.00
Course hours40.00
Evaluation / reporting30.00
Sum125.00
Content
The use of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) in ecosystem research is becoming increasingly feasible, due to decreasing costs and improved technologies. Insight in the possibilities and limitations of using data from Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) is needed to improve associated field activities within biogeophysical research. UAVs offer methods for improving the spatial and temporal coverage of ecosystem monitoring, including possibility to monitor local scale dynamics which are difficult to depict using related technologies such as satellite data and DGPS. Local scale dynamics such as landslides, erosion, and deposits can have great influence on larger scale dynamics, such a carbon budgets and feedbacks between the terrestrial and marine environment.

This course will use UAV data to describe key environmental processes and dynamics. The main focus will be on Temperate and Arctic ecosystems and cover branches of physical geography and ecosystem analysis such as geomorphology, plant phenology and behavioral biology. The course will focus on post-processing of UAV data, including sensor calibration, development of digital surface models, greenness indices, and object identification/pattern recognition on images, classifications, and links to satellite data. The course will moreover include practical experience with multi-rotor and fixed wing UAVs, and an introduction to multispectral and thermal sensors, cameras, and light-weight data logging equipment for environmental variables.

Learning outcome
Participation in this course will enable the student to plan and evaluate field work with a UAV component, within the field of biogeophysical research, as well as analyze and apply UAV data in related research.

Teaching and learning methods
The course will consist of five full working days including; one day on computer-vision/image recognition, one technical day with evaluation of hardware, sensor calibration etc., one day in the field with survey planning and UAV demonstration, one day with phenology/surface classifications, and one day with applied use-cases from biogeo-research.

Remarks
To apply for this course, please:

1) Click on Apply to register your interest and

2) Send a brief profile of your professional career and areas of interest (a "mini-CV") to Andreas Westergaard-Nielsen, awn@ign.ku.dk, no later than the 20th of March 2017.

Teachers from UCPH-SCIENCE:
Assistant Professor, Andreas Westergaard-Nielsen, awn@ign.ku.dk
Associate professor, Thomas Friborg, tfj@ign.ku.dk

Guest lecturers:
Assistant Professor, Jan van Gemert, Delft University of Technology, Delft, Netherland
Computer Engineer, Alberto Hornero Luque, Remote Sensing and Geospatial Analysis Lab., Cordoba, Spain
PhD candidate, Stephen Klosterman, Harvard University, Boston, USA
Associate Professor, Signe Normand, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
Researcher, Urs Treier, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark