Drones have come to play a critical role in science. At times it seems that drones are ubiquitous, buzzing in the sky. Some tourist destinations are now adding “No Drones” signs. They are increasingly being used as machines of war.
However, much of the development of drone technology and use has been by hobbyists and scientists who immediately saw what a powerful tool for monitoring landscape change they could be. In the last decade, their prices have fallen and their advanced technologies have increased exponentially. New sensors and lighter drones are being launched every year. Drones have become an essential ‘bridging technology’ between satellite data (which can be spotty in the Arctic) and ground surveys (which are often very challenging in the Arctic).
A promised CHARTER project delivery was a ‘White Paper’ on the use of drones in the Arctic. White papers are research-based reports that offer a description of a topic and present a point of view of the author or body represented by the author. They are not peer reviewed and usually little read, except by specialists in the field. We thought that we would still write a ‘White Paper’, but to make it more accessible, and spread more widely the incredible images and science being created by drones, we would take a more visual approach.
Image: Jeff Kerby.
To this end, today a new StoryMap is being launched today. Authored by Philip Burgess, Jeff Kerby and Miguel Villoslada the StoryMap is titled Birds Eye View. Drones: A New Lens for Science, A New Tool for Herding and takes 6 case studies from around the Arctic where drones are playing a key role in scientific discovery and laying down important new baseline data for use in new and innovative ways. We also talk to reindeer herders, who have been incorporating drones into their daily herding toolbox using new technologies in unanticipated ways.