Small-Scale Unmanned Aerial Vehicles in Environmental Remote Sensing: Challenges and Opportunities

Although potential applications abound, small-scale unmanned aerial vehicles have not yet been widely used for environmental remote sensing. Several challenges remain to be overcome until widespread adoption is possible. One problem is the challenge inherent in flying fragile small-scale aircraft with low weight limits and narrow center of gravity tolerances. Other challenges include: (1) the hostile natural environment in which the aircraft fly; (2) the limits of on-board power; (3) the paucity of commercially available sensors; (4) the difficulties involved in managing and analyzing the large imagery volume generated during a sortie; and (5) the federal regulations in the United States designed to ensure the safety of commercial and private air travel. Each of these challenges is formidable, and overcoming them will require the use of technologies that are currently experimental. However, within each challenge are opportunities for researchers willing to act as innovative pioneers in the remote sensing community.