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UNOSAT is using the microdrones UAV platform in areas such as disaster risk reduction, disaster preparedness, emergency response, environmental assessments, digital elevation model baseline data creation and more. This capacity will also benefit UN agencies in the field and other partners. UNOSAT can deploy its UAVs with trained personnel to fly them and, more importantly, to carry out aerial photo processing directly in the field for detailed mosaic datasets down to 5 cm resolution, with an average coverage for a 30 minutes flight of about 1 km square.

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microdrones presents its first Icon Collection for free. In particular, universities as well as industrial and government users will now find substantial support in the visualization of their elaborations: Whether in the conceptual design of a project or in the planning of specific GIS or inspection tasks through the easy integration of microdrones’s Icon Collection users will experience a significant additional benefit by meaningful icons in different positions and perspectives. Of course, the icons of the microdrones’s Icon Collection are transparent to the background and scalable according to requirement of the users.

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Archaeologists using technology to expand exploration of remote, rugged areas

A miniature airborne drone has helped archaeologists capture images for creating a 3-D model of an ancient burial mound in Russia, scientists say.

Archaeological sites are often in remote and rugged areas. As such, it can be hard to reach and map them with the limited budgets archaeologists typically have. Scientists are now using drones to extend their view into these hard-to-reach spots.

"There are a lot possibilities with this method," said researcher Marijn Hendrickx, a geographer at the University of Ghent in Belgium.

The machine tested in a remote area in Russia called Tuekta was a four-propeller "quadrocopter": the battery-powered Microdrone md4-200. The fact it is small - the axis of its rotors is about 27 inches (70 cm) - and weighs about 35 ounces (1,000 grams) made it easy to transport, and researchers said it was very easy to fly, stabilizing itself constantly and keeping at a given height and position unless ordered to do otherwise. The engine also generated almost no vibrations, they added, so that photographs taken from the camera mounted under it were relatively sharp. Depending on the wind, temperature and its payload, the drone's maximum flight time is approximately 20 minutes.

Tuekta is in the Altai Mountains where Russia, China, Kazakhstan and Mongolia come together. Researchers there have discovered burial mounds 2,300 to 2,800 years old and up to 250 feet (76 meters) wide.

These burial mounds, called "kurgans," probably belonged to chiefs or princes among the Scythians, a nomadic people known for their horsemanship, who once had a rich, powerful empire. Excavations of some of these have revealed extraordinary treasures of gold and other artifacts well-preserved by permafrost.

Nearly 200 burial mounds were discovered in Tuekta, situated along the River Ursul. The site's heart appears to once have been a row of five monumental Scythian burial mounds with diameters between 140 and 250 feet (42 and 76 m). Regretfully, "in this study area, most of the burial mounds are destroyed," Hendrickx said.

The test area the researchers chose measured approximately 1,000 feet by 330 feet (300 by 100 m), including the five giant mounds and dozens of smaller structures. They flew the drone at a height of 130 feet (40 m) to study one mound in greater detail.

The lightweight nature of the microdrone was a problem at times. "In the field we had to deal with rising wind," Hendrickx recalled. "At some point we even lost the radio connection with the drone — this led to a sprint between the kurgans.

Nevertheless, the researchers gathered enough data with the drone to create a digital elevation map of the site and a 3-D model of the mound.

"The 3-D model we created gives us the possibility to calculate the volume of the kurgan," Hendrickx told LiveScience. "With this volume and its precise dimensions, the original shape of the kurgan can be reconstructed."

Archaeologists have begun to use airborne drones more often in the past decade or so, including in Peru, Austria, Spain, Turkey and Mongolia. The resulting maps can help archaeologists see the big picture of a site where up-to-date aerial or satellite images are hard to get, Hendrickx said. 

The researchers are now experimenting with a larger microdrone that can carry more weight.

"This will make it possible to use, for instance, infrared cameras or even a radar system," Hendrickx said. "This can make it possible to see things we can't see with our eyes."

The scientists detailed their findings in the November issue of the Journal of Archaeological Science.

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THE D3100 SCALES NEW HEIGHTS

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The winner of our photo competition is: Sascha Erdmann of the company AEON. Thank you for this wonderful picture idea!

The art of microdrones

microdrones opens an entirely new door to the fascinating world of art. Using the microdrone creatively, creating something unique…

Making of… From the idea to the final picture!

The Vision

Using the microdrone in a new fascinating way.

Understanding its technical possibilities in a new way, giving creative ideas a new dimension.

The idea

Dusk… a coniferous forest seen out of a bird's eye view. 

Schematically light and darkness come together to a new composition.

Planning

Not only does communication between the pilot of the md4-1000 and the ground team require reliability. A stable means of communication between the camera underneath the microdrone and the wireless transmitter for the flash is also required to achieve a synchronous triggering in real time. And all of this whilst maintain a cruising height of an average of 100 meters and numerous square meters of forest between the objects. In order to be able to be recognized at a set position the ground crew needs to be equipped with flashlights and a wireless monitor which, after each new shot has been set off, shows the latest picture and thus the latest position.

The execution

Equipped with LEDs, a wireless video receiver with monitor, walkie talkies and flash with colored foil + wireless trigger, it's time to wait for dusk to set in. The pilot of the md4-1000 has already executed test flights above the chosen section of forest collecting some position via GPS. Finally the sun goes down, while the team remains in position. The pilot keeps the drone steady in the chosen flight corridor the teams pave their way through the darkness into the forest. Via walk-talkie the pilot receives the first signal and triggers the camera underneath the microdrone. The screens of both teams reveal the first shot. It's working!

The picture is taken

Out of more than 50 pictures during this night the final picture was put together. With each and every picture the forest gets its texture back and reveals itself in a way never before to have been seen. Without microdrones none of this would have been possible.

We are very happy to support the 24. Triathlon Siegerland Cup on the 9th of May 2010 in Buschhuetten with live-footage and pictures from the sky. On this event the top athletes from all over the world will meet with High-Tech made in Germany. As far as we know this is the first top-class sports event which will be supported by drone-technology. Who else, other than microdrones, could be able to provide these technology? …your eye in the sky.

www.tvg-buschhuetten.de

The first ever UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) in Germany, our md4-200 system has been granted general commercial operational approval in the Federal Land of Saxony.

This approval is based on the recommendation issued by "German Air Navigation Services”.

Our systems are unique thanks to their outstanding security (ensured by the Black Box).