UAV Services

UAV Environmental Services

In 2017, Verterra introduced in-house UAV capability for delivery of environmental services.

We hold a Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) Remote Operator's Licence (ReOC) Licence 6202 and have trained licenced Remote Pilot operators (RePL). As required by CASA regulators, we implement routine job hazard assessment procedures, pre-flight planning and flight operating procedures in connecton with all flight operations.

Verterra's UAV equipment includes:

• Matrice M600 equipped with high resolution colour camera; and multi-spectral camera.
• DII Phantom 4.0 equipped with multi-spectral camera and video capability.

 

 This equipment supports our capability for the following key services:

Normalised Difference Vegetation Index Mapping (NDVI)

Revegetation Success Analysis: A number of indexes can be calculated including NDVI. Rehabilitation areas can be comprehensively surveyed safely, and revegetation success quantified via cover pecentage, health and structure. 

Drone-Based Landform Digital Terrain Mapping

Photogrammetric Landform Surface Mapping: Verterra has the capacity for photogrammetric landform surface mapping to quantify changes in landform over time due to erosion. Targeted photogrammetric mapping provides:

• Capability for 100% enumeration of soil movement;
• Quantitative assessment of erosion;
• High-level confidence in rehabilitation success; and
• Identification of target areas for remedial works.

Digital photogrammetric mapping can also be used to measure tree height in combination with NDVI and provides a powerful basis for digital landform assessment.

Applications for these services include:

• Bio-condition monitoring;
• Mine site rehabiltiation;
• Revegetation monitoring;
• Erosion assessment.

Advantages

The use of UAV's for imagery, surveying and material applications presents a number of key advantages:

• Reduced Costs: relative to full scale aerial tasks and many land-based tasks/
• Ease of mobilisation: capacity to mobilise and complete tasks efficiently.
• Reduced safety risks: enables unmanned operations, particularly in difficult to access areas or steep terrain;
• Data of High Quality: less affected by cloud, fog and other environmental conditions; and
• Lower altitude flying: can increase accuracy and quality of data acquired; reduce delays due to cloud, fog and other environmental conditions and minimise interaction with other operational activities.

For more information about these services, please contact Ben Silverwood at (07) 3221 1102.