Learning to Fly for Science, Earth Science

Readying the quadcopter

In support of the Geology field camp efforts of Drs. Valerie Sahakian and Ray Weldon of the University of Oregon’s Earth Sciences Department, I was asked to help them teach students how to fly a DJI Phantom IV UAV/Quadcopter to collect image data.  Once the image data were collected, we worked to help the students 3D model the captured imagery using Agisoft’s Metashape software.  In this case, Dr. Sahakian wanted students to 3D model and calculate the volume of the big obsidian flow at the Newberry Crater in Central Oregon. The weather was great, but the terrain was challenging.

The Price Science Commons, part of the UO Library System, supports the Department of Earth Sciences as well as many other departments at the University of Oregon by providing a suite of tools including the DJI Phantom quadcopter available for use by researchers and other members of the University of Oregon community.

Here are a few images of the project:

Up, up, and away

Taking in the view after a morning of flying

Launching the quadcopter

Returning to the base camp

The obsidian flow in the foreground with Paulina Peak in the background