Unmanned Aerial Solution for Ecological Mapping Surveillance

The proposed UAV can be used to triangulate the areas of unnatural deforestation, by processing the areas undergoing land cover transition. Thus, restraining illegal logging and deforestation and, ultimately, facilitating the ecological succession cycle. It identifies the green cover which helps in predicting the population of the feeding animal species and the biodiversity. The system will be influential for curbing the exploitation of landscapes with heterogeneous habitats and diverse topographical features. The model employs onboard automated controller - ARDUPILOT MissionPlanner, a flight controller, GPS and telemetry module. The setup collects data from the controller such as Altitude, GPS location, Pitch, Roll, etc. and transmits it to the Ground Control Station (GCS) during cruise. The mission planner is programmed by selecting the target survey area which is divided into a grid, Home which is the launch point and Waypoints which will be crossed autonomously. Through the cruise, the camera is programmed to be triggered autonomously. At the end of the flight, various additional protocols are undertaken that use specialized hardware. These protocols are employed to map the ecology and forestry accurately and plan the necessary steps to preserve the ever depleting flora and fauna. This autonomous mapping solution is destined to be a revolutionized step towards a collective goal of sustainability and preservation.