Edáfica, a Chilean environmental management and consulting company specialised in detailed photogrammetric surveys with small Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (sUAV) equipment, has successfully captured aerial images at Rano Kau volcano, which is located in the southwest corner of Easter Island. The operation was completed by two flights (cruise altitude of 582 metres above the Ground Control Station) on 21 May 2013.
The environmental and logistics conditions during the flights required significant technical and human efforts as the team faced strong winds, rugged physiography dominated by the volcano and changing weather conditions. This was combined with permanent shading on the south cliff, dropping steeply to the sea as a 300 metres structure, which was the main objective of analysis required by the project.
The digital surface model (DSM) generated with 1,282 images was supported with a set of ground control points obtained by DGPS equipment. The information is valuable for conservation assessments purposes of the site and aims the precise determination of the structural geological condition of the Ngarahu Mata area, at the Orongo village, listed as one of the 100 sites at risk by the World Monuments Watch (WMW).
Edáfica operate sUAV Stardust provided by IDETEC Unmanned Systems, which has been used in a wide range of projects with proven capabilities to obtain high quality images with accurate GPS and IMU data.
Edáfica and IDETEC Unmanned Systems sincerely thanks the active role of the Chilean aviation authority (DGCA – Dirección General de Aeronáutica Civil) in granting the permission for carrying out the operation in the Air Traffic Zone of the Easter Island International Airport.
Source: GIM International
