This week the Integrated Ocean Observing class learned how RUCOOL is utilizing unoccupied aerial systems (UAS) or commonly known as drones. The students heard a lecture from Rutgers researcher Dr. Hugh Roarty on how we use drones for the calibration of our HF radar network and in STEM education. The students got a chance to pilot a drone for a flight over Skelly field on the Cook Campus.
The class also welcomed Dr. Michael Stresser as a guest lecturer on the application of UAS for remote sensing. Dr. Streser is from the Institute of Coastal Ocean Dynamics which is part of the Helmholtz Association which is a union of 18 scientific-technical and biological-medical research centers in Germany. Dr. Stresser provided an introduction to his research group’s focus and how they are utilizing unoccupied aerial vehicles (UAVs) in the remote sensing of surface currents. The technology they have developed is named CopterCurrents and provides surface water velocity from UAS video. A further explanation of the technology can be found here.
