Use of Data Mule Unmanned Aircraft System to Remotely Download Ground Based Sensor Data on Military Lands
Abstract
Ground-based sensors (e.g., camera traps, weather stations, water gages) are used to collect important data that help inform natural and cultural resource management decisions on military installations, provide data for Integrated Natural Resource Management Plans (INRMP), and to support the military mission. These ground-based sensors are often placed in remote and difficult to access locations and can be restricted for days/weeks at a time due to military training exercises, inhospitable field conditions (e.g., excessive heat, roads washed out), or even to limit disturbance to the resource being monitored. Data retrieval and equipment maintenance are through ground-based methods (e.g., hiking or driving), so it can be time-consuming, expose personnel to safety risks (e.g., steep terrain, extreme temperatures), and costly to access these systems. Because these systems are accessed only periodically, equipment failures and malfunctions are not known until the sensor is visited and can lead to missed opportunities to record data. Thus, limited access to ground-based sensors can delay data acquisition. These delays can reduce the installations ability to adaptively manage its resources in a timely manner, which may lead to resource harm and, ultimately, mission impediments.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 31, 2022
- Accession Number
- AD1189824
Entities
People
- David Delaney
- Jean Pan
- Martin Slosarik
- Zane Mountcastle
Organizations
- Construction Engineering Research Laboratory
- Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command