Author: Dr Karen Joyce

Drone Mapping Tips & Tricks

Geospatial AI and collaboration in the future of Earth observation

Earth observation (EO) data are everywhere, just like Swifties. Datasets are growing by over 100 petabytes per year, with a steady expansion in geospatial AI technology driven by new satellites and the democratization of data capture through drones. In fact, there are more drones in circulation today than there are kilometers of coastline worldwide. Despite

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drone image of island with trees and buildings
Drone Data Processing

Islands of the Great Barrier Reef are more than just ‘oh cay’

The coral cays of the Great Barrier Reef are more than just picturesque, sandy islands. They are dynamic, living systems that play a crucial role in the health of the reef and support a wide range of biodiversity, from nesting seabirds to critical turtle habitats. However, their ever-changing nature, shaped by ocean currents, storms, and

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Case Studies

AI for wildlife monitoring with drones on the Great Barrier Reef

The future of ecological conservation lies in innovative technologies that streamline data collection and analysis. One such revolution in conservation science is integrating drones with artificial intelligence (AI) for wildlife monitoring. This offers a non-invasive, efficient, and cost-effective way to gather information, but unfortunately it’s not always straightforward! We’ve recently been working with Olivier Decitre

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Drone Mapping Tips & Tricks

LiDAR drone mapping – what you need to know before delving in!

Besides my robovac, I confess to knowing next to nothing about LiDAR. But don’t let that deter you from reading on! I promise I’ve brought in the big guns. While I’ve been working in the Earth observation industry for 25 years, my area of expertise is multispectral and hyperspectral data analysis. So when someone asks

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Drone Data Processing

How contrast enhancement can help you get more from drone mapping

Have you ever captured data that looks a little too dark or too bright? Sometimes we mess up the camera settings or the lighting conditions change considerably during capture. Or maybe the features you’re most interested in are underwater or in the shadows, so they’re naturally a little dark. What if you know there are

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Drone Data Processing

How drone mapping fits into the image processing sequence

A standard image processing sequence has driven remote sensing and Earth observation applications for decades. This sequence is a framework of stages through which to progress and applies equally to drones as it does to more traditional satellite mapping. It takes us from defining the problem to communicating results and all the steps in between,

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Person on a computer looking at drone mapping imagery
Drone Mapping Tips & Tricks

Drone mapping training opens up a whole new world of possibilities

As a remote sensing scientist, mapping is my bread and butter. I have a deep passion for Earth observation data, and I could easily spend all day studying different ecosystems and their changes over time. Integrating drone data into my work for ecosystem analysis over the past decade has been a game changer. While it

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Drone Mapping Tips & Tricks

Natural ground control points increase drone mapping accuracy

Accurate mapping is the cornerstone of numerous fields, from urban planning and environmental management to disaster response and infrastructure development. At the heart of achieving precision in mapping lies the strategic placement of ground control points (GCPs), which serve as reference markers for aligning aerial (including drone) or satellite imagery with real-world coordinates. While traditional

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Drone Data Processing

Multispectral drone mapping unpacked

While multispectral imaging may have been developed as a military surveillance technique, these days its benefits are far more wide ranging. From Earth observation sensors on satellites to laboratory based systems, they can be deployed to detect, identify, and measure features invisible to the human eye at a variety of scales. Let’s look at how

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Drone Data Processing

Ground control points (GCPs) can enhance your drone mapping accuracy

Wanting to make decisions using your drone mapping data? If so, understanding your location precision and accuracy is paramount, and ground control points – GCPs – might be your answer. As aerial surveys become increasingly integral to various industries, ensuring accuracy in data processing and location information is essential. Let’s delve into the significance of

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aerial view of a flooded footbridge vertically taken from a drone
Case Studies

Detecting change with drones – a Cyclone Jasper case study

In a recent lunch and learn webinar we explored the role of drone mapping in detecting environmental change. Here I’ll revisit the highlights of the webinar, diving into the aftermath of Tropical Cyclone Jasper and examine how comprehensive datasets can reshape disaster response strategies. Tropical Cyclone Jasper threatened the far north Queensland region, providing an

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satellite image of a hurricane
Case Studies

Data readiness for disaster management

In the midst of preparing for an impending weather event, the urgency of readiness becomes a focal point. It’s not just about sandbagging or securing property—it’s also about data readiness. Our recent webinar on remote sensing and drone mapping in disaster management touched upon this critical aspect. Let’s delve deeper into how remote sensing, encompassing

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Drone Mapping Tips & Tricks

How to fast track your drone mapping analysis with keyboard shortcuts

There’s no doubt about it – drone mapping analysis and manually digitising a map can be a tedious task! But let’s not make it harder than it needs to be. At GeoNadir we are constantly looking for ways to simplify data processing and analysis workflows, so introducing keyboard shortcuts was a no-brainer for us. They

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Learn and Inspire

Why is snapping important for creating accurate maps?

What do crocodiles and GeoNadir projects have in common? We both love snapping! But of course in vastly different ways 🙂 When we snap as part of creating insights with our drone mapping data, this is a good thing. Not something to be afraid of!  So what is snapping, and how can it help us

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Drone Mapping Tips & Tricks

The top 10 environmental uses for drone 3D models

Most of us are familiar with the concept of 3D. It’s the difference between old school classic cartoons like Tom and Jerry and modern animation like Toy Story. It’s how our brain processes vision from both our eyes to give us depth perception. If our vision left to right is considered as two dimensions, the

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3d drone mapping view of Tucson, Arizona
Drone Data Processing

3D drone models and the end of the rainbow

Contents There’s no lack of ‘wow’ when viewing aerial drone footage as photos or videos. But the awe in awesome doesn’t stop there! Our flying tripod friends are also incredible data collection and mapping tools. We use drones to capture information about all sorts of different environments, with detail far greater than you’ll see on

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Getting ready to drone map
Drone Mapping Tips & Tricks

How to make an accurate and useful drone map

Keen to go beyond spectacular aerial photography or videography with your drone? Look no further! It’s time to develop a new skill and learn to drone map. With the right equipment and some careful planning, creating a map of your local ecosystems is super easy. It allows you to see how the environment changes over

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Drone mapping image of a school with lots of coloured rooftops, shade sails, trees, and an oval
Drone Mapping Tips & Tricks

School mapping competition uses GeoNadir

How cool is your local school? For the fifth year running, our sister company She Maps is searching for the coolest school with their annual school mapping competition. They’re challenging students of all ages to calculate the amount of tree-shade on their school campus, opening discussions about cooling, urban heat, landscape design, and climate change.

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Artificial Intelligence

Can you use MetaAI’s tool ‘Segment Anything’ for drone imagery?

Move over ChatGPT, there’s a new AI kid on the block! Just this week MetaAI released a new tool called ‘Segment Anything’ (Meta is best known as the Facebook parent company). And it’s unleashed the same fears and excitement as many tech tools before it. As someone who has been segmenting Earth observation imagery for

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