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What drones are best for capturing stunning aerial footage?
As the demand for captivating aerial content continues to soar, drone enthusiasts and professionals alike are on the lookout for the most effective tools to help them capture breathtaking footage.
The drone group’s swift response to Hurricane Helene’s devastation showcased their capability for collaborative problem-solving, seamlessly sharing vital data gathered from UAVs operating within the affected area with remote analysts, thereby providing critical insights to ground-based first responders amidst the chaos.
In none was the spirit of cooperation more visibly displayed than in the ravaged region surrounding Irwin, Tennessee, where devastating floods ripped through communities, sweeping away roads and bridges, compromising dams and isolating thousands of people from vital services.
The unprecedented flooding along the Nolichucky River led to a remarkable increase in water circulation around the Nolichucky Dam near Greeneville, with temperatures reaching nearly double those of Niagara Falls. Chris Starnes, president of First to Deploy, a Kingsport, Tennessee-based volunteer drone group, collaborated with Gene Robinson, a veteran drone trade analyst and instructor based in Wimberley, Texas, to support search and restoration efforts in Erwin, Tennessee, and surrounding Unicoi County.
“A collective effort has brought numerous individuals together to support this operation,” he said. There were numerous first responders in attendance from across North America, spanning from Utah to Canada.
When the Nolichucky River overflowed and flooded Erwin, Starnes swiftly deployed his UAV equipment to the affected area. Initially focusing on search and rescue missions, a domain where his team excelled.
“The primary goal was to support our community by helping them reconnect with long-lost relatives,” he explained. Despite a grueling week-long effort within the catastrophe zone to locate survivors following the devastating storm, our initial rescue endeavor unfortunately evolved into a daunting task of restoration.
Utilizing his Mavic 2 Enterprise Superior drone in the pre-dawn hours, Starnes employed thermal imaging technology to scan for heat signatures indicating the location of potential fatalities amidst the debris scattered by the torrential floodwaters.
“Authorities believed the area was prime for searching, so we’d deploy our drone to meticulously survey the site,” Starnes said. At approximately 3:00 am, we would embark on that specific mission, meticulously charting thermal space patterns. Subsequently, he would incorporate the gathered data into Robinson in Texas, where it would be thoroughly analyzed by experts, who would scrutinize each detail to uncover potential clues leading to the identification of victims’ possible whereabouts.
As a professional editor, I would revise the text as follows:
“We transferred terabytes of knowledge from East Tennessee all the way to Wimberley, Texas.”
According to Starnes, his drone served not only to locate the remains of storm victims but also identified several submerged vehicles that were carried away by floodwaters. The team relayed GPS coordinates of affected vehicles to local first responders to aid in their response and recovery efforts.
According to Robinson, a long-time proponent of drone technology, the most significant application of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) lies in harnessing their ability to capture vast amounts of visual data and information. That’s where I’ve primarily focused – the informational aspect. Vivid images convey a wealth of information, embedding multifaceted knowledge within their very essence. In the absence of clear knowledge about what one is searching for, it can be incredibly easy to miss the most obvious details, including those in a standard RGB photograph, as he astutely pointed out.
Employing advanced computer-aided analysis, Robinson skillfully extracted the vital insights hidden within the images of the disaster-stricken area sent by Starnes.
In catastrophe remediation, significant attention is focused on assembling collective mosaics, including ortho-mosaics and geo-rectified mosaics. “That’s undeniably a valuable asset because it enables the incident command to better manage their resources, directing their personnel exactly where they’re needed most.”
He notes that with advancements in photogrammetry, they can now focus on analyzing specific aspects such as particle piles and conduct volumetric assessments. The system enables municipal authorities responsible for clearing massive debris piles to accurately forecast the required equipment, including numbers of heavy machinery and vans, necessary to complete the task.
By employing subtle frequency bands, analysts can uncover concealed information within an image that might remain imperceptible upon casual visual inspection of a standard photograph. “By providing the drone operator with enhanced vision capabilities, the technology essentially grants them superhuman-like abilities, enabling them to detect issues that would otherwise go unseen by the naked eye.” You can acquire a multispectral digital camera that captures images near the infrared spectrum, which allowed us to identify and locate hidden burial sites.
When a devastating flood struck Robinson’s hometown on Memorial Day 2015, he quickly sprang into action as a member of the Wimberley Fire Department’s aviation unit, deploying drones to help mitigate the disaster and answer emergency calls in the face of catastrophic flooding that had inundated his own neighborhood. Since that time, he has deployed his expertise by flying unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in response to numerous calamitous events across the country.
Recently, he has assumed a role teaching public safety courses at Austin Community College, restricting his ability to travel to disaster sites. Despite this, he still dedicates half his time to remotely participating in drone-assisted disaster recovery efforts, a task he had undertaken after the recent storm. Two days following Hurricane Helene’s landfall, Robinson initiated his collaboration with Starnes.
Following a thorough examination of the devastation in Jackson, Tennessee, he observed that the catastrophic flooding had significantly altered the region’s terrain, leaving an indelible mark on its topography. As he spoke, a hint of excitement crept into his voice: “Whenever we left under those circumstances, we stumbled upon something.” It’s difficult to forecast exactly how much water will flow back downstream.
Despite criticism from drone operators who argued that the FAA moved too slowly in issuing permits for personal use following the disaster, Robinson expressed satisfaction with the federal agencies’ response.
He clarified that, to his knowledge, no one had been explicitly denied the ability to fly on that particular occasion, unless they chose not to associate with a specific organization or entity. The customer service department? In reality, I was denied permission to take to the skies. “I traveled a thousand miles just to arrive, having brought every shred of equipment with me, which was precisely why they refused to grant me permission to fly.”
To effectively respond to catastrophic events as a drone pilot, it is crucial to develop expertise in the core principles of search and rescue operations, leveraging resources from reputable disaster management organizations, including local volunteer firefighting departments that provide valuable applications.
“Ultimately, self-deploying without assistance can actually exacerbate problems for emergency services,” he stated. Volunteer drone pilots are advised to secure clearance from native incident response commanders before launching operations within catastrophe zones.
While perseverance is key, it’s also essential to acknowledge reality: even if you’ve tried repeatedly, success isn’t guaranteed? “They’re completely unaware of your existence,” he remarked. “All individuals aspire to do what’s right. Yet, there are obstacles that one must overcome before becoming a great person and donning the mantle of responsibility.”
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As Editor-in-Chief of DRONELIFE and CEO of JobForDrones, a leading provider of drone services, Miriam McNabb is a prominent figure in the drone industry, keenly observing its rapid growth and evolution within a complex regulatory framework. Miriam has authored more than 3,000 articles focused on industrial drones, earning her recognition as a prominent expert in the field and a sought-after speaker worldwide. Miriam holds a degree from the University of Chicago and boasts over two decades of experience in high-tech sales and marketing, specializing in innovative technologies.
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