Figure 1. Representative results from recent NMHU student and faculty applications of Uas surveying using the Wingtra and Mavic 3. A) 2023 NIR composite image and B) 2025 NIR composite image of the changes associated with a migrating knickpoint.
×Figure 1. Representative results from recent NMHU student and faculty applications of Uas surveying using the Wingtra and Mavic 3. A) 2023 NIR composite image and B) 2025 NIR composite image of the changes associated with a migrating knickpoint.
The Geospatial Applications in Natural Sciences Laboratory (GAINS) is the geospatial technology resource center at NMHU. The Natural Resources Management Department provides field equipment, technical support, instruction in geographic information science & technology, and research applications involving geospatial technologies. Here, we report on three years of data obtained via the uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) available at the GAINS laboratory. The NMHU GAINS team deploys two drone types, both with RGB and multispectral capabilities. The multispectral cameras yield high resolution spectral band imagery across the visible and near infrared spectrum. The WingtraOne is a fixed-wing, vertical take-off drone that captures imagery in RGB and multiple-spectral bands over larger areas. The DJI Mavic 3 Enterprise quadcopters provide similar mapping precision to the Wingtra and RGB/multispectral imagery with the added benefit that their small size allows for high resolution surveys in flight-restricted areas. The resulting orthoimagry provide geometrically corrected images of uniform scale and yield an accurate representation of the Earth's surface. The global positioning systems on the Uas constrain the location to about a meter, however, post processing with ground control points, the CORS network, EarthScope GAGE, and a Trimble R2 local base station yield a significant improvement in positioning the images. These real time and post processing techniques conservatively yield a horizontal and vertical precession below about 10 cm. Ground control points (GCP) surveyed with the Trimble R2 provide the best tool for correcting the Uas imagery. The elevation data obtained by the R2, however, does not automatically correct for the Geoid offset; this correction is critical for accurate vertical control. The GCP processing involves attempting to match the GCPs that are physically on the ground to the images and assign them x, y, z coordinates. The results along Pueblo Canyon Arroyo from three years of monitoring reveal landscape changes likely caused by erosion and kickpoint migration following storm events and season changes. The Uas data were collected six to eight times per year, at a 110-meter flight elevation yielding a ground sampling distance of ~ 3-5 centimeters/pixel depending on Uas flown. A second goal of the repeat flight missions is to maintain a record of image and positioning quality over time. These flights provide base line data to monitor any changes in the quality and precession of the instrumentation deployed. The Uas equipment compliments the existing survey gear and supports the GIS technologies course offerings and research to enhance our students’ learning environment. The lab also provides technical assistance to individuals and groups seeking to incorporate geospatial information into their work.
