Writing Sample: A Research Article for a Local Drone Company.
A local drone company was interviewing for a position as a their lead Content Manager. I have to laugh and be a little leary when I see that job title. Depending on the size of the company, it could mean you’re the Content Editor in Cheif, the Head Graphic Designer, the Videographer/Video Editor/Animator/AudioGuy, the Social Media Manager, and then some. Hey, if the P’s are good, I’m good, lol. IYKYK, right? I do like these opportunities because as a jack-of-all trades communications and marketing person these roles can be so fun and creative, and very similar to freelancing. I’m very used to doing it all. When you’re the only one running the business, you learn to be a great “go-to-guy” lol.
I digress, my bad. So, I was asked to write up an article with at least 5 citations and a few social media posts to go along with them. I had a great time doing this assignment. I dove in and I was surprised how cool drones are and how they’re being used to help manage the land and improve efficient land management practices. It was very interesting. Here’s the article below that landed me an interview.
The Benefit of Drones for Land Management:
The use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV’s) or drones in land management is increasing as technologies improve enabling land managers to gather actionable data and critical insights in a cost-effective way for a multitude of projects. As we develop new technologies and products to help land managers, farmers, and surveyors, we like to do our homework on the industry. Here’s what we’re finding out about the use of drones, their benefits, limitations, and overall use as a important tool in land management.
Drones are Here to Stay
Over the past ten years, drones have made an indelible and permanent impact on land management practices. Once thought of as military applications or hobbyist toys, drones as a tool for land managers exploded as multispectral and 3D imaging and related software became more available for drones. As early as 2012, publications such as the peer-reviewed journal Tropical Conservation Science began proclaiming a new “dawn of drone ecology”. The industry has grown significantly and market experts predict the drone global market to reach $43.1 billion by 2024, resulting in an annual growth rate of 20.5%. No other IT industry is experiencing such growth, and for good reason.
Efficiency and Satisfaction – For Good Reason!
In a study conducted by CompTia.org, more than 75% of businesses surveyed were satisfied with the ease of use, capabilities, time savings, and output of these devices and related solutions. Currently, more than 34% of organizations manage drone projects internally, while more than one-fourth use Drone Service Providers (DSPs) and other tech firms. In a recent article from Commercial UAV News, land surveyors implementing drones are able to reduce man-hours by up to 60% as well as fmore options for processing data. For land managers on the fence about implementing drone technologies, these numbers may provide a good case in favor of adopting drones as part of their land management technology ecosystem.
While drones may significantly improve land management efficiencies, they also improve the quality of data captured. The Center for International Forestry Research’s foremost drone expert and Principal Scientist, Yves Laumonier noted that the scale drone imagery collects was a welcome intermediary between the often rudimentary imagery satellites produce and what is observable from the ground. Many industry leaders report drones to be effective in unforeseen ways such as gathering real-time data from previously inaccessible terrain, the ability to plan and create an automated flight plan, or the ability of multispectral imagery devices such as our own [Company Branded Product Name/Model] in measuring plant health and aiding in the classification of vegetation.
From urban applications such as land surveying and urban planning, to wild land and agricultural applications such as forestry, wildfire management, farming, and vegetation monitoring, the use of 3D and multispectral imaging are now a cornerstone of drone efficacy. For some land surveyors and construction teams, 3D imaging yields new perspectives to inform land use decisions. To take it one step further, multispectral imaging can reveal not only where things are on the ground, but what they are made up of. In a recent case study, Spectrabotics and Arbor Drone chose MicaSesne RedEdge to battle the Emerald ash borer (EAB), a green beetle that attacks ash trees. The team created a custom algorithm and successfully identified the EAB problem in Denver (read the full article here) using the RedEdge sensor. Sensor technology continues to advance and even LIDAR sensors are in development may be available in the next few years or less.
Limits of Use
As useful as drones are, they do come with their own set of challenges and limitations. Unlike satellites, surveying huge swaths of land are simply out of the question. Most drones can cover about 2,000 to 4,000 hectares in a single flight. Furthermore, they will never replace boots on the ground. Drones cannot collect samples or the granular data needed for certain projects. In addition, drones require resources to get started. An FAA commercial drone pilot license is required in most areas. Impacts to wildlife are not yet known and working with landowners may present challenges. However, most land management agencies using drones experience such positive outcomes they find it worth the investment and hoop-jumping to implement them. Duke University’s Nicholas School of the Environment has an excellent 1-month long course for only $250 that covers the essentials for drone use over land and water. In addition, there are a plethora of educational videos and materials to help get started.
We’re Just Scratching the Surface
Applications of drones and related imaging technology are a highly valuable tool for land management practices. What’s more, drones impact people’s lives and our environment in important and necessary ways. The use of drones is helping farmers monitor the energy used to grow food, fight soil erosion, or use less pesticides. Drones provide tangible, relatable information for land managers to communicate to communities and help them to make important land use decisions. Our local forests and natural resources benefit from expediency and volume of data drones collect to take action. As the applications of drones and related technology expand, so does the insights and knowledge obtained by researchers and land managers to successfully do their work. Therein is a benefit to us all.
Let Us Know How We Can Help!
If you’re just getting started with UAV technology, please let us know. Our engineers are our sales team and can help you with any aspect of how our [Branded Product] can help you with your land management needs.