Capabilities

Platforms, Sensors, and other Cool Gear

Fixed Wing and Multirotor UAS, Field Validation, and Computational Resources

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Fixed Wing UAS

Parrot

Disco

The Disco can reach speeds up to 49mph, and has a 45 minute battery life. The First Person View headset allows for live video streaming straight to a smartphone.

Disco AG

The removable wings for transport, as well as its 33oz weight at take off makes this drone ideal for transporting to off site locations. Up to 80ha in a single flight (400ft altitude) allows this aircraft to cover large areas quickly.

AgEagle

eBee Classic

The eBee Classic can cover up to 12 km2 (4.6 mi2) in a single automated mapping flight, while flights over smaller areas, at lower altitudes, can acquire images with a ground sampling distance of down to 1.5 cm (0.6 in) per pixel. It weighs just 700 g (1.5 lb), vastly minimizing its kinetic energy. Plus, AgEagles’s cutting-edge autopilot manages a wide range of intelligent failsafe behaviors.

eBee Plus

The eBee Plus range boasts a maximum coverage of up to 40 sq. km (15.4 sq. mi) in a single one-hour flight. Built-in RTK/PPK functionality provides survey-grade accuracy, and can produce orthomosaic and digital surface models down to 3 cm (1.2 in).

eBee X

The eBee X can cover up to 500ha at 400ft in a single 90 min flight. The high precision accuracy of 3cm without GCPs makes this a great option for many mapping missions.

Applied Aeronautics

Albatross

A long range fixed wing drone, this aircraft is completely autonomous from takeoff to landing. It boasts a flight time of 4 hours and is compatible with multiple softwares to easily plan flights.

Multirotor UAS

DJI

DJI Mavic Pro

The Mavic Pro provides up to 27 minutes of flight time with 3-axis gimbal stabilization boasting 12megapixels.

DJI Phantom 4 Advanced

This compact aircraft supplies a 20 megapixel sensor and 30 minutes of flight time, great for conducting rapid surveys.

DJI Phantom 4 Pro

Similar to the DJI Phantom Advanced, this aircraft supplies 30 minutes of flight time and a 20 megapixel sensor. With its ability to capture both images and video, this platform can capture your data and professional quality media footage.

DJI S900

While we’ve adapted the S900 to fit our research needs, this aircraft is highly portable with folding arms. It offers a flight time of 18 minutes and is able to hold multiple sensors, like RGB and multispectral.

DJI S1000

This aircraft offers the benefit of a low gimbal mounting position and is portable, like the S900.

FreeFly

FreeFly CineStar 6

The CineStar is a professional heavy lift multi-rotor UAV. Extensive R&D has been invested in the CineStar to create a reliable and robust system for aerial video and photo professionals, allowing for long flight times, heavy payloads and smooth footage.

FreeFly Alta 6

The ALTA 6 is a hexa-rotor drone used for aerial imaging. A quick release gimbal system allows for a variety of payload options with a maximum payload of 15 lbs.

Parrot

Parrot Bebop2

The lightweight Bebop2 quadcoptor can maintain up to 25 minutes of flight time and capture 14MP photo and 1080p video.

Impossible Aerospace

Impossible Aerospace US-1

Offering a flight time of 1 hour 18 minutes, this aircraft can sustain gusts up to 30mph and comes equipped with FLIR sensors.

MikroKopter

MicroKopter HexaXL

Designed for a payload of up to 1500g. Quiet flight characteristics ideal for photo or video recording.

3D Robotics

3D Robotics Solo

The Solo is a four-propeller platform that was designed as a companion to the GoPro Hero. Shorter flight times and easy maneuverability allow for fine scale data collection.

3D Robotics Iris+

The Iris+ quadcoptor can be radio-controlled, or follow a flight plan through GPS waypoint navigation. The platform can land itself automatically, and carry up to 400g of payload.

Built by MaRRS Lab

LEM-Hex 44

The Long Endurance Marine Hexacopter (LEM-Hex 44) is designed and built by the MARRS Lab. This aircraft was designed for conducting photogrammetry and mapping missions. The combination of a boat calibration function and a max 45 minute fight time make the LEM-Hex 44 the ideal platform when persistence over a target is required in challenging marine conditions.

Sensors

Video

GoPro Hero 3

Resolution: HD
Frame Rate: 1080p at 30 fps and 720p 60 fps
Weight: 73.7 grams

GoPro Hero 4

Resolution: 4K, HD
Frame Rate: 4K at 30 fps, 1080p at 120 fps, and 720p 240 fps
Weight: 83 grams

GoPro Hero 5

Resolution: 4K, HD
Frame Rate: 4K at 30 fps
Weight: 116.2 grams

GoPro Fusion 360

Resolution: 5.2K30 / 3K60
Frame Rate: 5.2K at 30 fps
Weight: 226.8 grams

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH4

Resolution: 4K
Frame Rate: 24 fps
Weight: 560 grams

RGB

senseFly SODA

Sensor size: 1“
Resolution: 5,472 x 3,648 px (3:2)
Weight: 76 grams

senseFly SODA 3D

Sensor size: 1“
Resolution: 5,472 x 3,648 px (3:2)

senseFly Aeria X

Resolution: 6,000 x 4,000 px (3:2)

Canon Ixus

Sensor size: 1/2.3in
Resolution: 2272 × 1704
Weight: 340 grams

Sony a5100

Sensor size: 23.6 x 15.7 mm
Resolution: 6000 x 4000
Weight: 224 grams

Sony a6000

Sensor size: 23.6 x 15.7 mm
Resolution: 6000 x 4000
Weight: 285 grams

Altavian MP-22

Infrared Imaging

senseFly Duet T

Resolution: RGB – 5,472 x 3,648 px (3:2) Thermal – 640 x 512 px
Wavelength: RGB, Thermal radiometric infrared

senseFly thermoMAP

FLIR Tau 2

Resolution: 640 x 512
Wavelength: LWIR 7.5 – 13.5 µm
Weight: 479 grams

FLIR Duo Pro R

Resolution: Visible – 4000 x 3000 Thermal – 336 x 256
Wavelength: LWIR 7.5 – 13.5 µm
Weight: 375 grams

FLIR Tau SWIR

Resolution: 640 x 512
Wavelength: SWIR 0.9 – 1.7 µm
Weight: 127.5 grams

Spectral Imaging

Canon S110 RGB/RE/NIR

Sensor size: 1/1.7”
Resolution: 4000 × 3000
Wavelength: Green (500 nm), Red (625 nm), and Near Infrared (850 nm)
Weight: 153 grams

Parrot Sequoia

Sensor size: Multispectral Sensor – 59 x 41 x 28 mm Sunshine Sensor – 47 x 39.6 x 18.5 mm
Resolution: RGB Resolution – 4,608 x 3,456 Single Band – 1,280 x 960
Wavelength: Green (550nm ± 40nm), Red (660nm ± 40nm), Red edge (735nm ± 10nm), and Near Infrared (790nm ± 40nm)
Weight: 135 grams

Senop HSC-2 Hyperspectral Camera

Resolution: 1024×1024
Wavelength: 450-800nm
Weight: 986 grams

MicaSense Altum

Resolution: 2064 x 1544
Wavelength: Blue (475 nm center, 32 nm bandwidth), Green (560 nm center, 27 nm bandwidth), Red (668 nm center, 14 nm bandwidth), Red Edge (717 nm center, 12 nm bandwidth), Near Infrared (842 nm center, 57 nm bandwidth), and Long Wavelength Infrared (8-14um)
Weight: 357 grams

MicaSense RedEdge-M

Resolution: 1280 x 960
Wavelength: Blue (475 nm center, 32 nm bandwidth), Green (560 nm center, 27 nm bandwidth), Red (668 nm center, 14 nm bandwidth), Red Edge (717 nm center, 12 nm bandwidth), and Near Infrared (842 nm center, 57 nm bandwidth)
Weight: 231.9 grams

Laser

Lightware SF11/C Laser Altimeter

Range: 0-120 meters (natural targets), 2-40 meters (moving water)
Resolution: 1cm
Accuracy: +/-0.1 meter
Laser power: 20W (peak), <15mW (average), Class 1M
Weight: 35 grams

Computational Resources

Data Crunching

The MaRRS lab maintains 5 workstation computers (Intel i7 or AMD Ryzen Threadripper, 8 to 32 CPU cores with Nvidia GTX, Titan, or Quadro GPUs) for photogrammetric and 3D analysis of remote sensing imagery. Workstations are preloaded with software for image analysis, geospatial analysis, and structure from motion photogrammetry, including maintained software licenses for the Pix4D suite of drone mapping and photogrammetry tools. The MaRRS lab also has access to the Duke Compute Cluster which consists of over 17000 CPU-cores, with underlying hardware from Cisco Systems UCS blades in Cisco chassis. GPU-accelerated computers are Silicon Mechanics with a range of Nvidia GPUs, including high end “computational” GPUs (V100, P100) and “graphics” GPUs (TitanXP, RTX2080TI). Interconnects are 10 Gbs.

Groundtruthing

The MaRRS lab works with a variety of GNSS systems to establish ground control points, collect geospatial checkpoints, and to obtain ecological validation information to complement drone data collection. Where possible, these systems are used in conjunction with CORS/VRS differential data for Real Time Kinematic (RTK) or Post-Processed Kinematic (PPK) corrections during drone data collection.