Three Course SequenceUAS Applications and Operations in Environmental Science
Become the Scientist Pilot
Ecological Society of America (ESA) approved continuing education units (CEUs)!
The Scientist Pilot
Many aviation training programs are conducted as though they are an end unto themselves, with becoming a pilot or remote pilot representing the primary goal. Our approach to aviation focuses on a set of inspirational environmental science examples, where those with interest or aptitude in the environment gain foundational knowledge and skills through linked examples of how aviation can be applied in this field. Our course sequence employs two powerful hooks to gain and maintain the attention of students and to convey key scientific aviation concepts:
- Unoccupied Aircraft Systems (UAS, aka drones) are presently an inspirational technology that can be used to engage on basic aviation concepts, from the physics of flight to operational themes like air space management.
- There has been significant growth in environmental science education and careers focused on changing earth systems and sustainable development challenges faced nationally and globally. Aviation support is a key element to many environmental science programs, but students rarely consider this as a viable pathway for an aviation career.
Enter the concept of the Scientist Pilot, an aviation professional focused on providing key services to environmental programs using drones.
Three course sequence
UAS Applications and Operations in Environmental Science
- Introduction to UAS in Biology, Ecology, and Conservation: Discover the foundations of revolutionary drone technology and how it’s being applied in environmental science and management. (six weeks, asynchronous video lectures and assessments, plus six 1.5 hour synchronous sessions Thursdays from 7-8:30pm ET)
Goal: Identify how drones can be applied in research, including your own - UAS operations for Environmental Scientists: Learn the basics of drone flight operations, how to become legally certified, and how to fly effectively for scientific research purposes. (six weeks, asynchronous video lectures and assessments, plus six 1.5 hour synchronous sessions Thursdays from 7-8:30pm ET)
Goal: Become the Scientist Pilot! - Quantitative analysis of UAS data: Gain hands-on experience with drone data and modern analytical software needed to assess habitat changes, count animal populations, study animal health and behavior, and assess ecosystem relationships. (seven weeks, asynchronous video lectures and assessments, plus six 1.5 hour synchronous sessions Thursdays from 7-8:30pm ET)
Goal: Use drone data to test scientific hypotheses and communicate research results.
Course instructors bring a wide range of experience in environmental science, UAS operations, engineering, and general aviation.
Learner Engagement and Interaction
This three course sequence is taught online, with both asynchronous and synchronous components, providing significant flexibility for professionals seeking to learn more about how drones are applied in environmental science. Class materials will be provided through Duke’s suite of learning tools, and interactions amongst students and instructors will be facilitated through Discord, a free voice, video, and text chat app that’s used by tens of millions of people to talk and hang out with their communities and friends. Our new Discord server – the Flight Deck – is a growing online community focused on sharing knowledge and experiences regarding the use of drones in research and natural resource management. Assessments of student work will be conducted via a range of tools, from embedded quizzes in videos to structured online debates. Students should plan on spending approximately five hours per week on reading and homework assignments and be prepared to meet the technology requirements of the course. For any addition registration questions, please email [email protected].
Introduction to UAS in the Environmental Sciences
October 9 - Nov 17, 2023
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this course, learners will be able to:
- Explain the four physical forces that act on aircraft.
- Describe how those forces act on different kinds of drones.
- Describe or differentiate between types of drones and explain how they work.
- Explain how drones are applied to the study of animal populations, individual animals, and their habitats–including humans.
- Explain the basic theories for photogrammetry and structure for motion analysis.
- Discover how drones can be used to record the behavior of animals.
- Relate the potential of machine learning for efficient data analysis.
- Explain the importance of key best practices in drone research, including legal and ethical concerns.
- Analyze arguments for and against drone technology in surveillance and reconnaissance.
- Create a conceptual model of how drones can be used in an environmental science/management context.
UAS operations for Environmental Scientists
Jan 8 - Feb 16, 2024
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this course, learners will be able to:
- Explain variations in the four forces of flight and how to fly safely in response to them.
- Describe how the sky is organized by the National Airspace System (NAS).
- Read and interpret Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) sectional charts and identify various airspace designations.
- Identify hazards and flight restrictions in FAA regional/sectional charts.
- Anticipate possible interactions and environmental factors that could affect drone operations.
- Describe the nature of accurate and precise drone data, and how to collect it.
- Identify components of the electromagnetic radiation spectrum that are sampled by drones.
- Address and account for the factors that can affect data collection for both multirotor and fixed wing drones.
- Develop a research plan that employs drones to collect robust scientific data.
Quantitative analysis of UAS data
March 11 - April 26, 2024
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this course, learners will be able to:
- Identify key aspects of precision and accuracy of drone-derived data.
- Identify key factors of optical remote sensing and how they apply to drone data collection.
- Analyze standard RGB, multispectral, and thermal imagery collected from drone sensors.
- Create orthomosaics, 3D point clouds, and spectral indices of regions sampled with drones.
- Combine GNSS surveys and drones data to create accurate and precise products for further analysis.
- Analyze drone data to detect ecosystem change via reflectance variation or volumetric deviations.
- Assess the body condition of whales using standard photogrammetric equations and open-source software.
- Label imagery and count animal populations using a convolutional neural network.
Individual Course
2,000USD
Individual Course
- Any one of the three courses included in the sequence
Full Course Sequence
4,200USD
Full Course Sequence
- All three courses (30% discount off individual price)
Information Session
Missed the Unoccupied Aircraft Systems Applications and Operations in Environmental Science information session? Watch the recording here to learn more about how this course sequence can help you pursue a career path with drones and integrate this revolutionary technology into your current environmental science work!
Information Session 1 (Courses 1, 2, & 3)
Information Session 2 (Courses 2 & 3 and Coursera)
Learner Testimonials
“There are several parts of this course that I will take with me and use to inform my own teaching. It was exciting to experience the new platforms, applications, and ways to engage with other learners and the instructors.”
-Dionne Hoskins-Brown, Course Series Learner 2021-22, from Fun on the Flight Deck
“Overall, I had a great time engaging in the course and participating through all the diverse interactive platforms. I wish there were more courses adopting this model—students would have a much more productive and enjoyable experience.”
-Cielo Figuerola, Course Series Learner 2021-22, from Recipe for an Online Course Series: Drones in Environmental Science
“For me, online learning has always been a challenge … Most online learning goes like this: watch a video, do multiple options quiz and then submit for scores. But in this course, the Twine game actually challenged me to think and use what I learned in the videos when facing real world problems.”
-Yugees Rao, Course Series Learner 2021-22, from Choose Your Path Wisely
“I really enjoyed this, and it may have real life implications for my work directly … [This] really made me more aware of all of the t’s needing to be crossed and i’s dotted before moving forward.”
-Lonnie McCaskill, Course Series Learner 2021-22, from Choose Your Path Wisely
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