LAWRENCE — Fall break is barely behind us, but a group of University of Kansas students has just finished an innovative eight-week course in using drones to develop aerial maps. Over the past two months, they’ve visited sites in KU's West District and at the Baker Wetlands, taking still images and videos over those areas.
“The drone mapping course has been excellent in providing a hands-on experience with the drones,” said Siddharth Shankar, graduate student from Lucknow, India. “The course has focused not just on drones and how to fly them but also has made us aware of the FAA rules and regulations about drone flying and safety precautions.
“My research has been in glaciology, with the study of icebergs in Greenland. The drone mapping course has provided new insights into incorporating it with my research in the near future.”
The course, offered annually during the fall semester, is designed to teach students about the rapidly growing technology of small unmanned aerial systems, referred to as drones, and its wide-ranging applications — which include search-and-rescue, real estate and environmental monitoring.
Students in the course come from a variety of disciplines including geography & atmospheric science, geology, ecology & evolutionary biology and civil engineering. Enthusiasm for the course has been very high, and it has filled rapidly each time it has been offered.