The military uses Unmanned Aerial Systems in a variety of
applications of which one is reconnaissance. The same UAS reconnaissance
systems used by the military can be effectively used by local government and
civil organizations to fight illegal poaching operations throughout the world.
Traditionally the military uses UAS reconnaissance for “long range
high altitude surveillance” and “close range reconnaissance” (Barnett, Bird,
Culhane, Sharkasi, & Reinholtz, 2007). Of the two, “close range
reconnaissance” is well suited for conducting operations in support of
anti-poaching efforts by small groups of hunters. The same strategies used by
the military to locate and identify potential human threats are applicable to organizations
trying to locate and identify poachers in the wilderness.
UAS are categorized by size, weight, range, speed, and platform
capabilities (Brown, n.d.). The RQ-11B man-portable small UAS (sUAS) is a
perfect example of an unmanned aerial vehicle built for both military and
commercial applications capable of gathering low-altitude intelligence and
performing both reconnaissance and surveillance missions (AeroVironment, 2017).
Key features include its low operating weight of 4.2 pounds, hand-launched capability,
supports autonomous operations, ability to auto land, and ruggedized design for
harsh environments (AeroVironment, 2017). This rapidly deployable sUAS can be
outfitted with a forward electro-optical camera and an infrared camera for
night operations; this coupled with over one hour of flight time is ideal for
anti-poaching missions (AeroVironment, 2017).
However, as well equipped as the Raven is, it has one shortcoming;
without the right computing algorithms, it will not locate poachers and capture
the data needed to fight the illegal activities. This weakness has been
overcome through the efforts of professors from the University of Maryland’s
Advanced Computer Studies (UMIACS) (Chiaramonte, 2015). The university team created
predictive analysis algorithms that analyze factors such as terrain data,
wildlife patterns, and past poacher behaviors that significantly increase the
chances of detecting poaching operations (Corrigan, 2017). The algorithm
creates the flight path and syncs it to the platform’s onboard autopilot (Chiaramonte, 2015).
Another obstacle faced by
civilian UAS operations is the lack of legislation to support their
anti-poaching objectives. Many countries, especially those in South Africa have
banned UAS operations altogether (Nuwer, 2017). The only effective way to
create pro UAS legislation is through education that sells the benefits and
advantages of UAS in anti-poaching efforts.
Final Thoughts
Technologies used in military UAS
applications with slight modifications can translate into effective tools for
civil non-profit and commercial enterprises. The same platform used for
anti-poaching can be used for other conversation programs without
modifications; it can detect, locate, and transmit data. UAS are an economical
platform that will continue to develop and be used in applications not
currently thought of. Their popularity has spawned an entire industry and
commercial developers are soon to be on par if not as of yet with the military;
just as commercial aircraft manufacturers were post World War II.
References
AeroVironment. (2017). UAS RQ-11B
Raven. Retrieved from https://www.avinc.com/images/uploads/product_docs/Raven_Datasheet_2017_Web_v1.pdf
Barnett, S., Bird, J., Culhane, A., Sharkasi, A., & Reinholtz,
C. (2007). Deployable reconnaissance from a VTOL UAS in urban environments.
Paper presented at the, 6561(1) http://dx.doi.org/10.1117/12.718330
Brown, J. (n.d.). Types of
military drones: The best technology available today [Web log post]. Retrieved
from http://mydronelab.com/blog/types-of-military-drones.html
Chiaramonte, P. (2015, April
12). How drones are battling animal poachers in Africa. Retrieved from http://www.foxnews.com/tech/2015/04/09/drones-being-used-to-predict-and-prevent-animal-poaching-in-africa.html
Corrigan, F. (2017, January
29). 8 Top anti poaching drones for critical wildlife protection. Retrieved
from https://www.dronezon.com/drones-for-good/wildlife-conservation-protection-using-anti-poaching-drones-technology/
Nuwer, R. (2017, March 13). High
above, drones keep watchful eyes on wildlife in Africa. The New York Times.
Retrieved from
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/13/science/drones-africa-poachers-wildlife.html
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