A WALK IN THE WOODS

For forestry researchers, a two- dimensional view of a forest canopy is not enough (right page). They need to see what’s happening in the understory to measure the performance of the forest.

Now they can take a virtual stroll through a forest (left), thanks to the University of Adelaide’s URAF team. A drone flies a grid-like path across the landscape and software stitches together the still shots to create a 3D model.

Hodgson and his colleagues are empowering researchers to use drones by running training courses. This image, of a dry forest on Grand Terre island, New Caledonia, was “planned and executed entirely by course participants – demonstrating the accessibility of low- cost UAV technology”.