Unmanned Aircraft Systems or Drones

NORCE is the leading institution in Norway on the development of Unmanned Aircraft Systems or drones. We develop custom drone platforms, control systems and communication systems, that can be applied to acquire imagery for slope hazard applications. Droneborne cameras allow for acquiring high resolution optical or hyperspectral imagery valuable for the detection and mapping of hazardous areas.

Combined with Surface from Motion (SfM) processing, optical images can be used to provide detailed Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) of snow avalanches and landslides. For snow avalanches or abrupt landslide failure, comparison of two DEMs generated from images before and after the release can be used to estimate the volume of the debris mass. On gradual sliding processes, the comparison of DEMs acquired at different times can document the movement rates of the landforms.