Before we end this module, I'd like

to leave you with a flavor of some of the applications in this area, and also
some of the drivers for the UAV industry. Lets first start with agriculture. In our
lab, we're using robots
like this and apple orchards to see how we can improve the efficiency
of production with specialty crops. So robots like this are able to patrol
orchards flying between the crops and over the crop lines, getting three
dimensional information about every plant and
fruits growing on the plant. If you look at the three
maps on the bottom, the one on the bottom left is
obtained using infrared imagery. The one on the bottom
right is obtained by using the laser sensor on top of the robot and
cameras. It represents three
dimensional information and give you volume metric
information about every plant. The one at the bottom
middle is the NDVI map, which essentially tells you a little
about the vigor of every plant. And in operations like this,
we try to use multiple vehicles. Again, if you wanna cover a large
area in a short period of time, it makes sense to use multiple
vehicles cooperating with each other, collecting this information in real time. So
vehicles like this can get information
that can change the way we think about precision farming, allowing farmers
to get models of individual plants, recognizing which plants
need special attention. Getting estimates for yield and
determining which plants to water and at what time during the year. Robots like
this are finding application
in the construction industry. They're able to acquire three-dimensional
maps of buildings as they're being built. This allows the owner of
the building to monitor progress, comparing the progress to specifications. And
also plan for resource allocation during
the construction of these buildings. Robots like this are being
used in archaeology to get three dimensional information
about historical sights. Landscapes, getting information
about buildings that were built several thousand years ago. They're being used for
photography,
to take breathtaking pictures, obtaining vistas that could not be
obtained by human held cameras. Robots like this can be
used as first responders. These experiments being conducted in our
laboratory where we see a swarm of drones rushing to a spot where there
might be an emergency or perhaps where there's been a 911 call. Robots like this
can respond before
human first responders get to the site. And they can be used to
construct three dimensional maps by surrounding buildings of interest. On the top
left you see trajectories
being planned autonomously. On the top right, you see a mosaic
being constructed in real time. And on the bottom, you see a three dimensional
reconstruction
of the site that needs attention. Again, the idea is that you would get
this information and provide human first responders with situational awareness
well before they get to the scene. So they're better equipped and
they don't get into harms way.