University of South Wales
Implementing Drone Technology in GIS Research at the University of South Wales
About University of South Wales
Dr. Nathan Thomas has been serving as an academic in Computing (Informatics) at the University of South Wales (USW) since 2004. He possesses extensive expertise in Mapping, Data Visualisation, Drone Technology, and Environmental GIS. In his words, Dr. Nathan Thomas shared, “My interest in drones all started 10 years or so ago when visiting Chicago and upon visiting a tech store they were selling Parrot AR drones. I was fascinated by these and bought one and luckily managed to convince the Virgin Atlantic crew to store this onboard as carry on.”
University of South Wales
Implementing Drone Technology in GIS Research at the University of South Wales
About University of South Wales
Dr. Nathan Thomas has been serving as an academic in Computing (Informatics) at the University of South Wales (USW) since 2004. He possesses extensive expertise in Mapping, Data Visualisation, Drone Technology, and Environmental GIS. In his words, Dr. Nathan Thomas shared, “My interest in drones all started 10 years or so ago when visiting Chicago and upon visiting a tech store they were selling Parrot AR drones. I was fascinated by these and bought one and luckily managed to convince the Virgin Atlantic crew to store this onboard as carry on.”
Coptrz Are Trusted By
Drones in Research
The types of drones used in Dr. Thomas's
research work are diverse, with each one
providing unique capabilities.
"We make use of several different DJI drones from the
DJI Mini's, Phantom 4 Pro's, Phantom 4
Multispectral, Phantom 4 RTK, Inspire 2, Mavic
Enterprise Advanced etc. The Multispectral
drones are used to help survey for Invasive Plant
Species such as Japanese Knotweed." - Dr. Thomas
Benefits of using drones in research
"We have observed a number of positive outcomes in all areas such as time efficiency, cost reduction, risk mitigation, accuracy of the data etc. For example we survey large areas to ascertain if an area contains an invasive plant species. The time efficiency element allows us to survey very large areas at a much faster rate than if this was done on foot."
Mapping 9000 Years of Welsh history
“We helped to participate in a number of early drone surveys for the Aberystruth History and Archeaology Society to help map 9000 years of Welsh history in the Blaenau Gwent Valley. The aim of the ‘Digital Archaeology for All’ project was to bring 3D and Virtual Reality experiences to children and adults with disabilities.”
Partnership with Coptrz
“We have dealt with Coptrz for a number of years now, purchasing various drones and helping us to train and become qualified to the latest CAA requirements. Coptrz has been amazing throughout.”
Want to read their full journey with drone technology?
Want to read their full journey with drone technology?
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