Surveying Italian Glaciers Via Remote Sensing With senseFly Mapping Drones
Not even extreme conditions can keep the eBee down.
On a recent project commissioned by an Italian public authority, drone operator Flavio Angoli was able to survey the Sforzellina and Dosde’ glaciers with a senseFly eBee Classic. Flying more than 13km at an average altitude of 3,000m, the extremely capable drone was able to capture a combined total surface of 86.6ha between the two glaciers, with an accuracy of about 5cm/pixel and an unevenness of 700m.
In addition, the eBee’s onboard S.O.D.A. sensor automatically optimizes the light, which is an ideal feature for avoiding known reflectance phenomena common when imaging icy surfaces. Thanks to this accuracy, the volume of data collected will be used in 3D models as a benchmark along with future measurements to evaluate glacier volumes.
Even when considering the low temperature, strong winds and an average altitude of 3,000m, the eBee made it possible to map with precision.