DRONE TECHNOLOGY FOR ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP

B.C. start-up Above Sensing Ltd. provides geospatial analytics and drone data collection

“We are a company of innovative geospatial analysts with a passion for the environment and cutting-edge technologies. We use the latest drones, sensors and software to deliver high-quality data and analytics to support our clients in conservation, agriculture, natural resource management, and private land stewardship.” -- Vadim Stolyarov, BGIS, CEO Above Sensing Ltd.

Interview with Vadim Stolyarov

By Suzanne Forcese

WT: Please give us an overview of Above Sensing Ltd. and the vision that brought you and your co-founder together.

Stolyarov: Santiago Botero and I met during my fourth year of the BGIS program at Selkirk College School of Environment and Geomatics. We aligned in vision, the need to innovate, and an interest in flying drones. Above Sensing Ltd (ASL)was founded in 2021 in Trail, British Columbia to meet the growing demand for geospatially enabled solutions.

The company has quickly earned a reputation for delivering high-quality geospatial analytics, high-resolution aerial data, and specialized products such as orthophotos, LiDAR point clouds, spectral data, custom data analytics, training, and flight review.

Serving clients across British Columbia and the Kootenay region, Above Sensing Ltd. provides cutting-edge geospatial technology and remote sensing services for precise decision-making and efficient project management. Our services cater to a diverse range of clients, including individuals, organizations, First Nations, government bodies, and the non-for-profit sector. We enhance operational efficiency, minimize environmental impact, and promote safety and regulatory compliance while offering a new perspective from above.

WT: Tell us about your fleet.

Stolyarov: Our fleet is our toolbox, and we generally strive to be system agnostic. Each drone has its own purpose. The WingtraOne, for example, is a long-range fixed-wing vertical take-off and landing mapping system that is great at mapping large areas and produces high quality results.

The quadcopter systems have a wider range of applications because of their versatility and the ability to hover and fly in all axes simultaneously.

WT: What are the advantages of drone mapping compared to other methods of surveying?

Stolyarov: Data collection with drones is significantly faster, safer, and less intrusive when it comes to land surveys. For example, mapping wetlands without stepping foot into the eco system and introducing outside pathogens is a great step forward for conservation.

WT: What are the applications?

Stolyarov: Applications are vast and mostly anyone can benefit from drones. From multimedia to very specific data, and scientific research, to emergency assistance, drones prove very helpful. We combine our knowledge of geospatial science to elevate the drone data to the next level.

WT: Above Sensing is described as pioneering the integration of drone technology across diverse sectors, including agriculture, archaeology, construction, environmental monitoring, forestry, mining, golf courses and waste management.

Which industries from this list are most lacking in drone technology adaptation?

Stolyarov: Forestry, agriculture, and public sectors are among those lacking in drone technology adoption. Even some clients in the private sector are just exploring the LIDAR technology and slowly integrating it into their workflows. We find ourselves working on exploratory projects quite often.

WT: Looking at forestry, the first thought that comes to mind is wildfires. How could your drone technology be a veritable lifesaver?

Stolyarov: First there is the safety aspect, because the drone can assess the fire damage quickly eliminating the need to send in an entire team to unsafe rough terrain. Then the thermal data that is collected identifies active burn piles.

Also, there is another advantage to forestry operations. That is in identifying diseases before symptoms are visible.

By collecting both multispectral and thermal imagery we can detect early signs of disease which are apparent in the red band and can result in small temperature changes.

WT: Would that same thermal technology also benefit the agricultural industry in so far as detecting stressed or diseased crops before farmers are visually aware that there is a problem?

Stolyarov: We capture visible and non-visible spectral bands, as well as thermal imagery. From the different bands, it is possible to generate indices to detect early signs of crop stress and compare over time.

Thermal imagery also provides valuable insights into plant health, since sick plants decrease transpiration and that is reflected into slight temperature changes.

WT: Water management is a huge factor in a successful harvest. What part can your drone service play?

Stolyarov: Thermal imagery can provide powerful insights into water management, helping identify overspray or missed areas by the difference in crop and soil temperature.

Thermal imagery can help with the identification of irrigation leaks since water has a cooling effect on the vegetation. Areas with excessive irrigation will appear noticeable cooler than the rest of the field.

WT: Water management is certainly ‘lifesaving’ for the farmer. What about life saving scenarios – for instance in emergency response and disaster relief – can your drones be of aid?

Stolyarov: During times of emergency, quick and decisive decision-making is critical. Commercial drones can be utilized to accelerate decision-making by flying over the disaster area and assessing the situation.

Drones have numerous advantages over traditional aircraft as they can get closer to the area in question without endangering human life, allowing them to operate in previously unflyable situations such as heavy smoke or hazardous conditions. Data gathered during such flights can be relayed to search and rescue personnel, law enforcement, and maintenance crews allowing them to plan their missions with confidence as they will be acting on the latest and most accurate data.

Our drones are outfitted with thermal imaging cameras which allow us to detect heat signatures even in the most unfavourable conditions. Thermal has proven itself to be a lifesaving technology in search and rescue missions helping lead recovery crews to survivors. Heat detection is also instrumental in monitoring and assessing the breadth of chemical spills.

WT: The ASLwebsite lists a diverse range of industries and services. Please briefly summarize the innovative services you are providing for all industries.

Stolyarov: Our services include:

• Low carbon long-range high-resolution mapping
• FPV, manual flight services
• AI integration in the post processing workflows

• Aerial Imaging and surveying: High-resolution photos, videos, ORTHOPHOTOS, and LIDAR for natural resource management, ASSET MANAGEMENT, agriculture, environmental monitoring, and site restoration.
  
  
• 3D Mapping and Modeling: Detailed 3D modeling and mapping for site analysis, project planning, and environmental assessments, statical process control, and material volume estimation.
• Thermal Imaging: Heat signature detection for agricultural monitoring, wildlife tracking, environmental studies, direct drilling, leak detection, and site inspections.
• Multispectral Imaging: Crop health assessment, vegetation analysis, land management, and restoration tracking.
• GEOSPATIAL ANALYTICS (GIS): PROJECT MANAGEMENT, remote sensing, spatial data analysis, AI-classifications, DATA MANAGEMENT, Data LABELING, DATA Modeling, dashboards, and data apps.
• TRAINING AND PILOT CERTIFICATION: custom DRONE programs, training, and advanced TC PILOT certification.
• ENTERPRISE DRONE SALES: DJI, QUANTUM SYSTEMS, and BEYOND VISION.

WT: Can you tell our viewers more about the training, pilot certification, and your affiliation with Coastal Drone Flight School please.

Stolyarov: I started flying drones in 2017 and got my advanced license in 2021. To become a Transport Canada flight reviewer, you need to be affiliated with a flight school such as Coastal Drone. We are affiliated with Selkirk College and Coastal Drone currently. My next step is the Transport Canada certificate of complex operations according to the newly released updates to the drone regulations.

Because it is a legal safety requirement to be licensed to operate a drone over 250 grams in Canada and most of the Western world, we are offering training and pilot certification.

WT: How does an aspiring drone operator enroll and what is the curriculum?

Stolyarov: Basic licensing is relatively easy - YouTube and Transport Canada website provide the details. The advanced route requires a lot more effort, knowledge, and experience.

The first step is the Transport Canada website and various flight schools. If you are interested in transforming drone data into digital products, then learning more about geospatial science is the key.

For anyone wanting to learn more about our equipment and training bundles they can go to our contact page on the Above Sensing website.

WT: You have stated it is an important part of your mission "to give back to the community". Can you talk about this please.

Stolyarov: Supporting our local community is essential. We offer discounted rates for the non-for-profit organizations and participate in local events providing aerial and geospatial support. We often collaborate with the local post secondary institution (Selkirk College) engaging in research projects, working with students, and other projects.

It is important for us to show our community that drones are changing the world.

Climate change threatens every part of the planet; this includes the various industries which depend on natural resources for prosperity. Our mission is to provide remote sensing and drone environmental monitoring solutions that create the necessary knowledge for balancing industry and the environment.

Drones have been proving themselves to be effective environmental monitoring systems regarding the information gathered, coverage, and savings in cost. With our various payloads, we can assess the health of our ecosystems down to the pixel.

Our mission is to provide remote sensing and drone environmental monitoring solutions that create the necessary knowledge for balancing industry and the environment.