UH Hilo-HCC venture uses unmanned aerial vehicle to study lava

Students and faculty with the University of Hawaii at Hilo and Hawaii Community College are using an unmanned aerial vehicle to survey the active Kilauea lava flow on the Big Island.

The vehicle is equipped with a small camera and programmed to take hundreds of photos as it flies over the flow.

“Just before it takes a photo, it’ll stabilize itself. It’ll kill the motor and based on its airspeed rating, it’ll slow down and take a photo,” explained Nick Turner, geospatial researcher, UH Hilo. “Then the motor will kick in, it’ll speed back up, go to its next geotagged photo location and slow down, take another photo.”

Turner says the photos will be compiled into a massive, high-definition photo mosaic, and also be used to create surface models of the flow.

“We’re trying to measure the inflation rates of the flow remotely from the air, which is imagery taken from the UAV, and we’re comparing it with our field measurements from the ground,” Turner said.

The flights, which started in October, are part of a collaborative project conducted among UH Hilo’s geology and geography and environmental sciences departments, and HCC’s geomatics program.

Ryan Perroy, UH Hilo geography and environmental sciences assistant professor, says the schools are working in close coordination with Hawaii County Civil Defense to gain access to the flow and coordinate flights with other aircraft.

“It’s a fantastic opportunity for the students to work on an active lava flow,” Perroy said.

A total of six flights were conducted Thursday to understand how the flow is changing and inflating.

All the information is given to Hawaii County Civil Defense and the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory to support their research efforts.

http://khon2.com/2014/11/07/uh-hilo-hcc-venture-uses-unmanned-aerial-vehicle-to-study-lava/