DRONES AND PHONES: A STRUCTURE FROM MOTION (SFM) COURSE FOR UNDERGRADUATE GEOSCIENCE MAJORS USING SMART PHONES, PAINT POLES, UAVS, AND AGISOFT METASHAPE SOFTWARE

Goals. A half semester course at Hamilton College and a one week session during field camp at Fort Lewis College provide two successful models for introducing students to Structure from Motion (SfM) photogrammetry. In both courses, students 1) completed the FAA TRUST recreational UAV online certification, 2) collected suitable imagery using a variety of methods (hand-held smart phone, paint pole and smart phone, and UAV), 3) processed data using Agisoft Metashape software, 4) created a variety of 2D and 3D data visualization products, and 5) used ground control points to produce scaled and georeferenced DSMs and orthomosaics.

Formats. The half-semester course (Tewksbury) met 3 hours/week for 7 weeks and had optional weekend sessions for additional UAV practice. Preparation for the FAA Part 107 commercial UAV certification exam was integrated into the course, and all 9 students passed the exam. The one week session (Christle), was part of the multi-week Fort Lewis College summer field camp. 14 students were engaged for 5 days in collecting and processing imagery, as students did in the half-semester course. Time constraints prevented the students from preparing for the FAA Part 107 exam, although some plan to take the certification exam later.

Challenges. The biggest challenge in the half-semester course at Hamilton was the weather. Weeks went by without having flyable weather during class, which made the work with smart phones and paint poles all the more important. The biggest challenge in the one-week field course module was the short time frame, not the weather. Having teams of students work together to collect imagery and process data helped alleviate the numbers issue somewhat, as did using smart phones, paint poles, and previously collected UAV imagery.

Successes: Collecting imagery with phones and paint poles proved to be hugely valuable for several reasons. It allowed students to collect imagery quickly and easily with little equipment overhead, which allowed them to learn how to use the processing software very early in both courses. This also provided students with simple and powerful strategies that can be used when a UAV flight is not possible due to vegetation, weather, or flight restrictions. Students came away from both courses excited to continue to collect more imagery and to work with SfM photogrammetry.