KDE Direct News Releases

Understanding Climate Change with Drones

Our oceans and atmosphere affect the fundamental processes that drive our weather and the rate of climate change. Understanding these processes is essential, but getting reliable (and affordable) data from remote parts of the ocean and Arctic has been tricky for years. Today, drones aim to change that. From tracking atmospheric particles in Alaskan skies to providing researchers with data on forest planning, drones are playing a bigger role in climate change all the time.

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Drones in Wildlife Conservation Across the Globe

An unlikely contender in the battle for wildlife conservation has entered the ring: drones. Thanks to their ability to cover large land masses with low overhead costs, drones are playing a part in the reduction of wildlife threats. Across the globe, drones are aiding in everything from migration tracking to nest surveys to habitat management and even anti-poaching activities. Read on to discover how drones are changing wildlife conservation around the world.

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Drones in Hurricane Relief

In preliminary research conducted last year in Europe, drones found isolated people significantly faster than ground-based rescue teams. Drones can also deliver life jackets and rescue ropes to areas ground-based rescuers can’t access as well as predict further flooding and provide estimates of how long specific areas will remain underwater.

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OSU and KDE Direct Discover a New Way to Power Drones

Battery powered drones can fly for up to 60 minutes with specialized endurance systems, but most drones average around 20. Adding bigger batteries has traditionally been the method to try and increase flight-time, but the increased weight requires bigger motors, larger diameter propellers, and higher-power ESCs to lift them. This puts engineers and hobbyists alike wind up back where they started—without sufficient power to lift the drone. LiPo batteries, the highest-energy density power option readily available, create a similar challenge—it’s impossible to pack in more juice without increasing fire risks (volatility) or adding more weight. But what other options are there?

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Multi-Rotor vs. Single-Rotor | Which to Use for Your Next Flight Project

Although multi-rotor drones get most of the attention in the UAV world today, they’re not your only option for a flight project. Learn about the basic differences between multi-rotor and single-rotor as well as their strengths and weaknesses.

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