Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Systems 

    The Florida Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit's multidisciplinary UAS research program with the UF Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, Micro Air Vehicle Laboratory, the UF School of Forest Resources and Conservation, Geomatics Program, the UF Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and others- is developing unmanned aerial vehicle systems (UAV or UAS) whose goals include the development of a highly-capable UAV system that is both affordable and user-friendly for natural resource assessments and monitoring. The systems offer ease and rapid deployment, simplified transportation to remote locations that lack runways, and reduced logistical burdens. Using a custom-designed composite airframe with a customized commercial autopilot/GPS avionics suite and image-collection systems, georeferenced imagery from small UAVs can provide the ability to rapidly locate and assess objects on the ground in specific areas.