Purdue Crewed Airborne Mapping System
Purdue Crewed Airborne Mapping System
Purdue's Crewed Airborne Mapping System (PCAMS) integrates advanced remote-sensing technologies with a crewed light-sport aircraft with applications across forestry, agriculture and environmental research.
What does pcams do?
PCAMS integrates advanced technologies and precision positioning with a two-seat Sky Arrow Light Sport aircraft to:
- Collect high-resolution, multi-sensor data simultaneously
- Cover large areas in a single flight
- Fly customized and repeat acquisitions
- Operate where UAS coverage or use may be limited
- Access remote and challenging landscapes
Schedule a demonstration or consultation 
PCAMS flights and data collection can be tailored to each project's needs.
what sensors and technology does pcams use?
The PCAMS technology suite includes:- GNSS-INS: Precise position and orientation for georeferencing
- LiDAR: 3D vegetation structure and terrain data
- Push-Broom Hyperspectral Imager: Spectral data supporting analysis of vegetation condition, stress, composition and classification
- High-Resolution RGB Camera: Color imagery for visual inspection, mapping and photogrammetric products
How is sensor data visualized?
PCAMS captures complementary datasets from these advanced remote-sensing technologies, providing a more complete view of vegetation structure, condition and surrounding terrain.
[insert 3 images of data visualizations]
how can the pcams remote-sensing platform be used in forestry and agriculture?
PCAMS has applications in management, operations and research across forests, farms and other landscapes.
Forestry
- Improve inventory and biomass models: Streamline timber volume estimates and biomass tracking with highly accurate models of forest structure and canopy density.
- Monitor forest health and disturbance: Detect plant stress, disease outbreaks, and storm damage early to deploy quick mitigation strategies.
- Characterize forest structure and terrain: Map tree height, canopy layers and biomass as well as elevation and other terrain characteristics to create a reliable reference and help guide decision-making.
Agriculture
- Assess crop condition and vigor: Identify subtle spatial variations in crop condition across thousands of acres to address nutrient deficiencies early.
- Identify within-field variability: Map recurring problems like drainage issues or pest hot spots to optimize targeted tractor applications.
- Evaluate crop development: Track growth and monitor health, stress and disease to detect possible problems early.
other Applications and use cases
- Track seasonal phenology: Monitor growth stages and crop changes throughout the entire season to time harvest and shipping logistics.
- Track long-term change: Capture reliable, repeatable data over time to track growth rates, climate impacts and recovery.
- Compare trials and management practices: Run side-by-side comparisons of different inputs, seeds or practices across entire fields.
- Integrate with ground-based remote sensing, UAS, ground-reference data and other geospatial datasets: Seamlessly integrate high-resolution aerial layers with existing soil maps, weather history and scouting notes.
- Accelerate stress and spectral research: Deepen plant breeding and agronomy studies by capturing precise spectral signatures of crop stress.