UAUs – a snazzy toy or a real solution for aerial weed surveillance

Abstract

The National Four Tropical Weeds Eradication Program (NFTWEP) has been conducting aerial surveillance for Miconia (Miconia calvescens) in the vast rainforests of Tropical North Queensland for many years. Due to safety concerns, manned low level flights are no longer used by the Program. A number of different methods have been tried to replace the manned flights, some with success and some without. From drones to cameras attached to aircraft, each method presents with its own set of problems and results. This paper will look at the past and present in locating Miconia using aerial surveillance and whether UAVs are a real solution to locate this invasive weed.