Introduction to Forest Health Quantification with RPAS, Microcredential, Part-time

Program Overview

This blended program introduces the fundamentals of Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS), including safety, regulations, and flight planning. It covers the use of sensors and image processing for forest stand health assessment and timber volume quantification. The program is taught by experts in remote sensing, natural hazards management, and environmental geomatics.

Program Outline

Outline:

• XRPA 1100: Introduction to RPAS Safety and Transport Canada Certification
• Introduces the basics of RPAS, including applications, history, regulations, and laws.
• Provides an overview of RPAS operating procedures, emphasizing safety and understanding the aircraft's capabilities and limitations.
• XRPA 1200: Fundamentals of Relevant Sensors and Flight Planning
• Covers practical and theoretical skills for conducting site surveys and mission planning for drone flights.
• Reviews EMR theory and discusses passive remote sensors, focusing on multi-spectral and thermal sensors.
• XRPA 1300: Cloud-based Multi-spectral Image Processing for Forest Stand Health Assessment
• Teaches how to convert photogrammetric images into point clouds and derive geospatial data such as 3D models and orthomosaics.
• Provides an overview of forest health metrics and how to compute them using raster multi-layer analysis in GIS.
• Offers hands-on experience in analyzing multi-spectral data for forest health assessment using GIS.
• XRPA 1400: Timber Volume Quantification using Cloud-based Image Processing
• Provides a thorough overview of creating digital surface and terrain models (DSM and DTM).

Teaching:

• Teaching Methods: Blended (online with a field component)
• Faculty:
• Dr. Eric Saczuk: RPAS Hub Coordinator, with expertise in remote sensing and natural hazards management.