FRDC is a tool for ecologists to efficiently assess forest health, classify tree species, and monitor reforestation through the use of UAVs and ML.
FRDC uses UAVs to scan large forest areas and ML to extract data on tree health, species composition, and forest recovery patterns. Traditionally, ecologists conduct field surveys to collect data on tree condition, foliage density, and presence of pests or diseases. Leveraging on FRDC, ecologists can now perform preliminary inferences on the plots of interest, to complement their traditional field-based assessments. This allows them to focus their time and expertise on more in-depth analysis and decision-making.
✈️ UAV-based data collection
FRDC employs UAVs equipped with high-resolution cameras and other sensors to gather detailed information from forests. This data provides comprehensive insights into tree canopy structure, foliage condition, and other indicators of tree health and species identification.
- 📊 Machine learning-powered analysis
FRDC utilizes ML algorithms to analyze the collected data, identifying patterns and correlations that reveal the overall health of individual trees, the forest as a whole, and the specific tree species present. We also leverage active learning, which allows the model to continually learn and adapt to improve performance.
- 📱 Real-time collaboration platform and cross-platform app
FRDC's user-friendly cross-platform GUI serves as a central hub for ecologists to access real-time forest data and insights, and also as a tool to help track and modify metadata about trees on the go.
Apart from its utility in field surveys, FRDC's GUI also plays a crucial role in stakeholder engagement and knowledge sharing. Ecologists can generate presentations and reports using the app's data visualization features, effectively communicating their findings to stakeholders, policymakers, and the wider public. This fosters informed decision-making and promotes collaboration in forest conservation efforts.
💪 We believe that everyone should have access to our efforts, that's why we use GitHub to open-source our projects.