Unmanned aircraft help predict volcanic eruptions

In Bali, Indonesia, researchers are hoping unmanned aircraft will help them detect and guard the next major volcanic eruption as well as reduce casualties and deaths.

Researchers from Aeroterrascan, an Indonesian unmanned aircraft manufacturer, have done two tasks.

On the first day, they used unmanned aircraft to create accurate 3D maps of the size of Agung volcano, accuracy of up to 20cm.

Unmanned aircraft help predict volcanic eruptions Picture 1

In the second mission, an unmanned aircraft is equipped with sensors that identify carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide when flying through volcanoes. When these gases suddenly increased, this was a sign that some sort of eruption was about to happen. In this test, the level of this substance is high as a premise for the government to raise the warning level for volcanoes to the highest level.

The third task is that they use unmanned aircraft to scan the area around the volcano for those who need help to evacuate so they can escape danger.

These flights are not without risks. Some planes were lost during testing and they were not cheap to replace. After all, it is all necessary in an effort to increase the amount of active volcanic data so that people can be safer.

See more:

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2. Decipher the world's most dirty volcano that spits rotten mud instead of lava
3. What is a UAV (drone), how does one control it and what can it be used for?