GatorEye Lite
Directed by Drs. Almeyda Zambrano and Broadbent, the GatorEye Lite program uses lower-cost and ruggedized weather-resistant components to collect visually colorized low-vegetation penetration lidar point clouds, simultaneous to photogrammetric derived multi-spectral and thermal orthomosaics, suitable over smaller areas, with a focus being on the establishment of 'Big Plot Lites', which are 200-250x200-250 meters in extent. The system can also conduct lidar only flights over small-medium size extents (1-4 km2) in more open landscapes. System details can be found in the GatorEye overview manuscript.
The system is suitable for: establishment of "Big Plot Lites", preferably over smaller plot networks or networks of similar study sites, individual case studies, and proof-of-concept data collection efforts, with lidar point clouds then post-processed through the standard GatorEye post-processing workflows.
This system is intrinsically different from the GatorEye and GatorEye XL programs due to greatly reduced sensor quality and band number and area coverage potential, while featuring increased weather resistance and AI based sense and avoid technology, with the core program objective being enhanced availability and coverage in Latin America, focused on Brazil, and collaboration with key institutions, including RESTOR, to establish a growing global network of "Big Plot Lites". The GatorEye Lite program is currently active and with planned and ongoing data collects in 2021 and 2022 including France, Ecuador, Philippines, Malaysia,. Uganda, the Caribbean nations, Brazil, and the United States.
Please contact the co-directors with any questions or to discuss potential opportunities. Contact info is available here.