The Amazon Rainforest has an Unconventional Watcher

It’s not hard at all to name a few things that drones excel at, from capturing stunning aerial photos to helping out in search and rescue missions or surveillance operations. Even more impressive is the fact that a drone is currently being used to prevent illegal logging in the Amazon rainforest. The drone in question is controlled by the Amazon Basin Conservation Association in Peru, and it is scanning huge sections of the rain forest in order to pinpoint illegal logging and gold mining operations.

The entire reserve occupies 550 square miles of space, so as you can probably imagine, this is no easy task. The drone that gets the job done is a custom-designed foam “flying wing” that was created by Max Messinger, a Wake Forest University grad student. This thing costs $5,000 and measures three feet in width. It flaunts a range greater than a quadcopter thanks to its airplane-like design, and it is equipped with an autopilot system and a Canon camera. Potential illegal logging areas and gold mining operations are identified by the team via satellite images, and then the drone is sent out to confirm and spot even the smallest tracts where poachers conduct their activities. According to Messinger, the team has already been successful in identifying a few illegal mines.

I think the Amazon Basin Conservation Association should buy quite a few more of these incredible flyers, especially since this one has already proven its usefulness.

Thank you Engadget for providing us with this information.