Droning on a Budget: UAVs, Aerial Imagery, and Photogrammetry for the Archaeologist

Summary

Recent changes to the FAA regulations covering the use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) or "drones" have clarified their use in both research and commercial operations. This paper is intended to provide an overview of low-cost entry into the use of UAVs for archaeological projects and considerations for applications in aerial imagery, videography, and photogrammetry. Using drones for documentation and interpretation is no longer uncommon, but it has been cost-prohibitive since the previous regulations required full pilot licensing or were ambiguous. By gaining a little bit of knowledge and experience, now even graduate students with little funding can find opportunities to employ these devices on their own research projects. Some examples will be provided along with a discussion of what the future holds for UAV technology.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 82nd Annual Meeting, Vancouver, BC (2017)   •
• Teaching through the Past: Advances in Technological Analysis of the Archaeological Record

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 14921