ABSTRACT
In the last 10 years, Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) or Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) technology has evolved very quickly to provide a number of low-cost platforms for numerous miniaturised sensors (e.g. RGB, NDVI, thermal) that can be used to gather aerial photography and sensor imagery for numerous land-based monitoring, mapping, and modelling environmental applications. More recently, small affordable underwater platforms and sensors have emerged with the capability to see underwater and to gather different types of data and imagery below the waves in both freshwater and saltwater. There are many examples of airborne platforms now in use that can survey the coast, wind turbines, flares, tank, and external ship inspections. This chapter explores some of the small affordable platforms and sensors now coming onto the market and some of their potential uses, advantages, and limitations.
