University of Eastern Finland, Maanmittauslaitos, National Land Survey of Finland and Kelluu made history by using an autonomous airship for the first time in the study of pests that kill spruce forests.
– Airship drones make monitoring more agile and efficient. They can fly below the clouds, and are less emitting and cheaper than airplanes or helicopters. Autonomous airships combined with artificial intelligence can be widely used in science and society. The management of bark beetle-caused damage is a perfect example of this, states Eija Honkavaara, research professor at the Center for Spatial Research.