Easter Island Mapped by UAVs

AG-Wing, a unmanned aerial system developed by IDETEC, has covered the whole of Easter Island – 41,250 acres – in the south-eastern Pacific Ocean in about a week. The operation was conducted to obtain high-resolution orthomosaics and digital surface models of the island to support archaeology efforts, as required by the Chilean National Monuments Council. The project was executed by two AG-Wing UAVs flying simultaneously and equipped with standard 20mp RGB sensors. The last flight of the project took place on 27 September 2015.

Easter Island is one of the most remote islands in the world. In 1995, UNESCO named Easter Island a World Heritage Site, with much of the island protected within Rapa Nui National Park. The project was executed by Edafica (environmental and GIS consultancy company) with the direct support of IDETEC Unmanned Systems. Both UAVs completed the mission in excellent condition, without any incident.

AG-Wing demonstrated excellent flight characteristics and image quality in a place dominated by strong winds and dynamic weather. The operation was approved and monitored by the civil aviation authority of Chile (DGAC – Direccion de Aeronautica Civil). IDETEC Unmanned Systems and AG-Wing participate in the Commercial UAV EXPO, Las Vegas, taking place from 5-7 October 2015.