The main question asked by forest park rangers and game wardens is “How much ground can we cover?”
The answer to this question depends on how much detail the UAS camera system must be able to resolve to catch the poachers. The Zephyr UA system will travel at a top speed of 90 MPH and can normally cover a square mile of ground with 10 passes at an altitude of 300 meters.
By modifying the altitude of the aircraft, a greater swath of ground can be covered on each pass, however a higher altitude will result in less detail of the video captured.
One option is to order a custom UAS that can stay in the air longer and cover a greater amount of ground exists. This custom UAS will come with a larger overall airframe and more on-board battery packs to extend flight time. Up to 30 miles of flight distance can be achieved using the combination of a long-range Zephyr airframe and long range tracking antenna- essentially doubling the amount of ground that can be covered over stock.
The company warns that it is up to the operator to comply with all local, state, and national laws in regards to long range flight-testing. It might be necessary to get special permits to fly at this distance, and advises checking with an attorney before flying.
The effect of using the technology to identify and prosecute poachers will relieve funds typically spent prosecuting the defendants. The resolution of video that is available through use of the UAS brings not only evidence of poaching that courts systems can use, but also intelligence game wardens have used to catch the poachers in the act.
The Zephyr UAS package for game wardens is colored white to make it extremely difficult to spot from the ground. When landing the aircraft manually, a bright orange led light system will be activated to allow the flight operator to see what the poacher couldn’t. Additionally, because the Zephyr operates off of an electric motor and flies at a height of hundreds of feet in the air, the poachers won’t be able to hear the aircraft approaching.
A game warden won’t necessarily be able to catch poachers in the act with the Zephyr most times, but a log can be made of hunters in the area for future reference. Recommended use of the UAV system includes sweeping the area in the jurisdiction on a schedule as to map out activity in the area.
Game wardens that have a very large area to police can use multiple Zephyr aircraft and programme them for use in “swarm” mode. This allows the operator to run multiple UAS from the same set of controls. Often this swarm capability is needed to keep adequate logs of a larger area.
Source: MarcusUAV Blog