Drones have become well-known because of their roles in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, but now they are fighting a different kind of war-one against illegal logging.
Humming above the vast forests of the Amazon, two unmanned drone aircraft-dubbed Arara (Parrot) and Tiriba (Little Parrot)-are ratcheting up the battle against illegal loggers and smugglers. Able to stay in flight longer than conventional aircraft (and much quieter, to boot) the São Paulo Environmental Police have enlisted the unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to monitor illegal activity in the Amazon, according to Scientific American.
The drones can be deployed almost anywhere, and they're quieter and smaller than conventional crafts, thus evading detection by criminals. What's more, Tiriba can be launched just by throwing it, as this YouTube video shows:
In August, we shared some other interesting advances in forest management, including computing tools from Google, tree DNA fingerprinting and advanced policy like REDD+. For an in-depth look at the gamut of drone aircraft uses, see "Drones are Ready for Takeoff" from Smithsonian Magazine.
