I’ve had a bit of a go at using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in the past (see this little write-up) but with mixed success. Part of the problem is that there has not been any consistent attempt to develop a technology that can be used for environmental or ecological research – just a bunch of scientists trying to MacGyver existing equipment. Now there’s Conservation Drones, who seem to be taking a slight more systematic approach, designing their own drone, spreading the knowledge around, and starting up PhD research projects to develop the tech further. Here’s an early demo of one of their models:
Awesome / Nature / Research / Science / Technology
Katatrepsis 
This is a brilliant idea, not only great for filmmaking but an amazing tool for conservation and animal ecology! 🙂 Think people are using this and LiDAR to map ecosystems rather than flying over with planes?