The higher-cost BAT UAV performed flawlessly in our test. With a larger capacity memory card in the camera, the BAT could have remained airborne for a much longer time (up to 6 hours). Launching, flying the flight lines, and landing was all performed autonomously, and uploading of new flight patterns and landing programs could be
performed in-flight and presented no problems. Images were acquired at the required 60% forward lap and 30% side
lap. We made minor adjustments during the flight due to changing wind speed and wind direction, but the flight lines were flown straight, and the distances between image centers were consistent. The BAT UAV is highly suited for research purposes where repeatability, consistency and reliability of image acquisition are critical. In the future, we plan to experiment with hyperspectral, multispectral and thermal sensors as technology improves and miniaturized sensors become available.