Ecopteron aims at monitoring elements of energy and water balance over a range of landscapes (mosaic and monocultural landscape, mixed landscape where fields are separated by woody shelterbelts and surface water bodies, e.g. ponds).We introduce Ecopteron – the first easy to use, self-navigating, unmanned, small electric helicopter designed to monitor dynamic environmental processes.

Using autonomous helicopter equipped with camera enables to trace local environmental changes, thus giving understanding of the influence of the landscape structure on spatial and temporal distribution of temperature. Availability of sequences of low cost aerial photographs of small water basins allows for the evaluation of current water quantity and provides an oppurtunity to manage the small water retention in the region in the most effective way.

Extending solution with the simplest thermovision camera will additionally enable Ecopteron to detect occurrence of the crop pestilence, limiting the amount of adverse obligatory spraying. Ecopteron will provide the local landscape architects and community of farmers with valuable information about the current and the long-term environment condition in the region.

The adoption of our solution by municipalities will help to sustain enviromental balance in the age of unavoidable climate change.