Drone PhD studentships available at LJMU

Serge Wich and Alex Piel at Liverpool John Moores Unviersity have interesting PhD studentships available:

1. Funded PhD position: "Multispectral UAV sensor applications in animal conservation"; Supervisor: Serge Wich; Part of the description: The recent development of low-cost UAVs and multispectral cameras specifically designed for UAVs has the opportunity to revolutionize the way in which we monitor land-cover and its change. In addition, because of the high-resolution images that can be obtained with UAVs there is an opportunity to start monitoring food availability for key animal species in much more detail than with satellites, especially for frugivores, and over much larger areas than is presently possible with ground-based methods. This exciting and novel project will use a Sequoia multispectral camera. The camera will be used under a multi-rotor UAV. We aim to use the camera in two areas where apes occur. The first area is the Leuser Ecosystem in Sumatra (Indonesia) where orangutan research is being conducted at two locations. The second area is the Issa research area in western Tanzania, where Alex Piel and Fiona Stewart run a long-term study on chimpanzees. The applicant is expected to work with researchers in both those areas. Other sites might also be part of the dissertation work. Details here: https://sergewich.com/2016/08/29/new-phd-position-available/ on Serge's personal website.

2. Funded PhD position: “Aerial vehicles as data mules in conducting rapid acoustic biodiversity surveys in western Tanzania”; Supervisor: Alex Piel; Aim: The primary aim of this project is to develop an aerial system that uses unmanned aerial vehicles as data mules for real-time processing of acoustic biodiversity. Details here: http://ugallaprimateproject.com/files/UAVs-and-acoustic-biodiversity-PhD-ad1.pdf on their Ugalla Project website.