Civic Drone Centre

aeroSense combines drone technologists, academics, journalists, data visualisation specialists, media partners and collaborators in Africa and beyond to explore how drones can create unique data and data visualisations for storytelling. We’ll use fixed-wing, multirotor and tethered drones in both rural and urban settings, and partner with local and national media providers. The drones will capture a range of data – from pollution, thermal and near-infrared to high-resolution 3Dmaps. This material will be fed to local media partners and shared on an Open Drone Data platform – specifically created for drone pilots and journalists to collaborate and share knowledge.

By using off-the-shelf drones and sensors for gathering data, we’ll show that drone sensor journalism is accessible, opening new aerial data journalism opportunities that push beyond photo and video storytelling. Drones democratise the skies, removing obstacles that prevent storytellers from accessing aerial perspectives that reveal new stories while providing a new view on familiar ones. By giving storytellers access to sensor drones, we’ll make new drone technology accessible to storytellers in ways commercial drone manufacturers have yet to do.

Who’s in the Project?

• Civic Drone Centre, University of Central Lancashire: Will develop open source technology platforms (software and hardware). Offers academic expertise around engineering and journalism.
• African skyCAM: Will deploy drone platforms and network with local media partners and collaborators to develop and publish drone-driven data content.
• Ben Kreimer – journalism technologist: Will contribute to the design and build of the platforms, fly the drones, and create some of the visualisations the UAVs generate.
• Drone Journalism Lab, University of Nebraska-Lincoln: provides academic expertise around drone and data journalism.