AEROLAB is the airborne remote sensing laboratory of the CNR Institute of BioEconomy (CNR-IBE). Built around unmanned aerial vehicles and hyperspectral sensors, it brings laboratory-grade spectral measurements to the field, at the scale of individual plants, plots and landscapes.

What is AEROLAB?

One of the core AEROLAB assets is a T-Motor MX860 UAV equipped with a Headwall Co-Aligned VNIR-SWIR hyperspectral imager. The sensor records continuous spectra across the visible, near-infrared and shortwave-infrared regions (450-2500 nm) for every pixel of an image, capturing information that conventional cameras cannot see. The sensor is also equipped with a LiDAR in order to generate digital terrain models that help in more accurate geo-referencing of the acquired datasets.

What is it used for?

AEROLAB is deployed within a range of research projects, with a focus on:

• Ecosystem science: observing vegetation and ecosystem properties with high spatial detail and on demand, filling the gap between ground measurements and satellite observations.
• Crop science: monitoring crops across fields and growing seasons, supporting research on plant status and agricultural management.

Flexible deployment means flights can be timed to the phenomenon under study rather than to a satellite overpass.

Learn more

Explore the site to explore AEROLAB activities and papers. To discuss a collaboration or a new project, get in touch at federico.carotenuto@cnr.it.