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National Uncrewed Systems Office

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By National Land Imaging Program December 11, 2018

New Article: Drone-based radiometric surveys provide high-resolution mine waste characterization

Learn more about this new application of UAS technology for geophysics

New research article: evaluating radiometric calibration and data quality of spectral UAS sensors

Learn more about our work with the EROS CalVal Center of Excellence

Using uncrewed aircraft systems to assess landslide damage after Hurricane Helene

Learn more about our work with the National Park Service Blue Ridge Parkway

UAS 3D Model of Marsh-Felch Quarry in Colorado

Learn More

UAS Hyperspectral Imaging during the Missouri River Dye-Trace Study

Learn More

UAS 3D Scan of the Perry’s Victory and International Peace Memorial

Learn More

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Uncrewed Systems Office (NUSO) leads the research activities needed to make Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UAS) data collection an efficient, safe, and cost-effective remote sensing tool for Department of the Interior (DOI) and USGS scientists.

Technology Research

Technology Research

Research Missions

Research Missions

New and Noteworthy

December 3, 2025
Absolute radiometric calibration evaluation of Uncrewed Aerial System (UAS) Headwall and MicaSense sensors and improving data quality using the Empirical Line Method

November 1, 2025
Drone-based radiometric surveys provide high-resolution mine waste characterization

June 3, 2025
Pre-Restoration Woody Species Crown and Vegetation Community Mapping Using High-Resolution Uncrewed Aerial System Imagery, Palmyra Atoll

 

 

What We Do

Media
National Uncrewed Systems Office - What We Do
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details

We focus on the evaluation of new platforms, integration of new UAS-compatible sensors, development of data specifications and processing techniques, recommendations of UAS data acquisition best-practices, and operational support for new and existing DOI remote pilots.
 

Who We Are

Media
National Uncrewed Systems Office - Who We Are
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details

We are a team of platform and UAS-compatible sensor subject matter experts that, in addition to research, provide operational support to DOI remote pilots and outreach to federal, public, and international audiences. Our office, established on May 8th, 2008, operates as part of the National Land Imaging Program, and contributes to its goal to provide the Federal Government and the public with the remotely sensed data and applications needed to support our Nation’s economic security and environmental vitality.

Products listed below were supported through the use of UAS technologies and resources at USGS.

Filter Total Items: 83

UAS imagery and related products collected for structure-from-motion work obtained by using uncrewed aerial systems from an erosion prone area north of Medina River Natural Area near San Antonio, Texas, August 14, 2019, and July 8, 2022 UAS imagery and related products collected for structure-from-motion work obtained by using uncrewed aerial systems from an erosion prone area north of Medina River Natural Area near San Antonio, Texas, August 14, 2019, and July 8, 2022

Uncrewed aerial system (UAS) flights were conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey at an edge-of-field site located north of Medina River Natural Area near San Antonio, Texas on August 14, 2019, and July 8, 2022, to support efforts aimed at estimating edge-of-field erosion and potential sediment loading into the Medina River near San Antonio. Data provided here include imagery obtained...
By
Oklahoma-Texas Water Science Center

Rapid-response digital elevation models of the 2020–present summit eruptions at Kīlauea Volcano, Island of Hawaiʻi (updated 2025-05-02) Rapid-response digital elevation models of the 2020–present summit eruptions at Kīlauea Volcano, Island of Hawaiʻi (updated 2025-05-02)

We depict changing eruptive features within the summit caldera of Kilauea volcano, Island of Hawai'i with rapid-response digital elevation models (DEMs) acquired since a series of caldera-filling effusive eruptions began on December 20, 2020. These eruptions follow the caldera collapse of 2018, with new lava progressively filling the approximately 1-cubic-kilometer pit that formed...
By
Volcano Science Center, Kīlauea

Aerial imagery and ground control points collected during an uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) survey at Plum Island Estuary and Parker River NWR (PIEPR), November 14, 2017 and March 28, 2019 Aerial imagery and ground control points collected during an uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) survey at Plum Island Estuary and Parker River NWR (PIEPR), November 14, 2017 and March 28, 2019

Low-altitude (80 and 100 meters above ground level) digital images were taken over an area of the Plum Island Estuary and Parker River National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) in Massachusetts using 3DR Solo unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) on November 14, 2017 and March 28, 2019. These images were collected as part of an effort to document marsh stability over time and quantify sediment movement...
By
Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center

Topobathymetric Model of Pu'uhonua O Honaunau National Historical Park, 2011 to 2019 - Field Survey Source and Validation Data Topobathymetric Model of Pu'uhonua O Honaunau National Historical Park, 2011 to 2019 - Field Survey Source and Validation Data

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and University of Hawaii - Manoa (UH) scientists conducted field data collection efforts from August 19th - 27th, 2019 at Pu'uhonua O Honaunau National Historical Park on the Big Island of Hawaii. The data collection efforts utilized a combination of remote sensing technologies to map the topography, critical infrastructure, and most importantly, the...
By
Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center

Colorado River at Windy Gap near Granby, CO - 2021/07/27 Water Surface Velocity Map Using Particle Image Velocimetry Colorado River at Windy Gap near Granby, CO - 2021/07/27 Water Surface Velocity Map Using Particle Image Velocimetry

The dataset consists of a shapefile of measurements of surface velocity magnitude and direction at the Colorado River at Windy Gap near Granby, CO, on July 27, 2021. The dataset contains approximately 1 km of river length. The surface velocity measurements were made by applying Large-Scale Particle Image Velocimetry (LSPIV) techniques, using overlapping videos collected by small Unmanned...
By
Arizona Water Science Center

Aerial imagery and structure-from-motion data products from a UAS survey of the Los Padres Reservoir delta, Carmel River valley, CA, 2017-11-01 Aerial imagery and structure-from-motion data products from a UAS survey of the Los Padres Reservoir delta, Carmel River valley, CA, 2017-11-01

An unoccupied aerial system (UAS) was used to acquire high-resolution imagery of the exposed reservoir delta at Los Padres Reservoir, in the Carmel River valley in central California on 1 November 2017. This survey followed sediment delivery to the reservoir by the Carmel River due to landscape response after the 2016 Soberanes Fire and high flows in winter 2017. The imagery from this...
By
Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center
Filter Total Items: 108
No results found.

Products listed below were supported through the use of UAS technologies and resources at USGS.

U.S. Geological Survey Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Roadmap 2014 U.S. Geological Survey Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Roadmap 2014

The U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) is responsible for protecting the natural resources and heritage contained on almost 20 percent of the land in the United States. This responsibility requires acquisition of remotely sensed data throughout vast lands, including areas that are remote and potentially dangerous to access. One promising new technology for data collection is unmanned...
Authors
Jill J. Cress, Michael E. Hutt, Jeff L. Sloan, Mark A. Bauer, Mark R. Feller, Susan E. Goplen
By
Ecosystems Land Change Science Program, Groundwater and Streamflow Information Program, Geosciences and Environmental Change Science Center
Filter Total Items: 61

Using small unmanned aircraft systems for measuring post-flood high-water marks and streambed elevations Using small unmanned aircraft systems for measuring post-flood high-water marks and streambed elevations

Floods affected approximately two billion people around the world from 1998–2017, causing over 142,000 fatalities and over 656 billion U.S. dollars in economic losses. Flood data, such as the extent of inundation and peak flood stage, are needed to define the environmental, economic, and social impacts of significant flood events. Ground-based global positioning system (GPS) surveys of...
Authors
Brandon T. Forbes, Geoffrey DeBenedetto, Jesse E. Dickinson, Claire Bunch, Faith A. Fitzpatrick
By
Water Resources Mission Area, Arizona Water Science Center, Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center, Upper Midwest Water Science Center

Volcanological applications of unoccupied aircraft systems (UAS): Developments, strategies, and future challenges Volcanological applications of unoccupied aircraft systems (UAS): Developments, strategies, and future challenges

Unoccupied aircraft systems (UAS) are developing into fundamental tools for tackling the grand challenges in volcanology; here, we review the systems used and their diverse applications. UAS can typically provide image and topographic data at two orders of magnitude better spatial resolution than space-based remote sensing, and close-range observations at temporal resolutions down to...
Authors
Mike R. James, Brett B Carr, Fiona D’Arcy, Angela K. Diefenbach, Hannah R. Dietterich, Alessandro Fornaciai, Einat Lev, Emma J Liu, David C. Pieri, Mel Rodgers, Benoit Smets, Akihiko Terada, Felix W von Aulock, Thomas R. Walter, Kieran T Wood, Edgar U Zorn
By
Volcano Hazards Program, Volcano Science Center

Overall results and key findings on the use of UAV visible-color, multispectral, and thermal infrared imagery to map agricultural drainage pipes Overall results and key findings on the use of UAV visible-color, multispectral, and thermal infrared imagery to map agricultural drainage pipes

Effective and efficient methods are needed to map agricultural subsurface drainage systems. Visible-color (VIS-C), multispectral (MS), and thermal infrared (TIR) imagery obtained by unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) may provide a means for determining drainage pipe locations. Aerial surveys using a UAV with VIS-C, MS, and TIR cameras were conducted at 29 agricultural field sites in the...
Authors
Barry J. Allred, Luis Martinez, Melake Fessehazion, Greg Rouse, Tanja N. Williamson, DeBonne Wishart, Triven Koganti, Robert Freeland, Neal Eash, Adam Batschelet, Robert Featheringill
By
Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Water Science Center

Cyclic lava effusion during the 2018 eruption of Kīlauea Volcano Cyclic lava effusion during the 2018 eruption of Kīlauea Volcano

Lava flows present a recurring threat to communities on active volcanoes, and volumetric eruption rate is one of the primary factors controlling flow behavior and hazard. The timescales and driving forces of eruption rate variability, however, remain poorly understood. In 2018, a highly destructive eruption occurred on the lower flank of Kīlauea Volcano, Hawaiʻi, where the primary vent...
Authors
Matthew R. Patrick, Hannah R. Dietterich, John J. Lyons, Angela K. Diefenbach, Carolyn Parcheta, Kyle R. Anderson, Atsuko Namiki, Ikuro Sumita, Brian Shiro, James P. Kauahikaua
By
Volcano Hazards Program, Volcano Science Center

Reach-scale monitoring and modeling of rivers--Expanding hydraulic data collection beyond the cross section Reach-scale monitoring and modeling of rivers--Expanding hydraulic data collection beyond the cross section

For over 125 years, the U.S. Geological Survey streamgage network has provided important hydrologic information about rivers and streams throughout the Nation. Traditional streamgage methods provide reliable stage and streamflow data but typically only monitor stage at a single location in a river and require frequent calibration streamflow measurements. Direct measurements are not...
Authors
Brandon T. Forbes, Claire E. Bunch, Geoffrey DeBenedetto, Corey J. Shaw, Bruce Gungle
By
Water Resources Mission Area, Arizona Water Science Center

Variable normal-fault rupture behavior, northern Lost River fault zone, Idaho, USA Variable normal-fault rupture behavior, northern Lost River fault zone, Idaho, USA

The 1983 Mw 6.9 Borah Peak earthquake generated ∼36 km of surface rupture along the Thousand Springs and Warm Springs sections of the Lost River fault zone (LRFZ, Idaho, USA). Although the rupture is a well-studied example of multisegment surface faulting, ambiguity remains regarding the degree to which a bedrock ridge and branch fault at the Willow Creek Hills influenced rupture...
Authors
Christopher DuRoss, Michael P. Bunds, Ryan D. Gold, Richard W. Briggs, Nadine G. Reitman, Stephen Personius, Nathan A. Toke
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Geologic Hazards Science Center

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Uncrewed Systems Office (NUSO) leads the research activities needed to make Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UAS) data collection an efficient, safe, and cost-effective remote sensing tool for Department of the Interior (DOI) and USGS scientists.

Technology Research

Technology Research

Research Missions

Research Missions

New and Noteworthy

December 3, 2025
Absolute radiometric calibration evaluation of Uncrewed Aerial System (UAS) Headwall and MicaSense sensors and improving data quality using the Empirical Line Method

November 1, 2025
Drone-based radiometric surveys provide high-resolution mine waste characterization

June 3, 2025
Pre-Restoration Woody Species Crown and Vegetation Community Mapping Using High-Resolution Uncrewed Aerial System Imagery, Palmyra Atoll

 

 

What We Do

Media
National Uncrewed Systems Office - What We Do
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details

We focus on the evaluation of new platforms, integration of new UAS-compatible sensors, development of data specifications and processing techniques, recommendations of UAS data acquisition best-practices, and operational support for new and existing DOI remote pilots.
 

Who We Are

Media
National Uncrewed Systems Office - Who We Are
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details

We are a team of platform and UAS-compatible sensor subject matter experts that, in addition to research, provide operational support to DOI remote pilots and outreach to federal, public, and international audiences. Our office, established on May 8th, 2008, operates as part of the National Land Imaging Program, and contributes to its goal to provide the Federal Government and the public with the remotely sensed data and applications needed to support our Nation’s economic security and environmental vitality.

Products listed below were supported through the use of UAS technologies and resources at USGS.

Filter Total Items: 83

UAS imagery and related products collected for structure-from-motion work obtained by using uncrewed aerial systems from an erosion prone area north of Medina River Natural Area near San Antonio, Texas, August 14, 2019, and July 8, 2022 UAS imagery and related products collected for structure-from-motion work obtained by using uncrewed aerial systems from an erosion prone area north of Medina River Natural Area near San Antonio, Texas, August 14, 2019, and July 8, 2022

Uncrewed aerial system (UAS) flights were conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey at an edge-of-field site located north of Medina River Natural Area near San Antonio, Texas on August 14, 2019, and July 8, 2022, to support efforts aimed at estimating edge-of-field erosion and potential sediment loading into the Medina River near San Antonio. Data provided here include imagery obtained...
By
Oklahoma-Texas Water Science Center

Rapid-response digital elevation models of the 2020–present summit eruptions at Kīlauea Volcano, Island of Hawaiʻi (updated 2025-05-02) Rapid-response digital elevation models of the 2020–present summit eruptions at Kīlauea Volcano, Island of Hawaiʻi (updated 2025-05-02)

We depict changing eruptive features within the summit caldera of Kilauea volcano, Island of Hawai'i with rapid-response digital elevation models (DEMs) acquired since a series of caldera-filling effusive eruptions began on December 20, 2020. These eruptions follow the caldera collapse of 2018, with new lava progressively filling the approximately 1-cubic-kilometer pit that formed...
By
Volcano Science Center, Kīlauea

Aerial imagery and ground control points collected during an uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) survey at Plum Island Estuary and Parker River NWR (PIEPR), November 14, 2017 and March 28, 2019 Aerial imagery and ground control points collected during an uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) survey at Plum Island Estuary and Parker River NWR (PIEPR), November 14, 2017 and March 28, 2019

Low-altitude (80 and 100 meters above ground level) digital images were taken over an area of the Plum Island Estuary and Parker River National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) in Massachusetts using 3DR Solo unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) on November 14, 2017 and March 28, 2019. These images were collected as part of an effort to document marsh stability over time and quantify sediment movement...
By
Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center

Topobathymetric Model of Pu'uhonua O Honaunau National Historical Park, 2011 to 2019 - Field Survey Source and Validation Data Topobathymetric Model of Pu'uhonua O Honaunau National Historical Park, 2011 to 2019 - Field Survey Source and Validation Data

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and University of Hawaii - Manoa (UH) scientists conducted field data collection efforts from August 19th - 27th, 2019 at Pu'uhonua O Honaunau National Historical Park on the Big Island of Hawaii. The data collection efforts utilized a combination of remote sensing technologies to map the topography, critical infrastructure, and most importantly, the...
By
Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center

Colorado River at Windy Gap near Granby, CO - 2021/07/27 Water Surface Velocity Map Using Particle Image Velocimetry Colorado River at Windy Gap near Granby, CO - 2021/07/27 Water Surface Velocity Map Using Particle Image Velocimetry

The dataset consists of a shapefile of measurements of surface velocity magnitude and direction at the Colorado River at Windy Gap near Granby, CO, on July 27, 2021. The dataset contains approximately 1 km of river length. The surface velocity measurements were made by applying Large-Scale Particle Image Velocimetry (LSPIV) techniques, using overlapping videos collected by small Unmanned...
By
Arizona Water Science Center

Aerial imagery and structure-from-motion data products from a UAS survey of the Los Padres Reservoir delta, Carmel River valley, CA, 2017-11-01 Aerial imagery and structure-from-motion data products from a UAS survey of the Los Padres Reservoir delta, Carmel River valley, CA, 2017-11-01

An unoccupied aerial system (UAS) was used to acquire high-resolution imagery of the exposed reservoir delta at Los Padres Reservoir, in the Carmel River valley in central California on 1 November 2017. This survey followed sediment delivery to the reservoir by the Carmel River due to landscape response after the 2016 Soberanes Fire and high flows in winter 2017. The imagery from this...
By
Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center
Filter Total Items: 108
No results found.

Products listed below were supported through the use of UAS technologies and resources at USGS.

U.S. Geological Survey Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Roadmap 2014 U.S. Geological Survey Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Roadmap 2014

The U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) is responsible for protecting the natural resources and heritage contained on almost 20 percent of the land in the United States. This responsibility requires acquisition of remotely sensed data throughout vast lands, including areas that are remote and potentially dangerous to access. One promising new technology for data collection is unmanned...
Authors
Jill J. Cress, Michael E. Hutt, Jeff L. Sloan, Mark A. Bauer, Mark R. Feller, Susan E. Goplen
By
Ecosystems Land Change Science Program, Groundwater and Streamflow Information Program, Geosciences and Environmental Change Science Center
Filter Total Items: 61

Using small unmanned aircraft systems for measuring post-flood high-water marks and streambed elevations Using small unmanned aircraft systems for measuring post-flood high-water marks and streambed elevations

Floods affected approximately two billion people around the world from 1998–2017, causing over 142,000 fatalities and over 656 billion U.S. dollars in economic losses. Flood data, such as the extent of inundation and peak flood stage, are needed to define the environmental, economic, and social impacts of significant flood events. Ground-based global positioning system (GPS) surveys of...
Authors
Brandon T. Forbes, Geoffrey DeBenedetto, Jesse E. Dickinson, Claire Bunch, Faith A. Fitzpatrick
By
Water Resources Mission Area, Arizona Water Science Center, Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center, Upper Midwest Water Science Center

Volcanological applications of unoccupied aircraft systems (UAS): Developments, strategies, and future challenges Volcanological applications of unoccupied aircraft systems (UAS): Developments, strategies, and future challenges

Unoccupied aircraft systems (UAS) are developing into fundamental tools for tackling the grand challenges in volcanology; here, we review the systems used and their diverse applications. UAS can typically provide image and topographic data at two orders of magnitude better spatial resolution than space-based remote sensing, and close-range observations at temporal resolutions down to...
Authors
Mike R. James, Brett B Carr, Fiona D’Arcy, Angela K. Diefenbach, Hannah R. Dietterich, Alessandro Fornaciai, Einat Lev, Emma J Liu, David C. Pieri, Mel Rodgers, Benoit Smets, Akihiko Terada, Felix W von Aulock, Thomas R. Walter, Kieran T Wood, Edgar U Zorn
By
Volcano Hazards Program, Volcano Science Center

Overall results and key findings on the use of UAV visible-color, multispectral, and thermal infrared imagery to map agricultural drainage pipes Overall results and key findings on the use of UAV visible-color, multispectral, and thermal infrared imagery to map agricultural drainage pipes

Effective and efficient methods are needed to map agricultural subsurface drainage systems. Visible-color (VIS-C), multispectral (MS), and thermal infrared (TIR) imagery obtained by unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) may provide a means for determining drainage pipe locations. Aerial surveys using a UAV with VIS-C, MS, and TIR cameras were conducted at 29 agricultural field sites in the...
Authors
Barry J. Allred, Luis Martinez, Melake Fessehazion, Greg Rouse, Tanja N. Williamson, DeBonne Wishart, Triven Koganti, Robert Freeland, Neal Eash, Adam Batschelet, Robert Featheringill
By
Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Water Science Center

Cyclic lava effusion during the 2018 eruption of Kīlauea Volcano Cyclic lava effusion during the 2018 eruption of Kīlauea Volcano

Lava flows present a recurring threat to communities on active volcanoes, and volumetric eruption rate is one of the primary factors controlling flow behavior and hazard. The timescales and driving forces of eruption rate variability, however, remain poorly understood. In 2018, a highly destructive eruption occurred on the lower flank of Kīlauea Volcano, Hawaiʻi, where the primary vent...
Authors
Matthew R. Patrick, Hannah R. Dietterich, John J. Lyons, Angela K. Diefenbach, Carolyn Parcheta, Kyle R. Anderson, Atsuko Namiki, Ikuro Sumita, Brian Shiro, James P. Kauahikaua
By
Volcano Hazards Program, Volcano Science Center

Reach-scale monitoring and modeling of rivers--Expanding hydraulic data collection beyond the cross section Reach-scale monitoring and modeling of rivers--Expanding hydraulic data collection beyond the cross section

For over 125 years, the U.S. Geological Survey streamgage network has provided important hydrologic information about rivers and streams throughout the Nation. Traditional streamgage methods provide reliable stage and streamflow data but typically only monitor stage at a single location in a river and require frequent calibration streamflow measurements. Direct measurements are not...
Authors
Brandon T. Forbes, Claire E. Bunch, Geoffrey DeBenedetto, Corey J. Shaw, Bruce Gungle
By
Water Resources Mission Area, Arizona Water Science Center

Variable normal-fault rupture behavior, northern Lost River fault zone, Idaho, USA Variable normal-fault rupture behavior, northern Lost River fault zone, Idaho, USA

The 1983 Mw 6.9 Borah Peak earthquake generated ∼36 km of surface rupture along the Thousand Springs and Warm Springs sections of the Lost River fault zone (LRFZ, Idaho, USA). Although the rupture is a well-studied example of multisegment surface faulting, ambiguity remains regarding the degree to which a bedrock ridge and branch fault at the Willow Creek Hills influenced rupture...
Authors
Christopher DuRoss, Michael P. Bunds, Ryan D. Gold, Richard W. Briggs, Nadine G. Reitman, Stephen Personius, Nathan A. Toke
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Geologic Hazards Science Center
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