Bruce Quirk

Bio: Dr. Quirk is currently the Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Liaison for the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). He has over thirty years of experience applying satellite and aerial remote sensing to the monitoring of natural resources in the United States and around the world. He has numerous publications and has received awards from the USGS and NASA for his contributions in the field of remote sensing.

Science and Operational Applications of Unmanned Aircraft Systems Technology

Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) are evolving as an effective, efficient, economical and environmentally friendly tool to monitor environmental conditions, respond to natural hazards and conduct wildlife inventories. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is participating in an operational test and evaluation of UAS to see how this technology supports the mission of the USGS and the Department of the Interior (DOI). The USGS, working with many partners, has been conducting UAS missions which are designed to evaluate the potential of UAS technology to support the DOI missions. UAS technology is providing a mechanism to collect timely remote sensing data at a low cost and at low risk enhancing our ability to provide unbiased scientific information.

UAS, remote sensing, natural resource management