Cooperative Agreement for Affiliated Partner with the Gulf Coast Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU)

The USGS is offering a funding opportunity to a CESU partner for research on the utility of the Skydio Dock for X10 to (1) fly remotely beyond visual line of site (BVLOS), (2) collect image velocimetry (IV) data, (3) upload IV data via the Skydio Cloud and satellite communications (SatComms), and (4) develop a workflow for processing camera imagery to compute IV-derived discharge. The cost to operate stream gages in gage-poor or hard-to-access basins is both costly and a potential safety risk. The Next Generation Water Observing System (NGWOS) is seeking to trial and develop a workflow that is reliable and capable of transmitting camera imagery via SatComms and compute IV-derived discrete discharge that is equivalent to USGS standard methods. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Water Resources Mission Area (WMA) is interested in partnering with the CESU to evaluate the operational readiness of near-field remote sensing of the Skydio Dock platform. The Skydio Dock has been developed to operate remotely by remote pilots; however, the application to collect camera imagery that can be processed and to compute river discharge is novel. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Green Mountain Reservoir is an ideal test bed for this technology given that two USGS streamgages are co-located within the proposed flight volume of the Skydio Dock. The streamgages will offer verification data that can be used to assess the efficacy of various image velocimetry algorithms, which will be used to compute river discharge remotely. Integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) to assist with identifying water masks and vegetation will be a valuable contribution to accurately compute image velocimetry-based river discharge. Under Executive Order 14179 – Removing Barriers to American Leadership in Artificial Intelligence (January 23, 2025) by the USGS NGWOS program is authorized and encouraged to conduct structured pilots of AI-enabled sensing systems that improve safety, performance, and mission delivery. The proposed project will serve as a pilot for BVLOS, dock-scheduled operations with AI computer vision for image velocimetry, enabling safe, repeatable discharge estimation at hazardous monitoring locations, and providing crucial information for technical readiness assessments.