Author: Jan Komárek
As part of the ongoing seminar series on environmental monitoring and geospatial technologies, we had the pleasure of hosting Research Professor Eija Honkavaara from the Department of Remote Sensing and Photogrammetry at the National Land Survey of Finland. Her invited lecture, entitled “Towards Autonomous Use of Drone Technology for Forestry Applications”, offered a comprehensive and forward-looking perspective on the current frontiers of drone-based remote sensing and its transformative potential for forest research and management.
Professor Honkavaara provided an in-depth overview of the development of autonomous and scalable drone systems, highlighting the transition from traditional, manually operated missions to fully autonomous aerial surveys. She emphasised the concept of scalable autonomy, describing how fleets of coordinated drones can systematically map extensive forest areas with minimal human intervention. The presentation addressed both the technological advances and the scientific challenges that accompany this evolution, from flight control and navigation in complex forest canopies to real-time data acquisition and processing.
A significant part of the lecture focused on real-time processing architectures for drone imagery and the crucial role of radiometric block adjustment in ensuring the accuracy and consistency of multi-temporal datasets. Professor Honkavaara illustrated how such methods enable detailed reconstruction of forest structure, allowing the autonomous detection of individual tree stems, canopy gaps, and signs of disturbance.
Throughout the talk, she demonstrated how the integration of artificial intelligence, onboard computation, and sensor fusion is bringing the field closer to a new generation of intelligent, self-directed monitoring systems. The presented case studies from Finnish forestry research demonstrate that autonomous drone applications have already progressed beyond the experimental phase, providing practical tools for large-scale ecological assessments and forest resource management.
The lecture was highly technical, inspiring, and thought-provoking, showcasing a level of advancement that sets a benchmark for ongoing research in other institutions. It underscored how rapidly the field of autonomous remote sensing is evolving and how important it is to bridge the gap between algorithmic innovation and field-based ecological applications.
Professor Honkavaara’s visit served as a powerful reminder of the potential of cutting-edge technology in understanding and protecting forest ecosystems, while also highlighting the collaborative opportunities that lie ahead in this rapidly progressing domain.
As part of her stay at CZU, Professor Honkavaara also served as a member of Jan Komárek’s habilitation committee, contributing her expertise to the academic evaluation process and preparing one of the official assessment reports. Her participation added significant international perspective and professional depth to the proceedings. The visit thus combined scientific excellence with academic engagement, further strengthening institutional cooperation and opening avenues for future research collaboration.
