Next1's FireChaser drone maps over 2,000 hectares to support sustainable agriculture in Costa Rica
On its maiden mission, the Firechaser UAS developed by Next1 mapped over 2,000 hectares in the Puntarenas region of Costa Rica; about two hours drive from the capital, San José.
The FireChaser UAS was transported as checked-in cargo on a commercial flight from Montreal, Canada, to San José, Costa Rica. From there, it was driven to El Palmar in Puntarenas on Costa Rica’s beautiful Pacific Coast, about two hours drive from the capital, San José.
Originally designed to detect and map wildfires, the FireChaser’s modular cargo bay—initially configured for a thermal sensor—was adapted with an RGB imaging sensor for the mapping mission.
After completing initial ground testing, the FireChaser took off from the El Palmar’s private airfield and climbed to its target altitude of 1,500 feet AGL. Once at altitude, the UAS followed a pre-programmed grid pattern, capturing approximately 2,500 images to cover an area of about 2,000 hectares. The entire flight was completed in just one hour—well within the FireChaser’s endurance of over two hours
Aerial shot of FireChaser UAS during its' mapping Mission.
Thanks to Next1’s on-site processing capabilities, the 2,500 images were processed and delivered within 24 hours of the flight. From the data, three types of high-resolution maps were generated: a color orthomosaic, a multispectral map, and a digital elevation model. The final maps were delivered to the client through Next1’s secure customer portal.
Screenshot of multispectral map produced by Next1
The final product includes a high-definition color map, a multi-spectrum map to check the status of the crop health and an elevation map delivered to our partner El Palmar via Next1’s customer product.
This successful mission in Costa Rica highlights the FireChaser UAS’s versatility, efficiency, and rapid data delivery capabilities. Originally engineered for wildfire detection, its adaptable design and advanced sensor integration make it equally effective for large-scale mapping and environmental monitoring.
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