Case Study: EPFL studies Antarctic climate change with Wingtra drone data

Researchers study climate change in Antarctic with drone data

The Laboratory of Cryospheric Science at École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) required a method to measure snow drift and sublimation in Antarctica to understand local mass balance for climate change research. Their challenge was capturing high-accuracy topographic data over large, remote areas where the harsh, low-contrast environment made data collection difficult. They turned to Wingtra to meet this need.

EPFL implemented the WingtraOne drone with a Sony RX1R II camera for photogrammetry to obtain 3D surface topography. The Wingtra system proved intuitive and reliable, operating effectively in extreme cold and high winds at 2300 meters above sea level. The high-quality data collected is being analyzed to understand short-term surface processes and long-term annual changes in snow accumulation or erosion.

École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)

Hendrik Huwald

Scientist