Drones used for oil exploration
Researchers in Norway are using drones to map oil reserves from the air.
Operated from the ground just like a radio-controlled plane, the drones rely on laser scanners, infrared sensors and a digital camera to shoot images of the earth's surface from the air and then create digital maps in 3D of potential oil fields.
The researchers, from the University of Bergen and Uni Research, say the drones have enabled them to map inaccessible land much more quickly and at a lower cost compared to using instruments on the ground.
They have also been able to gather much more detailed information, such as the thickness of the sedimentation and the different types of rock.
