Uncrewed Aerial Vehicle (UAV)

Underwater sound made by a drone (Inspire 1 Pro) flying 2 meters above the water surface, recorded by a hydrophone 1 meter below the surface (recorded in Iceland, water depth > 35 meters)

Underwater sound made by a drone (Mavic Pro Platinum) flying 2 meters above the water surface, recorded by a hydrophone 1 meter below the surface (recorded in Iceland, water depth > 35 meters)

Uncrewed (or unmanned) Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) (i.e., drones) can be used as a tool for scientific research. Compared to vessels as platforms for research, UAVs are considered relatively unobtrusive.

Phantom 4 Pro v2.0

Inspire 1 Pro

UAVs produce a buzzing sound that can propagate below the water surface. They produce sound mostly at low frequencies (approximately 100–1000 Hz) but also in the mid frequency range (1–17 kHz). Some drones (e.g., the DJI Inspire 1) additionally produce sound at higher frequencies (approximately 28–36 kHz), a range not audible to humans but potentially to animals, including toothed whales.

Additional Links on DOSITS

References

  • Laute, A., Glarou, M., Dodds, F., Gomez Røsand, S. C., Grove, T. J., Stoller, A., … & Fournet, M. E. (2023). Underwater sound of three unoccupied aerial vehicles at varying altitudes and horizontal distances. The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 153(6), 3419-3419.
  • Christiansen, F., Rojano-Doñate, L., Madsen, P. T., & Bejder, L. (2016). Noise levels of multi-rotor unmanned aerial vehicles with implications for potential underwater impacts on marine mammals. Frontiers in Marine Science, 3, 277.
  • Erbe, C., Parsons, M., Duncan, A., Osterrieder, S. K., & Allen, K. (2017). Aerial and underwater sound of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV). Journal of Unmanned Vehicle Systems, 5(3), 92-101.