A portable UAV-based laser-induced fluorescence lidar system for oil pollution and aquatic environment monitoring

A portable laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) lidar detection system for the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) was developed. The system consists of a transmitting and receiving module, a data processing module and a wireless transmission module. The total weight of the LIF lidar system is 5 kg. The system emits 405 nm laser to irradiate the water body, which can realize the monitoring of oil spills and chlorophyll content in the seawater by receiving the fluorescence signal with a spectral range of 400–750 nm. The fluorescence detection data of the LIF system on the UAV are synchronized to the ground terminal through a wireless transmission module, and the acquired fluorescence data are processed by a ground computer in real-time. The performance of the system was tested at a flight altitude of 30 m, and the spectral data of the seawater and oil slicks seawater were studied. The obtained results demonstrate the ability of the LIF lidar system to realize seawater fluorescence remote sensing measurement. The system is convenient and inexpensive for routinely sea monitoring and oil spill monitoring on a regional scale.