Research

Bird’s Eye View

Carolina launches CARDNL, the University’s first Drone Lab.

Carolina launches CARDNL, the University’s first Drone Lab.

By Angela Harwood

Photo by Peggy Mullin

Carolina’s Drone Lab, or CARDNL, is now a resource for faculty and students tackling emerging research questions.

CARDNL provides a center for innovative drone and sensing technologies on Carolina’s campus. Interdisciplinary teams use drones to collect data for a host of disciplines or projects, such as floodplain characterization, invasive species mapping, forest management and beyond.

“CARDNL is Carolina’s technical and logistical hub for research, education and service activities using — or considering using — UAVs [unmanned aerial vehicles] as a tool,” said Mike Piehler, director of the UNC Institute for the Environment. “Even at its inception CARDNL’s community of practice represents a broad swath of the University. I am excited to see the partnerships and innovation that result.”

Read the complete Carolina Story to learn more about this new resource…Opens in new window

UNC Institute for the Environment Funding Priorities

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The Carolina Covenant is UNC-Chapel Hill’s groundbreaking program for talented low-income students. Launched in 2004, the Covenant offers a debt-free path to graduation through a combination of grants, scholarships and a work-study job. Covenant Scholars also have access to mentoring, academic and personal support services. The program has dramatically improved on-time graduation among the University’s lowest-income students, transforming individual lives and building a stronger Carolina.

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