Cooperative Joint Mission Between Seismic Recording and Surveying UAVs for Autonomous Near-Surface Characterization

Generally, land seismic data acquisition in arid areas is a labor-intensive, costly, and challenging process, often hindered by challenging terrain and safety risks. To overcome these limitations, we propose the integration of autonomous Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) into land seismic data acquisition, enabling efficient data collection in difficult, inaccessible terrain. This is a cooperative mission workflow combining a Scouting UAV for high-resolution aerial scouting, followed by the swarm deployment of an Autonomous Seismic Acquisition Device (ASAD) for seismic data recording. The cooperative system allows for precise landing and subsequent deployment of seismic sensors in optimal locations. Previously, we demonstrated the applicability of passive seismic recorded with ASAD drones to near-surface characterization. This study covers the results of a field trial, where both the ASAD and Scouting UAV systems successfully acquired high-resolution seismic data with an active source, comparable to that of a conventional seismic data acquisition system. The results show that the ASAD seismic data exhibit a slightly higher noise level due to coupling variances and the fact that geophones were hardwired into 9-sensor arrays. However, due to its single-point sensing nature, it yields a superior frequency bandwidth, making it suitable for imaging shallow anomalies. The system underwent P-wave refraction tomography modeling and accurately detected a shallow subsurface cavity, showcasing its potential for near-surface characterization and shallow geohazard identification. This heterogeneous robotic system can support seismic data acquisition by enhancing safety, improving efficiency, and streamlining equipment mobilization, while minimizing environmental footprint.