Hi Adam! 

Sounds like you have your work cut out for you. I have not used radar systems or AI systems for this sort of detection, but there are methods using change detection models to visualise changes in forests where logging may be occuring between different dates using drone photogrammetry and GIS software. I have found these methods very effective when monitoring deforestation, especially because not only can you quickly visualise where deforestation has happened, but you can also quantify the damage at the same time. Let me know if you would like to learn more.

Kind regards

Sean Hill

I am not sure about the legal restrictions for drones in Cambodia and the size of the area you want to cover. However, I would assume you would need a fairly large fixed-wing drones for the size of area, you would be interested in. At this scale, a small manned aircraft might be more accessible.

Regarding the use of sensors, the use of radar on drones is a rather uncommon outside military applications. Some mining companies use magnetic sensors to detector iron ore under the ground. Maybe they would be able to detect large metal objects as well. However, I assume logging activities should be fairly obvious, and I think a simple RGB sensor would be sufficient. In terms of data process, assuming you are looking for larger logging activity and camps, I do not think you need to develop an AI model to do this. The impact on the landscape should be obvious.



However, what you are describing sounds like the perfect use case of spaceborne SAR. ICEYE is a commercial product which might be an all-in-one solution for you. Otherwise, there is Global Forest Watch or you could develop your own workflow using something like Sentiel-1.



Good luck with your project!

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