Disaster Data Reconnaissance Center

The Disaster Data Reconnaissance Center (DDRC) delivers field-to-finish disaster data services — including multi-modal sensing and mapping through acquisition, processing, and analysis across aerial, terrestrial, and aquatic environments.
Contact
Nicholas Hoskins Director

The Disaster Data Reconnaissance Center (DDRC) is a field-ready applied research and core facility of Texas A&M University. The center delivers field-to-finish disaster data services—including multi-modal sensing and mapping through acquisition, processing, and analysis across aerial, terrestrial, and aquatic environments. DDRC also provides operational field support, data and decision guidance, and hands-on training in field methods, sensing technologies, and unmanned aerial system (UAS), or drone, operations beyond remote pilot certification. Housed within the Institute for a Disaster Resilient Texas (IDRT), the center combines academic expertise with operational agility to support researchers, public agencies, and practitioners in advancing disaster resilience through cutting-edge, National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA)-compliant sensing and data integration.

Equipment

AERIAL

WingtraOne Gen II (NDAA-compliant VTOL fixed-wing drone)

WingtraOne Gen II (NDAA-compliant VTOL fixed-wing drone)

A long-endurance, high-precision mapping platform optimized for large-area coverage. Vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) allows operations in tight or uneven terrain while maintaining fixed-wing efficiency in flight. Use Cases: regional floodplain mapping, coastal change detection, post-disaster damage assessment, agricultural and ecological monitoring.WingtraOne Gen II (NDAA-compliant VTOL fixed-wing drone)
A long-endurance, high-precision mapping platform optimized for large-area coverage. Vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) allows operations in tight or uneven terrain while maintaining fixed-wing efficiency in flight. Use Cases: regional floodplain mapping, coastal change detection, post-disaster damage assessment, agricultural and ecological monitoring

AERIAL

Oblique Sony a6100 (3D mapping camera)

A gimbal-mounted oblique camera used for capturing structures and built environments from multiple angles to generate high-fidelity 3D models.
Use Cases: building elevation surveys, infrastructure inspections, volumetric analysis, urban planning visualization.

AERIAL

MicaSense RedEdge-P (multispectral camera)

Captures synchronized multispectral bands for vegetation health, land cover classification, and habitat condition assessment.
Use Cases: wetland monitoring, vegetation stress detection, fire recovery analysis, agriculture and restoration planning.

AERIAL

Freefly Astro MAX (NDAA-compliant Multirotor UAS)

A highly stable professional UAV designed for precision mapping and remote sensing workflows.
Use Cases: survey-grade topographic mapping, controlled flight in complex sites, repeat monitoring missions, environmental field campaigns.

AERIAL

Freefly Alta X (Heavy-Lift NDAA-compliant UAS)

A powerful modular platform for carrying advanced LiDAR, photogrammetry, and specialized payloads. Use Cases: LiDAR terrain mapping, forest canopy structure measurement, multisensor mission integration, long-duration survey operations.

Sony LR1 + Thermal Payload (High-Resolution + Thermal Imaging)

Combines ultra-high-resolution optical imaging with thermal infrared sensing for structural, environmental, and emergency applications.
Use Cases: heat loss mapping, wildfire monitoring, search and rescue, pipeline and powerline inspection.

AERIAL

Phoenix miniRANGER-3 Lite LiDAR sensor

A lightweight survey-grade Light detection and ranging (LiDAR) sensor producing dense 3D point clouds with high vertical accuracy.
Use Cases: terrain modeling in vegetated areas, vegetation structuring modeling and mapping, shoreline erosion tracking, habitat structure mapping.

AERIAL

RTK / PPK Supported Workflows

All aerial systems are compatible with real-time kinematic (RTK) and post-processed kinematic (PPK) corrections for improved geospatial accuracy.
Use Cases: survey-grade mapping, engineering-ready deliverables, reduced ground control needs.

TERRESTRIAL

Leica BLK360 (Terrestrial Laser Scanning + Imaging)

Captures 3D point clouds and panoramic imagery for detailed surface modeling and structure documentation.
Use Cases: building interiors and exteriors, bridge and infrastructure documentation, cultural heritage recording, site and scene reconstruction.

TERRESTRIAL

Emlid Reach RX + PIX4Dcatch (Handheld RTK Mobile Mapping System)

A lightweight RTK receiver paired with PIX4Dcatch to enable high-accuracy 3D capture using a smartphone. The system delivers centimeter-level positioning for rapid ground documentation in areas where drones cannot operate or where detailed surface-level modeling is needed.
Use Cases: ground control verification, structure and façade capture, small-site topographic mapping, erosion monitoring, infrastructure condition surveys, post-disaster documentation, and tight-space or under-canopy mapping.

TERRESTRIAL

Saturo Dual-Head Infiltrometer

Measures soil infiltration capacity to characterize hydrologic conductivity (Ksat) response and surface storage potential.
Use Cases: stormwater planning, watershed modeling, wetland restoration, flood mitigation design.

TERRESTRIAL

Emlid Reach RS2+ (Base + Rover GNSS)

Survey-grade GNSS receivers for ground control points (GCPs), elevation benchmarks, and topographic surveys.
Use Cases: GCP establishment for UAS mapping, boundary surveys, GPS control networks, elevation reference and validation.      

AQUATIC

Scalable Vessel Platforms

Modular survey vessels ranging from small portable rafts to motorized boats configured for riverine, estuarine, and coastal mapping missions.
Use Cases: shallow-water surveys, marsh channel mapping, coastal monitoring deployments.

AQUATIC

Single & Multibeam Echo Sounders

Acoustic systems that measure water depth and seabed morphology, from point transects (singlebeam) to full swath bathymetry (multibeam).
Use Cases: channel profile mapping, dredging assessment, flood conveyance modeling, coastal sediment change.

AQUATIC

Side-Scan Sonar

Produces acoustic imagery of seafloor texture, submerged structures, and habitat features.
Use Cases: debris and scour detection, habitat classification, fisheries assessments, post-hurricane underwater damage inspections.

AQUATIC

Sub-Bottom Profiler

Penetrates soft sediments to reveal subsurface layers and sediment deposition history.
Use Cases: geomorphology studies, coastal evolution assessments, sediment core site selection, archeological and hazard mapping.

aquatic

Multisensory Core Logger

Multisensory Core Logger

Automates physical and geochemical measurements of sediment cores for environmental and stratigraphic analysis.
Use Cases: flood and storm event reconstruction, contaminant tracing, ecosystem change assessments, paleoclimate and land-use studies.

HYBRID COMPUTING CAPABILITIES

In-House Workstation Processing

24-core AMD Threadripper Pro CPU
128GB ECC RAM
NVIDIA RTX 4070 Super GPU
8TB Gen4 NVMe SSD Storage
Optimized for dense point cloud processing, multispectral analysis, LiDAR calibration, orthomosaic generation, and 3D surface modeling with rapid turnaround directly from field data.
Use Cases: rapid field-to-product workflows, large-area mapping campaigns, machine learning model testing, field decision support, and same-day deliverables.

HYBRID COMPUTING CAPABILITIES

Cloud-Accelerated Compute & Storage

Access to scalable GPU and CPU cloud environments for distributed processing, collaborative data access, and long-term archival. Supports multi-user workflows, remote team collaboration, and automated data processing pipelines.
Use Cases: large regional mapping projects, long-term monitoring datasets, version-controlled analytics, remote research team access, and high-availability data delivery to partners and agencies.

Related Core Facilities