Austin Drone Demo 4

Earth Observation Lab

The Earth Observation Lab (EOL) is a dedicated research and teaching facility focused on studying the Earth through satellite imagery. As a centralized resource for Yale University students, faculty, and staff, the lab supports the processing, visualization, and analysis of satellite data for academic and research purposes. 

Location

Class of 1954 Environmental Science Center

Earth Observation Lab, Room 119

21 Sachem Street, New Haven, CT 06511

Open Hours

  • Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday: 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
  • Thursday: 9:30 AM – 12:30 PM

Closed on official and Yale-designated holidays.

To access the Lab and its machines, please complete the EOL Access Request Form.

EOL Access Request Form
Earth Observation Lab Entrance
Earth Observation Lab

Meet the Lab Staff

Computers

13 computers: Dell Precision 5820 Tower running Windows 11 Enterprise, equipped with an Intel Xeon W-2275 (3.30GHz; 14 cores) processor, 128 GB RAM, and an NVIDIA RTX A5000 graphics card. Each computer has a 476 GB hard drive. The system includes both IPv4 and IPv6 networking.

1 computer: Dell Precision 7875 Tower desktop running Windows 11 Enterprise, featuring an AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7965WX (5.3 GHz; 24cores) processor, 256 GB RAM, and an NVIDIA RTX 4000 Ada Generation graphics card. It includes a 951 GB hard drive. The system includes both IPv4 and IPv6 networking.

Software

The EOL computers are equipped with a wide range of software. If there are other programs that you would like to use, then please reach out to us and we can evaluate whether we could add that program.

Equipment Rental

We offer a wide range of equipment available for checkout to Yale-affiliated students, faculty, and staff. Items are organized into three tiers based on complexity and required experience.

Tier 1 items are the most accessible and can be checked out without prior training. Tier 2 and Tier 3 items require verified experience, with higher tiers potentially needing a brief orientation or proof of proficiency.

All equipment is free to use for educational or research purposes, as long as users manage operation, data collection, and processing independently, and the number of days is limited. Most requests are processed within 2-5 business days.

Equipment Rental Request Form

Camera
Drone
Drone: Camera or Sensor
Drone: Equipment
Field Equipment
  • Cobra Walkie Talkie
  • Surveyor’s Tripod 
  • SitePro Tripod 
  • AdirPro Rover Pole
  • Tribrach + Adapter 
GNSS
Measurement Equipment
Spectrometry
  • Analytical Spectral Services FieldSpec Pro
Tablet  

Room Reservation

The Earth Observation Lab is available for geospatial-related events, seminars, meetings, and workshops. The facility features four large screens and 13 workstations.

To reserve the space, please complete the EOL Room Reservation Request Form.

EOL Room Reservation Request Form
MSU4

Office Hours

  • Date & Time: Every Wednesday | 11 AM - 12 PM
  • Location: Hybrid – join in person at the Earth Observation Lab or via Zoom

Our Remote Sensing Supervisor, Austin Madson, holds hybrid office hours every Wednesday from 11 AM to 12 PM. Feel free to bring any questions related to remote sensing or UAVs, whether for coursework, research, or both.  No appointment is needed—just drop in!