Using unmanned aerial vehicles (uavs or drones) in forestry machine-connectivity applications

A computer-implemented method, comprising:

• controlling an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to fly to a first geographic location at a forestry worksite;
• identifying a mobile machine at the first geographic location;
• controlling the UAV to establish a first communication connection with the identified mobile machine at the first geographic location;
• controlling the UAV to obtain machine data from the identified mobile machine over the first communication connection;
• controlling the UAV to fly to a second geographic location;
• controlling the UAV to establish a second communication connection with a communication system at the second geographic location;
• and
• controlling the UAV to send the machine data to a remote computing system, over the second communication connection, using the communication system.

An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), comprising:

• a propulsion system;
• a UAV control signal generator controlling the propulsion system to fly the UAV to a first geographic location at a forestry worksite;
• a mobile machine connectivity component that establishes a first communication connection with a mobile machine at the first geographic location and to obtain machine data from the mobile machine over the first communication connection, the UAV control signal generator controlling the propulsion system to fly to a second geographic location;
• and
• a communication component that establishes a second communication connection with a remote communication system at the second geographic location and that sends the machine data to a remote computing system, over the second communication connection, using the remote communication system.