A review of predictive modelling and drone remote sensing technologies as a tool for detecting clandestine burials

The search for missing people is a complex and intensive undertaking. Predictive models (such as RAG mapping and geographic profiling) in combination with drone-mounted technologies can improve these searches by driving down time and monetary costs, gathering new types of data and reducing the need for investigators to expose themselves to dangerous environments. Promising technologies to discover traces of clandestine burials in the landscape are LiDAR, RGB photography, multispectral and hyperspectral imaging, as well as infrared/thermal photography. This review covers the existing literature on these techniques and discusses future opportunities and directions.