Use of a Small Unpiloted Aerial Vehicle for Remote
Sensing in the Arctic – Potential and Limitations
Jim Maslanik,
James.maslanik@colorado.edu
• Rationale for UAVs
• The “Aerosonde” UAV
• Barrow Operations
• Results
Potential Research/Application Areas
• surface characterization / time-space variations
• ice-atmosphere interactions
• ocean temperatures – local/regional variations,
forcings
• polar clouds and radiation
• satellite product validation
• coastal processes (erosion, productivity, currents)
• wildlife studies
• vegetation / lake studies
• search and rescue
•…
Aircraft Support Issues for Polar Research
• research-grade aircraft
• easily deployable with less long-range planning
needed
• ability to stay on site for long periods
• low cost
• minimum hassle
• basic instrument suite
• long range/duration
• multiple aircraft
•…
Why UAVs?
Considerations:
• safety
• access
• operating conditions
• logistics and cost
Why UAVs?
• access
• local impacts
The Aerosonde Unpiloted Aerial Vehicle
tm
Design philosophy:
• fully robotic
•low cost per plane (approx. $50,000)
• low/moderate operations/logistics costs
• long range/flight duration
• small but effective payload capacity
• flexible communications/operations
modes
Advantages/Disadvantages of the Aerosonde
• Relatively low cost
• Ease of deployment
• Global sat-comm
operation
•Range and multi-plane
capabilities
• payload restrictions
• no “see and avoid”
Manufactured and
operated by
Aerosonde, Ltd.,
Melbourne
(www.aerosonde.com)
Instrument Payloads:
• air temp., RH, wind speed and direction
• digital camera (800 image capacity)
• infrared pyrometer (skin temps., cloud top temps.)
• video (visual and thermal: long-range transmission)
• icing sensor
• imaging radar, profiling laser, pyranometers, cloud
particle sampler
•ozone sampler, profiling spectrometer, turbulent flux
measurements
Multi-Plane / Long-Duration Mission Configurations
• aircraft at multiple altitudes
• two planes flying in tandem
• tag-team missions
Mission Planning and Control
Lead Mission: 29 March 2003
Profiles
Survey
Legs
Barrow-Based Operating Area
Engineering accomplishments for
operations in cold regions
•
•
•
•
•
Oil heating
Icing sensor for avoidance
Insulate electronics
Replace carburetor with fuel injection system
Strengthened airframe to withstand icing
Limitations:
• airframe icing
• availability and maintenance of
launch/landing areas
• payload/power restrictions
• availability and scheduling
• cost
• local impacts
• FAA restrictions
Research Examples
(Barrow Missions)
james.maslanik@colorado.edu
curryja@eas.gatech.edu
g.holland@aerosonde.com
www.aerosonde.com
IceAtmosphere
Processes
Lead Processes and
Surface Temperature
Studies
air
temperature
skin
temperature
wind direction
Mesoscale variability caused by open water
downwind
upwind
Sea Surface Temperature Studies
4am ADT, Tuesday, July 29
Improving Weather
Forecasts
L
Winds: West-southwest at 38 mph,
Gust of 49 mph, Temperature: 47°F
Surface
Characterization
Shoreline/Vegetation
Mapping
Potential Contribution to Other Programs
• SEARCH
• RIME
• EOS / NPOESS
• PARCA
• Int. Polar Year
•…
Links and Contacts
www.aerosonde.com
http://polarbear.colorado.edu/barrow03/
James.maslanik@colorado.edu
Curryja@eas.gatech.edu
g.holland@aerosonde.com
Questions?
Major (Barrow Area) Limiting Factors / Solution Options
#1. FAA flight restrictions
• FAA limits flight operations to outside 12 miles from shore
• FAA requires visual-flight-rule (VFR) conditions for take-off
(Aerosondes are capable of operating under IFR conditions)
• increased FAA flexibility, clearly-defined FAA technology
requirements for UAVs, new flight monitoring technology (e.g.,
“Capstone” program)
#2. Airframe icing
• detect and avoid icing conditions through onboard
instrumentation and mission planning
• anti-icing engineering
#3. Cross-winds
• presently limited to east-west launch tracks
• launch procedure mods.
• additional launch area