Abstract
Measuring gases for environmental monitoring is a demanding task that requires long periods of observation and large numbers of sensors. Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) currently represent the best alternative to monitor large, remote, and difficult access areas, as these technologies have the possibility of carrying specialized gas sensing systems. This paper presents the development and integration of a WSN and an UAV powered by solar energy in order to enhance their functionality and broader their applications. A gas sensing system implementing nanostructured metal oxide (MOX) and non-dispersive infrared sensors was developed to measure concentrations of CH4 and CO2. Laboratory, bench and field testing results demonstrate the capability of UAV to capture, analyze and geo-locate a gas sample during flight operations. The field testing integrated ground sensor nodes and the UAV to measure CO2 concentration at ground and low aerial altitudes, simultaneously. Data collected during the mission was transmitted in real time to a central node for analysis and 3D mapping of the target gas. The results highlights the accomplishment of the first flight mission of a solar powered UAV equipped with a CO2 sensing system integrated with a WSN. The system provides an effective 3D monitoring and can be used in a wide range of environmental applications such as agriculture, bushfires, mining studies, zoology and botanical studies using a ubiquitous low cost technology.
Highlights
Large scale monitoring of gases produced by the environment, industry and agriculture is a demanding task that requires long periods of observation, large numbers of sensors, data management, high temporal and spatial resolution, long term stability, computational resources, and energy availability
The Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs), Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and gas sensing systems developed in this research are a response to challenges and limitations of WSNs and UAVs in the field of gas sensing and energy availability
The successful integration of a small solar powered aircraft equipped with a gas sensing system and networked with solar powered ground nodes proves the possibility of 3D monitoring of pollutant gases
Summary
Large scale monitoring of gases produced by the environment, industry and agriculture is a demanding task that requires long periods of observation, large numbers of sensors, data management, high temporal and spatial resolution, long term stability, computational resources, and energy availability. Recent technological improvements in gas sensors, electronics, telecommunication, solar cells, and avionics have made possible the development of WSNs and UAVs equipped with gas sensing systems for high spatial and temporal resolution Such systems have broad scientific and industrial applications including monitoring anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG) such as CO2 [1,2], as well as local pollutants from bushfires, cities, factories, and agricultural fields such as NO2 [3,4] and CH4 [5,6,7]. Recent advances in nanotechnology have benefited the development of MOX sensors facilitating the synthesis of novel classes of materials with enhanced gas sensing performance [18] Within this nano-range, the physical, chemical, optical, mechanical, electronic and biological properties of these materials can be substantially different from those observed for the bulk sensing materials [18,19].
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