Abstract
Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are proving to be an important modern sensing platform that supplement the sensing capabilities from platforms such as satellites, aircraft, research vessels, moorings, and gliders. UAVs, like satellites and aircraft can provide a synoptic view of a relatively large area. However, the coarse resolution provided by satellites and the operational limitations of manned aircraft has motivated the development of unmanned systems. UAVs offer unparalleled flexibility of tasking; for example, low altitude flight and slow airspeed allow for the characterization of a wide variety of geophysical phenomena at the ocean surface and in the marine atmospheric boundary layer. Here, we present the development of cutting-edge payload instrumentation for UAVs that provides a new capability for ship-deployed operations to capture a unique, high resolution spatial and temporal variability of the changing air-sea interaction processes than was previously possible. The modular design of the base payload means that new instruments can be incorporated into new research proposals that may include new instruments for expanded use of the payloads as a long-term research facility. Additionally, we implement a novel capability for vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) from research vessels. This VTOL capability is safer and requires less logistical support than previous ship-deployed systems. The payloads developed include thermal infrared, visible broadband and hyperspectral, and near-infrared hyperspectral high-resolution imaging. Additional capabilities include quantification of the longwave and shortwave hemispheric radiation budget (up- and down-welling) as well as direct air-sea turbulent fluxes. Finally, a UAV-deployed dropsonde-microbuoy was developed in order to profile the temperature, pressure and humidity of the atmosphere and the temperature and salinity of the near-surface ocean. These technological advancements provide the next generation of instrumentation capability for UAVs. When deployed from research vessels, UAVs will provide a transformational science prism unequaled using 1-D data snapshots from ships or moorings alone.
Highlights
The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is proving to be an important modern sensing platform (Elston et al, 2014)
We provide a number of scientific applications for the combined UAV-sensor payload system
We have described systems that combine the best of modern developments in UAV operation with advanced sensor technologies
Summary
The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is proving to be an important modern sensing platform (Elston et al, 2014). With a desire to build payloads with both efficiency and redundancy, the imaging equipment, the drifter launcher, and the broadband radiation packages were designed to occupy the same volume and utilize the same acquisition hardware This modular design allowed for the various science instruments to be swapped, while leaving the acquisition, GPS-IMU, and power systems relatively permanently mounted. Fast response specific humidity is measured by the modified Krypton KH-20 Hygrometer (accurate to ±0.17 g m−3, sensitive between 1.7 and 19.5 g m−3) at 100 Hz. The OPSENS temperature sensor and Krypton KH20 hygrometer showed frequency response through the wind velocity spectra inertial subrange, allowing for estimation of sensible and latent heat fluxes. The NTP software timing accuracy is as accurate as the sampling clock of the ADC, which is of order 10 μs, as opposed to milliseconds for the computer
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