Next generation of unmanned aircraft to boost geoscientific research
The University of Southampton is developing new unmanned aircraft for science applications and geoscientific research.
The major challenge faced by atmospheric scientists working in remote or hostile environments, such as high altitudes, regions close to mountains or the sea surface and Polar Regions, is the difficulty of obtaining detailed in situ data from these regions using conventional observing platforms.
This autumn, the University will be launching MAVIS (Massive Atmospheric Volume Instrumentation System), a new project funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, in partnership with the Scottish Marine Institute , and with the support of the British Antarctic Survey , the MetOffice and the National Centre for Atmospheric Science .
MAVIS offers the possibility of a flexible measurement system that could open up new possibilities to atmospheric scientists, including more high quality and widespread measurements for accurate weather forecasting and monitoring of pollution and volcanic ash.
At the centre of MAVIS lies an innovative concept for an atmospheric sensing system: a fleet of small, very light, highly bespoke instrumented gliders are released en masse from a high altitude meteorological balloon over the environment to be observed. During their autopilot-guided descent along paths optimised for sampling efficiency, they collect a wide range of readings, which can subsequently be converted into an accurate map of the quantity (such as pollutant concentration) being observed.
Dr András Sóbester says: "The University is home to a wide range of activities in the field of Unmanned Air Systems (UAS) research. From the effective exploitation of state-of-the-art design and manufacturing technologies (including flying the world's first 3d printed aircraft) to autonomous systems research and from applying multi-disciplinary design optimisation techniques to stratospheric balloon systems, the University has been, for several years, exploring innovative UAS technologies."
The MAVIS project forms part of the University's ASTRA (Atmospheric Science Through Robotic Aircraft) initiative, which has pioneered a number of rapid prototyping and low cost technologies in the design of UAS for geoscientific research.
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Notes for editors
1. The above image shows MAVIS glider concept with the sensor package exposed (top), integrated into 3d printed payload bay (middle) and complete aircraft (bottom).
2. The University of Southampton is a leading UK teaching and research institution with a global reputation for leading-edge research and scholarship across a wide range of subjects in engineering, science, social sciences, health and humanities.
With over 23,000 students, around 5,000 staff, and an annual turnover well in excess of £435 million, the University of Southampton is acknowledged as one of the country's top institutions for engineering, computer science and medicine. We combine academic excellence with an innovative and entrepreneurial approach to research, supporting a culture that engages and challenges students and staff in their pursuit of learning.
The University is also home to a number of world-leading research centres including the Institute of Sound and Vibration Research, the Optoelectronics Research Centre, the Institute for Life Sciences, the Web Science Trust and Doctoral training Centre, the Centre for the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease, the Southampton Statistical Sciences Research Institute and is a partner of the National Oceanography Centre at the Southampton waterfront campus.
For further information contact:
Glenn Harris, Media Relations, University of Southampton, Tel 023 8059 3212, email G.Harris@soton.ac.uk
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