Unmanned Aircraft Systems for Severe Storm Applications

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About the Project

RECUV's involvement in both CoCoNUE and VORTEX2 is part of an effort to provide a better understanding of pre-tornadic storms with the eventual goal of producing more accurate forecasts.

According to the National Weather Service, 438 fatalities, close to 3000 injuries, and $11.2 billion in damages were incurred due to severe weather in the United States in 2003. These losses could be dramatically reduced with effective advanced prediction and warning systems. Tornadoes are especially violent members of the severe storm family and thus the study of tornado formation and evolution is a public safety necessity. There was an immediate improvement in tornado warning capabilities with the introduction of Doppler radar. However, primitive sensing methods such as human storm chasers and spotters remain the most vital part of the public safety system. The inability to determine the volumetric thermodynamic state of the atmosphere between the ground and the base of the mesocyclone remains a major barrier towards a deeper understanding of tornado genesis. The limitations of remote sensing are evident; one cannot remotely sense the thermodynamic field, these data can only be obtained with in situ sensing.

A distributed sensing system is being developed to probe an atmospheric airmass boundary with simultaneous dual-Doppler sensing and in-situ sampling using an Unmanned Vehicle System (UAS). In support of this effort, a suite of software was developed to allow for real time visualization of radar and UA information. Through this interface, controllers should be able to effectively control a UA to an area of interest based upon meteorological information. An existing ad-hoc network was augmented to allow for the effective dissemination of telemetry, sensor data, and control throughout the multi-user network. Furthermore, a UA was developed that could carry the various sensors and conduct the required mission.

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