Technical Note: A low cost unmanned aerial vehicle for ship based science missions

• Main Authors: E. Waugh, M. Mowlem
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Copernicus Publications 2010-07-01
• Series: Ocean Science
• Online Access: http://www.ocean-sci.net/6/615/2010/os-6-615-2010.pdf

A low-cost Unmanned Aerial Vehicle is compared with those already available and the motivation for its development is established. It is targeted at ship-based science missions and potential applications are described including a specific science case to measure white capping in the deep ocean. The current vehicle includes a range of more than 1000 Km, carrying a payload of 2 Kg and it can be launched and recovered from a coastal research vessel. The vehicle has flown successfully in Force 4 gusting Force 6–7 wind conditions, an important requirement for operation at sea. Data analysis is performed on images captured by the vehicle to provide a measurement of wave period and white capping fraction. The next stage of the project is to develop a suitable payload and perform a demonstration science mission.