Monitoring the Spread of a Plant Pathogen in the Lower Atmosphere Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and a Buoyancy-Controlled Weather Balloon

Document Number: 2009-01-3125

Date Published: November 2009

Author(s):
Laszlo Techy - Virginia Tech
Craig Woolsey - Virginia Tech
David Schmale - Virginia Tech

Abstract:
This paper describes an experimental framework to track a meteorological balloon at low altitudes using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The purpose of the experiment is to simulate the trajectories of plant pathogen spores using a buoyancy-controlled weather balloon. In the described framework the balloon is instrumented with an onboard telemetry unit to broadcast its GPS coordinates and other flight and meteorological data. The UAV's circular flight pattern is centered on the current position of the balloon, where the position coordinates are shared over a wireless network. The principal advantage of using the weather balloon is to increase the likelihood of detecting airborne pathogens by sampling inside the spore plume. The apparatus enables the UAVs to sample larger distances away from the source than previously possible.

File Size: 400K
Product Status: In Stock

See other papers presented at SAE 2009 AeroTech Congress & Exhibition, November 2009, Seattle, WA, USA, Session: Unmanned Aerial Systems - Flight Sciences (Part 1 of 3)

Purchase more technical papers and save! With TechSelect, you decide what SAE Technical Papers you need, when you need them, and how much you want to pay. Learn more >