SBIR Phase I: WeatherHive: High Resolution Environmental Sensing Using Nanodrones

这个小企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目的更广泛的影响是推进一个改进的系统，使用小鸟大小的纳米无人机来感知和绘制大气条件;这些系统受益于微型电力电子和飞行控制传感器的最新创新。 拟议的项目利用了这些小型飞机在协调无人机编队飞行系统中的安全性，成本和便携性优势，以测量风，温度，湿度和气体浓度。蜂群的每次飞行可以覆盖数百平方英里，创建一个高分辨率的大气特性3D地图。这使得研究风流和气体运动的应用，包括检测城市燃气泄漏，烟雾运动和森林火灾检测。可以通过空中测量来验证和改进卫星测量。这项研究将有益于公众健康。SBIR第一阶段项目将推进新的软件来分析和优化纳米无人机。该项目将扩大对小型化（100 g以下）无人机性能的理解，并使先进的纳米无人机的开发能够执行有价值的传感任务。该项目将：（2）开发一种新颖的便携式无人机对接站，允许单个操作员轻松发射、降落和充电数百或数千架无人机，最终实现连续监测应用的全自动化;以及（3）开发可视化和分析工具，以促进数据分析。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并已被认为是值得通过评估使用的支持基金会的学术价值和更广泛的影响审查标准。

The broader impact of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is to advance an improved system to sense and map atmospheric conditions using nano-drones that are the size of small birds; these systems have benefited from recent innovations in miniature power electronics and flight control sensors. The proposed project leverages the safety, cost and portability advantages of these small form factor aircraft in a system of coordinated drones flying in formation to measure wind, temperature, humidity and gas concentrations. Each flight of the swarm can cover hundreds of square miles, creating a high resolution 3D map of atmospheric properties. This enables the study of wind currents and gas movement for applications including detection of urban gas leaks, smog movement, and forest fire detection. Satellite measurements can be validated and improved through aerial measurements. This research will benefit public health.This SBIR Phase I project will advance new software to analyze and optimize nano-drones. This project will expand the understanding of miniaturized (under 100 g) drone performance and enable the development of advanced nano-drones to carry out valuable sensing missions. This project will: (1) validate an optimization framework with laboratory test data; (2) develop a novel, portable drone docking station allowing for easy launching, landing and charging of hundreds or thousands of drones by a single operator, eventually enabling fully automated use for continuous monitoring applications; and (3) develop visualization and analysis tools to facilitate data analysis.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.