4 ms·

Okay, time to build drones full of atmosphere sensors! The weather forecast is about to get a lot better....this is excellent news for crowdsourcing remote data

by cryptoz 13y ago

Okay, time to build drones full of atmosphere sensors! The weather forecast is about to get a lot better....this is excellent news for crowdsourcing remote data about the atmosphere. I've been pulling pressure measurements from smartphones for a while, but a core problem is that a lot of weather develops over areas of low smartphone density. Sending out drone fleets will be a most excellent solution; they're reusable, so you don't have to make 200M of them. They're connected and already carry many required sensors. They're coming down in price and at the start of a thriving commercial ecosystem. Can't wait to start building! Edit: I wrote about this idea last year: http://www.jacobsheehy.com/2013/03/living-in-the-future-startup-ideas/ http://www.jacobsheehy.com/2013/03/living-in-the-future-star...

d23 13y ago
Out of curiosity, how do you power them? I'm assuming solar isn't enough. Do they have to continually come down to re-charge?
- cryptoz 13y ago
  Well, I do have a vision where solar power is actually enough, but that's certainly not possible today. This might work in 3-4 years, depending on what happens in battery tech and solar efficiency. Otherwise, I think you might have to build a network similar to Matternet [1] / Tesla Supercharger; making a ground-based charging infrastructure investment might be necessary to get started, even if that tech isn't necessary in 10 years. [1] Matternet is awesome. http://matternet.us/ http://matternet.us/
  - Lexarius 13y ago
    Have you considered buying solar-powered drones from Titan Aerospace before Facebook snatches them up? Probably a bit pricey, but they are marketed as atmospheric satellites.
    - cushychicken 13y ago
      Titan Aerospace's offerings are tailored for high altitude use - this gentleman is looking for drones flying under 400 feet. Different application.
  - luckyno13 13y ago
    I know I am way over simplifying this but I always thought integrating something similar to the Roomba's ability to find "home," land, recharge and resume would be a nice solution.
    - fixedd 13y ago
      Better yet, have it find an overhead power line ;)
      - TheCraiggers 13y ago
        Oh sure, the FAA wouldn't mind that at all. ;) Besides, the various utility companies would surely not be pleased by the theft of energy.
fnordfnordfnord 13y ago
Wouldn't balloons be better for atmospheric pressure sensors?
- cryptoz 13y ago
  Perhaps but I don't think so. I want surface-level observations, or as close to the surface as possible. Also, the drones will be most useful if they can fine-tune their route and quickly go to a specific place to join a swarm of others measuring forming stormclouds.
  - fnordfnordfnord 13y ago
    I think you'll have to be clever to get good data, some of these things are pretty sensitive (BMP085, SCP1000, etc). What will you do, cut the power and stall the craft to take the measurements? Sounds like fun. http://www.bosch-sensortec.com/en/homepage/products_3/environmental_sensors_1/bmp085_1/bmp085 http://www.bosch-sensortec.com/en/homepage/products_3/enviro...
jccooper 13y ago
Unless you're collecting your data under 400 feet, this ruling isn't going to enable such a system. Only "model aircraft" operation is involved.
- cryptoz 13y ago
  Actually I'm exclusively interested in data under 400 feet! Surface-level pressure observations are my target; recent research suggests that a dense network of atmospheric pressure observations (taken on the surface) will produce a significantly higher accuracy forecast. Smartphones work nicely for this except for their lack of even geographical distribution.
  - jccooper 13y ago
    That may be useful then. I don't think there's any specific rule against a fully-autonomous system, though it would certainly raise some eyebrows. If you do it with enough safeguards and in a safe area, you might get away with it.
    - akozak 13y ago
      If I recall correctly, you still technically need "line of sight" to the drone.
      - mbreese 13y ago
        Somewhere I think I saw something about requiring the ability to take manual control too, which would require line of sight. Maybe I'm thinking of AMA requirements though... (think model airplanes, not doctors - although, doctors also require line of sight)
        jccooper 13y ago
        I thought I saw those too, but haven't been able to find them in the FAA notices for model aircraft. There is such a clause in the 2012 for small unmanned aircraft (sUAS) use by a "government public safety agency". I would presume the FAA will try to apply such a rule to civil use after this ruling. Edit: Federal Register Notice 14 CFR Part 91 says they "expect line of sight" for model aircraft. It does not seem to be required--and at least one administrative judge thinks that such a notice does not carry much weight.

by cryptoz 13y ago

d23 13y ago

Out of curiosity, how do you power them? I'm assuming solar isn't enough. Do they have to continually come down to re-charge?

cryptoz 13y ago
Well, I do have a vision where solar power is actually enough, but that's certainly not possible today. This might work in 3-4 years, depending on what happens in battery tech and solar efficiency. Otherwise, I think you might have to build a network similar to Matternet [1] / Tesla Supercharger; making a ground-based charging infrastructure investment might be necessary to get started, even if that tech isn't necessary in 10 years. [1] Matternet is awesome. http://matternet.us/ http://matternet.us/
- Lexarius 13y ago
  Have you considered buying solar-powered drones from Titan Aerospace before Facebook snatches them up? Probably a bit pricey, but they are marketed as atmospheric satellites.
  - cushychicken 13y ago
    Titan Aerospace's offerings are tailored for high altitude use - this gentleman is looking for drones flying under 400 feet. Different application.
- luckyno13 13y ago
  I know I am way over simplifying this but I always thought integrating something similar to the Roomba's ability to find "home," land, recharge and resume would be a nice solution.
  - fixedd 13y ago
    Better yet, have it find an overhead power line ;)
    - TheCraiggers 13y ago
      Oh sure, the FAA wouldn't mind that at all. ;) Besides, the various utility companies would surely not be pleased by the theft of energy.

fnordfnordfnord 13y ago

Wouldn't balloons be better for atmospheric pressure sensors?

cryptoz 13y ago
Perhaps but I don't think so. I want surface-level observations, or as close to the surface as possible. Also, the drones will be most useful if they can fine-tune their route and quickly go to a specific place to join a swarm of others measuring forming stormclouds.
- fnordfnordfnord 13y ago
  I think you'll have to be clever to get good data, some of these things are pretty sensitive (BMP085, SCP1000, etc). What will you do, cut the power and stall the craft to take the measurements? Sounds like fun. http://www.bosch-sensortec.com/en/homepage/products_3/environmental_sensors_1/bmp085_1/bmp085 http://www.bosch-sensortec.com/en/homepage/products_3/enviro...

jccooper 13y ago

Unless you're collecting your data under 400 feet, this ruling isn't going to enable such a system. Only "model aircraft" operation is involved.

cryptoz 13y ago
Actually I'm exclusively interested in data under 400 feet! Surface-level pressure observations are my target; recent research suggests that a dense network of atmospheric pressure observations (taken on the surface) will produce a significantly higher accuracy forecast. Smartphones work nicely for this except for their lack of even geographical distribution.
- jccooper 13y ago
  That may be useful then. I don't think there's any specific rule against a fully-autonomous system, though it would certainly raise some eyebrows. If you do it with enough safeguards and in a safe area, you might get away with it.
  - akozak 13y ago
    If I recall correctly, you still technically need "line of sight" to the drone.
    - mbreese 13y ago
      Somewhere I think I saw something about requiring the ability to take manual control too, which would require line of sight. Maybe I'm thinking of AMA requirements though... (think model airplanes, not doctors - although, doctors also require line of sight)
      - jccooper 13y ago
        I thought I saw those too, but haven't been able to find them in the FAA notices for model aircraft. There is such a clause in the 2012 for small unmanned aircraft (sUAS) use by a "government public safety agency". I would presume the FAA will try to apply such a rule to civil use after this ruling. Edit: Federal Register Notice 14 CFR Part 91 says they "expect line of sight" for model aircraft. It does not seem to be required--and at least one administrative judge thinks that such a notice does not carry much weight.