Autonomous Aerial Water Sampling

Obtaining spatially separated, high frequency water samples from rivers and lakes is critical to enhance our understanding and effective management of fresh water resources. In this thesis we present an aerial water sampler and verify the system in field experiments. The aerial water sampler has the potential to vastly increase the speed and range at which scientists obtain water samples while reducing cost and effort. The water sampling system includes: 1) a mechanism to capture three 20 ml samples per mission; 2) sensors and algorithms for safe navigation and altitude approximation over water; and 3) software components that integrate and analyze sensor data, control the vehicle, and drive the sampling mechanism. In this thesis we validate the system in the lab, characterize key sensors, and present results of outdoor experiments. We compare water samples from local lakes obtained by our system to samples obtained by traditional sampling techniques. We find that nearly all water properties are consistent between the two techniques. These experiments show that despite the challenges associated with flying precisely over water, it is possible to quickly obtain water samples with an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). Advisers: Carrick Detweiler and Matthew B. Dwye

Autonomous Aerial Water Sampling

Obtaining spatially separated, high frequency water samples from rivers and lakes is critical to enhance our understanding and effective management of fresh water resources. In this thesis we present an aerial water sampler and verify the system in field experiments. The aerial water sampler has the potential to vastly increase the speed and range at which scientists obtain water samples while reducing cost and effort. The water sampling system includes: 1) a mechanism to capture three 20 ml samples per mission; 2) sensors and algorithms for safe navigation and altitude approximation over water; and 3) software components that integrate and analyze sensor data, control the vehicle, and drive the sampling mechanism. In this thesis we validate the system in the lab, characterize key sensors, and present results of outdoor experiments. We compare water samples from local lakes obtained by our system to samples obtained by traditional sampling techniques. We find that nearly all water properties are consistent between the two techniques. These experiments show that despite the challenges associated with flying precisely over water, it is possible to quickly obtain water samples with an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). Advisers: Carrick Detweiler and Matthew B. Dwye

Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV)-Assisted Water Sampling

Water quality assessment programs require the collection of water samples for physical, chemical, and bacteriological analysis. Lack of personnel, accessibility of water bodies, and time constraints for water sampling, especially after natural disasters and emergencies, are some of the challenges of water sampling. To overcome these challenges, a water collection mechanism was developed and mounted on a multirotor unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) for autonomous water sampling from water bodies. The payload capacity and endurance of the UAV (hexacopter) were verified using an indoor test station. The hexacopter was equipped with floating foam, and the electronic components were coated against water damage in case of landing on water due to emergencies or water sampling. The system was able to collect water samples 48 times out of 73 autonomous flight missions from a pond. The unsuccessful missions were mainly due to the malfunctions of the servo motor used in water sampler’s triggering mechanism. The servo motor for the mechanism was replaced to prevent the future malfunctions. UAV-assisted autonomous water sampling is a promising method for collection of water from water bodies. The system would be useful for collection of water samples from large lakes or difficult to access water sources. The details of the developed water sampling mechanism and the multirotor UAV, and experiment results are reported in this thesis

Multidisciplinary design and flight testing of a remote gas/particle airborne sensor system

The main objective of this paper is to describe the development of a remote sensing airborne air sampling system for Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) and provide the capability for the detection of particle and gas concentrations in real time over remote locations. The design of the air sampling methodology started by defining system architecture, and then by selecting and integrating each subsystem. A multifunctional air sampling instrument, with capability for simultaneous measurement of particle and gas concentrations was modified and integrated with ARCAA’s Flamingo UAS platform and communications protocols. As result of the integration process, a system capable of both real time geo-location monitoring and indexed-link sampling was obtained. Wind tunnel tests were conducted in order to evaluate the performance of the air sampling instrument in controlled nonstationary conditions at the typical operational velocities of the UAS platform. Once the remote fully operative air sampling system was obtained, the problem of mission design was analyzed through the simulation of different scenarios. Furthermore, flight tests of the complete air sampling system were then conducted to check the dynamic characteristics of the UAS with the air sampling system and to prove its capability to perform an air sampling mission following a specific flight path