Verdu, Titouan (ENAC, Université de Toulouse), Hattenberger, Gautier (ENAC), Lacroix, Simon (LAAS/CNRS)

Flight Patterns for Clouds Exploration with a Fleet of UAVs

Scheduled for presentation during the Regular Session "Path Planning II" (WeB1), Wednesday, June 12, 2019, 16:20−16:40, Heritage B

2020 International Conference on Unmanned Aircraft Systems (ICUAS), June 11-14, 2019, Athens, Greece

This information is tentative and subject to change. Compiled on April 23, 2024

Abstract

Modeling the cloud micro-physics processes is essential to improve our understanding in climate changes and reduce the uncertainties in weather predictions. Aircrafts, remote sensing and ground-based infrastructures provide either sparse or large spatial measurements that are not sufficient to develop fine cloud models. UAVs have shown their ability to collect relevant cloud in-situ measures, and can be even more efficient when deployed in fleets. However, collecting relevant cloud data call for specific trajectories: this paper introduces a series of flight patterns dedicated to cloud exploration by a fleet of UAVs. The patterns definition comprise both a priori geometric information and real-time reactions to collected data. Results in simulated clouds assess their relevance for cloud in situ data collection.