Expanded Development of Consumer-level Unmanned Aerial Vehicles for Oceanographic Research

Abstract

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) are rapidly proving their worth in many fields of science, yet their adop<on in ocean sciences is lacking. UAVs are cost effec<ve vehicles capable of being rapidly deployed and used in places dangerous and hard-to-reach for typical vessels. They are especially useful in the quick acquisi<on of data for rare events such as storm sewage ouElow events that only occur for short periods of <me aFer large storms in ci<es. Performed at the Ocean Tech Center at the University of Washington, this project works to prove the ability of UAVs to greatly improve efficiency, accuracy, and repeatability of nearshore research. A Splashdrone 3+ UAV was purchased and modifica<ons and sensor design and implementa<on were conducted to adapt the UAV to perform nearshore science observa<on. The culmina<on of the project in a field test to retrieve water using a niskin-type sampling boPle and the gathering of temperature and total dissolved solids data proves that the UAV is a valuable tool for oceanographers over the tradi<onal manned water-vessels and aircraF that are typical to the field of science.