Uncrewed Systems

Partners will work together to advance the current state of the CopterSonde weather sensing uncrewed aircraft system platform. Research and development goals include increasing the platform’s wind tolerance, flight duration, automation, and safety in order to better meet NOAA operational mission needs.

Deploy, test, and evaluate observations gathered using WeatherHive nano-sized uncrewed aircraft systems for weather forecasting and its potential benefits during severe weather events.

Deploy advanced weather drones to gather upper air observations up to an altitude of 16,900 feet. NOAA will evaluate and determine if the data collected could benefit forecasters at the National Weather Service as well as the effectiveness of deploying drones in the weather observation role.

Use NOAA’s SWFSC Ocean Technology Development Tank to test capabilities of SubSeaSail’s Advanced Sea-Going Underwater Autonomous Research Device, funded by the U.S. Department of Energy. The goal is to develop a submerging capable vessel and sensor package that can monitor underwater soundscapes and electromagnetic fields generated by offshore energy installations from both above and below water.

Improve the design of the NOAA-PMEL PRAWLER (PRofiler+crawler) moored profiling platform. Researchers will conduct field tests and make modifications to prepare the technology for commercialization, including increasing the instrument’s endurance, expanding its sensors and sampling capabilities, and reducing manufacturing costs.