Page 56 - World Airnews Magazine November 2020

DRONES

MINIATURE DRONE DEVICE THAT

DETECTS AEROSOLS

Researchers say the technology will help soldiers deal
with potentially lethal threats

By James Rogers

“commercial grade” drone, according to of Central Florida also participated in the
the Army. The technology is already being research, along with Ryan Mersmann from
The US army has teamed up with used to assess aerosols like dust and pollen. Kansas state.
experts from academia to develop a The project began at the Army research
3D-printed device carried on drones that laboratory, which is part of the US army ARMY DEVELOPING DRONES THAT
can detect potentially lethal aerosols. combat capabilities development com- CAN CHANGE SHAPE MID-FLIGHT
Researchers say the technology behind mand, about 10 years ago. The army said that, with additional onboard
the miniaturized holography instrument The research started with current processing, images can be captured in
will give soldiers greater awareness of the CCDC ARL researcher and fellow Gorden real-time and sent to a computer or a
areas they're operating in and could help Videen and the then postdoctoral student phone via wi-fi or Bluetooth.
identify threats, such as biological warfare Matthew Berg, who is now a professor at In a separate project, army researchers
agents. Kansas State University. are working with the University of Illinois
“The instrument, called the Holographic “This was a novel idea at the time,” said Chicago on unmanned technology for
Aerosol Particle Imager, or HAPI, has the Videen, in the statement. recharging drone swarms.
unique ability to image multiple particles “Gaining information about aerosols is The university has been awarded a
freely entering its sensing volume from hard because they don’t sit still, so they are four-year, (US) $8 million co-operative
any direction via a single measurement,” difficult to image because the focal plane of agreement “to develop foundational
explained the army, in a statement. cameras is so narrow. Holography circum- science in two critical propulsion and
“Using digital holography, the instrument vents this problem because the focusing power technology areas for powering
obtains the images in a non-contact can be done by processing in a computer future families of unmanned aircraft
manner, resolving particles larger than ten after the hologram is formed.” systems,” according to a recent statement
micrometres in size in a sensing volume of Berg continued working on the project released by the army research laboratory.
approximately three cubic centimetres.” when he was hired at Mississippi state In another project, the army has been
The HAPI is constructed from 3D-printed university before he returned to Kansas working with Texas A&M university to
polymer structures, ensuring that it's state. Experts from the University of develop drones that can change shape in
small and light enough to be carried on a Maryland, College Park and the University mid-flight. Q

World Airnews | November Extra 2020
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