Development of Drone-Mounted Multiple Sensing System with Advanced Mobility for In Situ Atmospheric Measurement: A...

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Atmospheric Science
• Sensor Technology

Background:

• Particulate matter (PM) is a significant air pollutant with global health implications.
• Accurate in situ atmospheric measurements are crucial for understanding and mitigating air pollution.
• Existing monitoring systems may lack the mobility or cost-effectiveness for widespread local area measurements.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a unified sensor and communication system on a drone platform for in situ atmospheric measurements.
• To create a small, lightweight, and cost-effective multi-sensor system for diverse environmental data collection.
• To enable real-time monitoring and visualization of atmospheric phenomena and related environmental information.

Main Methods:

• Development of a unified drone-mounted system integrating sensors, communication modules, and a camera.
• Design of four prototype brackets for optimal sensor and device assignment.
• Implementation of a long-range wireless communication module with real-time monitoring software.
• Conducting flight measurement experiments at three distinct environmental sites.

Main Results:

• Calibration experiments showed the developed sensor system accurately followed the tendencies of upper-grade PM2.5 sensors.
• Original datasets were acquired from flight measurements at varied locations.
• Experimentally obtained prediction results aligned with regional PM2.5 trends predicted by LSTM networks.

Conclusions:

• The drone-based unified sensor system provides a viable platform for cost-effective in situ atmospheric measurements.
• The system demonstrates accuracy in monitoring particulate matter and capturing local air quality dynamics.
• The developed technology supports the generation of original datasets for regional air quality trend analysis and prediction.