Made in ÌÇÐÄVlog: Robots flying kites to monitor greenhouse gas emissions
New devices that can monitor gas emissions – and which way the wind is blowing them – will be built at the ÌÇÐÄVlog, thanks to a £620,000 grant.
The team will build new, lightweight wireless gas sensors. These will be attached to helium kites and flown by an autonomous robot. Researchers hope the new devices will be able to monitor emissions.
If the world is to reach net zero, we need to be able to check that emissions really are reducing.
Previous projects tried to use drones to monitor gas flux – but the quality of their measurements wasn't good, their flight time was too short, and airspace restrictions limited their use.
Our robot balloon towers, kitted out with sensors and built here at ÌÇÐÄVlog, should solve many of these challenges.
The team will work with several local businesses. University spin-out company will build the sensors, while Hampshire's will provide the helium balloons.
This complex project will combine a range of skills from across the University – from fluid dynamics to building robots, analysing data and sensing emissions.
The technology will be tested in a variety of locations – including Thames Water treatment works, the University’s land at Blackwell Farm Guildford, and rice paddies in Spain.
The Spanish rice paddy project will benefit from the remote sensing support of , and .
This is one of 13 projects nationwide to be funded by
The research will support UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) .
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