Prof. Eric Frew

Biography:

Prof. Eric W. Frew

is an Associate Professor in the Ann and H.J. Smead Aerospace Engineering Sciences Department, and Director of the Autonomous Systems Interdisciplinary Research Theme in the College of Engineering and Applies Sciences at the University of Colorado Boulder. He received his B.S. in mechanical engineering from Cornell University in 1995 and his M.S and Ph.D. in aeronautics and astronautics from Stanford University in 1996 and 2003, respectively.

Dr Frew has been designing and deploying unmanned aircraft systems for over twenty years. His research interests focus on autonomous flight of unmanned aircrafts; distributed information-gathering by mobile robots; miniature self-deploying systems; and guidance and control of unmanned aircraft in complex atmospheric environments.

Dr. Frew was co-leader of the team that performed the first-ever sampling of a severe supercell thunderstorm by an unmanned aircraft.

Project Brief:

“Targeted observation and seeding using autonomous unmanned aircraft systems”

This project pursues an innovative approach towards the enhancement of precipitation by developing and assessing an autonomous unmanned aircraft system (UAS) that utilizes in-situ real time data to sense and target suitable clouds for seeding.

Simple, calibrated and well-validated payloads designed to measure meteorological state parameters, wind, turbulence and aerosol-cloud microphysical properties in conditions conducive to seeding have been integrated into a new UAS platform.

Data assimilation algorithms and an associated observation simulation system, rapid enough to use for cloud seeding online decision-making, are also developed.

Finally, targeted observation and delivery strategies will be designed that guide the UAS towards suitable targets to implement successful seeding operations.

Key Outcomes:

Development and integration of miniaturized CDP and MIP sensors.
- CDP stands for Cloud Droplet Probe. It is a forward-scattering optical spectrometer that measures the size of droplets in the range of 2 μm to 50 μm.
- MIP stands for Multi-hole Inertial Probe. • Design and validation of unmanned aircraft (UAVs) to carry the sensors and conduct autonomous missions, including performing seeding.
Data assimilation through the cloud seedability algorithm (CSA).
Creation of an observation system simulation to assess mission design.
Creation of the Rapid Evaluation of Convective Cell Environments for Seeding (RECCES) algorithm to identify and track candidate cloud conditions.
Creation of autonomous mission management software to coordinate sensing and seeding by multiple aircraft.
Demonstration and evaluation of the overall system and concept of operations (CONOPS) in a field campaign in the U.S. Great Plains

For more information on the project please visit: https://www.colorado.edu/iriss/research/uaerep