Above the Waves: Marine Mammal Tagging with UAS

This SBIR project will develop a design for an Uncrewed Aerial System (UAS) capable of deploying Type A and Type C tags on marine mammals. In theory, attaching one of the current deployment devices used for Type A or C tagging to a commercial, off-the-shelf (COTS) UAS could be a relatively straightforward approach to responding to this Topic. In practice, however, doing so would result in a system that is difficult to use for the following reasons: current deployment devices are larger and heavier than an integrated system would need to be, thus precluding the use of many of the smaller UAS that can be launched from the  smaller vessels many researchers typically operate from and are easy to catch by hand; the ballistic challenges of firing these tags are non-trivial and will interact with the relatively lightweight UAS (compared to a human) in unknown ways, possibly making targeting more difficult; any system using an existing deployment device would require a highly trained UAS operator. All of these issues would, in practice, limit the utility of such a system. This work will address these challenges by developing an integrated payload package that can enable a properly-trained marine scientist to safely and effectively deploy biopsy darts and both Type A and Type C cetacean tags, from a single UAS. The system will utilize automated positioning, guidance, and aiming, in addition to providing high-resolution imagery and geospatial information to the user. Specifically, the Phase I proposal will: 1) Develop the concept of operation and technical specifications for UAS cetacean tagging; 2) Investigate design modifications for pneumatic projectors to enable deployment of Type A tags, Type B tags, or biopsy darts by exploring the impact of changing barrel dimensions, carrier arrow geometry, and air reservoir dimensions. These adaptations will be tested to assess range, accuracy, attachment angle, and other factors; 3) Identify the interaction of UAS propwash on the projectile, assess the impact of the propulsive force on aircraft stability, determine the best angle for deployment, and develop specifications for a gimbal stabilization system; 4) Investigate automated tracking approaches and the required sensing and computing UAS systems to aid the user in targeting; and 5) Develop and submit the technical documentation for FAA waivers and IACUC permissions. This will set the stage for the Phase II project that will aim to: optimize the size and weight for small boat use; optimize the projector and tag carrier based on the ballistics findings; further refine the CONOPs including setup and deployment procedures, switching between tagging and other payloads; evaluate the use of specific UAS platforms with this design; implement the automated identification and tracking systems; develop a simulator for operator training and define training requirements; and conduct field trials.