Sea Air Boundary Energy Transfer Measurements Using Micro-Sized UxVs

The project team will design and build a prototype, JaiaBot - STORM, which is air-deployable to collect atmospheric data from the launch point (3048 m) to the sea surface collecting wind speed, humidity, and temperature data, and then collect upper ocean data including temperature and salinity to depth and surface current vectors and wave heights. The data collected will be communicated wirelessly via satellite comms for use by agencies such as the National Weather Service to aid the prediction of storm entities and direction of travel. Deploying multiple JaiaBots to form a picket line along the forecasted hurricane track in front of the approaching tropical storm boundary will provide researchers with the data needed to visualize the spatial variability of ocean features and energy transfer over a wide area and the impacts of freshwater ocean layers on temperature transfer as the storm intensity increases. Five JaiaBot prototypes will be produced to support verification and validation of the design, including air launch demonstration, water entry survivability, atmospheric and aquatic data collection. Jaia will prepare for a launch from a NOAA aircraft working with the team at the Aircraft Operations Center (AOC). Five JaiaBot prototypes will be produced. Jaia will prepare for a launch from a NOAA aircraft working with the team at the Aircraft Operations Center (AOC) to validate the design, including air launch demonstration, water entry survivability, atmospheric and aquatic data collection. Prospective Jaia customers have provided positive feedback on the utility of an air launchable JaiaBot. The UK MET Office, ESSO - Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services, and Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) value similar ocean/atmospheric data. In addition, the US DOD is mandated to define and apply the environment, from the bottom of the ocean to the stars, to ensure the U.S. Navy has the freedom of action to deter aggression, maintain freedom of the seas and win wars. NAVO, Jaia’s biggest single customer, supports air launching Jaia Bots to collect data. The USMC has a stated desire to airdrop JaiaBots for Battlespace Shaping, Littoral Maneuver and ISR collection operations. There are opportunities for adoption worldwide with militaries and security / defense forces. The JaiaBot’s open-source software and modularity enables new sensors to be easily integrated and behaviors configured to solve many different problems for a wide range of customers, domestically and overseas.