Lightweight, High-Fidelity LIDAR for Wind Sensing

The emergence of extreme-endurance solar aircraft, with flight endurance greater than 90 days, places an unprecedented demand on accurate and cost-effective real-time wind observations.  These platforms have the potential to revolutionize ISR collection, but they are sensitive to high wind speeds, wind gusts, and errors in wind forecasts due to their slow airspeed, long endurance, and lightweight airframe.  Traditional onboard wind sensors provide real-time feedback of wind conditions at the aircraft’s current position but provide no information about wind conditions the aircraft will experience in the near-term due to gusts or longterm due to regional wind variations. In recent years, wind-sensing LiDARs have been developed that are able to sense wind conditions surrounding an aircraft out to several miles, but their large Size Weight and Power (SWAP) make them impractical for use on solar aircraft. A new wind sensing system is needed that can match the  performance of these LiDARs but with much lower SWAP.  Our research into this technology drove us to partner with Oklahoma State University’s (OSU) unmanned research institute (USRI) on the design of a new low-cost, low-SWAP wind LiDAR. This design can closely match the performance of a large LiDAR, but in a much smaller package suitable for use onboard a solar aircraft. We propose to develop this design into a working airborne-capable prototype, test the system in ground experiments, and perform flight tests.  The prototype LiDAR will be integrated onto the Skydweller solar-powered UAS in direct support of an ongoing Joint Capability Technology Demonstration (JCTD) program and will be deployed to the SOUTHCOM theater to perform flight demonstrations.