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 Polar oceanographer Guy Williams preparing the FX-61 unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) for launch in the Arctic.Credit: Toshi Maki and Guy Williams |
There's no doubt that drones' popularity has taken off, and their uses range from simple recreational enjoyment to sophisticated military operations. Over the past year, powerhouse companies like Amazon, Google and Facebook have all announced big plans to integrate different forms of drone technology into their businesses. Meanwhile, recreational drones have proven to be so popular that they've already evolved from novelty to nuisance, prompting the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration to require the registration of recreational drones weighing 55 lbs. (25 kilograms) or more.
But in the Arctic and Antarctica, drones face a different roster of challenges, as specially trained and certified scientists test how these autonomous flying machines could help create maps of sea ice in some of the most remote locations on Earth.
Researchers published a report describing their pilot program on Jan. 19 in Eos, a publication of the American Geophysical Union, outlining an April 2015 expedition to East Antarctica's ice shelves onboard the U.S. icebreaker Nathaniel B. Palmer, to determine just how well drones would handle the harsh polar environment.
But in the Arctic and Antarctica, drones face a different roster of challenges, as specially trained and certified scientists test how these autonomous flying machines could help create maps of sea ice in some of the most remote locations on Earth.
Researchers published a report describing their pilot program on Jan. 19 in Eos, a publication of the American Geophysical Union, outlining an April 2015 expedition to East Antarctica's ice shelves onboard the U.S. icebreaker Nathaniel B. Palmer, to determine just how well drones would handle the harsh polar environment.
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