The Supercooled Water Experimental Arctic Tower creates calibrated icing conditions so researchers and students can study how ice buildup affects drone lift, control and performance. The Alaska Center for Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration (ACUASI) at the University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute conducts drone icing research in a purpose-built ice tower. … [Read more...] about UAF Ice Tower Gives ACUASI a Controlled Testbed for Drone Icing Research
Alaska Center for Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration
Alaska Drone Program Flies Blood Samples 1,000 Kilometers for Olympic Anti-Doping Agency
A Windracers ULTRA operated by the Alaska Center for Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration carried chilled human blood samples on an 8-hour, 47-minute round trip from Nenana, testing whether long-range drones can move biological samples without degrading them. Alaska's drone research program completed a 1,000-kilometer (621-mile) test flight carrying human blood samples for … [Read more...] about Alaska Drone Program Flies Blood Samples 1,000 Kilometers for Olympic Anti-Doping Agency
Alaska Researchers Use Drones to Study Sea Otters
(Source: phys.org) Watching marine life to gather data about behavior and abundance can be tedious and time-consuming for researchers, but recent studies indicate unmanned aircraft may offer a way around such obstacles. University of Alaska Fairbanks scientists conducted two field studies to see if unmanned aerial vehicle cameras at various altitudes can take … [Read more...] about Alaska Researchers Use Drones to Study Sea Otters
Researchers Hope Drone Detection Will Let Sleeping Bears Lie
(Source: ktoo.org) For the first time, Alaska researchers plan to use drones with thermal cameras to detect hibernating polar bears and grizzly bears on the North Slope. The University of Alaska Fairbanks team is working without dedicated funding, but is seeking industry support for the project. For now, they’re relying on UAF resources like the Alaska Center for … [Read more...] about Researchers Hope Drone Detection Will Let Sleeping Bears Lie
Drone Joins the Fight in Kenai Peninsula Wildfire
On May 30, a ScanEagle drone launched early in the morning to join the firefighting efforts on the Kenai Peninsula. Members of the Alaska Center for Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration settled into their small, windless trailer for an intense, 6 hour flight. The ScanEagle, through the use of infrared video and imagery equipment, was able to identify and record the location of … [Read more...] about Drone Joins the Fight in Kenai Peninsula Wildfire
