USRL TNA services

USRL participates in the ATMO-ACCESS (https://www.atmo-access.eu/) and ACTRIS IMP (https://www.actris.eu/) projects. In the framework of these projects, the multidisciplinary USRL team, consisting of electrical/ electronic engineers, software engineers, composite material engineers, UAV pilots and experienced researchers in atmospheric sciences, provides services and infrastructure access (TNA) to interested research groups.

In particular, in the framework of ACTRIS IMP, USRL provides the following services:

  • UAV-based, vertical and horizontal atmospheric sampling and plume tracking, with commercial or custom-made sensors fulfilling ACTRIS QA/QC and SOPs, up to 22.000 ft. (day & night operation)
  • Customized sensors’ integration in UAV platforms (fixed or rotary wing), field tests and short measurement campaigns
  • Testing/ validation of lightweight instrumentation in the weather chamber
  • Quality training of UAV end-users (safety, good practices, SOPs related to sensor integration)

In the framework of ATMO-ACCESS project, USRL provides the subsequent services:

  • In-house development of rotary or fixed-wing UAS for flying lightweight sensors
  • Fabrication of composite UAVs and components
  • Design, development and testing of customized sensors in collaboration with the private sector and/or other academic partners
  • Prototype UAV platforms’ testing
  • High-altitude atmospheric profiling with USRL proprietary UAV-balloon system
  • Testing/ validation of lightweight instrumentation in the weather chamber
  • Quality training of UAV end-users (safety, good practices, SOPs related to sensor integration)
  • International field campaigns deployment

In addition, USRL can provide access to its infrastructure which includes a private airfield, a mobile ground control station, a specialized electromechanical workshop, a composite materials laboratory and an instrumentation lab. Interested research groups can also have access to the large, diverse fleet of fixed and rotary-wing UAS (with payload capacity up to 10kg) and to the broad set of lightweight atmospheric sensors maintained at the USRL.

For ACTRIS IMP please submit your online application through this link: https://www.actris.eu/access-services/apply-tna

For ATMO-ACCESS please submit your online application through this link: https://www.atmo-access.eu/access-to-services/

  • Fig. 1: UAV approaching CyI runway for landing
  • Fig. 2: CyI quadcopter measuring CO2
  • Fig. 3: Night Flight with COBALD (Compact Optical Backscatter AerosolL Detector) at USRL Airfield
  • Fig. 4: Aerosol Sampling with UCASS (Universal Cloud and Aerosol Sounding System) at USRL Airfield
  • Fig. 5: UAV night operation at USRL Airfield
  • Fig. 6: Composite fixed-wing UAV developed at USRL