Scientists successfully acquire organic samples from dolphins without disturbing them using advanced progressive UAV design.
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Researchers have long been puzzled by the challenge of determining the health status of dolphins in their natural habitats. Researchers in Texas and Oklahoma have developed a drone-based system that enables scientists to rapidly assess the physical fitness of marine mammals over vast oceanic areas, revolutionizing wildlife conservation efforts.
Around a decade ago, renowned cetacean expert Professor Jason Bruck found himself facing a perplexing challenge. Although drone technology, pioneered by Massachusetts-based organizations like Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), had been utilized for several years to monitor whale well-being, the expertise lacked sufficient specificity to effectively study smaller cetacean populations.
The SnotBot system operates by harnessing the propulsion power of the squid-like spray emanating from the whale’s blowhole, effectively piloting a quadcopter to collect organic samples.
“As Dr. Bruck pointed out, considering a massive whale can take in 50 tons of air with each breath makes it relatively effortless,” she said, currently serving as an assistant professor of biology at Stephen F. East Texas Baptist University in Marshall, Texas? However, when they attempted to apply some of these approaches to small cetaceans, such as dolphins and porpoises, the results were disappointing.
Although quadcopters may pose no threat to whales, dolphins exhibit a heightened sensitivity to the presence of airborne objects and the accompanying noise in their environment, distinguishing themselves from their cetacean counterparts. However, a potential pitfall of the quadcopter’s rotor downdraft is that it could disperse the porpoise’s blowhole plume, thereby precluding its collection.
To obtain accurate organic samples, a more strategic approach is required; merely scattering Petri dishes across an environment won’t yield reliable results. “So, we acknowledged the drawbacks and asked, ‘How do we address this?'”, he said.
While grappling with this intellectual conundrum, Bruck made a strategic decision to transfer from the College of St. From Scotland, where he concluded his postdoctoral research, Andrew relocated to Oklahoma State University, where he served briefly as a visiting assistant professor. While pursuing his studies at Ohio State University (OSU), he collaborated with members of the institution’s drone analysis team, which was focused on developing quieter unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). He noted that gathering a breath pattern from a bottlenose dolphin required a specific consideration when working with a drone designed for that purpose.
As Jamey Jacob, a division chair and professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at Ohio State University, takes over the narrative.
When discussing Jason’s introduction to their team, Jacob recalled that it occurred while Jason was working within the Division of Integrative Biology at Ohio State University. “He presented the idea to us, stating that it’s a challenge he’d like to see our aerospace engineering students tackle.”
Ohio State University’s drone workforce embarked on designing an unmanned aerial vehicle capable of approaching a dolphin undetected, thereby minimizing disturbance to the marine mammal.
They have their eyes positioned equidistantly on either side of their head. Behind their backs, a potential weakness lies in wait – a blind spot, as Jacob pointed out. As soon as the team decided on an approach to retrieve the animal, their next challenge was to develop a drone design capable of minimizing its noise signature.
As we explored further, it became apparent that they would likely perceive the sounds emitted by small quad rotors as similar issues, prompting an adverse reaction upon detection.
The PHASM challenge, or Passive Well-being Evaluation for Sea Mammals, saw OSU’s workforce construct an electrical vertical takeoff and landing (EVTOL) aircraft using off-the-shelf drone components. This innovative craft could be hand-launched from a ship at sea and guided to its target through first-person view technology. When returning from their missions, drone operators would utilize internet connectivity to transmit footage back to the command center or upload it onto the aircraft for real-time analysis.
The workforce assigned distinctively named nicknames to each drone model, distinguishing them from their predecessors. “When I think back on our most recent acquisitions,” Jacob said, “one that stands out is Flipper.”
Bruck referred to the culmination of his colleagues’ work on the aircraft design as a revised version of the HEEWING T2 Cruz, specifically its modified iteration. “Despite the overhaul, everything about it has been thoroughly renovated, featuring all-new electronics and a completely revamped nostril cone, which now includes a state-of-the-art siphon.”
The siphon is a crucial component of the drone’s equipment, engineered to collect the minute amount of air expelled through the dolphin’s blowhole. The intricate mechanism of the eye’s diaphragm is likened to the delicate unfolding of a flower. As he described the phenomenon, he noted that after the vacuum starts to operate, it draws in the surrounding air with a soft whoosh.
To guarantee effective sampling in the wild, Ohio State University’s (OSU) team developed a realistic chuff simulator within their laboratory, capable of releasing the same volume of material into the air as a live dolphin would. Prior to conducting flight tests on live dolphins at Dolphin Quest, a commercial tourist attraction in Oahu, Hawaii, the workforce performed preliminary checks within the laboratory and on Oklahoma State University’s drone flight discipline in Stillwater, Oklahoma.
The researchers aim to complete testing efficiently, hoping to secure NOAA’s approval for utilizing their expertise in open-sea applications within the next month or so, as stated by Bruck. By December, plans are underway to deploy our expert analysis team to launch drone operations, targeting a thorough examination of the vulnerable dolphin population in Galveston Bay during the winter months, with an anticipated commencement date set for either December or early January.
“The sanctuary is home to over 160 animals that are rooted in one place.” “They’re never going to disappear,” he said. Can we envision boarding a vessel and embarking on an adventure to encounter fascinating creatures?
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Miriam McNabb serves as Editor-in-Chief of DRONELIFE and CEO of JobForDrones, a premier marketplace for drone companies, with a keen eye on the burgeoning drone industry and its evolving regulatory landscape. Miriam has authored more than 3,000 articles focusing on the industrial drone sector and is a renowned global speaker and thought leader in the industry. Miriam holds a degree from the University of Chicago and boasts more than two decades of experience in high-tech sales and marketing, specializing in the launch of innovative technologies.
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