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The Uncrewed Vehicle and Atmospheric Investigation Lab (UNVAIL) facilitates student exploration of the physical environment by leveraging the capabilities of uncrewed aircraft systems, commonly known as drones.

Equipped with specialized instruments, these drones enable students to conduct on-demand measurements with heightened continuity and precision, covering expansive horizontal and vertical distances. The includes intermediate elevations that bridge the gap between ground-based sensors and traditional crewed aircraft operations. Specifically, the lab focuses on studying the atmospheric boundary layer, the lowest layer of the atmosphere directly affected by the Earth's surface. This layer constitutes the primary realm of interest in the majority of the lab's investigative efforts.

Equipment

• Meteorologically instrumented fixed-wing and multi-rotor uncrewed aircraft
• Remote sensing equipment, to include:
• Multispectral cameras
• LiDAR
• Photogrammetry
• State-of-the-art 3D printers

Research Capacity

The UNVAIL has researched microweather assessments and applications of modified uncrewed vehicles.