Nathan Bartley

Nathan Bartley, Texas State University

WASPP-Com: Integrating Real-Time Sensors and Wireless Control onto NCAR Air Quality Drone Sampling System

Recorded Talk

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) influence atmospheric chemistry, air quality, and human health, yet their spatial and vertical variability remains difficult to measure using conventional ground-based or crewed-aircraft means. The Whole Air Sampling Pilotless Platform (WASPP) addresses this limitation by integrating a VOC sampling system and environmental sensors with an unmanned aircraft. However, limitations in the WASPP hard-coded autonomous sampling procedure reduced its operational capabilities. In this project, a wireless communication system is developed using a ground-based user interface and an onboard microcontroller relay enabling remote control of the air sampling process. Specifically, our base station employs a Raspberry Pi 3 model B paired with an RFM950+ OLED Bonnet to communicate via long-range radio (LoRa) with an onboard Adafruit RP2040 Feather relay as referenced by the Open IoTwx project. This relay transmits commands over USB to the on-drone Raspberry Pi 2 to control the sampling process. Additionally, we added low cost environmental sensors – for example BME680 VOC and PMSA003I PM2.5 sensors , to this system with their data transmitted through the onboard relay to the base station via LoRa communication. This integration yields a system that enables remote commands, real-time telemetry, and more informed decision-making during sampling. This integrated architecture enhances the operational versatility and dependability of the WASPP system for studying atmospheric chemistry in isolated or dynamic settings. In the future, these capabilities can be leveraged for high-resolution VOC profiling within wildfire, industrial, and urban air quality plumes, as well as other atmospheric events requiring rapid deployment and precise vertical sampling. Additionally, live integration with GDEX could enhance data discoverability.

Mentors: Agbeli Ameko, Behrooz Roozitalab, Alan Hills, Eric Apel, Rebecca Hornbrook, Keith Maull

Slides and poster