- The New Zealand firm Kea has adapted its Atmos MK1 aircraft to be able to take off from the roof of an Audi e-Tron
- The aircraft, equipped with various sensors including high-definition cameras, is in fact a drone without passengers dedicated to weather observation.
- It can take images of the ground 20 times more detailed than satellites
One might think that in 2023 satellites will be enough to establish reliable weather forecasts, observe the state of forests, the humidity of fields and large swaths of the territory… and yet – the sector frequently resorts to other more “classics”. The reason ? Satellites, in particular weather, can only observe the ground from fairly large distances.
The closest weather satellites to Earth orbit at an altitude of about 700 km. Most of the observations are made from geostationary orbits at an altitude of more than 36,000 km. This is where drones from New Zealand firm Kea can bring a real benefit to anyone who depends on these kinds of observations.
Why launch a plane from the roof of an Audi
By making their observations much closer, they can capture incredibly more detailed images, and therefore deliver data of much better quality which makes it possible to refine the action of professionals on the ground. Whether it’s fighting deforestation, understanding which parts of a field are less well irrigated than others, or refining local weather prediction models.
Innovations are linked in the sector to reduce the costs of this type of observation. The firm has thus developed the Atmos Mk1 drone, a drone equipped with powerful optics and sensors and which can above all fly autonomously at an altitude of 15 km for a period of up to 16 hours.
For this, the plane, which weighs only 40 kg despite its wingspan of 30 meters from one end to the other of the wings, is covered with solar panels. Progress is still possible, especially in terms of the altitude that the firm hopes to reach (20 km) and its autonomy. But between its lightness and its usability, the aircraft could impose itself as a real game changer wherever this type of imaging is needed.
In fact, it is so light and easy to handle that the company has just demonstrated in video that it can be launched from the roof of an electric car. They used an Audi e-Tron specially modified for the occasion. The car allows to give a first impulse to the device allowing to preserve its total autonomy. However, as you will see, the required take-off speed (V1) does not seem to be huge…
In detail, the firm hopes that its aircraft will find a place in missions such as the detection of pollution on land and at sea, the monitoring of forests or extreme weather events, town planning, agriculture or even the fight against illegal activities at sea.
