DriftSense

Inspired by biological systems, the miniaturization of aerial vehicles has become an evolving area, which creates new opportunities for using micro-drones as mobile sensors, e. g. in flow environments around large structures like wind energy systems or bridges. However, traditional measurement methods usually require perception or large stationary equipment, which can limit their use in inaccessible, confined, or optically opaque environments. This project aims to explore the capabilities of microdrones to measure flow velocities considering system limitations such as size, weight, energy, and flight time.

The primary goal is to expand the measurable range of flow velocities in both low and high ranges. The investigations try to  understand the drone’s motions and its interaction with the measuring flow in order to assess the feasibility of flow field measurements especially with small drones. At the same time, the influence of the different drone configurations and operating conditions on the accuracy and reliability of the measured data will be quantified. The overall strategy consists of developing scalable drone platforms, integrating sensors to monitor motion and environmental interaction, and combining sensor data to estimate flow characteristics.

Initially, the investigations will be carried out under controlled laboratory conditions. Then these results will be validated via field measurements in two distinguished scenarios: weak convective airflows above solar panel installations and strong inflow conditions near wind turbines.