Passive Airborne Sensor Platform

In disaster scenarios involving airborne contaminants, where the dispersal of toxic agents can impact human lives, first responders require fast and accurate dispersal trajectory information. Existing methods that detect the local presence of an agent do not provide insight towards dispersal trajectory, and long range spread is either simulated with sparse reference data or measured long after the dispersion is complete. The lightweight and porous form of the milkweed seed offers natural inspiration for a novel sensor platform. In addition to investigating the market potential for the passive airborne sensor platform, the objective of the project is to quantify the effect of porosity on the response of the sensor platform to rapid changes in wind speed. Understanding how porosity affects the capability of the sensor platform to passively track the flow will assist in scaling the sensor platform design to meet the needs of potential customers.

Faculty Supervisor:

David Rival

Student:

Joshua Galler

Partner:

Springboard Atlantic

Discipline:

Engineering - mechanical

Sector:

Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

Queen's University