Published: June 1, 2016

Unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), often called drones, serve an expanding聽number of recreational, commercial, military and scientific uses. Researchers聽at CU-Boulder developed a UAS called Tempest that鈥檚 meant for tough duty 鈥斅爁lying into the heart of extreme storms called supercells to assess them in all聽their fury. Battery-powered and auto-piloted, Tempest can measure temperature,聽relative humidity, wind speed and atmospheric pressure 鈥� and may one day聽help identify emerging tornadoes.聽

Drones Infographic

Top Speed:聽100 mph
Maximum wind speed Tempest has encountered so far:聽60 mph聽
奥别颈驳丑迟:听12-15 lbs, depending on payload聽
Made of:聽Carbon fiber, wood, fiberglass
Where Tempest rests:聽RECUV Fabrication Lab Systems Integration Lab or Indoor Flight Lab at CU-Boulder聽
Manufactured by:聽Skip Miller Models, Boulder聽
Battery type:聽Lithium
Maximum flight duration per charge: 60-90 minutes, depending on weather conditions聽
Number of Tempests currently owned by CU-Boulder:聽罢丑谤别别听
Tempest experts at CU-Boulder:聽Brian Argrow and Eric Frew聽

厂耻辫别谤肠别濒濒蝉:听Supercells are an extreme type聽of rotating thunderstorm that can generate tornadoes聽

Why more information aboutsupercells is valuable:聽Predicting whether they鈥檒l lead聽to tornadoes could aid disaster聽preparations

Issue: Summer 2016
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