Expressions of Intent for International Polar Year 2007-2008 Activities

Expression of Interest Details

PROPOSAL INFORMATION

The New Polar Explorers of the 21st. Century: Autonomous Vehicles  (AV Polar Explorers)

Outline
The principles set forth by the Global Earth Observing System, the logistical challenges to making observations in the harsh yet fragile polar environment, and the focus afforded by the International Polar Year provide a unique opportunity for testing and implementing new methods of observing the polar regions. There are complex overlapping needs for observations in the polar regions to support scientific research and data assimilation and evaluation for operational models, across a range of scientific areas that include weather, climate, oceans, and ecosystems. In the Arctic, there is further need for environmental observations to support decision making in disaster management, water resources, energy resources, coastal resources, and human health. Logistical challenges to making observations in the polar regions include the harshness and dangers of the environment, expense of making observations, and manpower shortage. Given these observation needs and logistical challenges, a key element of the solution parameters for an integrated observing system is to use autonomous, robust and low cost measurements that include telemetry of the observations. To complement fixed observing systems, mobile platforms are needed with the capacity for adaptive and staged targeting of key seasonal periods, locations, parameters, and applications. Small unmanned aerial vehicles, underwater autonomous vehicles, and autonomous land vehicles can now operate in the ocean, on the ice and land, and in the sky, at relatively low expense, with low impact on the environment, and with virtually no risk to humans. Further, these platforms can provide information types and spatial and temporal coverage that has previously been unavailable.We propose to develop an integrated observing system for the polar regions (“AV Polar Explorers”) based upon unmanned vehicles operating on the land/ice, in the air, and underwater. The observing system has the following elements: platform operation, sensor integration, data telemetry and information management, and a systems engineering approach to optimizing and integrating the observing strategy to deploy the unmanned vehicles based on specific needs for scientific research, data assimilation, and decision support, which are expected to vary seasonally, with weather and other events, and with the scheduling of field experiments. We propose to test and implement this observing system during the IPY on the North Slope region of the North American continent and the adjacent Beaufort and Chukchi seas, which is the region of most rapid change and greatest vulnerability, in the Canadian Archipelago, providing access to areas of heavy sea ice convergence, land ice and inland waters, and possibly in Greenland to access outflow glaciers and the Greenland Ice Sheet and areas within Baffin Bay. We will attempt to deploy as many different sensors as we can to cover a broad a range of applications for scientific research, operational modeling, and data collection to monitor human impacts and assist local planning decisions. From what is learned during the IPY, we plan to refine the concept of an integrated observing system using unmanned vehicles for improved deployment in the North American Arctic and extension to other regions in the Arctic and Antarctic. Other team members involved in this effort include Dr. William Emery, Konrad Steffen and Ute Herzfeld (U. of Colorado), James Pinto (NCAR), Ola Persson (NOAA), and Aerosonde, Ltd. (Melbourne, Australia).

What significant advance(s) in relation to the IPY themes and targets can be anticipated from this project?
The AV Polar Explorers will provide observations directly related to monitoring and understanding environmental conditions in the polar regions (Theme 1), including observing atmosphere, ocean and land surface conditions at scales useful for climate research, regional studies, and local environmental planning. The Explorers can provide new tools for quantifying and understanding the natural environment (Theme 2) by collecting information in areas and conditions presently undersampled, and in a manner (such as through coordinated atmosphere, surface and ocean observations) not previously possible. The resulting data can help improve estimates of future change in a variety of ways, such as by assisting in validation of satellite products, improving process models and assessing model results and predictions (thereby contributing indirectly to Theme 3). The Polar Explorers will operate at the frontiers of research and technology (Theme 4), studying rarely-observed conditions of the polar environment, in regions and times of the year that see little if any human activity. The Polar Explorers’ vantage point extends from the ocean through the atmosphere, representing a mobile, dynamic observatory for the study of Earth systems (Theme 5). Obtaining such data in conjunction with human activities and in locations critical to populations on the Arctic coast can contribute to studies of sustainability and human interactions with the environment (Theme 6) through improvements in weather prediction and monitoring of coastal erosion, for example.

What international collaboration is involved in this project?
Polar Explorers would be expected to operate from locations around the Arctic Rim and from bases and vantage points in the Southern Ocean and Antarctica. The objective of deploying polar-wide networks of Polar Explorers will involve sharing of resources with international collaborators, operation from locations in Arctic Rim nations, and possible deployment at Antarctic stations maintained by different nations. In the case of surface AV’s we note that international fleets of vehicles could divide the required observational suite among themselves while collaborating with each other on such issues as route finding, obstacle assessment, calibration and other tasks; if the vehicles simply photograph each other it would be of operational value. Similar collaborations could be developed for surface and airborne AV’s from different institutions and countries.

FIELD ACTIVITY DETAILS

Geographical location(s) for the proposed field activities:
Pilot operations will begin with deployment from Barrow, Alaska, followed by deployments in the Canadian Arctic and Greenland. Logical future locations for expanded deployment include Resolute Bay, Svalbard, a coastal community in the Siberian Arctic, and one or several Antarctic bases. The operations ranges of the various Explorer platforms will vary from long-range systems capable of sampling within a 2000km radius of the launch point to more local operations.

Approximate timeframe(s) for proposed field activities:
Arctic: 03/06-11/08      05/07-09/08      09/07-09/08
Antarctic: n/a

Significant facilities will be required for this project:
Access to existing field stations and/or villages with resources suitable to support robotic vehicle operation (launch site, power, fuel, housing, vehicles). Logistics requirements will typically small by polar research standards. Polar Explorers could also be operated in conjunction with other field efforts such as ice camps and ice breakers.

Will the project leave a legacy of infrastructure?
A legacy of continued operations of Polar Explorers at selected sites is feasible. An element of the project is to develop and deploy systems suitable for a long-term monitoring and observations program. Since no specialized facilities or permanent on-site equipment are needed, there will be no legacy of infrastructure such as buildings, roads, etc. (which can be an advantage when environmental impacts are considered).

How is it envisaged that the required logistic support will be secured?

Military support = transport and possible access to bases. Other support include individual institutes and possibly support from foundations and the media

Has the project been "endorsed" at a national or international level?
Various other aspects of the robotic systems (surface rovers, underwater vehicles, etc.) have been reviewed and funded by agencies. One such element (small unpiloted aerial vehicles) has previously been funded for operation in the Arctic by NSF and is being considered for Antarctic operation. A version of this outline was previously submitted to the U.S. National Committee for IPY.

PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND STRUCTURE

Is the project a short-term expansion (over the IPY 2007-2008 timeframe) of an existing plan, programme or initiative or is it a new autonomous proposal?


Individual components of the Polar Explorer suite of platforms have been operated in various stages and locations under prior funding. The proposed work will extend such efforts by combining the deployment and operation of Explorer components (e.g., UAVs, UUVs, surface rovers).

How will the project be organised and managed?
Overall project oversight will be performed by an executive committee, with an elected chairperson. A scientific overview sub-committee, a technological and data management overview sub-committee and a logistics-overview subcommittee will be established to guide decisions related to research plans, instrument development and coordination, deployment issues, and data archiving and distribution.

What are the initial plans of the project for addressing the education, outreach and communication issues outlined in the Framework document?
The Polar Explorers will provide a range of education opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students, including possibilities for instrument development, participation in field deployments, and data analyses and dissemination. A key element of the project is the linkage of Explorer platforms with data users via the internet. This system can be tapped into by K-12 and university students to support a variety of training and class projects. The potential exists for students at locations far removed from the Polar Explorers to observe data collected in near real-time and in some cases to actually operate vehicles from their classrooms. Some aspects of the Polar Explorer effort, such as surface rover vehicles, will likely be of considerable popular interest, leading to publicity via the media. Other outreach activities could involve local government agencies and the populace through requests for input regarding specific missions and data collection. A routine element of deployment of Polar Explorers in locations such as Barrow and Resolute will be community presentations and meetings to inform residents of the nature and purpose of the activities underway. It is also likely that for long-term deployments (as part as a continuing monitoring network for example), it will be possible to involve residents in actual Polar Explorer operations as assistants at various levels.

What are the initial plans of the project to address data management issues (as outlined in the Framework document?
The AV Polar Explorer program will follow protocols and guidelines established by the IPY office and by the supporting agencies. Data will be archived in a basic form with supporting metadata. Involvement of organizations skilled in data management and distribution will be solicited, including the U.S. National Snow and Ice Data Center and the UCAR/NCAR Joint Office for Science Support. It will be imperative that sufficient funds be available to support data management tasks.

How is it proposed to fund the project?
Funding will be requested from various U.S. agencies, including NSF, NASA, NOAA, U.S. Geological Survey and resource management agencies such as the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. Collaborators from other nations will pursue similar routes for support.

Is there additional information you wish to provide?
This project can be viewed as a stand-alone research effort, but it is important to recognize that it can also support and contribute to numerous other polar research efforts. Among these are the Interdisciplinary Studies of the Annual Pack Ice Environment (ISAPIE) effort being proposed for the IPY, the Circumarctic Environmental Observatories Network (CEON), and coordinating programs such as IAPP (International Arctic Polynya Program), ASOF (Arctic/Subarctic Ocean Fluxes). RIME (Ross Island Meteorological Experiment) as well as many others.

PROPOSER DETAILS

Dr. James Maslanik
University of Colorado
Dept. of Aerospace Engineering Sciences
Boulder, Colorado
80309-0431
USA

Tel: 303-492-8974
Mobile: no
Fax: 303-492-2825
Email:

Other project members and their affiliation