New technologies for Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV)
New technologies for remote geophysical studies of the Earth and the operational monitoring of the environment using light and ultra-light class UAV.
Strategic Academic Unite (SAU) in which the project is being implemented
Global scientific and technological problems to be tackled by the project
Remote sensing for Earth Science disciplines has proved to be effective in geology. Space and aerial methods allow to measure efficiently and at low-cost the magnetic field - one of the most important indicators in the search for mineral deposits. However, the existing methods have two main shortages: their initial cost is very-high and the global view they provide is impossible to detail. In order to create detailed maps of large territories, there are two options: to decrease the flying height and decrease the flight speed hundreds of times, making it closer to pedestrian pace; or to make sensors work hundreds of times quicker. Existing quantum and proton magnetometers work with limited speed, based on their inherent physical principles. There is only one method left to obtain detailed maps: by ground exploration. It is very expensive and slow, and it sometimes requires huge voltages, especially in the Arctic region, the jungle, the taiga, in mountains and so on. However it is precisely these territories that are the most promising today
Objective of the project
Development of mounted geophysical equipment which can carry specialized light and ultra-light class UAV and works hundreds of times faster than existing devices, allowing most of the time to replace ground geophysical research by relevant new technologies, techniques and standards of geophysical research. Such airborne geophysical systems are unique and will be used successfully in geology, archeology, engineering geology, and by the MES (Ministry of Emergency Situations). They do not require big initial investment and can be used by small field teams.
Expected outcomes of the project
Many ground geophysical surveys will be replaced by studies using UAVs. The productivity of these surveys is hundreds of times higher, and their cost is dramatically lower. Thanks to the ability of UAV to make pictures or films at different levels of the Earth's surface, a new trend of geological exploration will be created: geomagnetic tomography. It will revolutionize geophysical exploration, dramatically improve interpretation accuracy and, accordingly, the evaluation of forecast resources. This is comparable with the transition that occurred in medicine from fluorography to tomography, but in the case of UAV, the cost of such tomograms will be lower than the cost of fluorography images. This, along with other devices developed for UAV, will allow creating a world-class center of expertise in Russia.
Project's team (clue collaborators)
Partners of the project
  • Trofimuk Institute of Petroleum Geology and Geophysics SB RAS;
  • The joint stock scientific and industrial company "Radiosvyaz" ( AO NPP "Radiosvyaz");
  • The Institute of Automation and Electrometry SB RAS;
  • Tomsk State University of Control Systems and Radioelectronics;
  • Kirensky Institute of Physics SB RAS.