New anemometer streamlines wind measurements for smaller aircraft

As demand for autonomous aircraft increases, better wind sensors - anemometers - are needed to make it easier for these vehicles to sense weather changes and perform safer take-offs and landings, according to researchers. 

Such enhancements could improve how people use their local airspace, through drones delivering packages or passengers one day flying on unmanned aircraft, said Marcelo Dapino, co-author of the study and a professor in mechanical and aerospace engineering at The Ohio State University.  The team’s research is published in Frontiers in Materials.

“Our ability to use the airspace to move or transport things in an efficient manner has huge societal implications,” Dapino said in a statement. “But to operate these flying objects, precise wind measurements must be available in real time whether the vehicle is manned or unmanned.”

MORE FROM AEROSPACE

Besides helping aerial objects cross long distances, accurate wind measurements are also important for energy forecasting and optimising the performance of wind turbines, he said.