Development and Deployment of an Autonomous UAV-Borne Gas and Particulate Sample Capture System for Fumarole Sampling

Abstract

Volcanoes are one of the great forces of the natural world. The gases they release can reveal information about the world below us, from the structure of the planet, to the risk of an imminent eruption. Sampling these gases however is often difficult and extremely dangerous - high temperatures, hazardous gases, steep terrain and remoteness all make collecting samples a challenging endeavour. Unoccupied Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) can help reduce the risks and difficulties of measuring and sampling these gases, enabling studies of volcanic systems that were otherwise inaccessible. This paper presents the first known effort to design, develop and field test a UAV-borne Gas Capture System (UGCS) for volcanic fumarole sampling. This work includes the development of a sampling probe deployment mechanism, sample canister selection, payload-to-UAV interfacing, and a light-weight visual/thermal camera package. Operationally, the intricacies of placing a sample probe into a small fumarole opening are examined, as are the hazards of flying a UAV with a suspended load.