Research OverviewUnmanned Aerial Systems (UAS), a.k.a. ‘drones’ are quickly becoming a useful research tool with many applications for environmental monitoring. My research focuses on the design and operations of UAS in environments that are inhospitable to life: at this time volcanic and nuclear sites. Long-range UAS are an ideal solution to monitoring and surveying in these situations since a human operator can remain in a safe location while the vehicle is at risk. My previous Ph.D. work focused on autonomous indoor flight for small multi-rotor type vehicles, whilst my current post-doc role explores the use of both larger multi-rotors and fixed-wing types.
For effective monitoring at long-range in extreme environments, the vehicle must be semi-independent; able to operate with minimal human supervision. This presents a significant control and automation challenge since measurement payloads are most effective when in close proximity to their target. I investigate the vehicle design and control algorithms needed to reliably and accurately position the vehicle and its sensor payload. A key part of my work is enabling safe beyond visual line-of-site (BVLOS) flights. This is achieved through regular outdoor flight testing and field applications. Updates from my research and flight operations can be found on Twitter @DrKieranWood. PublicationsE.J. Liu, K. Wood, E. Mason, M. Edmonds, A. Aiuppa, G. Giudice, M. Bitetto, V. Francofonte, S. Burrow, T. Richardson, M. Watson, T. D. Pering, T. C. Wilkes, A. J. S. McGonigle, G. Velasquez, C. Melgarejo, C. Bucarey. "Dynamics of outgassing and plume transport revealed by proximal Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) measurements at Volcán Villarrica, Chile". Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems, 19. https://doi.org/10.1029/2018GC007692
Kieran T. Wood, Ronald C. Cheung, Thomas S. Richardson, Jonathan E. Cooper, Oliver Darbyshire, and Clyde Warsop. "A New Gust Generator for a Low Speed Wind Tunnel: Design and Commissioning", 55th AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting, AIAA SciTech Forum, (AIAA 2017-0502) https://doi.org/10.2514/6.2017-0502 Sergio A. Araujo-Estrada, Francis Salama, Colin M. Greatwood, Kieran T. Wood, Thomas S. Richardson, and Shane P. Windsor. "Bio-inspired Distributed Strain and Airflow Sensing for Small Unmanned Air Vehicle Flight Control", AIAA Guidance, Navigation, and Control Conference, AIAA SciTech Forum, (AIAA 2017-1487) https://doi.org/10.2514/6.2017-1487 Presentations and ConferencesKieran Wood, Tom Richardson, Lucy Berthoud, Matt Watson, Helen Thomas, Ailsa Naismtih, Josh Lucas, Andrew Calway. "3D Reconstruction of Volcanic Ash Plumes using Multi-Camera Computer Vision Techniques", EGU General Assembly (EGU2018). (presentation)
Kieran Wood, Tom Richardson, Ben Schellenberg, Colin Greatwood, Matt Watson, Helen Thomas, Ailsa Naismtih, Emma Liu, Jim Freer, Rick Thomas, Gustavo Chigna. "UAV based detection and measurement of volcanic plumes at Volcán de Fuego, Guatemala", EGU General Assembly (EGU2018). (poster) Matthew Watson, Gustavo Chigna, Kieran Wood, Tom Richardson, Emma Liu, Ben Schellenberg, Helen Thomas, Ailsa Naismith. "On the use of UAVs at active volcanoes: a case study from Volcan de Fuego, Guatemala", AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts (AGU2017). Outreach and Media |
Keywords
Unmanned Aerial Systems (‘drones’) Flight dynamics and control Aerial mapping (visual and radiation) Volcanological monitoring Outdoor flight testing |