Research Projects

​This project evaluated the feasibility of using small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS) equipped with commercial photoionization detectors to remotely detect and characterize airborne volatile organic compounds. Internal ERAU College of Aviation funding supported interdisciplinary field testing, student involvement, and dissemination through national conferences and a peer-reviewed journal publication.

​ERAU College of Aviation internal funding awarded in 2018–2019 supported an interdisciplinary investigation into the viability of mounting commercial off-the-shelf photoionization detector (PID) sensors on small unmanned aircraft systems for remote detection of volatile organic compounds. The project involved faculty from the Graduate, Flight, and Worldwide programs, along with both graduate and undergraduate students, and included controlled field data collection conducted in May–June 2019. Simulated fuel spill scenarios were used to compare VOC measurements collected by sUAS-mounted sensors with traditional hand-held monitoring methods. Results demonstrated that sUAS-mounted PID sensors can provide comparable measurements under certain configurations, while also identifying limitations related to rotor wash, sensor placement, and tether length. Findings were presented at the 2020 Virtual American Industrial Hygiene Conference and Exhibition and the 2021 University Aviation Association Annual Collegiate Aviation Conference & Expo, and were published in Collegiate Aviation Review International in January 2021.