When an interdisciplinary team from The University of New Mexico was awarded a four-year, $1.5 million grant from the National Science Foundation in 2020, the goal was to develop novel, bio-inspired software and drones to measure and sample volcanic gases.
One year later, the Project VolCAN team got a spectacular opportunity to do just that and make history in the process by becoming what is believed to be one of the first research teams to collect uncontaminated gases from an active volcanic eruption.
In late-November, UNMs team flew a drone into the erupting Cumbre Vieja volcano at La Palma Island in Spains Canary Islands. The eruption, which began in September and ended in late December, is thelargestin Europe in 500 years.
Since the fall, volcanic lava flows from Cumbre Vieja havedestroyedmore than1,000 homesand covered significantparts of the Western side of the island with ash.Thecontinuous emission of ash from the volcano has resulted in frequent closing of the airport,which along with high sulfur dioxide and aerosol concentrations in the air,makes for hazardous conditions. Frequent earthquakes add to the mix of nature displaying itspower.
It is a dramatic and devastating occurrence but was a rare and perfect opportunity for the VolCAN team to put its resources to the test, so they did just that navigating all the physical and bureaucratic hoops to make their way to the island with five drones and a handful of team members with the mission of collecting gas samples by flying drones into the volcano. The VolCAN team wasone of several international researchgroups working on the eruption of Cumbre Viejaat the time.
"We got uncontaminated gas samples from the plume that told us where the magma causing the eruption was coming from. No one has ever been able to do that during an eruption before." Matthew Fricke, research assistant professor, computer science
As the research team directed the UNM-programmed autonomous drones into the gas plumes, they protected themselves from the noxious gases by donning military-grade gas masks. But their risky efforts were a success, becoming what is believed to be the first team to sample uncontaminated gases from an erupting volcano for later carbon isotope analyses. This resulted in a treasure trove of data to help better understand the course of the eruption.
The robot missions couldnt have gone better, said Matthew Fricke, one of the principal investigators on the VolCAN project and a research assistant professor of computer science. We got uncontaminated gas samples from the plume that told us where the magma causing the eruption was coming from. No one has ever been able to do that during an eruption before. That data allows us to try and forecast the duration and intensity of the eruption.
The research teamdirected UNM-programmed autonomous drones into the gas plumes to sample uncontaminated gases from an erupting volcano for later carbon isotope analyses.
After collecting the gases, the teammade CO2 concentrationtransectsof the plumeand obtainedvideo footage of the eruption. These gas sampleswere analyzed for carbon isotopes in collaboration withand using instrumentation of the local scientists onLaPalma. The obtained dataprovides new insights into thenature and depth of the magma sourcein nearreal-time. This information, together with other data collected by numerous scientists from local andinternational institutions,will result in forecasts aboutthe ongoing and future volcanic activity.
VolCAN is a collaboration between the School of Engineering (Departments of Computer Science, and Electrical and Computer Engineering) and Earth and Planetary Sciences. It is led by Fricke, Melanie Moses and Jared Saia, faculty in the Department of Computer Science; Tobias Fischer, a professor andScott Nowicki a Research Professor in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences; Rafael Fierro, a professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering; and John Ericksen, a research assistant in computer science.
The meshing of various disciplines ranging from experts in volcano activity, theoretical algorithms, environmental monitoring, drones and sensors allows the team to accomplish far more than they could do on their own, team members said.
Fischer, a professor of earth and planetary sciences, specializes in volcanology with an emphasis on active volcanism. He keeps up on active volcanoes around the world and is always looking for new ways to analyze emitted gases and particularly CO2 levels, which give important clues into the intensity and likely duration of a volcano. Fischer said the VolCAN project came together around 2017 after he read about Melanie Moses work in the NASA Swarmathon, which involves programming robotic vehicles to communicate and interact as a collective swarm. When he learned about the swarmies, he immediately imagined the possibilities of a collaborative project involving volcanoes.
The swarm consists of multiple autonomous aerial drones that use algorithms inspired by biology to monitor the unpredictable environments surrounding volcanoes. This project will develop, analyze and rigorously test a co-robot swarm of unpiloted air vehicles (UAVs) that collect valuable scientific data in dynamic and unpredictable environments.TheVolCANswarm will use bio-inspired algorithms to detect CO2plumes, descend plume gradients to measure maximum flux of CO2 from ground sources, estimate plume size and infer maps of multiple CO2sources over hundreds of square kilometers.
The collaboration is driving the progress, Fischer said. We would have never been able to do this kind of sensing work on our own.
The UNM team also collaborated with Professor Einat Lev (Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory) and her Ph.D. studentJanine Birnbaum to measure lava flow rates with drones to inform their computational models.The team also said the expedition to La Palma could not have succeeded without the help, guidance and logistical support from EleazarPadron,LucaDAuria, NemesioPerez,PedroHernandez PerezandPepeBarrancosMartinezof theEl Centro Nacional deVolcanologao InstitutoVolcanolgicode Canarias(INVOLCAN), UnidadMilitarde Emergencias, flight coordinator and Jonathan Rodriguez.
There are an estimated 500 volcanoes that emit volcanic gasestothe atmosphere around the world, so there are many future expeditions the VolCAN team could make. In addition to monitoringgassesthat precede volcanic eruptions, thereby protecting human lives, it will also measure how much carbon dioxide is emitted from volcanoes to better understand how they contribute to the global carbon budget. TheVolCANswarm can adapt to environmental conditions autonomously in real-time, and it can also be guided by scientists to collect scientific data during the battery-limited flights of small drones, Fricke said.
Our approach leverages the advantages of bio-inspired algorithms that are fast rather than perfectly accurate, and resilient rather than centrally controlled, Fricke said.
Read the original:
UNM's VolCAN team makes history in Canary Islands - UNM Newsroom
- University of California expands list of courses that meet math requirement for admission - EdSource [Last Updated On: November 11th, 2020] [Originally Added On: November 11th, 2020]
- Bombshell Betty Race car to be Reengineered and Restored By UVU Students to honor the Legacy of its Owner - GlobeNewswire [Last Updated On: November 11th, 2020] [Originally Added On: November 11th, 2020]
- Phyllis Coleman Mouton to receive Trailblazer Award at Women Who Mean Business ceremony - The Advocate [Last Updated On: November 11th, 2020] [Originally Added On: November 11th, 2020]
- Fairfield University Partners with Pulse Secure on New Cybersecurity Lab to Prepare the Next Generation of Information Security Professionals -... [Last Updated On: November 11th, 2020] [Originally Added On: November 11th, 2020]
- Global Cloud Identity and Access Management(IAM) Market Segmentation By Top Key Players- IBM Microsoft Oracle Computer Science CA Okta NetIQ Sailpoint... [Last Updated On: November 11th, 2020] [Originally Added On: November 11th, 2020]
- Stanford supports alliance of universities in diversifying STEM postdocs - The Stanford Daily [Last Updated On: November 11th, 2020] [Originally Added On: November 11th, 2020]
- N.C. A&T Welcomes New and Newly-Appointed Administrators and Faculty - Yes! Weekly [Last Updated On: November 11th, 2020] [Originally Added On: November 11th, 2020]
- Calvin Students Place In Top 10% Of Worldwide Programming Competition - News - Calvin News [Last Updated On: November 11th, 2020] [Originally Added On: November 11th, 2020]
- Multiple tenure-track positions in Computer Science & Engineering job with University of Minnesota-Twin Cities Computer Science & Engineering... [Last Updated On: November 11th, 2020] [Originally Added On: November 11th, 2020]
- New smartwatch app alerts deaf and hard-of-hearing users to common home-related sounds - National Science Foundation [Last Updated On: November 11th, 2020] [Originally Added On: November 11th, 2020]
- MTRAC Innovation Hub for Advanced Computing awards $270000 to Wayne State University artificial intelligence projects - The South End [Last Updated On: November 11th, 2020] [Originally Added On: November 11th, 2020]
- New study outlines steps higher education should take to prepare a new quantum workforce | College of Science | RIT - RIT University News Services [Last Updated On: November 11th, 2020] [Originally Added On: November 11th, 2020]
- Carleton Hosts Herzberg Lecture on Increasing Diversity in Computer Science with Maria Klawe - Carleton Newsroom [Last Updated On: November 11th, 2020] [Originally Added On: November 11th, 2020]
- Baylor University Invites Application for McCollum Endowed Chair of Data Science - Analytics Insight [Last Updated On: November 11th, 2020] [Originally Added On: November 11th, 2020]
- CHEN | Put Computer Science in the Common Core - Cornell University The Cornell Daily Sun [Last Updated On: November 11th, 2020] [Originally Added On: November 11th, 2020]
- GCVI's Tremain running to the NCAA on scholarship - GuelphToday [Last Updated On: November 28th, 2020] [Originally Added On: November 28th, 2020]
- Faculty, alumni, other members of U of T community named to Order of Canada - News@UofT [Last Updated On: November 28th, 2020] [Originally Added On: November 28th, 2020]
- Why 4-year colleges are tapping Amazon to help deliver cloud computing degrees - Education Dive [Last Updated On: November 28th, 2020] [Originally Added On: November 28th, 2020]
- Army Teams With Howard University on AI Center MeriTalk - MeriTalk [Last Updated On: November 28th, 2020] [Originally Added On: November 28th, 2020]
- McGrath one of 10 women to earn STEM scholarship - The Riverdale Press [Last Updated On: November 28th, 2020] [Originally Added On: November 28th, 2020]
- This learning platform is proving adults can benefit greatly from learning math and science - iMore [Last Updated On: November 28th, 2020] [Originally Added On: November 28th, 2020]
- Artificial Intelligence Is Now Smart Enough to Know When It Can't Be Trusted - ScienceAlert [Last Updated On: November 28th, 2020] [Originally Added On: November 28th, 2020]
- Students and schools in the news - Blue Springs Examiner [Last Updated On: November 28th, 2020] [Originally Added On: November 28th, 2020]
- Missouri S&T News and Events Missouri S&T faculty honored for outstanding teaching - Missouri S&T News and Research [Last Updated On: November 28th, 2020] [Originally Added On: November 28th, 2020]
- HCCC Offers Opportunities for Adjunct Faculty and Instructors at Virtual Job Fair - The Hudson Reporter [Last Updated On: November 28th, 2020] [Originally Added On: November 28th, 2020]
- 4-H ignites a passion for science and technology in Minnesota youth - Southernminn.com [Last Updated On: November 28th, 2020] [Originally Added On: November 28th, 2020]
- MIT's New Center to Advance Predictive Simulation Research Will Focus on Exascale Simulation of Materials in Hypersonic Flow Environments -... [Last Updated On: November 28th, 2020] [Originally Added On: November 28th, 2020]
- Computer scientist James Allen named AAAS fellow - University of Rochester [Last Updated On: November 28th, 2020] [Originally Added On: November 28th, 2020]
- Center to advance predictive simulation research established at MIT Schwarzman College of Computing - MIT News [Last Updated On: November 28th, 2020] [Originally Added On: November 28th, 2020]
- Setting the pace in computer science education | Opinion - Paragould Daily Press [Last Updated On: November 28th, 2020] [Originally Added On: November 28th, 2020]
- Mohammed VI University in Benguerir Launches School of Computer Science - Morocco World News [Last Updated On: November 28th, 2020] [Originally Added On: November 28th, 2020]
- Asa Hutchinson: Setting the pace in computer science education - Searcy Daily Citizen [Last Updated On: November 28th, 2020] [Originally Added On: November 28th, 2020]
- Former FX tech person points out the racist trajectory of skin and hair CGI - Boing Boing [Last Updated On: December 11th, 2020] [Originally Added On: December 11th, 2020]
- AI is not yet perfect, but it's on the rise and getting better with computer vision - TechRepublic [Last Updated On: December 11th, 2020] [Originally Added On: December 11th, 2020]
- Philosophy Threatened at University of Evansville - Daily Nous [Last Updated On: December 11th, 2020] [Originally Added On: December 11th, 2020]
- Two Maryland Teachers Receive National Honors in Math, Science Education - maryland.gov [Last Updated On: December 11th, 2020] [Originally Added On: December 11th, 2020]
- Special Scientist Research, Department of Computer Science job with UNIVERSITY OF CYPRUS | 238208 - Times Higher Education (THE) [Last Updated On: December 11th, 2020] [Originally Added On: December 11th, 2020]
- Computer science jobs pay well and are growing fast. Why are they out of reach for so many of America's students? - The Conversation US [Last Updated On: December 11th, 2020] [Originally Added On: December 11th, 2020]
- Computer science grad finds success and a new academic family in cybersecurity - ASU Now [Last Updated On: December 11th, 2020] [Originally Added On: December 11th, 2020]
- What is Computer Science? in the US - International Student [Last Updated On: December 11th, 2020] [Originally Added On: December 11th, 2020]
- Accurate Neural Network Computer Vision Without The 'Black Box' - Duke Today [Last Updated On: December 19th, 2020] [Originally Added On: December 19th, 2020]
- Crick Named Mathematical Sciences Distinguished Alumnus Of The Year - The Chattanoogan [Last Updated On: December 19th, 2020] [Originally Added On: December 19th, 2020]
- Nadya's Hot Chocolate Bombs: yummy for the tummy - theday.com [Last Updated On: December 19th, 2020] [Originally Added On: December 19th, 2020]
- Trouble hearing in a crowded room? New 'cone of silence' could help - Science Magazine [Last Updated On: December 19th, 2020] [Originally Added On: December 19th, 2020]
- James Fujimoto wins the Visionary Prize from the Greenberg Prize to End Blindness - MIT News [Last Updated On: December 19th, 2020] [Originally Added On: December 19th, 2020]
- To the brain, reading computer code is not the same as reading language - MIT News [Last Updated On: December 19th, 2020] [Originally Added On: December 19th, 2020]
- U of Texas will stop using controversial algorithm to evaluate Ph.D. applicants - Inside Higher Ed [Last Updated On: December 19th, 2020] [Originally Added On: December 19th, 2020]
- Gift from Ann S. Bowers '59 creates new college of computing and information science | Cornell Chronicle - Cornell Chronicle [Last Updated On: December 19th, 2020] [Originally Added On: December 19th, 2020]
- NYS Board of Regents adopts first-ever learning standards for computer science and digital fluency - RochesterFirst [Last Updated On: December 19th, 2020] [Originally Added On: December 19th, 2020]
- Computer science prof Townsend recognized for educational contributions - DePauw University [Last Updated On: December 19th, 2020] [Originally Added On: December 19th, 2020]
- Missouri S&T News and Events New faculty in computer science - Missouri S&T News and Research [Last Updated On: December 19th, 2020] [Originally Added On: December 19th, 2020]
- Retired UW computer science professor embroiled in Twitter spat over AI ethics and cancel culture - GeekWire [Last Updated On: December 19th, 2020] [Originally Added On: December 19th, 2020]
- How UC fought COVID-19 in 2020 - University of California [Last Updated On: December 23rd, 2020] [Originally Added On: December 23rd, 2020]
- Search committee appointed for dean of Princeton's School of Public and International Affairs - Princeton University [Last Updated On: December 23rd, 2020] [Originally Added On: December 23rd, 2020]
- How Yale economists are informing India's COVID-19 response - Yale News [Last Updated On: December 23rd, 2020] [Originally Added On: December 23rd, 2020]
- Top MIT research stories of 2020 - MIT News [Last Updated On: December 23rd, 2020] [Originally Added On: December 23rd, 2020]
- St. Albans City School kids were 'on the case' for Computer Science Week. What mystery did they solve? - St. Albans Messenger [Last Updated On: December 23rd, 2020] [Originally Added On: December 23rd, 2020]
- Cobb Schools receives grant for computer science teacher training - The Catoosa County News [Last Updated On: December 23rd, 2020] [Originally Added On: December 23rd, 2020]
- Scholarship honors the legacy of Terry Arthur's dedication to students - Augusta Free Press [Last Updated On: December 24th, 2020] [Originally Added On: December 24th, 2020]
- This tool helps predict which COVID patients will need hospitalization and which can be sent home - Press-Enterprise [Last Updated On: December 24th, 2020] [Originally Added On: December 24th, 2020]
- Students express concerns over teaching appointment of Jason Mars - The Michigan Daily [Last Updated On: December 24th, 2020] [Originally Added On: December 24th, 2020]
- Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd University hosted the International Conference on Computing, Mobility, and Manufacturing (CMM 2020) - PRNewswire [Last Updated On: January 10th, 2021] [Originally Added On: January 10th, 2021]
- These Are the College Majors That Pay Off the Most - 24/7 Wall St. [Last Updated On: January 10th, 2021] [Originally Added On: January 10th, 2021]
- He Was Going to Close the Family Diner. Then He Got a Sign. - The New York Times [Last Updated On: January 10th, 2021] [Originally Added On: January 10th, 2021]
- Members of Several Well-Known Hate Groups Identified at Capitol Riot - FRONTLINE [Last Updated On: January 10th, 2021] [Originally Added On: January 10th, 2021]
- Carver Community Center to offer free pampers to mothers, free coding classes for youth - Marshall News Messenger [Last Updated On: January 10th, 2021] [Originally Added On: January 10th, 2021]
- MIT's College of Computing building takes shape as Alexandria and BioMed make moves in Boston - Cambridge Day [Last Updated On: January 10th, 2021] [Originally Added On: January 10th, 2021]
- Bylaws of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering - Nevada Today [Last Updated On: January 10th, 2021] [Originally Added On: January 10th, 2021]
- Student-run HPAIR conference goes virtual this year - Harvard Gazette [Last Updated On: January 16th, 2021] [Originally Added On: January 16th, 2021]
- JUST IN: Computer scientists in breakthrough - The Herald [Last Updated On: January 16th, 2021] [Originally Added On: January 16th, 2021]
- Optimizing Traffic Signals To Reduce Intersection Wait Times - Texas A&M University Today [Last Updated On: January 16th, 2021] [Originally Added On: January 16th, 2021]
- STEM Majors: Interested in a 1-Credit Course About Teaching Math, Science or Computer Science? - University of Arkansas Newswire [Last Updated On: January 16th, 2021] [Originally Added On: January 16th, 2021]
- Stanford AI scholar Fei-Fei Li writes about humility in tech - Fast Company [Last Updated On: January 16th, 2021] [Originally Added On: January 16th, 2021]
- Professor in Computer Science - The Voice Online [Last Updated On: January 16th, 2021] [Originally Added On: January 16th, 2021]
- Expansion project to grow computer science learning, research at Algoma University - Northern Ontario Business [Last Updated On: January 31st, 2021] [Originally Added On: January 31st, 2021]
- Teacher of Year finalist expanding Walden Grove computer science program - KGUN [Last Updated On: January 31st, 2021] [Originally Added On: January 31st, 2021]
- Here's why you should get a master's in computer science - Study International News [Last Updated On: January 31st, 2021] [Originally Added On: January 31st, 2021]
- Two UWF teams place in top 5 in national artificial intelligence competition - University of West Florida Newsroom - UWF Newsroom [Last Updated On: February 5th, 2021] [Originally Added On: February 5th, 2021]
- WNMU Board of Regents Virtually Sits Down With Legislators, Governor - WNMU News [Last Updated On: February 5th, 2021] [Originally Added On: February 5th, 2021]
- Department name change signals broad impact on computer and information technologies - Princeton University [Last Updated On: February 5th, 2021] [Originally Added On: February 5th, 2021]