Robots to collect dangerous data

Unmanned aircraft are to help scientists with research flights that are too dangerous or difficult for human pilots.

Robot planes have long been used by the military, but they are now being adapted for scientific use.

Noaa researchers (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) say it could revolutionise the way the Earth's systems are monitored.

The agency has announced a $3m (£1.5m) investment into the technology.

"A big chunk of the atmosphere remains relatively unobserved. I think unmanned aircraft are a key to that solution and they will become ubiquitous in the coming decade," said Marty Ralph, a research meteorologist at Noaa's Earth System Research Laboratory, Colorado.

Co-worker Sandy MacDonald added: "They are great for the missions we call dirty, dull and dangerous."

The $3m will be invested into projects to use unmanned aircraft for three main purposes: to predict a hurricane's intensity, track how fast Arctic summer ice will melt and whether Pacific storms will flood the west coast of America.


http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7202894.stm