HELiX


The HELiX is hexacopter UAS and can be equipped for heavier payloads. This platform is typically used to characterize the land surface and atmospheric conditions. During MOSAIC, the HELIX was equipped with a multispectral camera, stabilized pyranometers and 2 Vaisala RSS-421 sensors to map surface conditions, measure surface albedo and obtain atmospheric measurements, respectively.

HELiX Specifications


Measurement SpecificationsÌý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý ÌýÌý

HELiX on ice in Arctic Environment

HELiX UAS during MOSAIC

Thermodynamic variables:
ÌýÌýÌýÌý
Temperature Ìý(accuracy, resolution) Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý±0.3 K, ±0.01 K
Relative Humidity (accuracy, resolution) Ìý Ìý ±3%, ±0.1%
Pressure (accuracy, resolution) Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý±0.2 mbar, ±0.01mbar

Data rateÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý 10 GHz

Operating Conditions

Max sustained wind speed aloftÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý22 m/s
Max ground wind (gust or sustained)ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý 15 m/sÌý
Endurance Ìý Ìý Ìý ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý 25 min

Additional Sensors:

RedEdge-MX Multispectral Camera with spectral bands:Ìý

Blue (475 nm center, 32 nm bandwidth),Ìý
Green (560 nm center, 27 nm bandwidth),Ìý
Red (668 nm center, 14 nm bandwidth),Ìý
Red-Edge (717 nm center, 12 nm bandwidth),Ìý
Near-Infrared (842nm center, 57nm bandwidth)

Customized pyranometers (Kipp and Zonen PR1):

Spectral range between 310–2700nm,Ìý
Response time <0.2 s at 95%,
Temperature response less than 1% for temperatures between −20 and 50 °C and a non-linearity of <0.3% between 100–1000Wm−2Ìý

HELiX Publications

de Boer, G., Calmer, R., Jozef, G., Cassano, J.J., Hamilton, J., Lawrence, D., Borenstein, S., Doddi, A., Cox, C., Schmale, J. and Preußer, A., 2022. Observing the Central Arctic Atmosphere and Surface with University of Colorado uncrewed aircraft systems. Scientific Data, 9(1), p.439.