U.S. Navy wants to deploy CICADA drones to better understand storm systems

By Dallon Adams Published July 29, 2017

cicada drone hurricane research — Jonathan Sunderman/U.S. Naval Research Laboratory

We’ve reviewed plenty of drones over the years, and while they are predominantly used recreationally, the tiny buzzing gadgets have plenty of real world functionality. We reported earlier this year about a series of defibrillator drones undergoing testing in Sweden to reduce death and it looks like some drones in the U.S. may be gearing up for meteorological duty. The U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) is testing a fleet of hurricane research drones to better understand and predict the destructive forces of nature.

The Close-in Covert Autonomous Disposable Aircraft MK5, or CICADAs, are an inexpensive, autonomous, fleet of GPS-controlled drones. Unlike traditional aerial drones, the CICADAs have no motor or onboard propulsion system. Instead, the 1.2-ounce drones are released midair from an aircraft and then glide to their intended destination. Each CICADA has a “glide ratio” of about 3.5 to 1 — meaning the drone has the ability to glide forward 3.5 feet for every one foot it descends.

Recommended Videos

The latest CICADA prototype has flat wings and an overall flat build, enabling the “micro aircraft” to be easily stacked in canisters and deployed in large numbers. The Navy is currently using a delivery system that stacks 32 CICADAs into a single cylindrical container for deployment.

Please enable Javascript to view this content

Once released from the aircraft, the drones glide to their “intended waypoint, enters an orbit, and then descends within that orbit until it reaches the ground,” according to Dr. Daniel J. Edwards, an aerospace engineer with NRL. The onboard GPS technology allows the CICADAs to navigate and land within roughly 15 feet of their intended target.

The NRL describes the CICADAs as “essentially a flying circuit board” and once deployed in the air, the drones will record chemical, biological, and meteorological information. The Navy hopes this data could be used to better understand the behavior of both hurricanes and tornadoes.

In the future, these research drones could be deployed from a host of aerial vehicles including traditional airplanes, balloons, precision guided munitions, and even other unmanned aircraft or drones. The Navy recently ran the drones through a series of tests in various locations and altitudes ranging up to 8,000 feet. You can watch the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Spectrum’s full video coverage of the event on YouTube.

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Dallon Adams is a graduate of the University of Louisville and currently lives in Portland, OR. In his free time, Dallon…

Cars

Is a Jeep Cherokee replacement slated for 2025?

Jeep Cherokee

Jeep is remaining somewhat mysterious about the name of a new hybrid SUV slated to be part of the brand’s lineup in 2025.
Speaking at the Los Angeles Auto Show recently, Jeep CEO Antonio Filosa would only say that a new compact SUV with a hybrid powertrain was indeed on the way, according to Automotive News.
Filosa had already confirmed last spring that a new “mainstream” large SUV would soon be launched by Jeep, adding that we "could probably guess what it will be called." His comments had sparked speculation that the Cherokee brand name would be back.
While the brand name has existed since 1974, the Cherokee Nation in the U.S. had officially asked Jeep to stop using its name in 2021.
Early last year, Jeep quietly discontinued the model, which was one of its most iconic SUVs of the past 50 years.
The reason? Besides slumping sales, Jeep at the time cited the confluence of market dynamics, consumer preferences, and strategic brand realignment.
The Cherokee was viewed as a classic four-door SUV, known both for its reliability and its ability to suit both off-road and urban environments.
But with time, “consumer preferences have significantly shifted towards larger SUVs equipped with the latest technology and enhanced safety features,” Jeep said at the time. “This trend is accompanied by an increasing demand for environmentally friendly vehicles, steering the market towards hybrid and electric models.”
While no one knows for sure what the new SUV hybrid will be called, Jeep's parent company, Stellantis, is certainly doing everything it can to steer all its brands in the hybrid and electric direction.

Stellantis recently launched a new platform called STLA Frame that’s made for full-size trucks and SUVs. The platform is designed to deliver a driving range of up to 690 miles for extended-range electric vehicles (EREVs) and 500 miles for battery electric vehicles (BEVs).

Cars

Teslas likely won’t get California’s new EV tax rebate

teslas likely wont get californias new ev tax rebate ap newsom 092320 01 1

California seems eager to reassert itself, not only as one of the largest economies in the world, but one where EVs will continue to thrive.

Governor Gavin Newsom has announced California will seek to revive state-tax rebates for electric vehicles should the incoming Trump administration carry out its plans to end the existing $7,500 federal incentive on EVs.

Cars

Kia PHEVs’ electric range will double to 60 miles

kia phevs electric range will double to 60 miles cq5dam thumbnail 1024 680

Besides making headlines about the wisdom, or lack thereof, of ending federal rebates on EVs in the U.S., Kia is setting its sights on doubling the range its plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs) can run on while in electric mode.

With affordability and finding chargers remaining among the main hurdles to full EV adoption, drivers this year have increasingly turned to PHEVs, which can function in regular hybrid gas/electric mode, or in full electric mode. The issue for the latter, however, is that range has so far remained limited.