Glacier gLiDAR

Glacier gLiDAR is a payload mounted on an autonomous vehicle to scan the surface features of recently-cleaved glacier faces.

Glacier gLiDAR was initially developed in conjunction with the Lockheed Martin Innovation Center at Masdar City to extend the capabilities of commercial UAVs to support science research. The student team, composed of Alex Mackay, Sara Aldhaheri, and Qutaiba Al-Nuaimy, transitioned the work into a senior capstone project for Alex and Sara in 2019. The system uses a solid-state LIDAR sensor mounted on a gimbal that can map out the faces of glaciers from which large sections have recently cleaved. The device is designed to be mounted on commercially available UAVs with payload capacity around 3kg.