Modern technologies are available in almost any country in the world, while they are still in short supply in the Arctic and Antarctic. It is known that polar drones are currently actively used only for research purposes. Scientists need more time to perfect drones to replace doctors, rescuers, delivery workers and other specialists in the polar regions.
Polar bear with cubs
Drones solve many problems
Russian unmanned aerial vehicles have been used in the Arctic for more than 15 years. It was at this time that the Aileron -T23 Arctic UAVs were purchased to monitor the ice situation and ensure the safety of the personnel of the Russian scientific research drifting stations North Pole.
The Aileron T-10 UAV with an expanded set of tasks and additional sensors was also used. Since the mid-2010s, the Orlan-10 complex has been used, the purpose of which was both to explore the ice situation and to photograph the earth’s surface in the polar regions.
Since researchers are particularly interested in such objects as hummock ridges, cracks and solder boundaries, glaciers, icebergs and their fragments, both drone application techniques and the drones themselves are being improved. Thanks to them, experts plot routes to the objects of interest.
Since the 2010s, systems for environmental and structural analysis of aerial photographs have been developed. Systems have already been created capable of determining the types and condition of the underlying surface, including ice, soil conditions and anthropogenic disturbances, tundra biocenoses, and the range of various types of tundra vegetation.
Western countries have also begun using drones in the Arctic zone. Drones are used here to monitor the melting of glaciers and in many other areas, not only for observation and photographing.
Drones can replace payload delivery services: essential medicines, mail, etc. To do this, device designs are being improved, and their operation is made reliable in the most adverse weather conditions.
Underwater analogues of drones are also widely used. Float drones are already studying how much a glacier has melted. To do this, the drone descends to a depth of 2 km, conducts a survey, floats up to transmit data, and dives back under water.
Drones are replacing expensive aircraft and icebreakers for navigating ships in the Arctic. The drone monitors the ice situation in the vicinity of the vessel and helps plot the course. For this, wide polynyas are used, fixed by the optics of the drone.
The IoT network helps polar explorers
Photo: CNN
In January 2016, Sigfox, a French company developing a low-power Internet of Things network, announced the deployment of infrastructure in Antarctica. The polar explorers received GPS-enabled trackers with long battery life.
The devices operate on the Sigfox network. They help in determining the coordinates of the location by sending them to special antennas. The goal: to help you stay in touch with colleagues in conditions of very low temperatures and strong winds.
Wireless broadband Internet has already connected the two poles. Broadband Internet access is a tool for creating new opportunities in the polar regions – educational, medical and economic.
Iridium has launched the NEXT satellite constellation. It supports all existing products and services already offered by the firm, and can offer new products and services at higher speeds.
OneWeb has announced the deployment of a system of nearly 700 communications satellites, which has provided broadband Internet access to users around the world. The satellites are located at an altitude of 1.2 thousand km from the Earth.
OneWeb has provided communication services to marine vessels, research stations, including drifting ones, and cell towers in remote parts of the world. Satellite signals are sent to a small subscriber device, and then to the user’s end equipment via Wi–Fi or LTE.
