HELiX


The HELiX is a hexacopter platform designed for research requiring heavier or more specialized payloads than fixed-wing systems can accommodate. Equipped with stabilized pyranometers, a RedEdge-MX multispectral camera, and thermodynamic sensors, the HELiX is well-suited for studies of land surface characteristics, surface albedo, broadband shortwave irradiance, and atmospheric profiling. Its hovering capability allows for targeted sampling at fixed altitudes, complementing the horizontal and vertical transects captured by the RAAVEN and CS3. The HELiX has been deployed in demanding environments including the central Arctic during the MOSAiC expedition.

HELiX Specifications


Measurement Specifications                                        

HELiX on ice in Arctic Environment

HELiX UAS during MOSAIC

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

Data rate                                                       10 GHz

Operating Conditions

Max sustained wind speed aloft                  22 m/s
Max ground wind (gust or sustained)         15 m/s 
Endurance                                                    25 min

Additional Sensors:

RedEdge-MX Multispectral Camera with spectral bands: 

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

Customized pyranometers (Kipp and Zonen PR1):

Spectral range between 310–2700nm, 
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−2 

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.