Check out the latest article featuring the CopterSonde from Oklahoma NPR station KGOU
The CopterSonde-3D, designed by a small team of researchers led by scientists Tony Segales and Tyler Bell, captures information similar to a weather tower while moving through the atmosphere. Several versions of the design have been produced since 2016 using feedback from other researchers and meteorologists.
Tony Segales (left) and Tyler Bell (right) show two CopterSonde models they developed.
“The drone evolved, and we believe that it’s kind of shaped by weather because every time we go out there, there’s a different challenge that weather presents us,” Segales said.
The researchers, along with others at CIWRO, are helping the National Severe Storms Lab develop a new weather forecasting system that could improve warning lead times from about 20 minutes to up to two hours, Bell said. The project could result in quicker alerts for people in the line of tornadoes, thunderstorms and flash floods.
The drone is one tool the forecasters could use to get detailed insights into evolving weather events.
Challenges like violent wind or snow pose threats to the durability of the drone, which the researchers produced using a 3-D printer. Private company InterMet Systems licensed the design and has plans to refine the product, adapting it to the nation’s turbulent weather systems. The market-ready product will likely be lighter with more resilient material, Segales said.
Originally posted on May 15, 2025 by KGOU | Chloe Bennett-Steele, StateImpact Oklahoma
Access the full article here.
