Exploring the atmosphere using smartphones

TL;DR

This study demonstrates how smartphones mounted on quadcopters can effectively measure atmospheric parameters like altitude and pressure, providing a low-cost method for atmospheric exploration and validation against standard models.

Contribution

It introduces a novel approach using smartphones on drones to explore the troposphere, combining sensor data with aircraft information for atmospheric analysis.

Findings

Smartphones can accurately measure altitude and pressure in the lower atmosphere.

Data collected aligns well with the International Standard Atmosphere model.

The method offers a cost-effective way to study atmospheric characteristics.

Abstract

The characteristics of the inner layer of the atmosphere, the troposphere, are determinant for the earth's life. In this experience we explore the first hundreds of meters using a smartphone mounted on a quadcopter. Both the altitude and the pressure are obtained using the smartphone's sensors. We complement these measures with data collected from the flight information system of an aircraft. The experimental results are compared with the International Standard Atmosphere and other simple approximations: isothermal and constant density atmospheres.