NSF Award
2320164
An award is made to Oklahoma State University (OSU) to conduct integrated hyperspectral and LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) sensing through the acquisition of an Advanced Low-altitude Earth Observing System (ALEOS). ALEOS is an integrated research instrument mounted on an unoccupied aircraft system (UAS) which will advance the research programs of at least 18 investigators from 10 departments across OSU, who will in turn provide numerous STEM training avenues for undergraduate students, graduate students, and postdoctoral researchers, many of whom are from groups historically underrepresented in science. The research driven by ALEOS will captivate students of all backgrounds and increase job placement of OSU students given the increasing demand for expertise with drone technology in the job market. Every year, this project will enable more than 170 students in roughly nine courses to experience first-hand advanced imaging technologies and to complete class projects driven by real-world applications, such as assessing the composition of aerosol emissions from grassland fires and studying how certain crops respond to varying levels of soil nitrogen. The project team will incorporate hands-on activities related to ALEOS research into outreach activities supported by OSU, such as National Lab Day and STEM Teacher Institute events, as well as the Oklahoma State Science and Engineering Fair which is organized and hosted by OSU.<br/><br/>ALEOS will add new research capabilities to OSU by providing state-of-the-art remote sensing technology. This project will facilitate innovative research that will advance agricultural production systems and management of natural resources with positive economic implications for the region and relevance to national and global issues. Deployment of ALEOS will enable novel research topics, such as assessing the linkages between above- and below-ground biodiversity, determining impacts of climate on carbon and water cycles, developing UAS-based forage monitoring systems, and constraining uncertainty in the climate effects of aerosol emissions from prescribed fires. ALEOS can also provide calibration and validation support for current large-scale monitoring systems, such as the sensors aboard the International Space Station and forthcoming spaceborne Earth observing systems, such as NASA’s Surface Biology and Geology mission. As such, this project will help answer a wide array of important scientific questions surrounding the issue of scale in remote sensing. The project team will disseminate this information through scientific publications, course curricula, and outreach to tribal nations, land managers, and stakeholders.<br/><br/>This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
