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Low altitude testbed

Our low altitude testbed enables low altitude research projects to be carried out and allows applications to be tested prior to deployment at high altitude.

It is based on a 21m3 Helikite, a tethered balloon/kite hybrid which is capable of deployments up to 400m altitude.

Over the next few months we will be undertaking the following trials:

  • Wireless communications
    • Angle dependent propagation measurements
    • Physical layer network coding
  • Environmental monitoring for smart cities            
    • Leveraging York City Environmental Observatory activity
    • Plan to assess tree health in the city
    • Initial trials in the Scarcroft Road area of York
  • Urban pollution monitoring
    • Measurement of CO, CO2 NOx and particulates in dense urban areas
    • Trial in outskirts of Leeds


Helikite test, 13 March 2017