Rain Rate Quantification Dissemination and Determination

In support of the Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) concept for safe, sustainable, affordable aviation, ASTM International (formerly known as the American Society for Testing and Materials) has formed a Subcommittee F38.02 (part of Committee F38 on Unmanned Aircraft Systems) to establish the ASTM F3673-23 Weather Information Provider standard to address the performance and interoperability requirements for weather data reports, analysis, and services for operations including, but not limited to, uncrewed aircraft systems and AAM end users. While the current standard covers most required weather parameters relevant to AAM, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has identified shortcomings in the measurement of rainfall rate that must be addressed. To address these NASA-identified gaps, Intellisense Systems Inc. (Intellisense) proposes the Rain Rate Quantification Dissemination and Determination (RAINMINDER) effort to address all four stated NASA goals. Specifically, Intellisense will develop and enhance its patented microvolumetric rain rate measurement technology, calibrating it for the full range of weather conditions, and will compare its performance to rain rate estimates produced by nonvolumetric systems. It will also make rain rate data available to AAM operators using either public dissemination through the National Weather Service or through a private data network depending on the preference of each AAM operator. As a current member of the F3673-23 development committee, Intellisense will lobby to include new rain rate thresholds in the F3673-23 Tier 2 performance standard to align with Federal Meteorological Handbook No. 1 standards, thereby increasing the usefulness of the standard. This, in turn, will promote wider adoption and deployment and enhance safe and effective operational decision-making, thus broadening the weather data available to nonaviation customers and increasing the market for hyperlocal and microweather data.
Benefits: The proposed RAINMINDER technology specifically addresses NASA’s goal of advancing AAM for the economic and transportation benefits it presents nationally. The RAINMINDER system will address all four of the project goals outlined by NASA, including (1) improving rain rate measurement, (2) disseminating rain rate information, (3) updating the F3673-24 standard accordingly, and (4) making that data available to nonaviation users. RAINMINDER also supports NASA’s science mission, particularly involving terrestrial and environmental research or any research in which measurement of weather or climate is relevant. The portability of the RAINMINDER system and its ability to be operated on solar and battery power is unique among weather sensors with the capabilities required for safety of flight, which can be of benefit to NASA aerial applications requiring ad hoc installations. As envisioned, the primary applications for the RAINMINDER system are to advance adoption of AAM outside of NASA. In addition to this primary application in the commercial AAM arena, additional non-NASA commercial applications for the RAINMINDER system include applications in ground transportation, highway safety, wildland firefighting, power utility environmental monitoring and safety, support of oil and gas operations, and smart city enhancements. In particular, the portability of the RAINMINDER system and its ability to be integrated into existing small, integrated weather products operated on solar and battery power will be unique among volumetric rain sensors. The portability of the system also avoids infrastructural costs normally required for larger tipping bucket systems, which are the only commercially available automated volumetric rain sensors other than the proposed Intellisense technology.