Amid the frozen expanse of Canada’s Arctic, a Queen’s team of researchers are designing drones that can adapt and endure where few machines—or humans—can go.
Led by Dr. Melissa Greeff, an assistant professor in electrical and computer engineering at Smith Engineering, a team of Queen’s researchers at Robora Lab has been pioneering autonomous aerial systems built to safeguard Canada’s Northern sovereignty and advance exploration in the Arctic frontier to improve both environmental and search-and-rescue capabilities since 2019.
At the core of Robora Lab’s research are Uncrewed Aerial Vehicle (UAV) algorithms, the computational systems that allow drones to fly autonomously, interpret their surroundings, and make decisions without human control by processing sensor data in real time to adapt to uncertain environmental Arctic conditions.
In the North, where Global Positioning System (GPS) signals can weaken and the weather can change within minutes, UAVs are essential in ensuring safe, long-range missions. UAVs now play a prominent role in global intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance efforts. In fact, experts expect the military drone market to grow from $16 billion in 2023 to a projected $47 billion in 2032.
In an interview with The Journal, Greeff, founder and director of Robora Lab, established in 2022 as part of the Ingenuity Labs Research Institute, shared what drew her and her team to explore the Northern borders of Canada.
“The Arctic represents the next frontier in autonomy. It pushes us to design systems and algorithms that are truly resilient and capable of long-duration, remote operation that also support both national capability and scientific exploration in extreme environments,” Greeff said.
However, there remain substantial gaps in situational awareness and monitoring capabilities across Canada’s North, due to factors such as the vast and remote terrain, including the permafrost and polar deserts that make this region uninhabitable, which accounts for 40 per cent of the Canadian landmass, as well as limited communication infrastructure.
“Our research aims to address these limitations by developing resilient, cooperative teams of UAVs and Uncrewed Surface Vessels (USVs) capable of persistent operation in remote and harsh environments,” Greeff noted.
Unlike typical UAV controllers, the controllers developed at Robora Lab must handle significant environmental uncertainty, from unpredictable wind gusts to dynamic sea states.
“We combine historical data with real-time sensor feedback to adapt flight strategies on the fly,” Greeff said. “We’ll validate our algorithms in real-world conditions to ensure robustness and reliability.”
As drone capabilities advance, the team works closely with industry and defence partners in the public and private sectors to ensure responsible development and compliance with evolving privacy, security, and ethical standards.
“As researchers, we follow the ethical and regulatory guidelines established by the Province of Ontario, which require us to identify potential security risks and develop comprehensive mitigation plans,” Greeff stated.
Beyond Arctic sovereignty, UAV technology can be used in search-and-rescue and disaster response. However, Greeff identified a common challenge with implementing UAV algorithms in search and rescue systems.
“Today, drones are integrated without considering how they fit within existing operational workflows and communication systems.”
The team is currently addressing this gap in UAV integration through their collaboration with Dr. Jonathan Gammell, Assistant Professor at the Ingenuity Labs Research Institute, Electrical and Computer Engineering at Smith Engineering, and the Canadian Coast Guard by developing autonomous systems that integrate seamlessly into real-world search-and-rescue operations.
In the coming years, Robora Lab will expand testing and collaboration with defence and industry partners, advancing drone technologies that could transform how Canada monitors and safeguards its Arctic territories.
Tags
Canada’s Arctic, drones, Smith Engineering
All final editorial decisions are made by the Editor(s) in Chief and/or the Managing Editor. Authors should not be contacted, targeted, or harassed under any circumstances. If you have any grievances with this article, please direct your comments to journal_editors@ams.queensu.ca.