OSU engineers achieve first-of-its-kind sample collection using UAS

Monday, August 5, 2024

Media Contact: Jeff Hopper | Communications and Media Relations Manager | 405-744-5827 | jeff.hopper@okstate.edu

Just as a runny nose, warm forehead or body aches can indicate a person’s well-being, researchers can detect details concerning a dolphin’s well-being through an exhaled breath.  

As you might imagine, collection of a dolphin exhalation is likely harder than it sounds. However, a group of researchers from Oklahoma State University’s Oklahoma Aerospace Institute for Research and Education – along with biology researchers from Stephen F. Austin State University and members of Dolphin Quest, an organization dedicated to creating meaningful connections between people and dolphins – did just that using an unmanned aerial system (UAS)  

The recent first-of-its-kind breath sample capture, made at Dolphin Quest’s Hawaii location, is part of ongoing research efforts, started in 2019, to observe and document health and stress levels in dolphins affected by human disturbance. 

“We’ve recently had success in the collection of mucus from a dolphin, using an unmanned aerial system during a field test at Dolphin Quest Hawaii,” said Dr. Jamey Jacob, director of OAIRE. “The breakthrough demonstrates that sample collection is feasible using a UAS that has little to no impact on the animal.” 

The system used for sample capture has been through several iterations, overcoming performance obstacles and determining the vehicle that would pose as little impact to the dolphin as possible. 

The engineers at OAIRE decided on a fixed-wing airframe that houses a collection device in the nose of the aircraft. During field testing, the aircraft flew along a designated flight path and coincided with the release of a dolphin by trainers in hopes that the aircraft could fly through a plume as the dolphin breached the surface and exhaled. 

“It was a bit of luck and a bit of practice,” said Daniel Gassen, a research and development engineer with OAIRE who continued this research from his master’s thesis. “We collected the sample during our last week at Dolphin Quest Hawaii, so it was very exciting to experience success with little time left on our visit.” 

The device uses an iris, much like a camera, that opens to a tube which houses an electric fan, which, when switched on, creates a low-pressure area in front of the aircraft and effectively sucks the sample into the tube. 

The team estimates that the sample gathered was enough to determine DNA, location tracking and viral load for the animal. However, they believe the sample will need to be two to three times larger to assess hormone levels and provide a more comprehensive health assessment of the animal. 

The teams’ ultimate goal is to determine the health of wild dolphin populations that may have been impacted by human actions like oil spills, boat noise or environmental events. 

“As of now, we’re using off-the-shelf aircraft,” said Zach Yap, an OAIRE engineer and project member since 2022. “However, we believe that a specially designed airframe would allow us to house a larger collection device and perhaps fly at slower speed so that we can stay above the pod of dolphins and have a longer duration inside the plume.” 

The partnership with Dolphin Quest has been instrumental to the success of this monumental, first-of-its-kind breath sample capture. From learning more about the mechanics of a dolphins breath plume during trips to Dolphin Quest Bermuda or experiencing the first successful breath sample capture at Dolphin Quest Hawaii, the hands-on, personal interactions with Dolphin Quest staff and animals allowed for a better understanding between engineer, biologist and marine mammal. 

“Dolphin Quest was thrilled to host Dr. Jason Bruck from Stephen F. Austin State University and Dr. Jamey Jacob and his team from Oklahoma State University’s Oklahoma Aerospace Institute for Research and Education to further their cutting-edge conservation research using drones,” Dolphin Quest leadership said. “These scientific studies introduce novel and enriching experiences for our dolphins. Our crew members find collaborating with visiting scientists rewarding, and seeing science in action gets our guests jazzed about marine mammal conservation, too.  

“Scientific discoveries like these are possible because of the incredible trust that exists between our dolphins and their caregivers. This relationship, coupled with large natural saltwater habitats, creates an ideal setting to develop and test new technologies that will help us better understand how to protect threatened and endangered dolphin species in the wild.” 

As the team makes advancements on the aircraft, the hope is to travel to the Gulf of Mexico soon to field test with wild dolphins and begin collecting data that may help researchers better understand these protected marine mammals. 

“This project truly is at the heart of our land-grant, extension, outreach, and One Health initiatives at OSU,” Jacob said. “Our hope is that future researchers will have a UAS that can accomplish data collection on hand and be able to conduct these studies with greater regularity. Until then, OAIRE is happy to lend our expertise to this impactful project.”