Kraw Lecture: Sensing the Unseen: How Drones and Ground Sensors Reveal the Hidden Air Quality Impacts of Climate Change
How can flying robots help us track the air we breathe and the pollutants we can’t see? In this talk, Assistant Professor Javier González-Rocha will share how his team uses drones to measure wind patterns and detect airborne pollutants in hard-to-reach places..
These systems help us understand how toxic pollutants and climate emissions move through the atmosphere and affect human health and the environment. From wildfire smoke to methane leaks from dairy farms and oil fields, these emissions are often poorly monitored—especially in rural or overburdened communities.
Low-cost, adaptable drone and ground sensor systems fill this gap. By combining real-time flight data, environmental measurements, and advanced modeling, González-Rocha and his team generate targeted observations that inform air quality assessments and improve emissions tracking.
This work sits at the intersection of engineering, environmental science, and community collaboration—building tools that empower people and support climate resilience from the ground up.
