SnifferStar TM is a micro chemical analysis system
developed jointly by Sandia National Laboratories and
Lockheed Martin (under Lockheed Martin's Shared Vision
program) for deployment on Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
(UAVs). As the UAV moves through the air, it collects a
sample and performs a rapid analysis for chemical
warfare agents. The UAV / SnifferStar TM provides a
mobile chemical detection platform that can be used on
either a military battlefield or in civilian
applications, and serves as an early warning indicator
of chemical warfare attack. The entire module weighs
less than 16 grams and operates on half a watt of power.
How it works: SnifferSTAR consists
of two microfabricated components, a preconcentrator and
a saw detector array contained in a fluid manifold, atop
a microprocessor board smaller than a credit card. The
forward motion of the vehicle forces air through the
device. Material in the sampled air is absorbed and
concentrated. It is then thermally released (desorbed).
The mass of incoming particles changes the frequencies.
The altered frequency data are passed to a processing
unit on the SnifferStar module. The data are then
relayed to a processor on the drone or radio-linked to a
main data processor on the ground. The information is
automatically compared against a library of the patterns
created by a range of gases. The sampling process is
repeated every 20 seconds, with 15 seconds intake and
five seconds for analysis. The inrush of air then clears
the device
sensors for the next reading.
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SnifferSTAR Example 