Sensing system and method

An unmanned vehicle system for determining environmental conditions comprising:

• a housing including at least one propeller;
• at least one motor for driving a propeller;
• a vehicle controller electrically coupled to the at least one motor and configured to receive command signals from a remote device to control operation of the at least one motor and direction of the unmanned vehicle system;
• an environmental sensor system comprising:
• a sensing element that includes a sensing material and electrodes configured to apply electrical stimuli to the sensing material at different frequencies;
• and
• a detector circuit configured to detect and quantify at least one analyte gas by measuring impedance of the sensing element at one or more frequencies of the different frequencies during exposure of the sensing material to the at least one analyte gas,
• wherein the detector circuit is configured to control one or more of a low detection range of the sensing material to the at least one analyte gas, a high detection range of the sensing material to the at least one analyte gas, a response linearity of the sensing material to the at least one analyte gas, a dynamic range of measurements of the at least one analyte gas by the sensing material, or a rejection of one or more interfering gases by the sensing material;
• and
• a control unit comprising one or more processors communicatively coupled with the environmental sensor and the vehicle controller,
• wherein the one or more processors are configured to receive an environmental signal from the detector circuit of the environmental sensor system indicative of the at least one analyte gas.

A method of collecting environmental conditions comprising:

• positioning an unmanned vehicle system including an environmental sensor system to detect an environmental condition;
• applying electrical stimuli at different frequencies with the environmental sensor system, the environmental sensor system comprising a sensing element that includes a sensing material and electrodes,
• measuring impedance of the sensing element with a detector circuit at one or more frequencies of the different frequencies during exposure of the sensing material to at least one analyte gas, wherein the detector circuit is configured to detect and quantify the at least one analyte gas;
• and
• controlling one or more of a low detection range of the sensing material to the at least one analyte gas, a high detection range of the sensing material to the at least one analyte gas, a response linearity of the sensing material to the at least one analyte gas, a dynamic range of measurements of the at least one analyte gas by the sensing material, or a rejection of one or more interfering gases by the sensing material with the detector circuit.

An unmanned vehicle system comprising:

• an environmental sensor system configured to detect one or more environmental conditions of an environment in operational contact with the unmanned vehicle system, the environmental sensor system comprising:
• a sensing element that includes a sensing material and electrodes configured to apply electrical stimuli to the sensing material at different frequencies;
• and
• a detector circuit configured to detect and quantify at least one analyte gas by measuring impedance of the sensing element at one or more frequencies of the different frequencies during exposure of the sensing material to the at least one analyte gas,
• wherein the detector circuit is configured to control one or more of a low detection range of the sensing material to the at least one analyte gas, a high detection range of the sensing material to the at least one analyte gas, a response linearity of the sensing material to the at least one analyte gas, a dynamic range of measurements of the at least one analyte gas by the sensing material, or a rejection of one or more interfering gases by the sensing material;
• and
• one or more processors are configured to:
• receive a detector signal from the detector circuit of the environmental sensor indicative of the one or more environmental conditions and
• position the unmanned vehicle system during a predetermined period of data acquisition.