By Anne Stamer
28 September 2007

For climate-change researchers like The National Weather Service, better data is on the way thanks to an invention and student-founded start-up company from the University of Pennsylvania called Radiosonde Recovery.

Weather research groups obtain much of their data from instrument packages with radio transmitters sent into the upper atmosphere. These devices, called radiosondes, are launched to very high altitudes to collect atmospheric data such as temperature, pressure and humidity. Once the data is collected, radiosondes parachute back to earth to be collected and re-used. Yet with no economical recovery system, research groups can only manage to recover one out of every five radiosondes.

"Once launched, radiosondes are often blown hundreds of miles away and their landing sites are completely random.  [The cost of recovery] is sometimes more then the instruments are worth." said Warren Jackson, the team leader who is on track to earn bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mechanical engineering from Penn next year. "The National Weather Service, for instance, launches about 80,000 weather balloons every year, and they lose the vast majority of the radiosondes which costs them about $10 million a year."

To correct this dilemma, the Radiosonde Recovery team invented a small robot that attaches to the radiosonde and determines a safe landing spot for the device, adjusting the parachute to steer it in the right direction.

"Researchers can send up more expensive instrumentation, collect better data and actually get the instruments back," said Jackson.

Warren Jackson developed the idea for an autonomous Global Positioning Service-based robot in 2006 and received a summer internship to work on it. He then recruited Kevin Galloway, Bill Mather and Chris Thorne to work with him because of their experience with robotic aerial vehicles.  Together, the team formed Radiosonde Recovery and was the first place winner at this year’s PennVention competition, an annual student inventors’ competition at the Weiss Tech House at the University of Pennsylvania that leads students through the processes of bringing an idea from conceptualization to commercialization.

The competition begins each year in early November and culminates in the final Invention Fair in April. Through three distinct rounds, participants receive intensive business mentoring services and vie for a chance to win a portion of $60,000 in cash and in-kind services. Participants learn about patenting and legal issues, product design, manufacturing, development and marketing, and making valuable business connections.

Past PennVention winners and Weiss Tech House alumni companies have gone on to secure patents, incorporate businesses, sell their products on QVC, solicit celebrity endorsements and contract with the U.S. Government. The Weiss Tech House, which organizes the competition every year, is a student-run hub of technological innovation that supports Penn students in the creation, development and commercialization of innovative technologies. 

During the past eight months, PennVention participants received consultation and guidance from more than 40 industry mentors and learned about patenting, product design and manufacturing. Last year’s winner, MuscleMorph, went on to win the Wharton Business Plan Competition and Fortune Small Business Magazine’s Battle of the Business Plans. Others, like Humanistic Robotics and SunSak, have incorporated businesses and launched products to market.

Made possible by a gift from Penn Trustee George Weiss, the Weiss Tech House has welcomed students with a broad range of technological interests and skills to explore, collaborate and learn as a part of their community of innovators. Aspiring student entrepreneurs have taken advantage of their programs and resources such as lab space, funding, competitions, and mentoring opportunities to develop and launch innovative technologies to market.

Karl Ulrich, director of Weiss Tech House, said the center was set up to give students a place to turn dreams into reality. At least one or two of the PennVention winners each year have some commercial success with their inventions.

"It’s a very practical-oriented place, and this fits well with Penn’s mission. Think Ben Franklin," said Ulrich.

To find out more about Radiosonde Recovery or the Weiss Tech House, visit tech-house.upenn.edu.

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