Simulations drive rover development
The MEQAL project develops three interacting parts to improve methane emission detection and measurement: advanced sensors, drone-based observations, and autonomous mobile rovers. This film shows how the work on the rover platform is being driven forward through advanced simulations.
In the film, Lapland University of Applied Sciences, one of the partner universities in the MEQAL project, demonstrates how simulation environments are used to program, evaluate, and further develop the rover platforms, both ahead of and in parallel with field tests.
Methane is one of the most powerful greenhouse gases and contributes significantly to climate change. At the same time, accidental methane emissions are often difficult to detect, locate and quantify in real-world environments. MEQAL is meeting this challenge by developing new measurement methods that combine advanced sensors, drone-based observations, and autonomous mobile rover systems.
Lapland University of Applied Science uses simulation environments to program, evaluate and further develop the rover platforms. By simulating complex terrain and different emission scenarios, the researchers can improve the rovers' navigation, data collection and reliability – making methane measurements more accurate and useful in practice.
Autonomous rovers thus play an important role in bringing methane monitoring closer to operational use in areas such as waste management, landfills, agriculture and wetlands.
The project is a collaboration between Mid Sweden University, Lapland University of Applied Sciences, Mid Sweden University and the University of Oulu, where expertise in sensor technology, autonomous systems and environmental monitoring is combined. It is co-funded by the European Union through the Interreg Aurora programme, which supports smart and sustainable innovation in Northern Europe.