MeteoHelix® ready for Industry 4.0

Agricultural weather station with a wind sensor, rain gauge and helical radiation shield

What is industry 4.0 and how does meteorological data fit into its picture?

In general, the fourth industrial revolution (Industry 4.0 for short) is widely accepted as the rise of connectivity following the computerization of manufacturing. For example, the term "Precision Agriculture" is one subset of the 3rd and 4th industrial revolutions, where the 3rd industrial revolution is all about computerization and widespread sensor adoption and the fourth is the rise of connectivity and its benefits. We are still in the middle of both of these industrial revolutions. The benefits of Industry 3.0 are clearly visible with sensors in everything from our cars to our household appliances, while the benefits of connectivity will become more and more noticeable in the years to come.

The rise of home weather stations

In meteorology one can see the widespread adoption of home weather stations as the result of Industry 3.0, while the rise of meteorological data sharing networks like Weather Underground as the beginnings of Industry 4.0.  The rise of precision agriculture is also the result of sensor adoption and started with the widespread use of weather stations in farming. It continues with the rise of software platforms that offer not only present weather data sharing and data processing, but are also able to combine this data with crop health and soil analyses to paint a more complete picture of current crop status and crop development.  This complete picture helps decision makers (agronomists in precision farming) make significantly more informed decisions and helps prevent wasteful use of water, fertilizer and chemical agents used to treat plant diseases and pest outbreaks.

Impact on professional meteorology

In professional meteorology the changes from the 3rd and 4th industrial revolution come slower. Scientists and meteorologists need to be sure that each new technology provides high-quality data and long-term data stability as climatic changes happen on a scale of a few thousands of a degree per year. Additionally, every new sensor technology needs to be thoroughly tested and compared to existing measurement instruments and techniques so as to ensure data continuity and consistency. In other words, professional applications of weather sensors cannot permit sensor differences to create false changes in long-term climatic measurement, where a change is temperature sensor technology would result in a step change in global temperature readings. One such new technology currently being evaluated by professionals around the world is the helical radiation shield for air temperature sensors which promises to significantly increase accuracy and reduce measurement uncertainty of any temperature sensor in outdoor applications. The impact of this helical solar shield technology found in the MeteoHelix® micro-weather stations from BARANI DESIGN Technologies may mean that tens of thousands of home weather stations throughout the world may in the near future be able to provide high-quality professional weather data used to improve local weather forecasts.

Finding our climate extremes rests on one man's shoulders

One of the driest places on earth, situated 5000 meters above sea level with a barren landscape reminiscent of Mars is not a place for vacationers nor any livings things. Yet one man's quest for science will soon bring him to this extra-terrestrial Atacama Plateau between the border of Chile and Bolivia.

Obsessed by exploration from a young age, he is not a typical tourist, nor does he pick the typical vacation spots. It is not a coincidence that his first research adventure landed him in the middle of nowhere to challenge Mongolia's lowest temperature on record, a staggering -55.6 °C, from a little know desert village named Zuungobi. It is the coldest desert village in the world outside of Antarctica. 

After months of meticulous research in the WMO (World Meteorological Organization) database, Orban found his second vacation spot, the Atacama Plateau. A spot known for the clearest air and the highest recorded UV index... he makes sure to pack sunscreen. As a seasoned meteorological observer of the Romanian Meteorological Administration he has a trained eye for finding weather extremes. His research is planned for 6 - 7 days of continuous measurement with a data logger and temperature sensor housed inside a helical radiation shield donated by BARANI DESIGN Technologies. Other supporting sensors will include a meteorological alcohol thermometer and digital precision thermometer. 

He is aware of the dangers that lie ahead. "I will travel alone, unsupported. Some of the days I will sleep outside, nearby my small meteo station at over 5,000 m, therefore it needs good planning and proper acclimatization. I will take with me mainly dry foods and thermoses for keeping the water liquid in the freezing nights. Very few animals are living in this high desert ecosystem, it means predator attacks are unlikely. The lack of water and oxygen will be the main difficulties, the cold and the UV only secondary, as those can be fenced off by proper clothing/ sheltering."

More details about Orban Zsombor's quest to find earth's climate extremes can be found on his blog website: The Exiled Weatherman

Can new technologies make urban weather stations accurate?

While accurate meteorological measurement in an urban environment was until now practically impossible, a new technology promises change that. 

MeteoHelix® is a new type of weather station based on a patented helical solar shield design which forms a continuous helix. The manufacturer, BARANI DESIGN Technologies, claims to have achieved the never before possible combination of unobstructed airflow to the internal sensors while simultaneously providing 360-degree protection from reflected light and radiating heat from nearby walls.

Independently verified, the helical shape delivers the most accurate air temperature measurement available without fan assisted airflow in a solar shield. In testing involving strong light reflections from the ground, it proved to be more accurate than many fan-aspirated radiation shields.