Introducing the Scottish Scientific Robotics Academy as a facility for testing and operating robotics for Ocean-Atmosphere Interaction studies.

Understanding of global climate and the accurate forecasting of extreme weather in Europe rely on the validity of operational coupled atmosphere-ocean models over the north Atlantic. Robotic systems will play an increasing dual role in improving these models. Firstly climate models require improved parameterization schemes of the air-sea coupling, especially under existing data-sparse or data-disturbed conditions such as storm conditions or stratified turbulence respectively. Secondly, forecast model accuracy can be enhanced by targeted data assimilation, although this, at present, is costly.

The SRA, based at the Scottish Association for Marine Science with association with Oban Airport, is ideally placed geographically, logistically and academically to test and deploy air-sea interaction technology in the immediate and medium term.

We encourage academic and engineering collaboration from Europe and elsewhere to engage with the SRA to partner in the development of sensor and platform technology, validation of heterogenous swarms (airborne, surface and sub-surface) and trial operational studies.