AN OVERVIEW OF USING UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLE AS AN ALTERNATIVE SOLUTION FOR CLOUD SEEDING PROCESS

Abstract

Cloud seeding is a process to modify the clouds to produce rainfall. It is a common practice in some countries that experience El-nino phenomena which come with bad hazes and drought in long duration, such as Malaysia. Generally, cloud seeding process is done by using small aircrafts, which is costly and dangerous to the pilots. Thus, the use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), which is a pilotless aircraft, can be a solution for the implementation of cloud seeding process. This paper presents a brief overview on the cloud seeding process, weather pattern in Malaysia and the minimum specifications of UAV for cloud seeding purpose. It is found that any proposed designs of UAV should have the capability to operate at minimum service ceiling of 2000 m to modify the clouds. Keywords : UAV; Cloud Seeding; El-nino