Mission

Met Instruments Project exists to support atmospheric research through the development of standardized, modular, and scientifically rigorous observing systems that reduce the logistical burden of field operations.

The organization designs observing platforms, operational methodologies, and supporting infrastructure that allow researchers to spend less time managing instrumentation and more time conducting science. Every system is developed through iterative engineering, field validation, and documented operational experience to ensure observations are reliable, traceable, and repeatable.

Rather than pursuing rapid expansion, Met Instruments Project emphasizes deliberate growth in response to demonstrated scientific need. New capabilities are incorporated as they mature through testing and field experience, allowing the organization to expand while maintaining a strong commitment to data quality, maintainability, and practical field operation.

Ultimately, the goal is to provide atmospheric researchers, educators, and collaborators with observing capabilities that make field campaigns more efficient, more accessible, and scientifically robust.

Observing Platforms

Quickly Deployable Automated Weather Station (QDAWS) – 2024

A rapidly deployable, temporary fixed-site automated weather station designed to provide research-quality atmospheric observations for field campaigns, environmental monitoring, and scientific studies.

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Current Research:

A technical manuscript describing the design, deployment methodology, and field performance of the Quickly Deployable Automated Weather Station (QDAWS) is currently in preparation for journal submission. The manuscript documents the instrument architecture, operational performance, and experience gained through field deployments, including the 2025 CROCUS field campaign.

QDAWS is also undergoing a year-long performance characterization study at Spirit of St. Louis Airport (KSUS), initiated September 13, 2026. The study includes intercomparison with the airport’s Automated Surface Observing System (ASOS), with emphasis on measurement performance, environmental representativeness, and long-duration operational reliability.

Fixed-Site Development Testbed – 2025

A continuously operating fixed-site meteorological testbed supporting the development and long-term evaluation of Met Instruments Project observing infrastructure.

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Development Role:

The Fixed-Site Development Testbed provides a continuously operating environment for the development and long-duration evaluation of Met Instruments Project instrumentation, data acquisition, communications, and data-delivery infrastructure.

Current work includes the integration of legacy Campbell Scientific data loggers with modern IP-based communications, high-frequency data acquisition, automated backlog management, telemetry performance evaluation, and server-side data processing.

The testbed also supports the development of automated data products and user-facing visualization systems. Capabilities developed and evaluated through FSDT inform subsequent implementations across other MIP observing platforms, including deployable stations and mobile mesonet systems.

Thunderstorm On-site Observations & Logging (TOOL) – 2026

A mobile wind measurement testbed developed to evaluate instrumentation, mounting systems, and data acquisition methods for future mobile atmospheric observing platforms.

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Research & Development:

TOOL serves as an experimental mobile atmospheric observing platform used to investigate vehicle-mounted wind measurement techniques, instrumentation integration, and operational methodologies.

Development efforts include GNSS-based heading determination, time synchronization, and improvements in measurement quality for mobile atmospheric observations.

Instrumentation and engineering experience gained through TOOL will directly inform the development of MIP’s first mobile mesonet, including its sensor integration, data acquisition architecture, and operational configuration.

Mobile Mesonet — In Development

A vehicle-mounted meteorological observing system designed to collect high-resolution atmospheric measurements while in motion, supporting mobile field investigations and the characterization of spatial variations in atmospheric conditions.

Development Status:

The first mobile mesonet has been developed in various forms over nearly seven years. Much of the instrumentation, data acquisition architecture, GNSS integration, and visualization software has already been developed, with remaining work focused on equipment acquisition, physical integration, and system validation.

The platform is intended to integrate meteorological observations with GNSS positioning, automated data archival, telemetry, and a custom visualization environment supporting meteorological and radar data.

Following construction, the completed system will undergo a dedicated performance characterization program to evaluate measurement quality, operational reliability, and suitability for atmospheric research applications.

Development Support:

MIP has established FUND-0001, a targeted fundraising initiative supporting the remaining instrumentation, structural materials, and custom fabrication required to complete the platform.

Additional information is available through the FUND-0001 campaign page.

Guiding Principle

Every capability developed within Met Instruments Project is evaluated against one guiding question:

Does it make atmospheric field research more effective, more repeatable, and easier to perform?

Our goal is simple: reduce the barriers to atmospheric field research without compromising scientific rigor, enabling researchers to obtain reliable observations more efficiently.

Operational Methodology

Independently developed. Empirically evaluated. Collaboratively applied.

Met Instruments Project independently develops atmospheric observing systems through hands-on engineering, sustained field experience, and internal research and development. These systems are empirically evaluated through field deployment, intercomparison, and performance characterization to better understand their capabilities and limitations. When appropriate, these capabilities are applied collaboratively to support researchers in obtaining observations suited to their scientific objectives.

Strategic Vision

Met Instruments Project seeks to build capability progressively, allowing experience gained from existing systems to inform each subsequent stage of development. Near-term efforts focus on documenting and characterizing current platforms, strengthening operational infrastructure, and preparing emerging systems for field use. Longer-term growth will be guided by opportunities to apply these capabilities meaningfully in atmospheric research.

Current Priorities

• Continue the year-long QDAWS / ASOS performance characterization study initiated September 13, 2026, at Spirit of St. Louis Airport (KSUS), including analysis of meteorological observations, system performance, and long-duration operational reliability.
• Complete and submit the QDAWS design and operational experience manuscript.
• Prepare for the presentation of Met Instruments Project at the 107th American Meteorological Society Annual Meeting in January 2027.
• Advance construction and integration of MIP’s first mobile mesonet, building upon existing instrumentation, data acquisition architecture, and visualization software.
• Develop and document a dedicated performance characterization methodology for the first mobile mesonet following construction and integration.
• Continue refinement and operational evaluation of the Fixed-Site Development Testbed (FSDT), including high-frequency data acquisition, telemetry reliability, backlog management, and continuous data archival.
• Develop standardized calibration, validation, maintenance, and deployment methodologies across MIP observing systems.
• Advance QDAWS V2 development, including modular instrumentation, power, telemetry, and GNSS-based orientation systems.
• Continue development of centralized data infrastructure supporting real-time observations, diagnostics, long-term archiving, and collaborative research.
• Maintain transparent public documentation of development objectives, funding initiatives, and project outcomes.
• Pursue scientific collaboration and continue empirical evaluation of observing systems through field deployment and sustained operation.

Near-Term Development

• Expand internal calibration and metrology capabilities through traceable reference instrumentation, documented procedures, and standardized performance evaluation.
• Develop and validate QDAWS V2 using findings and operational experience from the ongoing QDAWS characterization study.
• Standardize interchangeable thermodynamic, wind, pressure, power, and telemetry configurations across QDAWS platforms.
• Refine configuration-specific power systems, including extended-autonomy battery operation, solar-supported deployments, and independently powered winterization.
• Develop standardized vehicle-based storage, transportation, and deployment systems supporting scalable QDAWS fleet operations.
• Complete integration of MIP’s first mobile mesonet, incorporating GNSS positioning, meteorological data acquisition, telemetry, data archival, and visualization systems.
• Conduct field testing and independent performance characterization of the completed mobile mesonet prior to research application.
• Expand web-based observation, diagnostics, and data-management infrastructure to support multi-platform analysis and collaborative research.
• Continue development of fixed-site observing systems for long-term performance evaluation and community applications.
• Refine scalable deployment architectures and supporting logistics for rapidly deployable atmospheric observing networks.
• Evaluate QDAWS fleet expansion in response to demonstrated research demand and collaborative opportunities.

Long-Term Vision

• Operate integrated fleets of QDAWS, FluxDAWS, mobile mesonets, sticknets, and fixed observing systems.
• Provide rapidly deployable, configurable atmospheric observing networks capable of supporting short-duration investigations and extended field campaigns.
• Support collaborative atmospheric research through standardized instrumentation, deployment, calibration, metadata, and data-management methodologies.
• Maintain internal calibration and metrology capabilities supporting traceable atmospheric measurements across MIP observing platforms.
• Develop modular instrumentation and power architectures adaptable to diverse environments, measurement objectives, and deployment durations.
• Provide centralized, web-based access to research observations, platform diagnostics, and integrated multi-system data analysis.
• Advance cost-efficient observing technologies that reduce logistical and financial barriers without compromising measurement quality.
• Support scientific research, student education, and collaborative field experimentation through reliable, well-characterized observing systems.

Research & Development Agenda

Current Focus Areas:

• QDAWS year-long performance characterization and ASOS intercomparison
• QDAWS V2 modular instrumentation and system architecture development
• First mobile mesonet construction, systems integration, and performance characterization planning
• Mobile mesonet GNSS positioning, data acquisition, telemetry, archival, and visualization development
• Rapidly deployable research mesonet and fleet logistics development
• TOOL instrumentation integration and mobile observing architecture evaluation
• Fixed-site observing and development testbeds, including FSDT telemetry and data acquisition optimization
• Instrument calibration, validation, and internal metrology
• Extended-autonomy power systems and winterization
• Standardized field operations, telemetry, and research data infrastructure
• Scientific collaboration, manuscript preparation, and AMS presentation development

Recent:

• Met Instruments Project abstract accepted for presentation at the 107th American Meteorological Society Annual Meeting (2026)
• QDAWS formally commissioned at Spirit of St. Louis Airport (KSUS), initiating its year-long ASOS performance characterization study (September 2026)
• QDAWS continuous observation, telemetry, and data-archive architecture finalized for the characterization study (2026)
• Preliminary QDAWS pressure measurement performance evaluated through ASOS intercomparison (2026)
• QDAWS field anchoring and long-duration deployment configuration refined (2026)
• Standardized QDAWS vehicle transport and multi-station deployment architectures advanced through preliminary design (2026)
• Quad-plate pressure port manufacturing and standardization program initiated (2026)
• Fixed-Site Development Testbed upgraded for high-frequency continuous operation, including revised data acquisition and backlog-oriented telemetry architecture (October 2026)
• Mobile mesonet data acquisition and visualization software advanced, including GNSS integration, radar-oriented visualization, and data archival architecture (October 2026)
• First Mobile Mesonet Fundraising Campaign established as FUND-0001, with a $4,000 objective supporting remaining instrumentation, structural materials, and custom fabrication (October 2026)
• Public Support and campaign documentation infrastructure established, including a numbered campaign directory and contributor acknowledgment framework (October 2026)
• Internal atmospheric instrument calibration and metrology program initiated (2026)
• QDAWS design and operational experience manuscript underway (2026)

Upcoming:

• Met Instruments Project presentation at the 107th AMS Annual Meeting, Denver, Colorado (January 2027)
• QDAWS design and operational experience manuscript submission
• Continued acquisition and analysis of the year-long QDAWS / ASOS characterization dataset
• QDAWS V2 prototype construction, modular instrumentation integration, and performance validation
• Continued development and testing of standardized QDAWS vehicle storage and deployment systems
• Completion and integration of MIP’s first mobile mesonet
• Independent field testing and performance characterization of the completed mobile mesonet
• Continued evaluation and optimization of FSDT high-frequency data acquisition and telemetry performance
• Expansion of internal calibration and metrology capabilities
• Development of web-based collaborative observation and data-analysis interfaces
• Research observing site development and expansion of fixed-site instrumentation capabilities
• Sainte Genevieve, Missouri, community observing station development
• Development and testing of extended-duration, solar-supported, and winterized QDAWS configurations
• Continued student education, technical mentorship, and scientific collaboration

© 2026 Met Instruments Project

Independent Atmospheric Observing Systems