The document summarizes a weather balloon control system created by Kris Gjika for The Lightning Lab to study lightning. The system records flight data from instruments measuring GPS, altitude, temperature and can integrate other sensors. It controls the balloon to prevent it from veering off course and uses inexpensive, off-the-shelf electronics. The system successfully gathered all needed data during lab testing and future iterations aim to deploy it on weather balloons with real-time communications.

1. Weather Balloon
Control System
Kris Gjika | Lightning Lab

2. Overview
This project built the brain for weather balloons
used to study lightning
The Lightning Lab seeks to provide companies
impacted by lightning data to support their
operations
Record flight data and prevents the balloon from
veering off course
Used off-the-shelf electronics and has functioned as
intended in lab testing

3. Lightning is a Big Problem…
Lightning can affect airplanes, cell communications, and other critical
infrastructure
The Lightning Lab uses weather balloons to study lightning and gather data
with the end goal of predicting future lightning strikes
Weather balloons are ideal for gathering data:
-Float the perfect altitude to study lightning
-Low energy and long flight times
-Heavy payloads

4. Building the System
Record Instrument data, GPS, altitude,
and temperature and easily plug in
other sensors
Control system to cut down balloon if
it’s going off course
Used mBed microcontroller, C++ code,
ham radio, and analog electronics

5. Results & Next Steps
Successfully built a system to control weather balloons
and gather data using inexpensive, off the shelf parts
The system successfully captured all the data needed
when tested in a lab environment
Seeking to deploy during future flight
Future iterations will be on printed circuit board and will
have real-time radio coms

6. Kris Gjika
Engineer & MBA student
Kris.gjika@gmail.com