Indoor Testing Facilities available at the NASA Unmanned Autonomy Research Complex (NUARC)

Windshaper A large WindShaper fan array is available for dynamic low-speed and hovering flight research.  The WindShaper is ideal for generating arbitrary wind gradients and wind gusts via a simple Python API.  A companion WindProbe is also available for quick surveys of flows.  The WindProbe utilizes the lab’s OptiTrack motion capture system to extract the […]

Apr 10, 2026 - 08:00
 0  4
Indoor Testing Facilities available at the NASA Unmanned Autonomy Research Complex (NUARC)

Windshaper

Windshaper fan array for dynamic low-speed and hovering flight research.
Windshaper fan array for dynamic low-speed and hovering flight research.
NASA/John Melton

A large WindShaper fan array is available for dynamic low-speed and hovering flight research.  The WindShaper is ideal for generating arbitrary wind gradients and wind gusts via a simple Python API.  A companion WindProbe is also available for quick surveys of flows.  The WindProbe utilizes the lab’s OptiTrack motion capture system to extract the position and orientation of the 5-hole cone probe located on the probe tip.

  • Large dynamic fan array: 9’x7’, 1134 fans arranged as 567 ‘wind pixels’
  • Wind speeds: 0 to 16 m/s (0 to 36 mph/31 kts)
  • Acceleration: 4 m/s2, Deceleration: 2.5 m/s2
  • Each fan is programmable via Python scripting
  • Replicates steady winds, gusts, and wind gradients
WindProbe for handheld mobile wind data collection.
WindProbe for handheld mobile wind data collection.
WindShaper

What's Your Reaction?

like

dislike

love

funny

angry

sad

wow