OSU students design 2 types of drones

STILLWATER, Okla. (AP) – Students at Oklahoma State University have designed two drones capable of punching through violent storms and aiding authorities with search and rescue efforts.

The first drone – also known as an unmanned aerial vehicle – was designed to intercept and measure key weather data in severe thunderstorms. Called MARIA, the aircraft can be deployed rapidly and flown into the lower parts of developing storm cells to improve understanding of the systems. á

The second type of vehicle designed by the student teams could be flown over an area of land and return images and GPS coordinates for various rescue scenarios, such as helping locate a lost hiker.