700115SensorCloud = A volumetric distributed sensor cloudClosedGRD Proof of MarketInnovate UKWe have been intrigued with the potential for small Vertical Take Off and Landing (VTOL) unmanned aircraft to act as sensor platforms that can be moved and parked in space. During the last 6 years we have developed and tested small (2m rotor diameter) helicopters powered by internal combustion engines and by electric motors, and have operated electromagnetic sensors on these platforms. Although these helicopters are often used for recreational purposes, we see useful business and societal applications for small unmanned helicopters as sensor platforms. Over the last three years, we have noticed an increasing interest in multi-rotor VTOL platforms with 4, 6 and even 8 rotors. The multi-rotor platforms have advantages over the traditional helicopter: • simple direct drive propellers: no complex mechanical parts to perform the traditional helicopter cyclic and collective functions; • no wasted power in a tail rotor on a helicopter to stop the helicopter body from rotating; • lower vibration and noise levels: important for sensors. These multi-rotor VTOL platforms are already in use by professional organisations, such as the BBC to carry heavy video cameras, and the Police and fire services to photograph the scene of an accident. We think these humble developments could be the prelude to a much larger and more widespread use of multi-rotor aircraft of all sizes in a wide variety of tasks. We propose to investigate the nature of the global market and the financial and technical feasibility of developing small multi-rotor sensor platforms for use in a volumetric distributed sensor cloud. The swarm of sensor platforms could be used, for example, in a 3D configuration to perform synthetic aperture, low frequency, electromagnetic imaging of subsurface features as part of a geophysical survey. Another innovative aspect of our study is to consider the software to manage a swarm of VTOL sensor platforms to perform useful tasks, such as routine border patrol work.