OTUS Project

@otusproject.bsky.social

The Observations of Tornadoes by UAV Systems (OTUS) project is an effort to gather reliable measurements of the environment within and surrounding a tornado. www.theotusproject.com

Erik Fox hand-launching our OTUS drone into the Wyoming, IA tornado on April 14th, 2026. 🌪️ This was the first ever drone flight in history through a #tornado that was captured by a 360 camera! More to follow as we process the footage. Thanks to Edgar ONeal for this incredible shot!

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A peek at preliminary tornado data we are still processing. These traces are from one of the drones circling in the anticyclonic Higgins, TX-OK EF1 on May 18. The validation and quality control process takes time, but more data will be shared as we progress.

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Our first flight yesterday was inside the tornadogenesis and growth phase of a soon-to-be wedge tornado near Spiritwood and Jamestown, ND. Data and more video will be shared as we process material.