Robert D. Palmer
Executive Director, Advanced Radar Research Center (ARRC)
Associate Vice President for Research & Partnerships
Interim Director, National Weather Center
Professor & Tommy C. Craighead Chair, School of Meteorology
University of Oklahoma
Bio: Robert Palmer holds the Tommy C. Craighead Chair in the School of Meteorology at OU and is an Associate Vice President for Research & Partnerships. He established and is Executive Director of the nationally recognized Advanced Radar Research Center. He has published widely in radar sensing of the atmosphere, with over 130 peer-reviewed journal articles, 1 textbook, 50 international invited talks, and over 300 conference presentations. Bob is a Fellow of both the American Meteorological Society (AMS) and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) emphasizing his dedication to the interdisciplinary nature of radar science.
Title of Talk: The Advanced Radar Research Center (ARRC) at the University of Oklahoma – Bridging the Gap Between Engineering and Science
Abstract: The Advanced Radar Research Center (ARRC) at the University of Oklahoma is leading the development of next-generation weather radar technology through the fully digital phased array radar system, Horus. This presentation provides an overview of ARRC’s history, capabilities, and its role in advancing weather and defense radar systems. Horus represents a paradigm shift in radar meteorology, leveraging cutting-edge digital beamforming, high-resolution polarimetric observations, and rapid scanning capabilities. Designed for scalability and real-time operation, Horus has already demonstrated high-quality weather measurements, including 3D hail core observations and multiple simultaneous transmit/receive beam applications. This technology promises to revolutionize atmospheric sensing, enabling more precise and rapid weather forecasting while supporting multi-mission capabilities, including aviation and defense applications. The future of weather radar observations is now being shaped by fully digital phased array technology, offering unprecedented flexibility and performance.
