[meteorite-list] Sand Dunes and Meteorites
From: Meteorite1 <themeteoritesite_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 10:02:33 2004 Message-ID: <OE60KpRcTCi90gP8yJr0000049d_at_hotmail.com> This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0023_01C1D78B.A09DB2C0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable MessageHello all, I know that I am not the rocket scientist here & this may be an = oversimplified theory but I have a picture of my house & my fathers = house taken from a satellite in orbit. Now I may be wrong but I kinda = think that if someone is going to go to the trouble of putting millions = of dollars of equipment into orbit that they would include thermal = imaging as part of that inventory. Here is my thought, in the evening, = at dusk when the desert floor is no longer being heated by the sun = wouldn't the sand, plants & surrounding landscape cool off faster than = the darker colored rocks (meteorites) with iron content? And if the = meteorites did cool slower or have a higher temp because of their darker = color couldn't we print out a GPS based list of these thermal hot spots? This is just an idea considering that the technology I think is there is = probably classified & we could never gain access to it anyway. Sincerely, Jim =20 James Hartman themeteoritesite_at_hotmail.com www.meteorite1.net imca_5098_at_hotmail.com (for IMCA member contact) =20 Authenticity Guaranteed www.meteoritecollectors.org ----- Original Message -----=20 From: dvail=20 To: 'Meteorite-list Meteoritecentral'=20 Sent: Saturday, March 30, 2002 1:11 AM Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] Sand Dunes and Meteorites Ok, =20 A little more on my idea of how to search for meteorites in relatively = high contrast, low noise areas like sand dunes. I realize that they = won't be as easy to automatically recognize as a 10 foot diameter shinny = black fusion crusted meteorite in the middle of an Antarctic ice field. = However I do believe the following method will work and it would be fun! =20 Low cost ultra miniature UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicle) sometimes = called MAVs (miniature aerial vehicle) are hand launched and belly = landed and have a range of about 50 miles. They can fly at an altitude = of a few feet to 1000 feet. They can be either battery or liquid fuel = powered (aerosol can). On board is a microcontroller, 4 mega-pixel = digital camera, GPS receiver, and 5 GHz 802.11a wireless LAN Interface = capable of transmitting 104 megabits per second. The wireless LAN = Interface is used for video transmission, streaming real-time telemetry = and remote control. Remote control can be preformed in real-time by a = person operating a laptop with remote control software comprised of a = video window and a 3d topo map showing the real-time GPS position of the = UAV and standard aeronautical controls (graphically simulated sticks, = indicators and gauges) The laptop computer is connected to an 802.11a = access point with an attached pitch and rotation controlled directional = high gain parabolic antenna positioned at a pre-selected strategic high = ground line of site vantage point. The UAV control program running on = the laptop can be configured to automatically execute a standard = systematic grid search pattern or an out and back modified grid/radial = pattern planed around the range characteristics of the UAV. During the = execution of the search pattern the laptop records a series of = overlapping snapshots stamped with GPS coordinate, UAV spatial = orientation, date/time, and other pertinent information. A = pixel-pattern discrimination program reviews the snapshots (Photoshop on = steroids). The program allows the user to graphically select targets = from a database of object photos and parametric deviation criteria. The = object database contains key information on each photographed object in = the database. The pixel pattern selection algorithm is adaptive and can = adjust itself based on various prevailing conditions such as = atmospheric, meteorological, light, shadow, time of day, spatial = orientation. It selects suspects. Suspect targets are manually = reviewed at high resolution. A larger, more sophisticated UAV with a = steerable zoom camera can be dispatched to the GPS coordinates for a = closer look at an interesting target. At that point, if things look = good I think it would be ok to hop in the old dune buggy (local land use = laws permitting) and have a look. =20 This method could be refined and improved with practice to perhaps = find meteorites in lower contrast higher noise areas. =20 Dan Vail ------=_NextPart_000_0023_01C1D78B.A09DB2C0 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD><TITLE>Message</TITLE> <META content=3D"text/html; charset=3Diso-8859-1" = http-equiv=3DContent-Type> <META content=3D"MSHTML 5.00.2314.1000" name=3DGENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Hello all,</FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2> I know that I am not = the rocket=20 scientist here & this may be an oversimplified theory but I have a = picture=20 of my house & my fathers house taken from a satellite in orbit. Now = I may be=20 wrong but I kinda think that if someone is going to go to the trouble of = putting=20 millions of dollars of equipment into orbit that they would include = thermal=20 imaging as part of that inventory. Here is my thought, in the evening, = at dusk=20 when the desert floor is no longer being heated by the sun wouldn't the = sand,=20 plants & surrounding landscape cool off faster than the darker = colored rocks=20 (meteorites) with iron content? And if the meteorites did cool slower or = have a=20 higher temp because of their darker color couldn't we print out a GPS = based list=20 of these thermal hot spots?</FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>This is just an idea considering that = the=20 technology I think is there is probably classified & we could never = gain=20 access to it anyway.</FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Sincerely,<BR>Jim<BR> <BR>James = Hartman<BR><A=20 href=3D"mailto:themeteoritesite_at_hotmail.com">themeteoritesite@hotmail.com= </A><BR><A=20 href=3D"http://www.meteorite1.net">www.meteorite1.net</A><BR><A=20 href=3D"mailto:imca_5098_at_hotmail.com">imca_5098@hotmail.com</A> (for = IMCA member=20 contact)<BR> <BR>Authenticity Guaranteed<BR><A=20 href=3D"http://www.meteoritecollectors.org">www.meteoritecollectors.org</= A></FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE=20 style=3D"BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: = 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV> <DIV=20 style=3D"BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: = black"><B>From:</B>=20 <A href=3D"mailto:dvail_at_cox.net" title=3Ddvail@cox.net>dvail</A> = </DIV> <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A=20 href=3D"mailto:meteorite-list_at_meteoritecentral.com"=20 title=3Dmeteorite-list_at_meteoritecentral.com>'Meteorite-list=20 Meteoritecentral'</A> </DIV> <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Saturday, March 30, 2002 = 1:11=20 AM</DIV> <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: [meteorite-list] = Sand Dunes=20 and Meteorites</DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><SPAN=20 class=3D452060108-30032002>Ok,</SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><SPAN=20 class=3D452060108-30032002></SPAN></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><SPAN class=3D452060108-30032002>A = little more on=20 my idea of how to search for meteorites in relatively high contrast, = low=20 noise areas like sand dunes. I realize that they won't be = as easy=20 to automatically recognize as a 10 foot diameter shinny black fusion = crusted=20 meteorite in the middle of an Antarctic ice field. However I do = believe=20 the following method will work and it would be = fun!</SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><SPAN=20 class=3D452060108-30032002></SPAN></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D+0><SPAN class=3D452060108-30032002> <P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN=20 style=3D"FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT size=3D2>Low cost ultra miniature = UAVs=20 (unmanned aerial vehicle) sometimes called MAVs (miniature aerial = vehicle) are=20 hand launched and <SPAN class=3D452060108-30032002>belly landed = and=20 </SPAN>have a range of about <SPAN = class=3D452060108-30032002>50</SPAN>=20 mile<SPAN class=3D452060108-30032002>s. They can fly at an = altitude=20 of a few feet to 1000 feet</SPAN>.<SPAN=20 style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> <SPAN = class=3D452060108-30032002>They can=20 be either battery or liquid fuel powered (aerosol can). = </SPAN></SPAN>On=20 board is a microcontroller, 4 mega-pixel digital camera, GPS receiver, = and <SPAN class=3D452060108-30032002>5 </SPAN>GHz 802.11a = wireless LAN=20 Interface capable of transmitting 104 megabits per second.<SPAN=20 style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The wireless LAN Interface = is used for=20 video transmission, streaming real-time telemetry and remote = control.<SPAN=20 style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Remote control can be = preformed in=20 real-time by a person operating a laptop with remote control software=20 comprised of a video window and a 3d topo map showing the real-time = GPS=20 position of the UAV and standard aeronautical controls (graphically=20 simulated<SPAN class=3D452060108-30032002> sticks, indicators and=20 gauges</SPAN>)<SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The = laptop=20 computer is connected to an 802.11a access point with an attached = pitch and=20 rotation controlled directional high gain parabolic antenna positioned = at a=20 pre-selected strategic high ground line of site vantage point.<SPAN=20 style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The UAV control program = running on the=20 laptop can be configured to automatically execute a standard = systematic grid=20 search pattern or an out and back <SPAN = class=3D452060108-30032002>modified=20 grid/</SPAN>radial pattern planed around the range characteristics of = the=20 UAV.<SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>During the = execution of the=20 search pattern the laptop records a series of overlapping snapshots = stamped=20 with GPS coordinate, UAV spatial orientation, date/time, and other = pertinent=20 information.<SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>A = pixel-pattern=20 discrimination program reviews the snapshots (Photoshop on = steroids).<SPAN=20 style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The program allows the user = to=20 graphically select targets from a database of object photos and = parametric=20 deviation criteria.<SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The = object=20 database contains key information on each photographed object in the=20 database.<SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The pixel = pattern=20 selection algorithm is adaptive and can adjust itself based on various = prevailing conditions such as atmospheric, meteorological, light, = shadow, time=20 of day, spatial orientation.<SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> = </SPAN>It=20 selects suspects.<SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> = </SPAN>Suspect targets=20 are manually reviewed at high resolution.<SPAN=20 style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>A larger, more sophisticated = UAV with=20 a steerable zoom camera can be dispatched to the GPS coordinates for a = closer=20 look at an interesting target.<SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> = </SPAN>At=20 that point, if things look good I think it would be ok to hop in the = old dune=20 buggy (local land use laws permitting) and have a look.<?xml:namespace = prefix=20 =3D o ns =3D "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"=20 /><o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P> <P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN=20 style=3D"FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT = size=3D2> <o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P> <P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN=20 style=3D"FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT size=3D2>This method could be = refined and=20 improved with practice to perhaps find meteorites in lower contrast = higher=20 noise areas.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P> <P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN=20 style=3D"FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT = size=3D2> <o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P> <P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN=20 style=3D"FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT size=3D2>Dan=20 = Vail<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P></SPAN></FONT></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY>= </HTML> ------=_NextPart_000_0023_01C1D78B.A09DB2C0-- Received on Sat 30 Mar 2002 04:38:43 AM PST |
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