[meteorite-list] Sand Dunes and Meteorites
From: T.J. Kilcrease <TJKilcrease_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 10:02:33 2004 Message-ID: <OE123L5GiQbKUMpyZjx000208c6_at_hotmail.com> ------=_NextPart_001_0001_01C1D7B8.A5005020 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Hi Dan, Sounds like you have been discussing things with Mr. Rumsfield and h= is employees. One thing about GPS though ... it comes in different flavo= rs. I'm retired now, but while I was on active duty we had GPS units tha= t would be accurate to one meter. I've found most civilian units do not = give very accurate readings. Matter of fact I found this out the hard wa= y in Central America. I don't think it is still imposed, but I thought there was some sort of G= overnment imposed deviation in the triangulation calculations for the civ= ilian GPS receivers. I believe that newer civilian units supplement the = satellite information with ground based information to give a more accura= te position fix. As for the rest of your idea ... I think it would work for object of a sp= ecific size or larger. If you decide to implement this plan I would cert= ainly like to know the outcome. Best of Luck Tom Kilcrease PS I wonder what the budget would look like for the operation? ----- Original Message ----- From: dvail Sent: Saturday, March 30, 2002 4:15 AM To: 'Meteorite-list Meteoritecentral' Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] Sand Dunes and Meteorites Ok, A little more on my idea of how to search for meteorites in relatively hi= gh 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. Howeve= r I do believe the following method will work and it would be fun! Low cost ultra miniature UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicle) sometimes called = MAVs (miniature aerial vehicle) are hand launched and belly landed and ha= ve 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 r= eceiver, and 5 GHz 802.11a wireless LAN Interface capable of transmitting= 104 megabits per second. The wireless LAN Interface is used for video t= ransmission, streaming real-time telemetry and remote control. Remote co= ntrol can be preformed in real-time by a person operating a laptop with r= emote control software comprised of a video window and a 3d topo map show= ing the real-time GPS position of the UAV and standard aeronautical contr= ols (graphically simulated sticks, indicators and gauges) The laptop com= puter 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 UA= V control program running on the laptop can be configured to automaticall= y execute a standard systematic grid search pattern or an out and back mo= dified grid/radial pattern planed around the range characteristics of the= UAV. During the execution of the search pattern the laptop records a se= ries of overlapping snapshots stamped with GPS coordinate, UAV spatial or= ientation, date/time, and other pertinent information. A pixel-pattern d= iscrimination 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 co= ntains 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, li= ght, shadow, time of day, spatial orientation. It selects suspects. Sus= pect targets are manually reviewed at high resolution. A larger, more so= phisticated 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 m= eteorites in lower contrast higher noise areas. =20 Dan Vail ------=_NextPart_001_0001_01C1D7B8.A5005020 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <HTML><BODY STYLE=3D"font:10pt verdana; border:none;"><DIV>Hi Dan,</DIV> = <DIV> Sounds like you have been discussing things= with Mr. Rumsfield and his employees. One thing about GPS though .= .. it comes in different flavors. I'm retired now, but while I was = on active duty we had GPS units that would be accurate to one meter. = ; I've found most civilian units do not give very accurate read= ings. Matter of fact I found this out the hard way in Central = America.</DIV> <DIV>I don't think it is still imposed, but I thought ther= e was some sort of Government imposed deviation in the triangulation calc= ulations for the civilian GPS receivers. I believe that newer civil= ian units supplement the satellite information with ground based informat= ion to give a more accurate position fix.</DIV> <DIV>As for the rest of y= our idea ... I think it would work for object of a specific size or large= r. If you decide to implement this plan I would certainly like to k= now the outcome.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Best of Luck</DIV> <DIV>Tom= Kilcrease</DIV> <DIV>PS I wonder what the budget would look like f= or the operation?</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE style=3D"PADDING-RI= GHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px s= olid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt Arial">----- Original = Message -----</DIV> <DIV style=3D"BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt Arial; = COLOR: black"><B>From:</B> dvail</DIV> <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt Arial"><B= >Sent:</B> Saturday, March 30, 2002 4:15 AM</DIV> <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10p= t Arial"><B>To:</B> 'Meteorite-list Meteoritecentral'</DIV> <DIV style=3D= "FONT: 10pt Arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: [meteorite-list] Sand Dunes and Me= teorites</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <META content=3D"MSHTML 6.00.2715.400" n= ame=3DGENERATOR> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><SPAN class=3D452060108= -30032002>Ok,</SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><SPAN = class=3D452060108-30032002></SPAN></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DA= rial size=3D2><SPAN class=3D452060108-30032002>A little more on my idea o= f how to search for meteorites in relatively high contrast, low noise&nbs= p;areas like sand dunes. I realize that they won't be as easy to au= tomatically recognize as a 10 foot diameter shinny black fusion crusted m= eteorite in the middle of an Antarctic ice field. However I do beli= eve the following method will work and it would be fun!</SPAN></FONT></DI= V> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><SPAN class=3D452060108-30032002></SP= AN></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D+0><SPAN class=3D452060108-30032= 002> <P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style=3D"FO= NT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT size=3D2>Low cost ultra miniature UAVs (unmanned = aerial vehicle) sometimes called MAVs (miniature aerial vehicle) are hand= launched and <SPAN class=3D452060108-30032002>belly landed and </SP= AN>have a range of about <SPAN class=3D452060108-30032002>50</SPAN> = mile<SPAN class=3D452060108-30032002>s. They can fly at an alt= itude of a few feet to 1000 feet</SPAN>.<SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"= > <SPAN class=3D452060108-30032002>They can be either battery = or liquid fuel powered (aerosol can). </SPAN></SPAN>On board is a m= icrocontroller, 4 mega-pixel digital camera, GPS receiver, and <SPAN= class=3D452060108-30032002>5 </SPAN>GHz 802.11a wireless LAN Interface c= apable of transmitting 104 megabits per second.<SPAN style=3D"mso-spaceru= n: yes"> </SPAN>The wireless LAN Interface is used for video transm= ission, streaming real-time telemetry and remote control.<SPAN style=3D"m= so-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Remote control can be preformed in real-t= ime 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 o= f the UAV and standard aeronautical controls (graphically simulated<SPAN = class=3D452060108-30032002> sticks, indicators and gauges</SPAN>)<SPAN st= yle=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>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 str= ategic high ground line of site vantage point.<SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun= : yes"> </SPAN>The UAV control program running on the laptop can be= configured to automatically execute a standard systematic grid search pa= ttern or an out and back <SPAN class=3D452060108-30032002>modified g= rid/</SPAN>radial pattern planed around the range characteristics of the = UAV.<SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>During the execution = of the search pattern the laptop records a series of overlapping snapshot= s stamped with GPS coordinate, UAV spatial orientation, date/time, and ot= her pertinent information.<SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN= >A pixel-pattern discrimination program reviews the snapshots (Photoshop = on steroids).<SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The program = allows the user to graphically select targets from a database of object p= hotos and parametric deviation criteria.<SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"= > </SPAN>The object database contains key information on each photo= graphed object in the database.<SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> <= /SPAN>The pixel pattern selection algorithm is adaptive and can adjust it= self based on various prevailing conditions such as atmospheric, meteorol= ogical, light, shadow, time of day, spatial orientation.<SPAN style=3D"ms= o-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>It selects suspects.<SPAN style=3D"mso-spa= cerun: yes"> </SPAN>Suspect targets are manually reviewed at high r= esolution.<SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>A larger, more = sophisticated UAV with a steerable zoom camera can be dispatched to the G= PS coordinates for a closer look at an interesting target.<SPAN style=3D"= mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>At that point, if things look good I thi= nk it would be ok to hop in the old dune buggy (local land use laws permi= tting) and have a look.<?xml:namespace prefix =3D o ns =3D "urn:schemas-m= icrosoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P> <P class=3DMs= oNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style=3D"FONT-FAMILY: Arial">= <FONT size=3D2> <o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P> <P class=3DMsoNormal s= tyle=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style=3D"FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT siz= e=3D2>This method could be refined and improved with practice to perhaps = find meteorites in lower contrast higher noise areas.<o:p></o:p></FONT></= SPAN></P> <P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN 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 style=3D"FONT-FAM= ILY: Arial"><FONT size=3D2>Dan Vail<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P></SPAN></= FONT></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML> ------=_NextPart_001_0001_01C1D7B8.A5005020-- Received on Sat 30 Mar 2002 07:00:58 AM PST |
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