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Thread: Test flight over Peru ruins could revolutionize archaeological mapping

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    Purveyor of intelligent reading material Lt-Col A. Tack's Avatar
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    Default Test flight over Peru ruins could revolutionize archaeological mapping

    by Jim Patterson | Posted on Wednesday, Aug. 1, 2012 — 9:17 AM

    Archaeological sites that currently take years to map will be completed in minutes if tests underway in Peru of a new system being developed at Vanderbilt University go well.

    The Skate by Aurora Flight Sciences unmanned aerial vehicle will be integrated into a larger system that combines the flying device that can fit into a backpack with a software system that can discern an optimal flight pattern and transform the resulting data into three-dimensional maps.

    The project is an interdisciplinary collaboration between Vanderbilt archaeologist Steven Wernke and engineering professor Julie A. Adams.

    They call it SUAVe – for Semi-autonomous Unmanned Aerial Vehicle.

    More: http://news.vanderbilt.edu/2012/08/a...gical-mapping/


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    What's with that crazy angle of incidence, or is that variable thrust angle? Any video of it flying?

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    Here are a couple of videos of the Skate, the basis for the SUAVe system:





    and on the company's product page here:
    http://www.aurora.aero/Products/Skate.aspx

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    Product Status: SkateŽ Digital System; available for delivery in March 2012

    from http://www.aurora.aero/Common/Downlo...ucts/Skate.pdf


    I wouldn't might having one!

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    Question - is it using something like LIDAR or just digital imaging???

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    so can we find aliens ruins now on this mapping tech?

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    Quote Originally Posted by Sierrakitten View Post
    Question - is it using something like LIDAR or just digital imaging???
    My suspicion would be digital imaging, and that's only because I would expect a LIDAR payload to be more than that little UAV could handle.

    But that really is just a guess on my part.

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    I think so too, LIDAR sofar seems to be a lot heavier.
    Still aerial archeology is now available to everybody.
    Archaeologists have tried to get the bird's eye view for a long time using everything imaginable like captive balloons, powered gliders or even RC aircraft with cameras.
    This is just a new tool to get the whole perspective.

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    Quote Originally Posted by JCR View Post
    I think so too, LIDAR sofar seems to be a lot heavier.
    Still aerial archeology is now available to everybody.
    Archaeologists have tried to get the bird's eye view for a long time using everything imaginable like captive balloons, powered gliders or even RC aircraft with cameras.
    This is just a new tool to get the whole perspective.
    Indeed!

    Although, the pdf for this little craft does indicate custom payloads are available.
    Last edited by Lt-Col A. Tack; 08-03-2012 at 10:18 AM.

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