[talk-ph] Want more aerial imagery? Why not do it yourself?

[Ronny Ager-Wick]

I love this type of projects!
The problem I can imagine with having it on a string is:
- the string gets quite heavy when it's a few hundred meters up in the 
air, not to mention 1 few km.
- if the string snaps, what then?
- the string may be visible on the photos
- all the overhead cables! (could work in far away places in the barrio 
though)

If we could use something like this:
http://www.chinavasion.com/product_info.php/pName/gps-cellphone-wrist-watch/
it could send us coordinates (and altitude) by sms. And maybe could log 
as well to geocode the imagery :)
If we could hook it up to a computer as well (you can probably get 
something similar to Commodore 64 the size of a button now), hooked up 
to a valve for the helium baloon, then we could program it to release 
some helium when it reaches a certain altitude, until it stabilizes. Add 
a propeller for thrust and another for steering, and you can program it 
to fly forth and back (navigating using GPS coordinates) until it has 
covered the area you want to cover. Then, preferably before the battery 
or fuel for the propeller runs out, it can pre programmed to deflate the 
helium baloon and attempt to return to base :)

Sounds like an expensive toy, but we could cover all of the Philippines 
with that!
(except around major airports and above Malacañang and military areas - 
probably not very popular!)

Ronny.

maning sambale wrote:
> @murlwe,
>
> my plan is not to release the balloon.  I want it on low altitudes as
> far as my string and helium can support.
>
> On Sat, Jun 26, 2010 at 3:48 PM, Eugene Alvin Villar <seav80 at gmail.com> wrote:
>   
>> The guys in the vimeo link I posted used GPS tracking. I don't know exactly
>> how, but it seems that the package transmits GPS coordinates somehow and
>> they used it to track where the package fell.
>>
>> On Sat, Jun 26, 2010 at 3:39 PM, Marloue Pidor <murlwe at mail2engineer.com>
>> wrote:
>>     
>>> maning, question... how are you going to retrieve at least the camera
>>> attached to the balloon?
>>>
>>>
>>> <-----Original Message----->
>>>       
>>>> From: maning sambale [emmanuel.sambale at gmail.com]
>>>> Sent: 6/26/2010 1:41:17 PM
>>>> To: talk-ph at openstreetmap.org
>>>> Subject: Re: [talk-ph] Want more aerial imagery? Why not do it yourself?
>>>>
>>>> Cool!
>>>>
>>>> I have a similar balloon mapping ideas in my mind for the last two
>>>> months already.
>>>> I hacked my canon cam with chdk for this.
>>>> Tried some experiments with kites but they were too unstable.
>>>>
>>>> I'm actually looking for cheap weather balloons and a helium tank to
>>>> test my rig.
>>>> Any tips where to buy cheap balloons and borrow a portable aluminum
>>>> helium tank?
>>>>
>>>> On Sat, Jun 26, 2010 at 11:47 AM, Eugene Alvin Villar <seav80 at gmail.com>
>>>> wrote:
>>>>         
>>>>> http://vimeo.com/12421661
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>>>
>>>>>           
>>>>
>>>> --
>>>> cheers,
>>>> maning
>>>> ------------------------------------------------------
>>>> "Freedom is still the most radical idea of all" -N.Branden
>>>> wiki: http://esambale.wikispaces.com/
>>>> blog: http://epsg4253.wordpress.com/
>>>> ------------------------------------------------------
>>>>
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>>>>
>>>>         
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>> --
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>>
>>     
>
>
>
>   
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