The purpose of this activity was to prepare for balloon mapping and high altitude balloon launch (HABL) fieldwork that will take place later in the semester. The purpose of these activities is to learn how to create our own maps.
The balloon mapping activity will involve a very large
balloon filled with helium. It will have a rig hanging from it that will have a
camera, which is set on continuous mode, taking pictures of the surface below.
The balloon will be attached to a long rope so it won’t fly away into space.
This will provide us pictures that will eventually be used to make a small,
local map. Our professor purchased a balloon mapping kit before class that
provided us with necessary supplies to begin our assembly for the activity.
This kit was purchased from http://publiclaboratory.org/wiki/balloon-mapping-kit.
The HABL activity will also involve using another very large
balloon filled with helium. This balloon will also have a rig that hangs from
it with a camera and GPS unit in it. This camera will also take pictures in
continuous mode, or as a video. Eventually, the balloon will reach a certain
altitude where it will burst fall back to land from space. Its drop will be
assisted by a parachute that will prevent the camera from breaking as it hits
land. The GPS unit will assist us in finding the camera rig once it lands back
on earth. This activity will provide us with a much larger scale range of land,
which will allow us to make a map of a much larger area. The website http://the-rocketman.com/recovery.html
provided us with information and examples of past launches that were executed
by other people. An example of how the HABL looks after everything is installed
properly can be seen in image 1.
Image 1: What the HABL
will look like after installation of all elements
For the preparation of the fieldwork we were not put into groups, like we were for previous activities, to work on specific tasks. Instead, the professor introduced the project to the class, told us what issues needed to be addressed, presented us with the items he brought in for us to work with, and then he let us free for the rest of the class period to tinker and work on tasks. By not being put into groups and being assigned certain tasks we had the ability to work in an area that interested us. Everyone has different qualities, interests, and ways of executing jobs; so this allowed us to work where we felt the most comfortable and were able to contribute the most. Tasks that needed to be addressed included: the construction of the balloon mapping camera rig, the construction of the HABL camera rig, parachute testing, payload weights for both HABL and mapping rig, the design of implementing continuous shot on the cameras, implementation and testing of tracking device, and filling the balloon and securing it to the rig.
Methods
To begin, most students gathered around the front desk where
all the supplies were located (image 2 and 3).
Image 2: People
gathering around front table to observe items for use in design construction
Image 3: People
gathering around front table to observe items for use in design construction
I think some people had a good idea of the job they wanted
to help work with, while others were kind of lost and just observed what was
going on. Other students, including myself, grabbed a set of directions to look
over to get a better idea of what needed to be done (image 4). Directions were
provided by the website http://archive.publiclaboratory.org/download/Grassroots_Mapping_English_2_0.pdf
that was used as a referenced for the balloon mapping activity that can be seen
in image X.
Image 4: Other
students reading directions to get a better idea of how to accomplish certain
tasks
It was quite confusing at first, for me at least and a few others. Everyone was everywhere and there were no designated areas to work on things. However, order was eventually established as people started to form groups and started working on different tasks.
Payload weights of both HABL and balloon
mapping rig
One of the first groups to form, that I noticed, was a group
that was designated to weighing everything. This is an extremely important part
of the process because each balloon can only hold so much weight. Every tiny
little item had to be weighed. This included, but is not limited to, everything
from taking batteries and SD cards out of cameras to weigh each item
individually; to weighing every type of different rubber bands (image 5).
Image 5: Weighing and
recording each individual item
Here, styrofoam that
will be used as insulation in the HABL rig is being weighed and recorded
As items were weighed a designated recorder wrote down the
item being weighed and how much it weighed (image 6).
Image 6: Weighing the
items
Here a medium thick white rubber band is being weighed.
The weights were taken in grams. Once all the items were
recorded that same group entered the items and weights into an Excel
spreadsheet. This spreadsheet will provide a payload for the platforms so since
the exact weight for the two different methods is necessary.
Here a medium thick white rubber band is being weighed.
Parachute testing
Another group was quick to jump on the parachute testing for
the HABL rig. This is probably because they got to drop the parachute out of a
top story window, which is just a good time in general. I wasn’t a part of this
procedure so I’m not entirely sure what all took place. I believe they were
testing to see how fast the parachute fell with certain weight amounts attached
to it (image 7 and 8).
Image 7: Example of
how the parachute was connected to the camera rig for weight testing
Image 8: Dropping the
parachute out the window to test how fast it fell
By doing these testing they are able to figure out the
weight limit of our payload for the parachute. After knowing the limit of the
payload we are able to refer to the Excel spreadsheet of item’s weights. The
group will then be able to figure out how much a contraption weighs after it is
put together, and be able to determine if the weight of the payload is within
the limits designated limits. After figuring all this out the professor will be
able to order the proper balloon for this launch. The website where the balloon
will be purchased from, along with information about each balloon’s weight
limit and altitude burst can be observed at the website http://kaymontballoons.com/Near_Space_Photography.html.
Implementation and testing of tracking
device
Another group worked on testing the tracking device. Again,
I wasn’t a part of this so I really don’t know what took place. All I really
observed from this was that a student went to walk around campus while the
professor tracked him on his computer to make sure it worked. The exact type
and model of tracking device that was used I am also unaware of. The only
information I can provide on this is from a comment provided by the professor
who said that it was one of the cheap ones that is advertised on TV. It’s one
of those cheap ones you can buy if you want to keep track of the location of
somebody. It’s kind of one of those creepy ones that someone would buy to track
a spouse, or something on that order. However, it was only around $30 and will
get the job done. This tracking device will be implemented as part of the HABL
rig so the location of the parachute and data can be located once it comes back
down to land.
Design of implementing continuous shot on
the cameras
Designing a continuous shot on the cameras was a group that
I helped partaked in periodically. For this, any digital camera around 2-300
grams, with continuous mode will work. First, we had to go into the settings of
the camera and put it into continuous shot mode. Then we had to make sure the
interval it was taking pictures in was appropriate for the activity. We didn’t
want to too fast or too slow. I think our final decision was about 1 shot per
second. Then we had to figure out a way to keep the button pushed down
constantly. To do this we referred to the directions for balloon mapping for
ideas. First, we tried using a chunk of pencil eraser with a rubber band. We
used a box cutter blade to cut a chunk off the eraser (image 9).
Image 9: eraser chunk
that was cut off of pencil eraser to hold the button down on the shutter button
on the camera
The eraser is placed on top of a cap for a pop bottle for scale
Then, we place the eraser chunk on the button of the camera
that takes the pictures. Finally, we wrapped a rubber band around the camera
twice so it was tight (image 10). 
The eraser is placed on top of a cap for a pop bottle for scale
Image 10: Camera with
eraser and rubber band being used to hold down the shutter button on the camera
Image 11: Rubber band
with knot in it used to hold down button on camera to take pictures in
continuous mode
Image 12: Camera with rubber
band knot being used to hold down the shutter button on the camera
An important factor to keep in mind is that your camera will tell you how many pictures can be taken with your memory card in the display window. If you feel though it may not be enough room or if you plan on flying for a while you may have to purchase a larger memory card. A 4GB memory card fills up in about 35 minutes. Keep in mind that a small map takes about 2 hours of flying time to make. Also, remember to charge the batteries full before you launch.
Construction of balloon mapping camera rig
There were two different groups that worked on the
construction of the balloon mapping rig. One group worked off of the directions
that were provided and the other group did a similar construction, but did it a
little differently.The group that I helped out a bit was the group that followed the directions. We started off by cutting the top third part of one liter pop bottle off (image 13).
Image 13: Top third
part of a coke bottle cut off for use as a protective barrier for the camera in
the camera rig
Then, we figured out a method, using string and tape, to
securely hold the camera upside down. It’s hard to explain how the string was
wrapped around the camera, plus I didn’t do much of that. I helped out more
with tearing the tape, so I will provide you with pictures from several angles
to observe how the string is wrapped around the camera and where the tape is
placed (images 14-16). One thing to note with the string and the tape is to
make sure neither stops the lens of the camera from extending, if the camera
you choose to use has this feature.
Image 14: Image of
sting and take formation from the top of the camera
Image 15: Image of
sting and take formation from the front of the camera
The next step, after getting the string and tape figured out
for holding the camera upside down, was figure out how to fix the camera inside
the top of the coke bottle, so it could then be attached to the balloon. This
proved quite difficult at first. We realized that coke bottle was a little snug
on the camera, which wasn’t good because the camera needs to be free from the
bottle. This is because the wind will push the bottle around and if the camera
is being pushed around with the bottle pictures may turn out fuzzy. Instead we
decided to use a different bottle. This was a larger Rain-X bottle (image 17).
Image 17: Empty Rain-X
bottle before being cut
Image 18: Cutting the
top half off the Rain-X bottle for use a protective cover for the camera
Image 19: Top half of
the Rain-X bottle cut from the rest of the bottle
Next, we used pieces of plastic from the original coke bottle to create wings to be attached to the Rain-X protective cover. This will help stabilize the rig from the wind and prevent the camera from spinning and creating the fuzzy pictures we discussed earlier. We cut strips approximately 6-8 inches long and 3-4 inches wide. We secured the wings to the bottle with tape (image 20).
Image 20: Securing the
wings to the Rain-X bottle to assists in stabilization from the wind
Finally, we were able to figure out how to fix the camera inside the Rain-X bottle for attachment to the balloon. Again, I didn’t help with this part very much so I’m not sure how it exactly works. I know the string that is assembled around the camera comes up through the top opening of the bottle. However, more needed to be done because with only this string the camera is stationary with the top of the bottle and we can’t have that; again going back to the bottle spinning and creating fuzzy pictures. To fix this two small inserts were cut into the bottom of the jug about 1 inch apart and about a half inch up. Then, another string was looped through the original string, tied, pulled through the top, and secured into the inserts (image 21).
Image 21: Assembly of
camera rig with both strings coming out of the top of the bottle
The string being help
up will be attached to the balloon and the other string is secured in the
inserts of the bottle
Finally, the balloon camera rig was complete (image 22).
Image 22: Final assembly
of camera rig for balloon mapping
The other group that created a camera rig went about it in a
slightly different way. Again, I didn’t assist with the creation of this rig so
my methods are coming from what I know about the rig I assisted in the creation
of, and pictures. Instead of cutting off the top third of a one liter pop
bottle, they cut a rectangle out of the side of the bottle (image 23).
Image 23: Cutting a
rectangular hole in the side of the one liter pop bottle
Image 24: Cutting
small inserts into the bottle for zip ties to be looped through
Image 25: Partial
assembly of the second camera rig
This image depicts how
zip ties were looped through inserts in the bottle. A string end is tied to
each end zip ties for attachment to the balloon. The other two zip ties are
used to secure the camera inside the rig.
Lastly, the wings for the second bottle rig were assembled.
I’m not sure if the wing was one piece of material of two separate ones. Since
I don’t know this, and I didn’t work with this group, it’s hard for me to judge
the size the wings were cut at. Again, inserts were cut into the end of the bottle
on the same side as other zip ties. The wings were secured with two more zip
ties through those inserts. Images 26-28 depict this size and placement of the
wings.
Image 26: Assembling
the wings onto the bottle with zip ties
Image 27: Top view of
the wings assembled to the bottle
Image 28: Side view of
wings assembled to the bottle
Construction of HABL rig
The final task to be described is the construction of the
HABL rig. Again, I was not a part of this group so my methods come from
pictures and things I saw and overheard. The HABL rig is similar to the balloon
mapping rig in that is being assembled to hold the camera. This is a little
different though because this rig needs to be insulated so that the camera
doesn’t freeze as it gets higher in altitude. Instead of using plastic bottles,
like the balloon mapping rig, the protective cover is a styrofoam container
(image 29). This is because styrofoam is a good insulator.
Image 29: Styrofoam
container used for HABL rig
The first step was to decide how/where items were going to
be placed in the container. The container needs to fit the camera, GPS unit,
hand warmers, and any additional insulation. The camera placement was the first
to be decided on. After placement was decided a hole was cut in the bottom of
the styrofoam container, where the picture is taken from on the camera (images
30 and 31).
Image 30: Cutting the
hole in the styrofoam container where the picture will be taken from
Image 31: Hole cut in
styrofoam container
Image 32: Hand warmers
that will be used as insulation in the HABL rig
Then they decided to use a round piece of insulation to top
everything off. To do this they used to flat piece of insulation and drew a
circle on it with black magic marker. To make a good circle they put a nail in
the center of the insulation and tied a piece of string to it. Then they tied
the opposite end of the string to the marker. Finally, they held the marker out
from the nail so the string was tight and drew a circle (image 33).
Image 33: Drawing a
circle using a nail, string, and black marker
Image 34: Drawing a
circle onto the styrofoam container using a black marker
Image 35: Cutting the styrofoam
Image 36: Cutting the styrofoam
Filling the balloon and securing it to the
rig
This is the last task that was presented as needing to be
worked on is the filling of the balloon and securing it to the rig. I believe
this is only for the HABL balloon and rig. I am pretty sure the set of
directions that came with the balloon mapping kit had a set of directions for
securing the balloon to the rig; however, I don’t have those directions on
hand. The professor did note in the assignment that this step would take additional
online research. He also said in class that that person would need to work
outside of class and in conjunction with him for this step. So I should be able
to provide more on this once the launch takes place.
Discussion
I thought the day was very eventful and I feel like a lot
was accomplished. I’m sure there are still some issues that need to be
addressed with certain groups. I believe that certain individual are working in
conjunction with the professor at this time to have them completed before the
launch of either activity.
It was definitely interesting to observe how individuals
branch out into groups with people they know and are comfortable working with.
It was also very interesting to see how others, who might not know one another
very well, come together in a moment that feels like chaos and accomplish a
difficult task. I was also intrigued to see how nice some people were at making
others feel welcome to come in and help when they knew the person felt
uncomfortable and left out. Like I stated in the previous activities, it’s
amazing to me how colleagues can bring their thoughts and ideas together and
come up with very creative ideas that you may not have come up with on your
own.
I also thought everyone did a great job at taking pictures
to record their methods. After going through all the pictures of this chaotic
event I think the importance of organized recording of our methods was highly
stressed. I’m sure I’m not the only one who found that going through all of the
pictures was time consuming and difficult. It was crazy how many pictures there
were, and how many of them I thought were useless. I found it frustrating that when
I would be looking for something specific I found that there no pictures of it.
For example, just an individual picture of the styrofoam container before any
holes were placed in it. I’m not complaining about this, I just think it was an
excellent learning experience of how you literally need the camera with you
every step of the way, from beginning to end. I’m sure may people, including
myself, found the methods section difficult to write and be thorough on if they
weren’t a part of the group doing the specific task. I think this experience
will greatly improve our recordings in the future.
Conclusion
This fieldwork preparation activity helped me realize the
importance of being prepared, organization, and team work. I have always been
an individual who likes to be prepared and feel as though I understand the
importance of it. However, this day’s work was a definite reassurance. Filling
a balloon with helium, and raising it into the air with a camera attached to it
to take pictures below may sound like an easy task. However, it proved not to
be. I also learned the importance of coming to class prepared. I was busy with
other homework before class, so I just printed off the websites we were asked
to look at before class. I had every intention of reading the before class, but
didn’t. Had I had taken 5 minutes to do this I feel as though I would’ve been
more a contribution to the groups I was working with. Again, this is just
another example of how such small-scale preparedness makes a big difference. As
I stated in the discussion this activity stressed the importance of organization
and team work. There is no way all of this would have been accomplished with
only one person working alone on each task. Well, maybe it could have; but that
person would’ve had to have had time before class to really think about it and
ponder numerous ideas. I think more creative ideas present themselves when
strong minds work together. This activity to me literally screamed
organization. I feel as though I am a pretty organized person. I feel like it
helps reduce stress and is time efficient. So the way all the pictures were
placed into the folder untitled and in no thought out order drove me crazy. I
think I spent just as much time looking for specific pictures as I did actually
typing the paper. I’m not putting the blame on anyone for that, I could have
just as easily went into the folder on my own time and labeled and rearranged
them. However, I didn’t because I was short on time and didn’t realize the
extent this paper was going to take.
All in all, I am very excited for the launch of the both of
these balloons! I think we will be very successful at capturing great aerial images
of the land to create maps. I think we have a great team of students and our
professor who all possess the desire to learn and make this work.
No comments:
Post a Comment