3D Campus Visualization Project

Each blue square represents a photo taken from an aerial drone

Over the last semester, EdTech hired a student, Keegan Millbern '19, to create 3D images of academic buildings on the Lewis & Clark campus.  Keegan spoke of his interest in a technique called Photogrammetry which uses everyday photos of an object to create a 3D file that may be rotated and viewed from all angles.

The first trick is taking photos of a building from all angles--that means above the building and the upper stories.  To accomplish this, drone photography is ideal.  Because a good, modern drone has GPS sensors to keep it stationary, all that needs doing is to fly the drone at a chosen elevation and take hundreds of photos, change elevation and take even more photos!

The photos are then loaded into software called Agisoft Photoscan, which compiles the photos into a rough 3D representation of the building.  Ok, so there's quite a bit of refinement and massaging that happens, but eventually you end up with the 3D model of the building.

Keegan has completed several models so far and will continue working on them through the spring.  We in EdTech hope to use the models as part of a repository of digital assets that could be used for future projects involving Virtual/Augmented Reality tours, or simulations of natural disasters, or even campus facilities planning needs.

Click the link to see a video showcasing the models and methodology--Enjoy!

https://drive.google.com/a/lclark.edu/file/d/19YAlAMggPHpyI_qMAh5s60rKuG3K0wSQ/view?usp=sharing

The Remote Pilot in Command

Earlier this year the FAA revised its rules concerning drones in a way that affects us here at LC.  The new rules are meant to bring more structure and responsibility to the commercial drone industry.  LC isn't conducting any commercial drone operations, so what does it mean for us?

Well, according to the FAA, if a professor were to use a drone as a part of teaching or while conducting research, that counts as a commercial use.  If the use is commercial, then an FAA granted UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) Pilot's license is required.

To comply, LC sent me to the Hillsboro Aero Academy to take the test ($150).  I took practice test after practice test until I was satisfied that I should be able to pass.  I learned things like how to read aeronautical sectional charts,  tell the difference between class A and class G airspaces,  and how to interpret air traffic control information.

Watch out for that military airspace!!!

Yep, I know how to read this thing--well, mostly.  However, the chances of actually needing to use this information while flying a drone around LC are pretty low.   

The good news is, I passed the test!  I'm now the proud bearer of the title, "Remote Pilot in Command (RPIC)" Going forward, if a drone will be used on the LC campus by an employee during working hours, I or another RPIC will need to be present for the operation.

Any questions about FAA drone rules or inquiries about using drones for research may be directed to edtech@lclark.edu.  We look forward to flying with you...

The State of the Drone --April 2015 Edition--Delivery Drones

An Amazon Prime Air Drone delivers a package

Quadcopter drones are coming to an airspace near you...  And for good reason--flight technology is racing at a hare's pace.  For example,  Amazon.com has been vying for the right to use drones for speedy local deliveries since summer of 2014 only to be stymied by the slow turning gears of regulatory limbo.  As a result, the FAA approved Amazon's drone plans barely nine months later in April of 2015 only to find that the intended drone technology had already become obsolete!
Not to worry--Amazon Prime Air delivery is still in the works and will be delivering your Zappos order straight to your window sill sooner rather than later.

This type of delivery will be a reality due to the ease of flying with autopilot safeguards.
With the ability to plan flight routes by touching locations on a map on your iPad, all one must do is press "go" and abracadabra, no flying skills required to drop off a package or annoy a pack of drone swatting chimps.

One can now wear a device akin to virtual reality goggles that are connected to the drone's onboard camera to experience flying as if you were actually inside.  It's this ability--a bit like taking over the eyes of a bird in flight-- that prompted drone manufacturer 3DR’s Colin Guinn to quip,

"We’re basically giving people a superhuman power for a thousand bucks."

  Further Information:

A guy flies a quadcopter into an exploding volcano

A TED talk on the athleticism of drones