in summer 2017 we imaged several areas to produce Digital Elevation Models (DEM) to investigate their use in repeat surveys. The 3D Robotics Solo was equiped with a Mapir camera:
This shows the quadcopter flying an imaging mission (top right in the sky)
We used the Tower app to control imaging missions
The team have been very busy making new PCBs for the final deployment in two weeks! The MS2 boards were even helped along by ECS’s new pick-and-place machine – but incredibly the Munjtac processor boards were all hand-built!
Last year a laser scan of part of the mountain side, to establish a base line. So this year we have performed a second laser scan to compare to the first one. This data will be analysed later to discover how the rock face has moved in the last year.
Jane and Phil setting up the laser scanner
This sensor node links our radio network up into the peat study area
In order to cover the study area over the ridge – we placed this sensor node in a strategic place so it passes traffic across. By this time the packets have come 3km up to the mountain then 1km across to this node – then another 600m down to the peat area.
All this with 868MHz radios running IPv6 (6LowPAN) and CoAP to gather the data!
Arthur – our superb intern team member this summer has worked very hard to get the CoAP layer working for the system and has now seen it in action on the mountain.
We’ve just installed a new IP camera at the estate. This will give us regular images so it’s possible to see what the weather is like, to help plan field trip days, and give information about the snow fall and melt throughout the year.
An image from the new camera
The system relies on a directional radio link down from the mountain to a sensor node attached to a small Linux-based computer. This is a picture of the setup in a shed in th Estate buildings. We are using an Atom-based mini-ITX computer which routes data from the low power 6LowPAN network to the Internet via the Estate’s satellite link.
This Yagi antenna provides the directional link over 3km to the mountains
Today we managed to carry out a long distance 6LowPAN network link: from the valley, 3km up to the mountain and then on to another node 1km further away (router2). This is confirmation that Graeme’s CC1120 Contiki driver works very well and we can start to deploy the sensor nodes around the mountain.
Some of the team discussing the results of a range test at the site of relay 1.
Some of the team discussing a range test
It’s all hands on deck getting things ready to head up to Scotland to deploy. Here are the main PCBs that will be used to form the network in the lined up ready for further testing.
For this project we are creating custom 3D printed parts for the sensors. The two parts we are creating are housings for pressure sensors. One is to be submerged in a river, the other is to measure atmospheric pressure.
This is how the parts appear when first removed from the printer. There support material to make sure the parts don’t fall over or droop during printing
The products with the support material removed.