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| Subject: | [gislist] Locating animals |
| Date: |
06/23/2004 05:30:01 PM |
| From: |
DickBoyd .. aol.com |
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Tom Craven,
Sounds like DragonPlot could serve for Travis' needs in locating animals.
Travis didn't mention the application. My guess, from his address is that he is
working at Luke AFB in Arizona.
Travis did not say if he was looking at birds to preclude midair collisions,
or to control nesting spots, or if he was looking for deer to plan flight
paths for bombing ranges and low level aircraft navigation. He might be plotting
the location of endangered species.
Travis mentioned a 5 kilometer observation range. That suggests an
observation height of 3 meters. Either the crew is carrying around a ladder or have
designated the local high points. Or he has a tall crew observing from the top of
a truck. If they were observing from the control tower, they would have more
than 5 kilometer visibility. But then identification of the animal might be
limited by binocular magnification.
Travis did not mention the resolution or repeatability requirements.
Most of Luke is at about 1,100 feet elevation, as is Phoenix. Mountains to
the west go to about 3,500 feet. The elevation angle might treat the surface as
flat for a five kilometer range.
Litchfield Park is nearby. There may still be some periscopic sextants in the
multi engine birds. Or some old theodolites.
A simple transit and log book with post observation reduction using
DragonPlot might serve Travis' needs.
Since the land is flat, multiple observers with cross bearings might be the
way to improve accuracy.
An Osborne direction finder would be ideal if they are set up in "permanent"
observation towers. But I doubt if Travis can find any Osborne's in that part
of Arizona.
A circular plotting table with peephole and cross hairs on the circumference
would work. Figuring an error of one in sixty for a one degree error, the
azimuth error at 5 kilometers would be about 80 meters. About the distance an
animal can travel in ten seconds. The range estimate can either be by known
landmarks or elevation angle. A tenth of a degree accuracy and repeatability can be
achieved with a plotting table about 3 feet in diameter. If the observers move
around, instead of "finding north" each time, observe known landmarks and
calculate azimuth corrections from those observations.
Check with the aircraft maintenance people. They may have an azimuth ring
left over from when they did compass swings on aircraft.
Travis mentioned laser range finders. That suggests that the crew would spot
an animal, go to the point and set up a reflector. But what's the point, if
they go to the location, just observe the coordinates directly.
>>> Smith Travis G Civ 56 RMO/GIS <Travis.Smith@luke.af.mil> 06/23/04 12:49PM
>>>
Hi Listers,
We are in need of some technology that will allow us to geo-locate animal
locations from up to a 5 kilometer range. Biologists will be stationed in
elevated observation towers, and need to "shoot" locations of visually
referenced animals. We then need to be able to record these "waypoints" and
transfer the resulting coordinates to a GIS.
Please let me know if someone out there knows of any laser, telescopic,
etc... implements that are out there that might meet our needs.
Thanks very much,
Travis
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