Searching for Steve Fossett
Posted in General by Brad on September 13th, 2007 This article is one of the many out there right now in regards to the search efforts regarding missing and world record holding Steve Fossett. There is a website setup for searching satellite photography to aid the Search And Rescue teams. There is a registration process, and at that point you will be able to flag photos and contribute to the SAR efforts.
We are also finding that the technology is helping solve old mysteries. It was inevitable that searchers would spot old wrecks in the hills. I also goes to show just how ineffecient SAR efforts have been. Putting hundreds of people on the ground, and maybe a dozen aircraft up to look for missing people or small aircraft just doens’t seem to work all that well.
Hence the work I am doing, though still in it’s infancy, is so important. For a fraction of the cost already spent on this one high profile case, hundreds, if not thousands, of drones could be put up in the air. Not to mention the computing power we have at hand that can do pattern recognition and flag points of interest. I’ve said it before, and I’ll continue to say it – the technology exists, someone just needs to do it. Also, while I do feel that I am the one that is actually doing something about it, I can’t help but feel at a loss due to a lack of resources and support. Money and people is what it will take to get this project off the ground and into widespread use. I just cannot be more frank than that. You want something done about it? Then help me any way you can think of. I have nothing to offer you in return right now.
List of people/resources that are needed:
- money
- lightweight camera
- satellite/cellular data connection
- programmer familiar with streaming video
- programmer familiar with using computers for flight control
- marketing/PR guru
- another model/RC aircraft builder (scratch building experience highly recommended)
There’s more I’m sure, I just can’t think of it right now. I’ve had people offer to help me financially if I’ve got a business plan and I am not a business plan writer. Nor do I have thousands of dollars to pay someone to do it for me. Not even hundreds. So if you know a business plan writer willing to work for free or get paid on the back end, send ‘em over.
