All posts by Jeff Salmon
Edge Computing Supercharges UAS Workflows
A new computer networking approach called edge computing is promising to radically accelerate UAS workflows. Simply defined, edge computing distributes the task of computation to the edge of the network, generally very close to the sensor. In terms of UAS, edge computing accomplishes the post-processing of sensor data right on the UAS itself. Think about...
Rocketry Revolution #4: Air Breathing Rockets
In a Pangaea issue entitled Revolution #3, I laid out the latest three revolutions in rocketry. Reusable rockets like SpaceX and Blue Origin, Air-launched rockets like Stratolaunch and Virgin Orbit, and Drone-launched rockets as exemplified by the Aevum Raven. Each revolution is designed to make space more affordable and accessible. Reusable rockets are obviously more...
ULS and the Search for Yamashita’s Gold
In the waning days of World War II, the Japanese were faced with a dilemma: what to do with the billions in loot taken from Southeast Asia. According to some accounts, faced with US naval dominance in the Pacific, the Japanese could not return the gold, gems, and other valuables to the homeland. Instead the...
New (and Proposed) Rules for Drones
The FAA has imposed a significant new rule on drone identification and has proposed two new rules that could, when enacted, change the UAS operations landscape. New UAS Marking Rules While UAS identification rules have been the law of the land for some time, last month these rules have been revised. Drones weighing more than...
Why I Heart My Geospatial Job
Above: Marc wears a poncho given to him by his students in Paraguay. xyHt celebrates Valentine’s Day by sharing the love our contributors feel about their geospatial careers. Marc Delgado Loves His Students’ Reactions I love to see and hear my students’ initial reactions when they draw their first map from memory. I’m now in...
Geo Week 2019: Lots and Lots of Lidar
Every time I go to this conference I get the sensation of drinking from a fire hose: so much lidar technology! This year the International LiDAR Mapping Forum (ILMF) became Geo Week with the addition of the ASPRS annual conference and MAPPS winter conference. Here’s a small sample of the wide array of lidar tech...
