[drone-list] Using UAVs in Humanitarian Crises to Restore Connectivity

[The Doctor]

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On 12/04/2012 07:34 AM, Joseph Pollack wrote:

> I'm looking into how tough and expensive and illegal it would be to
> use DIY or low-cost UAVs to restore connectivity or "gather"
> messages (SOS or otherwise) from populations affected by
> humanitarian crises. Any thoughts or suggestions?

Looking at the illegal bit first, if somewhere is in bad enough shape
that you have to set up a guerilla communications network to assist in
disaster relief, chances are you've got a pretty good leg to stand on.
 IANAL, call your own, #include <std/disclaimer.h>

That said, it's something a few of us have worked on.  There are a
couple of drones that are relatively low cost (most of them
quadcopters) that appear to have enough lift to transport small mesh
nodes for short distances and perch someplace to conserve motor power.
 The 3d printed quadcopters that Telecomix were examining might work
for this purpose (http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:17612). To my
knowledge, we haven't examined this one
(http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:22537) closely because I haven't had
time to spend on HacDC's 3D printers.

For both models, the possibility of using hacked Android devices for
the network nodes themselves came up a number of times.  There is also
a hacker working on porting Byzantium Linux to the ARM platform,
because he wants to try it on the RaspberryPi.  We don't know where
he's at with that project right now.

It should also be relatively easy to repurpose a more conventional
model craft (like the toy quadcopters resembling Thingiverse entry
#22537 above) into mobility platforms for mesh nodes.  So long as the
network node had sufficient power (I kind of like the idea of the
solar charger in an envelope kits that were going around at HOPE9 - I
forget who manufactured them but they're cheap and designed to be used
as trickle chargers) for wireless and the motors of the drone could be
shut down to conserve their power cells, the keys would be positioning
and stability of perch.

- -- 
The Doctor [412/724/301/703] [ZS (MED)]
Developer, Project Byzantium: http://project-byzantium.org/

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If patience is bitter, the result is sweet.

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