Balloon Rig Step 1

Introduction

This exercise is simply step one of a much larger project for this Geospatial Field Methods class. For this class we have the exciting opportunity to work with aerial photo data collection via use of balloon based ‘aircraft’. As of now, the plan is to create two balloon rigs with cameras attached so we can collect aerial photographic information; one rig is to be attached to a rope, so we walk around campus to give ultrahigh resolution photos of campus area, the second rig is for launching higher up in the earth’s atmosphere to provide an aerial photos from a wider study area. This second rig is called a High Altitude Balloon Launch (HABL).

This week we spent some time working with different materials and brainstorming best ways to create these two rigs. We know that each rig is going to be different and have different requirements when it comes to factors like insulation and/or camera requirements. Our job was to brainstorm and come up with the best rigs we could, and document each step along the way to provide a detailed instruction list for others who may wish to follow our study/experiment. There are many different steps along the way to creating these rigs, and each person was able to choose what part of the project they wanted to work on, which is explained further in the methods.

Methods

As stated earlier, there are many steps in the process of creating a successful balloon rig so the tasks were split up into seven basic categories:

1.      Construction of mapping rig

2.      Construction of HABL rig

3.      Parachute testing,

4.      Payload weights of both HABL and mapping rig

5.      Design of implementing continuous shot on cameras

6.      Implementation and testing of tracking device,

7.      Filling of balloon and securing it to the rig.

This proved to be a difficult task to have all seven aspects going at the same time. A lot of materials overlapped and were needed for both rigs so we focused most energy on construction of the camera housing. Also proving to be difficult was to calculate the payloads of each rig. I worked most closely with the group devoted to the payload weighing so that’s where this report will focus.

It is obviously extremely important to know the total payload for each rig, as this factor has everything to do with everything. As a group we got a scale from the geography department and began to weigh the materials we could get our hands on. One issue is that our scale was so sensitive we had to move to an area where people wouldn’t be constantly bumping the table and throwing off the weight read-outs.

We moved to a more isolated place and began to weigh everything we possibly could. There is an exhaustive list associated with the final weight measurements, but in general here is what was measured:

Balloons	Carabineers	Cameras	Bottles	Handwarmers	Memory Cards
Parachutes	Rubber bands	Rope	Zip-Ties	Camera Housing	Styrofoam

We of course, had many types of each of the above items but those are the general categories in which each item fell.

Along with weight measurements, we took pictures of each item and gave each item detailed description so that we were sure not to mix anything up in the end. (Figure 1 and 2)



Figure 1:Measurement process of all items to be included or used on balloon rigs

 



Figure 2:Measurement process of all items to be included or used on balloon rigs

I think it was valuable to weigh all the things from the beginning even though some items may get altered as the rigs are built. This way we can look at weights and estimate if things are going to be too heavy in the end. It would be a waste of time to create a rig that wound up being too heavy in the end because we were unable to tell how much each contributing item weighed. This way we can at least get a ballpark figure as to the end weight before we create a rig.

 

Discussion

The fact that we have a small group of students in the class made this activity run fairly smoothly. Each person was able to tackle a different, necessary piece of the project without bumping elbows with other groups too frequently.

We will have to be careful as we move along to ensure that our weight measurements maintain the same level of accuracy as we used in the first part. This can be achieved by using the same scale as we did the first time, and updating measurements as items are altered to best fit our rig (ex. Cutting apart a 2-liter soda bottle).

I also think it will prove to be valuable in the end that we are so thoroughly documenting all of our processes along the way. I have a feeling that this will pay off after the project is finished. We can examine what we did right or wrong and know how to best fix it.

Conclusion

I think this was a valuable exercise, which will hopefully be the first step towards a larger and more fruitful experiment when we are able to launch both our rigs. I look forward to seeing how this first piece plays into the larger puzzle, and to hopefully make use of our thorough documentation along the way.

This was a fun project as well. Just as discussed in class, we are using a pile of what appear to be workroom scraps that will prove to be an exciting experiment that will hopefully provide some useful data that we can use to further analyze our study areas in a spatial and GIS setting.

Figures

Figure 3: Final weight record table.

Balloon Mapping Weight Chart
Item	Weight
Balloon (Orange)	315.5 g
Balloon (Red)	322.25 g
Black rubber ring (~1 inch)	8.25 g
Camera (Biggest, black)	392.17 g
Carabineer (blue with key ring)	4.79 g
Carabineer (silver with loop)	26.71 g
Coke Bottle (2 liters, empty, whole with cap)	50.86 g
Coke Bottle (Top, Label "1")	18.6 g
Coke Bottle (Top, Label "2")	12.5 g
Handwarmers (2 in package)	54.37 g
Jif Peanut Butter (No cap, empty, whole)	48.6 g
Memory card (16 gb)	2.16 g
Memory card (32 gb)	2 g
Minno Thermo with lid and rope	75.85 g
Mt. Dew (2 liters, empty, whole with cap)	52.08 g
Orange Camera (No memory card)	185.77 g
Parachute (blue and orange)	144.7 g
Pink Rope (1 meter)	1.15 g
Rainex Bottle (Empty, whole with cap)	141.36 g
Rope (150 ft.)	416.51 g
Rubber band (black, midrange)	2.8 g
Rubber band (blue, thin, medium)	2.37 g
Rubber band (Extra small, orange)	1.14 g
Rubber band (long, tan, thin)	4.7 g
Rubber band (long, white, wide)	14.4 g
Rubber band (short, white, wide)	5.69 g
Rubber band (thin, white)	3.5 g
Silver Camera (No memory card)	187.5 g
Styrofoam (Pink, 1.5 by 19 by 17.5 in)	200.3 g
Yellow Cord with buckle	106.5 g
Zip Tie (Black)	1.5 g
Zip Tie (long, multicolored)	1.16 g
Zip Tie (Short, multicolored)	.31 g
7 Packs of Handwarmers	379.86 g
Cut Styrofoam+Minno Thermo	102.12 g
Green Bottle (With cannon, grey "Hindenburg")	239.69 g
Total Pay Load for High Altitude	944.34 g = Approx. 2.08 lbs

Figures 3-27

Figure 3: Blue Carabiner with Key ring

Figure 4: Silver Carabineer with loop

Figure 5: Cut Coke Bottle top #2

Figure 6: Cut Coke Bottle top #2

Figure 7: Styrofoam Insulation post-cut out

Figure 8: Coke Bottle, empty w/ top

Figure 9: Peanut buttle jar, empty w/ NO lid

Figure 10: Empty Rain-ex Bottle. NO Lid.

Figure 11: Handwarmers pack of 2 in package.

Figure 12: Zip Ties. Above-Small. Below-Large

Figure 13: Large, Long, Thin Blue Rubber Bands

Figure 14: Large, Long, Thin Blue Rubber Bands.

Figure 15: Large, Long, Thin, Tan, Rubber Bands

Figure 16: Large Long, Thin, Tan Rubber Bands

Figure 17: Large Long, Thin, Black Rubber Bands

Figure 17: Large Long, Thin, Orange Rubber Bands

Figure 18: Large Long, Thin, White Rubber Bands

Figure 19: Large, Long, Thick, White Rubber Bands

Figure 20: Medium Lengh, Black, Thin Rubber Bands

Figure 21: Parachute

Figure 22: One Meter of pink synthetic string.

Fiure 23: Nylon Rope

Figure 24: Rope Label.

Figure 25: Short, Thick, White rubber bands

Figure 26: Short, Thin, Orange Rubber Band

FIgure 27: Yellow Cord with buckle.

Figure 3-