Create your personal Google Earth: Make the Nokia N95 FLY!

[Mechdon]

Nokia N95 blog - Create your personal Google Earth: Make the Nokia N95 FLY!

Hi, I'm sure you guys have read the above article from the main page. I went to the website to read about it....sure, it looks interesting but I'm still unclear about the following details:

1) How is the N95 mounted onto the RC plane?

2) How were the camera functions activated?

3) Are the high definition images produced by the N95 camera?

4) At what height and speed were those photographs taken?

[ipears]

Hi Mechdon,

1.) I do not know actually, guess a few tie-wraps will do
2.) The camera functions are activated through the software. Just like when you hook up your N95 to a computer, you can control the shutter through the computer...
3.) If you look at the exif data on flickr of these aerial photos you will find:
Camera: Nokia N95
Exposure: 0.008 sec (1/125)
Aperture: f/2.8
Focal Length: 5.6 mm
ISO Speed: 100
Flash: Flash did not fire
Orientation: Horizontal (normal)
X-Resolution: 72 dpi
Y-Resolution: 72 dpi
YCbCr Positioning: Centered
Date and Time (Original): 2007:06:24 18:34:04
Date and Time (Digitized): 2007:06:24 18:34:04
Shutter Speed: 6965/1000
Light Source: Daylight
Color Space: sRGB
White Balance: Manual
Digital Zoom Ratio: 100/100
Compression: JPEG
Image Width: 2592 pixels
Image Height: 1944 pixels
So... YES!
4.) Have no answer to that one either, but looking at the exif data, I guess that with no zoom, the plane won't have flown very high... 30 meters or something... If it would be possible to integrate sports-tracker data also... we would have the altitude too!

I have some questions myself, am waiting for reply from my contact with Pict'Earth...

[pseudofinn]

Pretty cool stuff, though...

it is more than a bit scary to fly a remote control plane with your N95 strapped to the bottom, isn't it?

I still wanna do it.

[salada2k]

Maybe those silicone cases arent so useless after all.... That could cushion the fall a bit..... ;-)

[pseudofinn]

A bit?

From a crash in an airplane?

Those pictures above water were particularly unsettling.

[salada2k]

Hmm, maybe we'll have to strap a boat to the bottom of the plane..... ;-) Yep, someone create 'The amphibious N95 mod'. That would be awesome.

....Let's see the iPhone do that.

[Mechdon]

Thanks ipears. My observation is that the Multiplex Easy Star RC Plane doesn't look sturdy enough to be carrying the N95. Also, I think how the N95 is mounted onto the RC plane is important because not only it has to be securely fastened, but it has to be done in such a way that the camera and GPS receiver are not obstructed. However, I'm amazed that these high quality photos were actually taken with the N95 camera. Glad to know there are quite a few of us who are keen on this project also. Do share with us your info once you get reply from Pict' Earth. Cheers.

[pictearthusa]

From Pict'Earth USA:

nice thread guys! :)

We strategically chose this plane, the Easy Star. It has a propeller that is in the back of the fuselodge, which makes it safe to take off and land. The plane is easy to fly, it will glide for a really long time after a takeoff with the brushless electric motor.

The N95 is strategic for us too. It is all in one data collection device with its gps, optics, and the Pict'Earth software. If your wondering about the safety of the phone, all of the 3,000+ pictures that are in the website gallery are from the same N95. The phone is protected inside the body of the plane, a foam sarcophagus. It is a special "elapor" foam that is nearly indestructible, and highly repairable.

I have confidence in selling this system to all peoples, because I myself had zero RC training not long ago. You see, the plane is a glider, it will fly in a straight line on its own with the motor off. The plane does not lose elevation easily (even with the added 120.8g of the N95).

At Pict'Earth we sell imaging systems that are powerful, easy to operate, and at a low cost.

More Questions? let us know.......the N95 rocks!


-Pict'Earth USA

[Mechdon]

Hi Pict' Earth USA, thanks and welcome to the forum. I'd appreciate if you can help to answer the following questions:

1) At what height and speed was the plane flown?

2) How long is the duration of a flight?

Originally Posted by pictearthusa

From Pict'Earth USA:
The phone is protected inside the body of the plane, a foam sarcophagus. It is a special "elapor" foam that is nearly indestructible, and highly repairable.
-Pict'Earth USA

3) Can we see photos of that?

4) Can you provide more details about the Pict' Earth software and imaging systems?

Thanks a lot!

Cheers

[pictearthusa]

1) At what height and speed was the plane flown?
-The plane will fly at any height that you want it to, with the upgrades that we have made to the Easy Star (motor, speed controller, power supply) the thing will go to the moon, literally. The limiting factor is that you have to be able to see it, to safely control it :) So, the farther you fly up or away, the smaller the plane is in your vision, etc. The speed varies too. On a normal flight , I thrust with the motor for 5-10 seconds, the plane goes straight up, then you can shut off the motor, and glide all day. Gliding with or against the wind will determine speed. So its anywhere from around 1-40 kph.

2) How long is the duration of a flight?
This varies with how much thrust is used. With our upgraded power supply, the plane will stay in the air for over an hour!, 200+ images.

3) Can we see photos of that?
here is a pic:

the plane is a little dirty, its been in the field for many missions. The tape that you see is there for a functional reason. It is called "strapping tape" , it is not pretty, but makes the plane more indestructible. with strapping tape on the nose and underside the plane can withstand quite a bit of damage, a donk on the nose, etc. This is a real scrappy plane. you might notice Velcro in the photo too, we use industrial strength Velcro to hold some of the elements together, it works great. The N95 goes "inside" the cabin, as you can see, with a hole in the belly of the plane for the optics. The phone fits very firmly in its place, but just to be sure it stays snug, we add neoprene foam that is attached to the interior of the fuselodge with Velcro.

4) Can you provide more details about the Pict'Earth software and imaging systems?
Can you be a little more specific with this question? We provide a brief outline of the software in the "about" section of the website. We envision being able to adapt our software and N95 to any kind of platform that you can imagine, balloon, kite, helicopter, etc. But, we have looked no further after going with the Easy Star. It is a great plane for for gliding level, its easy to learn, safe, cheap, etc.

Thanks users! We are interested in your questions and concerns ! :)

-Pict'Earth USA