
From: Benjamin Shamah <bshamah@frc2.frc.ri.cmu.edu>
Message-Id: <9709091246.ZM10525@defiant.frc.ri.cmu.edu>
Date: Tue, 9 Sep 1997 12:46:50 -0400
To: meteorite-list@ux2.sp.cs.cmu.edu
Subject: meeting #3 notes
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Status: RO

Meeting # 3
September 9, 1997

High Level Remarks:

Brief Profile of project distributed - please read so that everyone has the
same 		story line
Deadline for ICRA is Oct 15
	     Target is to get 2-3 Papers on Nomad submitted
Demi Needs materials on Nomad to present a Summary to Dave Lavery
Red and Bill were in Washington last week to present to Meteorite working group
	Scott Borg - Program monitor for earth science volunteered to help, he
				sees this project as a way to reduce the human
footprint in 				Antarctica
	Good introduction to science community
	We will get an assortment of meteorites to take with us
	Still need an agreement with NSF
Meteorite Proposals are due for Fiscal 98
	Both Demonstration and technology proposals
	1st draft next week - including outline of science experiments
Dave will be at CMU/REC this Thurs. and Fri.


Budget
1.3 million spent on direct costs (people overhead)
150K allocated for mission this winter
leaves 100-150K for robotic equipment

Nomad
Still unknown exact date of return ( sometime this week)
Ann watsman wants to have a photo shoot during unloading

Bldg E cleanup start this afternoon

Nomad Ops Truck
Park behind physics space
take to REC
We do not need ops truck to operate Nomad in the run

Epcot at Disneyworld
Pressure to take Nomad to epcot for robot display

UPDATES

Ben
	Gears ordered
	shop budget completed - will speak with red
Stewart
	Solar experiment - given up on individual cells, will order 5 10 watt
				panels, single crystal
	2-6 week delivery
	do we need solar panels for operation of computers ?
	other components:
		microcontroller 6811
		temp sensors
		switches
		enclosure
		tripod
	Call Liam ask about solar panels for laptop
	solarx makes a folding panel for laptops

Matt
	Spoke with Murph about panospheric
	investigating thermal enclosure
	working on experiment outline:
	get imagery in antarctica with pano to determine usefulness
	work with different filters
	take video sequences to experiment with visual servoing
	investigate sun tracking
	Hardware needed:
		panospheric
		host computer
		frame grabber
	Questions about using keyboards in antarctica - might need to build
			small enclosures to keep fingers warm
Alex
	Talking with Intel for comm - sending them perpectice and science
agenda
	The Chilean air force has requested a study of comm in Antarctica so
			INTEL will be going with or without us
	Compiling a list of people that need information about the project
	NEED TO SEND THANK YOU notes to friends of nomad
    		 need support- someone that speaks, writes in spanish
	Studying Radar:
		need to design an experiment
		request to have a 2-3 hr workshop at CMU to find out what cmu
				experts know and recommend for this study

Bill
	Gathering catalogs for field equipment
	Estimates on field shelter items
	snowmobiles - possibly from erik krotkov's contact
Scott
	Found old medical qualification sheet for work in Antarctica
	CMU insurance will cover people for injuries there may be premiums for
			equipment
	We will be audited sometime this week when Nomad returns - unclear as
to 		the extent of the
	audit - Demi will deal with specifics
Jim
	Working with ground penetrating radar unit that herman used
	seems to damage to the unit - investigating
	Sanchi Cheta - wants to get a working GPR for his thesis work
	will talk with Herman on Fri
	Collecting info on newer systems
	emailed Lentz with description of what we are doing
	need to define long term radar goals

Peter
	Met with Heinz foundation about CD rom
	need an educational initiative for K-12
	Tech report for Rover TV
	Propose structure for educational initiative at end of sept (~20K for
				this fall)

Mike
	Still tracking Nomad's return
	ordered maps of patriot hills area
	rover tv paper
John
	Buttons for joystick
	Parts list for second joystick
Sib
	Checking out computer platforms for next robot:
	compact pci, better vme, support software, talk with scott beohmke
	current thought is to not worry about lunar relevant hardware
	Need config of next robot- power
	trying to support frame rate and bus bandwidth of current safeguarding
			is the limiting factor
	Getting quotes to fix nomad I - get rid of network bug
Hans
	Satellite Comm options
	NASA trying to put more infastructure into Antarctic comm
	Patt Smith - polar technology person at NSF office of polar programs,
			could add a lot of support
Different Satellite options
	VHF - 5hr window 28.8 kbits/sec, direct internet connection, downlinks
			to florida
Tdris system
       In inclined orbit
	visible 3-4 hrs each day
	T1 data rate to white sands
	not visible from patriot hills
Developing M-phone
      64 kbits/sec
      limited window
No satellites in view 24 hours

ATS3
VHF managed by louis
inclined orbit
7 hour window
14.4 kbits
to florida

need to consider scenarios with robot out of touch 16 hours per day


AMES
short term:
support liam with imaging solutions, computer and possibly cameras
one engineer in addition to pascal to help with the imaging
long term:
user interface
science autonomy, data filtering, visual servoing, multiple science goals in 1
command
sequence

Need decision on Greenland - by mid october

Tasks this weeks
Demi
	Present program to Dave Lavery
	Draft proposals
Ben
	Design Changes
	Prepare building E
Stew
	Order parts for solar experiment
Matt
	describe panospheric experiment
	hardware list
Alex
	letter to chili from D Lavery
	more info to chilean partners
Bill
	Field equipment
Scott
	Get Nomad unloaded
	Improve Bldg. E
Jim
	Decision on radar unit
	electrical diagrams
Mike
	Clean up
	work on design changes
	get more info on disney event
Sib
	Get software together
	ndds licensing issues
Hans
	get new computing in mezzanine PCs
	get any new software packages that will be used for the project

-- 

Benjamin Shamah
Carnegie Mellon University
Office at FRC: (412) 268-7224
Lab in the PRB: (412) 268-8098
bshamah@frc2.frc.ri.cmu.edu