Pangaea Archives
A Student SLAMs Stuttgart
As part of a bachelor’s thesis project, a university student successfully scanned more than 21,000 sq ft of complex office space in just 40 minutes with a mobile 3D laser scanner (the GeoSLAM ZEB-REVO), despite having never previously used the device. The point cloud created from the first-time scanning work was sufficient to generate an […]
Low-cost Tech for Aerial Archeology, Part Two
To round up this short series on low-cost approaches to aerial archeology surveying, we’ll look at an even lower-cost sensor technology that can be used in certain types of archeological projects. In the first part of this series we talked about how new, affordable multispectral sensors are being used with (relatively) inexpensive UAS to find […]
Swords into Plowshares: AUVSI XPONENTIAL 2018
The last time I visited the AUVSI conference was about 10 years ago. I remember walking into the show and thinking, “Did I just accidentally walk onto a military base?” The exhibits were populated with Predators, Reapers, and at least one Global Hawk. Every other attendee was dressed in their best camo BDUs. Not judging, […]
Low-cost Tech for Aerial Archeology, Part One
Last February we took a look at how airborne lidar is revolutionizing the science of archeology in Lidar and The Lost City of the Monkey God. Lidar is nothing less than a godsend for the search for lost cities and civilizations. But it comes at a price, one that cash-strapped archeologists can’t always afford. I’d […]
Top of the Crop: Pangaea 2017
As December closes its door, we look back at the year think about its highlights. As your Pangaea editor I examined the 2017 issues ranked by readership. Here’s the top three, why I think they were so popular, and the takeaways from each. Pangaea #190: Don’t Buy a Drone This headline was a bit of […]
Cool Gear at the Commercial UAV Expo: Part 1
The third Commercial UAV Expo brought together 2,000 professionals from 53 countries and every U.S. state, representing a wide array of industries, all in sunny Las Vegas where the October weather was quite agreeable. The event featured four keynotes, three plenaries, dozens of industry-specific presentations, offsite flying demonstrations, numerous networking events, and more than 150 […]