project kap

objective:
i’ve been wanting to do this for over a year! KAP (kite aerial photography) was first told to me by my geekmate joe davis, who is now exploring the realms of RAP (rocket aerial photography).
the idea isn’t original, and i quickly realized there is a small community of dedicated contributors to the kap technology.
as for the cambodia project, i wanted to capture some images of overall views of the basin, the embankment, and even some images that may tell me something i don’t already know.

challenges/procedures:
weight is constantly an issue. just think, your camera alone is already heavy, then work backwards from there. i purchased aluminum flat plates from home depot, all the servo equipment from servocity, and a nice kite from coastal kites. as for gears, i tore apart an old unused printer sitting under my workstation for years.
the toughest challenge i found was the rotating bearings at the connections. after scratching my head for days…and days…and days, i came up with a nut/screw system. basically, rather than sticking the screw through a carefully drilled hole which creates high rotational friction, have it thread through its own nut which is then epoxied to the frame. the tolerance is low, and friction is kept at a minimal…and oil regularly. to reinforce all ‘nut’ joints, i used a fiber sheet mixed w/ the clay epoxy for added strength. if it were to break, it’ll break at these nut joints. finally, for “arms and legs” to protect against impact, i threaded bent steel hangers through small holes drilled in the framework.

features:
i originally intended to make a mount to just have the camera shoot straight down, but with a little more added effort, a rotating jig will better serve the unpredictable direction of the winds. this one can rotate 270 degrees, and tilt 180 degrees. the range of the transmitter/receiver is 2000 ft, although my kite’s string is only 1000’.

conclusion:
at times, kap’ing can be frustrating and laborious, especially in low winds, and especially when trying to utilize it for more scientific purposes. but the wow factor in photos and the fun factor in flying a kite both exceed the negative factors exponentially!
project kap: pass!
see the ewb blog!
see a bunch of aerial photos!

references:
-flickr contributors
-http://arch.ced.berkeley.edu/kap/

project peep hole fish-eye lens

objective:
i wanted to take some aerial shots with my kap unit using a fisheye lens, and with the help of other geeks out there, i applied their knowledge. for 8 bucks, you just can’t go wrong!

challenges/procedures:
the only challenge was making an adapter to fit snugly into the lens of my camera (canon elph). measuring the diameter of my camera’s lens, and the diameter of the peep hole viewer, the best adapter i found was this pvc 1” x ¾” reducing coupler i purchased at home depot for $0.39. for a snug fit, i partially lined the inside of the pvc coupler w/ cushioning, the one used to stop windy drafts around leaky windows.

features:

takes nearly a 180 degree shot. check out the 'with' and 'without' shots of my living room.

conclusion:
a great fish eye for a bird’s eye view.

project peep hole fish-eye lens: pass!

project guitar hook

objective:
it was a gift for tubugurl who needed to make some room in her apartment by hanging up her guitars. not until recently, when she purchased a new acoustic guitar, did i get the push to finally complete this simple project.

challenges/procedures:
last summer, while all of us were camping at the delaware water gap, i found this nice big wooden stick useful for stirring up the fire, and later on, a good roof support for my car to carry some extra baggage. the stick was a memento piece sitting pretty in the corner of my hallway since then. until recently, i chopped a piece of it into two halves, and made it into the base for these guitar hooks. using my good saw table, i sliced lengthwise a 4” piece of the wood, then screwed in a garage hook purchased from home depot for about $0.60 each. screws with anchors rated for 200 lbs vertical, and 150 lbs pull out would complete the assembly.

features:
it's a nice au natural look. it's also a nice conversation piece, "that wood came from the campgrounds where wiL made a fool of himself dancing like an Indian"

conclusion:
tubugurl was hooked on the hooks.


project guitar hook: pass!

geek spotting: project fish mask

objective:

this is awesome! this person spotted my previous post on the fish mask, and decided to make one for his own halloween costume. that's fantastic!

challenges/procedures:

N/A

features:

N/A

conclusion:

yay, i made a friend!