Our rocket for the project slowly comes together, here the first fin is being glued into place.
The payload elements are laid out here prior to integration onto the payload board. The elements incude: a 3s LiPo battery supplying 12v power to the payload, a Sony 1/3 CCD camera, and a 1.28Ghz transmitter, along with the wiring harness.
The payload after being integrated onto the board, next step is to build a structure enclose it during launch and integrating it onto the rocket.
Our modern world is becoming a relatively small world thanks to the technology behind telepresence. With the advent of Skype, YouTube, Google Hangouts, and instant messaging a person can quickly connect with and have a face to face discussion with almost anyone, anywhere in the world. As part of my Experimental Telepresence class, taught by renowned artist Pauline Oliveros, we have been challeneged with creating a project that pushes the boundaries of telepresence.
I teamed up with Aeronautical Engineering student Jennifer Shields and together we plan to design, build, and launch a rocket that will transmit live video and audio back to the ground during flight. We plan to take our idea one step further by creating a YouTube Live Event and streaming the launch as an event to the world. This event will not only include live video of the setup and launch but also a live feed from inside the rocket itself.
As the project progresses we hope to advertise our event through various channels including YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook. The rocket is coming together quickly and the electronics payload is nearly complete with the next step being the logistics behind streaming a launch live from the middle of a field. Together we are optimistic that our project will be successful and provide the unique ability to see the live launch of an amature rocket.
Please check back here for more information and future links to our project.