Highlighting Senior Project: Building upon the Work of Predecessors
In the Department of Electrical Engineering, senior students Joseph Bolling and Ankush Gola are working on an intriguing senior thesis project. Titled "Standing on the Shoulders of Giants", the project aims to simulate the world from a giant's perspective.
The team is utilising a single quadcopter for flight tests, with another quadcopter acting as the master unit. The second quadcopter follows the first, tracking it by laser and GPS to maintain a consistent distance.
Each quadcopter is equipped with cameras, capturing images or videos that are then stitched together to form a 3D perspective. This process mimics how our brain stitches together images from each eye, providing a more immersive and elevated viewpoint.
The project draws inspiration from a cartoon titled "Depth Perception" by the science comic XKCD. The goal is to enhance depth perception, offering users an unprecedented view of their surroundings.
Despite the challenges that come with such a complex project, Bolling and Gola are making steady progress. Flying the quadcopters, they report, is the best part of the project. Technical challenges, such as processing feedback to control the system, are being addressed.
The system plans to integrate the Occulus Rift virtual reality headset, allowing users to view the world from any angle. A preliminary video of the flight test, shared by Stacey Huang, Engineering Correspondent, offers a glimpse into the potential of this innovative project.
The names of the students working on the project are not publicly available. However, their dedication and innovative approach are clear in the work they are doing. The video of the flight test can be viewed here.
