If you were to try to take a picture of a UFO, how would you do it? Sit by the side of a road in Nevada near Area 51? Pie tin on a string? A French team of UFO enthusiasts put together an automated UFO detection device (Google translate) out of a disco light and CCTV camera so long nights of watching the skies can be automated.
The build uses a disco light with an altitude and azimuth mount to constantly scan the skies on the lookout for strange, unexplained lights. Attached to this swiveling mount is a camcorder and a CCTV camera that streams video to the command and control laptops for image analysis.
In addition to object tracking, there’s also a diffraction grating in front of the CCTV camera. The team behind this project previously used this for some very low tech spectroscopy (translation) to identify emission lines in a light source. Light that have a signature including Oxygen and Nitrogen will probably be ionized air, while less common elements may be the signature of “advanced propulsion.”
While this build is going to detect a lot of satellites and meteors, there’s a definite possibility of capturing an unexplained phenomenon on video.
Sure, it wouldn’t be as much of a hack, but isn’t it easier and possibly cheaper to just use a bunch of cameras a’la google streetview and record the entire sky?
That way you can be sure to record everything and not miss the tracking of a interesting object.
If you record everything then you just need to do the object detection in software afterwards and can even run it again if you lost the object.
i think that depends on desired resolution as well as what price they got the light stand for,
as for the project itself, cool.
i like the sea of data aproach to UFO detection as well as the makeshift spectroscopy, seems as if they have every intention of making serious observations, whatever they may lead to.
Hi,
if you have more time, have a look to
http://www.ufo-science.com/wpf/?page_id=2077&lang=en
In the research section, you’ll find a lot of amazing work on Ufo , and amazing scientific paper about that present in International congress ( AIAA ….).
thx for reading us.
That is no disco light. They took the the pan,tilt arm section of a Moving Head instrument. From the looks of the pictures I would have to say its either a Chauvet or Elation lighting instrument.
Using that as a base gives them dmx control over the movement. This has many benifits over other control setups. First, dmx is standard and easy to control. Automation is easy with being computer controlled. And last dmx has very fine control possiblities when it comes to movement of heads.
Semantics.
Congratulations on your knowledge of stage lighting…but guess what…Most people experience this sort of lighting at a nightclub…also known as a discotheque…or disco. So guess what…
Its a disco light.
Here, some of us are the kind of people who are amazed by the re-purposing of technology from one application to another, sort of what like the hack part of the title stands for, to me and some of us like me DMX term conveys much more meaning than simply disco light, again some peoples interes is in the inside technology rather than te original purpoise of a gadget. As a sidenote semantics are everything we have.
Reminds me of a time in the ’60s I suspended a magnet on a wire and hung it through a wire loop with a relay that would trip a bell alarm. It was a magnetic field detector. It sat under my bed and did nothing except one day it went off. I ran outside so see the UFO but there wasn’t anything to see. Still don’t know what set it off. My parents didn’t like the noise and it was dismantled soon afterwards.
I don’t suppose the extra helping of baked beans for dinner had anything to do with it? ;->
Hello everybody,
Today, we have translated this page in english :
http://www.ufo-science.com/wpf/?p=4446&lang=en
Tanks for reading us
Neat idea.
Of course it breaks rule #1 of filming UFO’s – which is all UFO footage must be black & white, grainy, out of focus, mostly out of frame, poorly lit, and bouncing around like a drunken monkey on a trampoline.
Hopefully they won’t get kicked out of the UFO Hunters Club for using equipment that would provide clear film.
It is the same with big foot. Only ancient video cameras with a malfunctioning auto-focus, time-date stamp and low-battery icon monopolizing the frame and of course it is mandatory to have the most tantalizing bits of video get scramble every time the camera get jarred.
HOWTO- Figure out if an object is being “piloted”.
If it suddenly diverts in any direction from its original axis without any natural inertial cause other then propulsion/controls.
Usually, if it moves in ANY other direction but a relatively straight path then, it’s probably piloted.
Did anyone else think of Robinson Crusoe on Mars when they saw this?
He had a device that scanned the sky, apparently optically. Loved that movie as a kid.
Excellent! I would need another one, two GPSs, and some space between them. Of course, both cameras would be synced to the same date-time stamp (pulled from the GPS units, probably). I have seen video footage of UFOs, supposedly above some valley, where many people would record them for several nights in a row. If you could add crosshairs to both cameras (for more precise measurement), you could generate a fairly precise, three dimensional route of the object. This would give you hight, speed, direction, etc. Ideally, the two cameras would be seperated from each other by roughly 90 degrees. This could even help to figure out why they move the ways they do.
Imagine if we found that these flying objects were only flying 1000 feet above the ground back and forth from one pizza shop to another. I would LOVE to know where they spent most of their time hovering. I wouldn’t know how far they had travelled, but I would have to assume it’s GOOD PIZZA.
Next step … We are working on. May be In 6 month.
My first thought was this would be good for ISS passes.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mauXAFz4yKk
I like the idea of ufo catcher 2, with a real telescope on it but it seems that you need something relatively wide-field to spot the ufo and track it and a 2nd camera and telescope to get a decent shot of it.
There is a technique called ‘autoguiding’ in astrophotography, it uses a digital camera (a bit like a webcam only much better) and a telescope to lock on to a guide star, there is a 2nd telescope and camera that takes the shot of the actual intended target.
You could essentially use similar software to keep the unidentified object central to the field of view of the ‘guider’ and if you have your ‘close up’ telescope co-aligned (so the guider and the close up scope are exactly aligned with each other) you *know* that if you move your motors on the mount so that the object is central in the guider, it will also be dead centre in your closeup scope.
Having said all that, I don’t think there’s much chance of spotting a ufo (the sky is really big, lots of other semantics) but this would be a good way to do it.
You’d get a wider shot of the object and a decent closeup, your only real issue is focusing, going to need to use a stepper motor and software on the telescope :)
Hi,
may be not translated in the original post, but we use another camera to scan all sky : an allsky cam , with a fishyey. We developp a software that guide the moving part.
So, what ever happened to this project? Dead?
Way to go, History and Discovery channels.
If someone have entries with Histore or Discovery Channel ….. we are Ok ;)
Also would work for catching the elusive ball lightning on film.
Kudos to the OP, this is actually a handy project and has many scientific uses such as detecting planet transits.
Could have used it when one went from Kokomo to Lafayette a couple of years ago. Probably right over my house. Meteor cameras usually are a dome mirror and cam above.
That setup is awesome. It’s a great way to reuse that pan/tilt mechanism (inspires ideas for a more accurate automated turret).
Also:
Why is it always assumed that the extraterrestrials will be using some sort of “advance propulsion”? True, those lights in the sky couldn’t move like that with technologies we have today (other than quadcopter style propulsion minus inertia), but the reality is that the laws of physics apply through out the universe, no matter who you are. They could be using a less advanced propulsion system than we have, but perfected cryosleep to just wait out the trip.
Or they could do it Mass Effect style and use relatively mundane propulsion(at least in terms of physics), with whacky exotic tech to counteract the relativistic effects that prevent faster-than-light travel.
Or they could use whacky exotic tech for their starship and something more familiar for atmospheric excursions.
Man, science fiction is fun. Here’s to hoping all that speculation comes in handy some day.
Hi,
Yes you re right. Something more conventionnal, but not for all. How to fly at supersonic velocity, without shockwave ? Its a good question no ? A lot of witness talk about that. May be a realistic possibility : http://www.mhdprospects.com/
In this projects I miss sensors.
Gravimeter and magnetic field sensor. Perhaps a Geiger Mueller counter.
The first two sensors are cheap in modern smartphones. There are special low-G versions for accelerometer available.
My idea (in combination with thi “fat” automatic camers perefect):
„S.E.T.A.“ – Search for Extraterrestrial Activities
Idea:
A crowdsourced (bought and operated by the people, clubs, NGOs etc.) network of sensors and cameras, for the detection of extraterrestrial activities in the Earth’s atmosphere.
Every sensor station send his data live to a server.
Measured values from two or more stations may allow live cross bearing of the position.
A live view on a world map would be conceivable. Similar to “flightradar24”.
Also the calculation of the velocity and direction of flight.
Potential witnesses can be informed by app, email etc..
Based on their GPS position, and the calculated speed and flight direction of the anomaly.
Also before the arrival in their visibility.
These potential witness crowd, can make also photos and videos. With a smartphone or with better Equipment.
Also without own sensor bases. Only with a free app.
Technical realization:
A cheap wide spread base, like Arduino and/or Raspberry PI, or Banana PI.
Supplemented by cheap sensors (like in modern smartphones) and optional camera(s).
Sensor modules that can be connected by laymen (USB, PI-Connector…) with the base.
And a preconfigured Linux System, easy to use for everybody.
Copy or install to SD-Card, and ready.
Sensors:
Very important:
1.) Accelerometer („gravity sensor“, „g-sensor“ “gravimeter”):
To detect theoretical exotic gravitational drives.
For example, in the Note 3 Phablet Smartphone is a “MPU6500 Acceleration Sensor” from “Invensense”.
Better: A „Low-G“ Accelerometer IC/Chip.
We do not need a very high clock rate (like the Oculus Rift with 1000hz against motion sickness), or high maximum G-force. But a high sensivity.
2.) Magnetic field sensor („compass“, „magnetometer“):
For the detection of magnetic fields, as a waste product of the theoretical electric gravitational drive.
For example, in the Note 3 phablet smartphone is a “YAS532 Magnetic Sensor” from “YAMAHA Corporation” included.
Better: A „Low-Tesla“ Magnetic Sensor IC/Chip.
Useful:
Geiger-Mueller counter:
Measurement of ionizing radiation.
E.g .:
https://www.cooking-hacks.com/documentation/tutorials/geiger-counter-radiation-sensor-board-arduino-raspberry-pi-tutorial/
Possibly helpful:
3.) Pressure Sensor (Barometer):
Maybe for detecting local barometric pressure changes.
For example, as a result of near strong gravitational anomalies.
Sensor chip, e.g. available from Bosch.
For example, in modern Samsung smartphones.
Dispensable:
3.) Gyroscope („Gyro“):
Perhaps as evidence of non-movement of the device.
Not important:
5.) Thermometer:
No known effects from UFOs.
For example, in the Note 3 is a “SHTC1 Ambient Temperature Sensor” from “Sensirion” included.
6.) Humidity sensor:
No known effects from UFOs.
For example, in the Note 3 is a “SHTC1 relative humidity sensor” of “Sensirion” included.
Camera(s):
Optional to the sensors, it would be possible to connect cameras.
In the case of sensory abnormalities, photos and video would automatically generated, and send after completion automatically copies to the server.
All types of cameras with USB (also webcams), network cameras of every price range, surveillance cameras (with a USB security DVR Video “card”) etc..
The operator of a base would uniquely specify the compass direction and elevation angle of each camera.
Dual-Use:
The bases could be simultaneously used as free Wi-Fi hotspots.
For example, “Freifunk”, an open mesh network with (not necessarily) free internet access without the needing of registration or log-in.
But we can advertise on an automatic startup homepage for using detectors and/or the free alarm/map app.
A symbiosis. More potential users. Interested people for WiFi hotspots and UFO detectors.
Optional use of old / cheap smartphones:
Maybe it lowers the barrier to entry for some people.
Smartphones are small computers with Accelerometer and field sensor, and internet connection through Wifi or mobile radio.
The MP camera at the back side could aligned to the Sky, the webcam at the front could taped lighttightly be used as a simple geiger-mueller counter.
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