When I was a child I was interested in all things odd or weird.  Things that have now be christened: fringe or paranormal.  The Loch Ness Monster, UFO’s, Ghosts, The Abominable Snowman, Bigfoot, etc.  I always loved science as much, and knew it held the ability to solve the mysteries I mentioned prior… and that is what I am writing about.  Where’s the science?

There seem to be millions of true believers in the world.  People who believe in some or all of those subjects, with all of their being.  Then there are the remaining billions who are somewhere on a spectrum of interest.  Although, no soul who is aware of these things wouldn’t want to have some definitive answer to some, or all, of these mysteries.  So, again, where’s the science?

I thought the answer to Bigfoot was in satellite technology, when I was a kid.  I now realize it is not government and satellites that hold the real world answer, it’s the entertainment world and drones.

Here is my proposal to answer the Bigfoot question, once and for all.

First, it’s not about Bigfoot.  It’s about gathering Big Data, and the answer to Bigfoot will be within the Big Data.

A consortium will be created to fund the project, and will consist of entertainment industry corporations, Universities, private corporations (interested in natural resources), as well as, private citizens, and non-profits.

The government would not fund, but gain access to all the data by being a support entity.  They could allow redundant data collection through satellites, fly over-watch with military aircraft, outfit existing (Coast Guard, Department of Forestry, BLM, USGS, etc) aircraft to be the main data collection platform, or other support positions.

The consortium will be funding a fleet of drones that will be created to be full spectrum senor platforms, that are networked into an array and flown over the most remote areas of the Cascade Mountains and Coastal Ranges, from Northern California through Oregon and Washington into British Columbia, Canada.

The sensors will be from infrared to ultraviolet in the Electromagnetic spectrum, and sound sensors to record from infrasonic to hypersonic.  They will also include radar systems for mapping topography.

I envision an array of drones in a chevron pattern like geese, but also in a grid pattern, consisting of around 16 drones for data collection.  The grid pattern allows for a more complete system of data collection and means much of the data is duplicated from the different positions creating an overlapping mosaic output that will reveal many three-dimensional aspects, and allowing for the collection of much more discrete and varied data.

The drones would be as far apart as possible without compromising the quality of the raw data.  The drones would share telemetry information as well as, power wirelessly.  They would also receive power through the wireless network from support drones.  (The power usage across the array, when graphed, would quantify wind and other atmospheric phenomena.)

There would be two types of support drones, power being one, the other being a data transfer drone (or two) that would be hard drive heavy, and carry a high-speed antenna to transfer the data from the drone array to satellite, aircraft based, or ground receiving units.  Each sensor drone in the array having a lower powered antenna that only has to transfer high-speed to the support drone.

I would also assume the infrared sensors would need their own drone to be able to house their cooling systems as well.  Other than that, the sensors would be as tightly packed as possible.

This array of sensors would need to be kept miles from civilization because of the amount, and types, of data collected would be an invasion of privacy.  Plus the lands closest to towns are the least likely to contain items of interest.

Using radar mapping and sensing to maintain a steady altitude the array would fly in a grid pattern over the Pacific Northwest areas first, and capture, amongst other things, HD infrared video of every heat signature it encounters.  Using AI, trained to recognize those signatures, you could count every rabbit, bear, elk, deer, moose, cougar, owl, and if it exists…Bigfoot.

The cost of the drones could be paid for by consortium, with the entertainment industry paying the majority, so it could create the greatest IMAX documentary in history.  But, there would be more money made with all the data that would be valuable to many private and public institutions.  Not to mention the new technology created during the development of the array, its network, and other unforeseen possible technologies, which would further enhance the fiscal health of the whole project.

The time when science, technology, and cost converged into making this a viable project was almost a decade ago.  Let’s go ahead and get the most accurate account of our topography, wildlife, forest health, illegal activities, many and varied environmental and climate related data points, and thrown in for good measure…any deviant evolutionary branch of humanity that might be a little shy.

 

 

Mutemandeafcat