Gene Robinson - UAV Presentation:
We had the pleasure of talking with Gene Robinson; a UAV specialist who’s workshop we were able to visit. He showed us how the UAVs are built, programmed, flown, and used in search and rescue missions all over the world. Gene really opened our eyes to the possibilities that UAVs have in the future but also dove into the politics surrounding unmanned drones in the US. The coolest part was getting to watch Gene fly one of his drones around to show us how the autopilot works and he even let one of us fly it for a while. Going into his workshop not expecting anything, we ended up leaving with a whole new outlook on drones and the endless possibilities they give us in all fields of study, not just Geography.
An interesting theme developed while with Gene, regarded theongoing battle he was have the FAA. Gene explained numerous encounters with the FAA and their attempts to ground him. His company, a nonprofit, specializes in search and rescue. He has located a number of missing persons, often within only hours after sending up this unmanned plane. The main issues, in his perspective, were misconceptions of privacy and confusions about UAV. While searching the news in early May, Gene was featured on NBC News regarding legal battles between his company and the FAA. A link to the story can be found below. He told us his job is not about the money, it is providing closure for families who are missing loved ones. He was a great person to start with as we embarked on our Hill Country adventures. NBC News Report about Gene Robinson.
We had the pleasure of talking with Gene Robinson; a UAV specialist who’s workshop we were able to visit. He showed us how the UAVs are built, programmed, flown, and used in search and rescue missions all over the world. Gene really opened our eyes to the possibilities that UAVs have in the future but also dove into the politics surrounding unmanned drones in the US. The coolest part was getting to watch Gene fly one of his drones around to show us how the autopilot works and he even let one of us fly it for a while. Going into his workshop not expecting anything, we ended up leaving with a whole new outlook on drones and the endless possibilities they give us in all fields of study, not just Geography.
An interesting theme developed while with Gene, regarded theongoing battle he was have the FAA. Gene explained numerous encounters with the FAA and their attempts to ground him. His company, a nonprofit, specializes in search and rescue. He has located a number of missing persons, often within only hours after sending up this unmanned plane. The main issues, in his perspective, were misconceptions of privacy and confusions about UAV. While searching the news in early May, Gene was featured on NBC News regarding legal battles between his company and the FAA. A link to the story can be found below. He told us his job is not about the money, it is providing closure for families who are missing loved ones. He was a great person to start with as we embarked on our Hill Country adventures. NBC News Report about Gene Robinson.
Pedernales Falls State Park:
Pedernales Falls State Park is an area of interest for natural features and wildlife in the Texas Hill Country region. It is located along the Pedernales River about 20 miles west of the city of Austin with an area of about 5,212 acres. The biggest attraction in the park is the falls themselves, though there are many other amenities offered within the park. Our class visited the park with a purpose in mind—we were to create a natural description of Pedernales Falls State Park including analysis of the park’s geology/geomorphology, hydrology, and ecology. In order to complete the assignment, we spent most of our time in small groups hiking through the park to find evidence for each of the categories. The park was gorgeous—most of the park was elevated but declined in elevation down to the river creating beautiful overviews of the blue-green water and surrounding geologic formations. After hiking and collecting data, the class ventured down to the falls. A prime example of a Karst Landscape (a landscape shaped by dissolved, in this case, limestone) the falls provides visitors examples of sinkholes, columns, and natural springs. Due to the continued drought in this area of Texas, the water was very leaving much of area around the falls exposed. Hikers were able to walk out into the middle of the falls and immerse themselves into the Karst formations and enjoy the trickling sounds of the natural spring flowing out under a tree.
For more information visit: http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/state-parks/pedernales-falls
Pedernales Falls State Park is an area of interest for natural features and wildlife in the Texas Hill Country region. It is located along the Pedernales River about 20 miles west of the city of Austin with an area of about 5,212 acres. The biggest attraction in the park is the falls themselves, though there are many other amenities offered within the park. Our class visited the park with a purpose in mind—we were to create a natural description of Pedernales Falls State Park including analysis of the park’s geology/geomorphology, hydrology, and ecology. In order to complete the assignment, we spent most of our time in small groups hiking through the park to find evidence for each of the categories. The park was gorgeous—most of the park was elevated but declined in elevation down to the river creating beautiful overviews of the blue-green water and surrounding geologic formations. After hiking and collecting data, the class ventured down to the falls. A prime example of a Karst Landscape (a landscape shaped by dissolved, in this case, limestone) the falls provides visitors examples of sinkholes, columns, and natural springs. Due to the continued drought in this area of Texas, the water was very leaving much of area around the falls exposed. Hikers were able to walk out into the middle of the falls and immerse themselves into the Karst formations and enjoy the trickling sounds of the natural spring flowing out under a tree.
For more information visit: http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/state-parks/pedernales-falls