We paid a visit to Rattlesnake Point Conservation Area to collect some data! Summer student Andrew Brink led the charge with his custom helmet-mounted OAK-D Pro camera.
The Niagara Escarpment is home to many crevice caves with unique characteristics and tight squeezes that make them extremely challenging to map with standard sensors and algorithms. In spite of this, Andrew was able to construct 3D models of parts of the caves from depth data collected by his prototype system.
Here at ARCO Lab, we’re interested in developing wearable sensors and autonomous systems capable of mapping and interpreting geological and ecological data in a nondestructive manner. We intend to work with geoscientists to build detailed 3D maps of Southern Ontario’s crevice and karst caves and make the data available for research and science outreach.