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About The nugget. (Sisters, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 4, 2017)
Wednesday, October 4, 2017 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon Drones essential to OSU researchers By Anthony Rimel Corvallis Gazette-Times CORVALLIS (AP) — There’s a lot that can go wrong in using unmanned aircraft to do survey work for research. Weather can make a scheduled flight impossible, sometimes software control- ling the vehicles has myste- rious hiccups or the satellites that guide the vehicle auton- omously through a planned route can’t be reached or an important component is for- gotten in the lab. Since he began using unmanned aircraft in his research in 2012, Oregon State University forestry professor Michael Wing has seen many ways a flight can go wrong. Once, in August, he even had a turkey vulture threaten to attack a quadcopter he was using; the bird came within about 15 feet of the vehicle, he said. Wing said nearly every flight has some kind of complication. Wednesday, September 27, when Wing and one of his graduate students surveyed a vineyard near Amity, was no exception. On the first flight, Wing and his student, Cory Garms, briefly lost control of the quadcopter they were using to record infrared footage of a vineyard as the craft’s battery was ticking down to near zero. The vehicle, which was following a programmed route, kept trying to follow the route even as Garms was attempting to take manual control of it to land it as the battery was getting low. Garms eventually was able to get control of the craft and land it with about 10 per- cent of its battery capacity remaining. That’s well below the 25 percent he and Wing aim to have remaining when they land, so that they don’t risk thousands of dollars of equipment falling out of the sky when the battery dies. Wing said that despite the challenges, lots of new research opportunities are made possible by vehicles like quadcopters and other remote-controlled vehicles equipped with cameras, infrared sensors and LIDAR systems to do survey work. Wing said before these craft were available, it took six months to schedule a plane to do a flyover to gather similar data. Although when he started using unmanned vehicles for survey work, the Federal Aviation Administration required a two- to five-month process for approval of such research flights, Wing said that process was streamlined in August 2016. “We went from one flight in 2012, to two flights in 2013 and from there it just exploded,” he said. Wing said the 2012 flight was the first FAA-sanctioned research flight in Oregon, but there are now 15 to 20 other researchers at OSU alone using unmanned aerial vehi- cles for research. He said his Aerial Information Systems Laboratory at OSU has a budget of anywhere from $30,000 to $50,000 annu- ally, and gets funds from the U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and Oregon Department of Forestry. Wing is also the principal researcher for OSU’s par- ticipation as a core univer- sity in the FAA’s Center of Excellence for Unmanned Aerial System Research. Wing and his students have done projects like sur- veying a shipwreck, count- ing sea turtles, studying elk populations and doing topo- graphical studies of volca- nically active areas. These studies have taken place across the United States and in Indonesia, Brazil, Turkey, Germany and the Dominican Republic. Wednesday at the vine- yard near Amity, Wing and See DRONES on page 20 Starts Friday Fri., Oct. 6 – Thurs., Oct. 12 HAPPY HOUR MON-FRI 4-7pm KARAOKE NIGHTS! WED • FRI • SAT Daily Food Specials Custom Burgers 175 N. Larch St. 541-549-6114 hardtailsoregon.com Facebook darcymacey — Thurs. - Sat., Oct. 5 - 7 — BEAT Theatre presents Tom Sawyer 7:30 p.m./ 2 p.m. Matinee $18 Adults & Seniors $12 - 18 & under See the local children’s theatre perform an American classic — Sat., Oct. 21 — Doc Ryan and The Wychus Creek Band 6:30 p.m. doors 7 p.m. show One night only “The Docs of Rock” oldstonebend.com 157 Franklin, Bend Oct 19 / Th / 7 PM Blade Runner 2049 (R) Hot Club of Bend Fri 3:30, 6:45 Sat-Sun 12:30, 3:30, 6:45 Mon-Thurs 3:30, 6:45 Taarka and Acoustic “supergroup” presenting deep Americana and Gypsyjazz string music! Oct 27 / Fri / 8 PM HALLOWEEN EXTRAVAGANZA David Jacobs- Strain and the Crunk Mountain Boys A fi erce slide-guitar player, and a song poet known for his virtuosity and spirit of emotional abandon. Nov 4 / Sa / 8 PM Dusu Mali Band Improvisational African blues rock & roll, creating unique live music experiences. Nov 18 / Sa / 7:47 PM Mexican Gunfi ght Powerful Portland foursome! PUB OPENS 1 HR PRIOR TO SHOWS BelfryEvents.com 541-815-9122 The Mountain Between Us (PG-13) Fri 4:30, 7:00 Sat-Sun 2:00, 4:30, 7:00 Mon-Thurs 4:30, 7:00 The Battle of the Sexes (PG-13) Fri 5:00, 7:30 Sat-Sun 2:30, 5:00, 7:30 Mon-Thurs 5:00, 7:30 American Made (R) Fri 4:45, 7:15 Sat-Sun 2:15, 4:45, 7:15 Mon-Thurs 4:45, 7:15 entertainment & EVENTS WED...OCT. 4 SAT...OCT. 14 Sisters Saloon Texas Hold ’Em Tournament 7 p.m. Every Wednesday! For additional information call 541-549-7427 or go online to sisterssaloon.net. Hardtails Bar & Grill Karaoke Night! 9 p.m. Every Wednesday, no cover! For additional information call 541-549-6114 or go online to hardtailsoregon.com. Main Avenue Sisters Harvest Faire 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. It’s the 36th year of the show that features juried vendors of arts and crafts. And Live Music with The Anvil Blasters! For additional information call the Sisters Area Chamber of Commerce at 541-549-0251 or go online to sisterscountry.com. Cork Cellars Live Music with Dry Canyon Trio 7 to 9 p.m. No cover! For additional information call 541-549-2675 or go online to corkcellarswinebistro.com. Sisters Saloon Live Music with Melanie Rose Dyer & Daniel Cooper 8 to 11 p.m. No cover for original folk- rock, blues & Americana! For additional information call 541-549-7427 or go online to sisterssaloon.net. Clearwater Gallery Annual Dan Rickards Print Giveaway 10 a.m. The gallery appreciation giveaway (free prints of Dan’s latest painting) is limited to 150; fi rst-come-fi rst-served! For additional information call 541-549-4994 or go online to theclearwatergallery.com. Hardtails Bar & Grill Karaoke Night! 9 p.m. Every Saturday (if no live music is scheduled), no cover! For additional information call 541-549-6114 or go online to hardtailsoregon.com. THURS...OCT. 5 Sisters Saloon Karaoke Night! 9 p.m. Every Thursday, no cover! For additional information call 541-549-7427 or go to sisterssaloon.net. FRI..OCT. 6 Paulina Springs Books Author Reading with Bob Collins 6:30 p.m. Local author Collins will read from and sign his murder mystery, “Sisters Crossing: Tall Tales from a Small Town.” Free, with refreshments! 541-549-0866 or go to paulinasprings.com. Hardtails Bar & Grill Karaoke Night! 9 p.m. Every Friday, no cover! For additional information call 541-549-6114 or go online to hardtailsoregon.com. SAT...OCT. 7 Sisters Saloon Live Music with Riley’s Range Benders 8 to 11 p.m. No cover for Americana, blues & roots! For additional information call 541-549-7427 or go to sisterssaloon.net. Cork Cellars Live Music with NTT 7 to 9 p.m. No cover! For more info call 541-549-2675 or go to corkcellarswinebistro.com. Hardtails Bar & Grill Karaoke Night! 9 p.m. Every Saturday (if no live music is scheduled), no cover! For additional information call 541-549-6114 or go online to hardtailsoregon.com. TUES...OCT. 10 Sisters Saloon Trivia Night 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Sign-up is at 6:15 p.m. Free, every Tuesday! For additional information call 541-549-7427 or go online to sisterssaloon.net. WED...OCT. 11 Hardtails Bar & Grill Karaoke Night! 9 p.m. Every Wednesday, no cover! For additional information call 541-549-6114 or go online to hardtailsoregon.com. Sisters Saloon Texas Hold ’Em Tournament 7 p.m. Every Wednesday! For additional information call 541-549-7427 or go online to sisterssaloon.net. THURS...OCT. 12 Sisters Saloon Karaoke Night! 9 p.m. Every Thursday, no cover! For additional information call 541-549-7427 or go to sisterssaloon.net. FRI..OCT. 13 Movie times and titles are bsite subject to change. Visit we n. atio rm info st late or call for WWW.SISTERS MOVIEHOUSE.COM 541-549-8800 13 Hardtails Bar & Grill Karaoke Night! 9 p.m. Every Friday, no cover! For additional information call 541-549-6114 or go online to hardtailsoregon.com. SUN...OCT. 15 Main Avenue Sisters Harvest Faire 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. It’s the 36th year of the show that features juried vendors of arts and crafts. And Live Music with Bill Keale! For additional information call the Sisters Area Chamber of Commerce at 541-549-0251 or go to sisterscountry.com. TUES...OCT. 17 Sisters Saloon Trivia Night 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Sign-up is at 6:15 p.m. Free, every Tuesday! For additional information call 541-549-7427 or go online to sisterssaloon.net. WED...OCT. 18 Sisters Saloon Texas Hold ’Em Tournament 7 p.m. Every Wednesday! For additional information call 541-549-7427 or go online to sisterssaloon.net. Hardtails Bar & Grill Karaoke Night! 9 p.m. Every Wednesday, no cover! For additional information call 541-549-6114 or go online to hardtailsoregon.com. THURS...OCT. 19 The Belfry Live Music with Taarka and Hot Club of Bend 7 p.m. Enjoy the Americana and gypsy-jazz string band, plus classic swing manouche, gypsy blues, and latin jazz! For additional information call 541-815-9122 or go to belfryevents.com. Sisters Saloon Karaoke Night! 9 p.m. Every Thursday, no cover! For additional information call 541-549-7427 or go to sisterssaloon.net. Events Calendar listings are free to advertisers. Submit items by 5 p.m. Fridays to teresa@nuggetnews.com
