Mine Test Begins at Noon Tomorrow. Team Gathers 9:30 at CMU. Loading Begins at 10:30 To

Log Day 62

021026

Mine test begins at noon tomorrow. Team gathers 9:30 at CMU. Loading begins at 10:30 to be complete at 10:50 for 11:00 departure for arrival and unloading. Travel together if possible. The remainder of the log is direction to our test site, request for good citizenship, and notes on technical progress today.

If not travelling together, then travel West on Route 22 to intersection with Route 18, which is marked as Burgettstown and Post-Gazette Pavilion. Travel South on 18 a few miles to the first light, and turn left at that light onto Bavington Road. That is the last turn. Ascend Bavington road, passing the Burgettstown high school on the right. A short distance beyond the school there is a small baseball field on the right and a sign for Mulligan Mining on the left. Turn onto the Mulligan mine site and stop to get your bearings. Our operation will be 450 feet down at low elevation on your left. To reach our operation, descend the mine road in a semicircle, staying left and spiraling downard. When you get to the low coal, you get to our operation. On Sunday most dozers, trucks and loaders won’t be working, but respect all machines and give way.

We embark to experiment and map a sector of an abandoned mine. We have worked together for this moment and it will be wonderful to share the experience together, and there will be plenty to do and see. All m-map are welcome, but do not feel compelled if you face other priorities. We have many other responsibilities, and I understand that everything from patent disclosure to booth preparation competes for the day. Arrive on time. Support and work, or watch and don’t distract. We are a research operation that could lose our objectives, lose our robot and lose our welcome in one misstep. First operations with a new robot and new software in an unknown environment are fragile and vulnerable. Functions like pilot, datacomm and tether management will require a fatiguing degree of focus following a fatiguing campaign of preparation.

Laser data will flow through the USB adapter, at a sufficient but not fastest rate, since there has not been enough time to integrate and debug. It is great to have the USB backup option that saves the day.

Software is still in development for enabling the optical cameras concurrent with all other devices. Chris is working this issue.