NASA, L 'It
By Josh Nichols
Staff writer
NASA is joining forces with the
University of Nebraska-Lincoln to
pay for research directed at using
satellite technologies to analyze land
from high in the sky.
The National Aeronautics and
Space Administration will work with
UNL’s Center of Advanced Land
Management Information
Technologies stationed in Nebraska
Hall. CALMIT is part of UNL’s
Conservation and Survey Division,
and the School of Natural Resource
Sciences.
The research will cost $860,000,
of which NASA will pay $600,000.
. A1 Peters, the university’s
CALMIT research associate heading
the project, said the satellite imaging
technologies allow the center to ana
lyze crop conditions at any given time.
For example, researchers could find
whether a field is experiencing a
drought.
Research also will focus on using
computers to analyze geographic
information and satellite-assisted
methods for determining exact loca
tion.
In other words, any task that
involves space or distance on land can
be mapped with assistance from satel
lites, Peters said.
Maps made using these methods
show the condition of the land and
crops.
“This is intended to lead to eco
nomic development in this region
through improved farming methods
and techniques,” Peters said.
J.S. Smoot, computer system ana
lyst at NASA, said the Affiliated
Research Center Program was devel
oped to make the U.S. more techno
logically competitive. There are about
10 other universities involved in the
project.
ARC is introducing these tech
nologies to small companies through
out the nation by bringing the research
to the local universities, he said.
“Companies can go to the univer
sities to get research instead of having
to go to NASA,” Smoot said.
Peters said the price of these tech
nologies for commercial use is drop
ping rapidly. At one time many com
panies in Nebraska were not able to
develop them because of high costs.
CALMIT is seeking corporations
interested in being partners jn its
development of these technologies,
Peters said.
CALMIT is focusing on private
sectors interested in mapping and
analysis of vegetation and other land
cover, water quality and wetlands
assessment and site-specific manage
ment in farming and ranching, often
called precision agriculture.
Precision agriculture allows farm
ers to find specific information about
their fields and crops such as whether
they are insect-infested or if they are
experiencing a drought.
To promote private sector interest,
NASiA" flew over Lincoln and the
University of Nebraska field laborato
ry in Mead last month and measured
the conditions of the land from the
sky.
NASA analyzed the land using
poster-sized maps of each region,
Peters said.
CALMIT must provide monthly
reports to NASA on the details and
status of projects. It also must give an
annual report including detailed
accounts of each of the four complet
ed projects, results, expenditures and
metrics.
Two months prior to the end of the
contract year, CALMIT will supply an
annual Option-Year Renewal
Proposal if there are budget changes.
Smoot said the program, which
has been under way for about three
months at UNL, is going well.
66
This is intended to lead to
economic development in this region
through improved farming
methods and techniques ”
Al Peters
CALMIT research associate
Capitol restoration
to be captured on Web
By Nicole Hall
Staff writer
When restoration begins on the
Capitol within the next few weeks,
i Lincoln residents won’t even have to
leave theirchairs to see the progress -
they can watch it unfold on the World
Wide Web.
Information Analytics has installed
a Webcam at the top of its microwave
tower to capture pictures of the restora
tion.
The Webcam, at 1440 M St., will
take a picture of the Capitol every hour
for the next three years. These pictures
then will be put together to create a
time-lapse video of the three-year
I
restoration project
“We wanted to show apicture of the
Capitol to the world,” said James
Howell of the Navix Help Desk. Navix
and its parent company, Aliant
Communications, are helping to
finance the project.
In addition to the Capitol Webcam,
three other Webcams have been placed
throughout Lincoln. They show pic
tures of downtown, 31st and O streets,
and a different angle of the Capitol.
“The O street Webcam is mostly to
show the traffic on O and the weather,
for people without windows in their '
office,” said Mark Dahmke, vice presi
dent of Information Analytics.
The Webcams can be viewed at
http://www.starcitymall.comAvebcam/.
—
* ft?*10*1 0P*i0n8 to make student evaluations more effective.
-ASUN Academic Commitee members are meeting wife colege departments and faculty members
todscuB6mrisemestafeedbacktomr& Kara Stai^ier,commiteechEiwoman, said so far te meetings
have been posive.
■ «1 i
а. Muuress campus parang concerns.
-The Emronmertal Issues S^iconrltee is acttessing parting issues on campus by actively promoting
atemefivs forms of transportation, inducing wefldn& biting and pubic massfcansft. Mentors hope to
•decrease the nunber of stogMcafant private vehicles used by students, taculy members aid staff.
б. Continue efforts to unite Oty and East campuses.
— Tony WNte, Environmental Issues &BoommMee chairman, said tie committee is promoting mass
tans! sendees on StarTran bus No. 24 and night shuttle sen/ice between Cly and East campuses. Write
said he warts more UNL students, fa&iy members and staffto use toe buses to ride betweencampuses.
7. Create a larger representation of students tfvough outreach initiatives.
- Student senators are cortnang to visiwah student organizations monthly. Russel said toe meetings
between ASUN members arto organizations hefcicommunicale student government aclM6e6, as wel
as answer any questions or concerns toe student population may have.
8-Lobby tor student input and concern regardng the ASUN government pasty
system.
—The ASUN Electoral Commisiaun voted to accept Russel's proposed measure to keep a partis^
~ govemmert system, tx< remove the isting of party names on the election babt The commission wi
present toe new proposal, along with new election rites and procedures, today tor toe senate to vote
9. Work to promote alcohol awareness and education campus wide.
—ASUN members are researching processes and methods on how to award toe Laura Cockson
Memorial Scholarship. Russel said a scholarship wl be awarded this year to a UNL student who activeiy
promotes and brings awareness to toe adverse affects of alcohol.
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