Does this description sound familiar? A traveling party sets out on a key scientific expedition, an epic journey following the wild waterways of the American West. The research performed and the data gathered during the journey greatly expand the scientific knowledge of the route traveled. The trip requires the most advanced scientific equipment currently available, to gather, record, and communicate data in a challenging, sometimes hazardous environment. The equipment has to be rugged, reliable, and highly capable, with water-resistance a big plus.
The description fits the famous Lewis & Clark expedition. But it also describes a recent journey undertaken by Dr. David Miller, director of the GIS (Geographic Information Systems) lab for the State University of New York (SUNY) at Cortland. In the summer of 2002, Miller used a kayak to retrace a portion of the famed explorers' trip and gather geospatial data. Although they were taken nearly 200 years apart, both trips were perilous in their own ways, and both produced highly useful data. And while the details of the route had changed somewhat by the time Miller traveled it, the technology had changed tremendously. Lewis & Clark mapped the route using the best compass, chronometer, and sextant available. Miller retraced and remapped it using a Cloudberry GPS receiver and a TDS Ranger handheld computer.
Goals of the trip
Miller's trip began with inspiration provided by watching a Lewis & Clark documentary filmed by Ken Burns.
"I'd always been fascinated by their journey," he recalls. "After watching the Burns film, I pulled out some maps and started thinking about how GIS technology could refine what we already knew. That's how I started planning this project."
Miller knew that interest in Lewis & Clark's journey would peak with the 200th anniversary of the trip, with celebrations scheduled throughout the West for 2004-2005. He wanted to accomplish two things related to the anniversary.
From the scientific point of view, his trip goals were to increase the accuracy of maps of the Missouri River corridor and create a resource for others using GPS technology to retrace the expedition's route. From a personal point of view, he wanted to navigate the route without being part of a crowd. "I really wanted to try for a sense of the isolation the original explorers experienced," he says.
Selecting the right equipment
Miller recognized right away that his trip would have some special technology needs. His initial research led to the Cloudberry DualTrak (www.cloudberry.com/dualtrak_Plus.asp), a satellite packet data terminal that provides real-time tracking using GPS technology. The Cloudberry uses GPS satellite technology to provide Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL), so keeping track of the kayak's exact position was no problem. But it's designed only to send and receive positioning data. Miller needed to record and store that data as well, to be used after the trip to produce new map information. Recognizing the danger of being alone while traveling through some very isolated country, Miller wanted e-mail access, too.
Dr. David Miller retraced a portion of the journey of Lewis & Clark in a kayak. He kept track of his position, stored data, and communicated with the outside world using a combination of the Cloudberry DualTrak system and the Ranger ruggedized Handheld PC from At Work Computers.
The DualTrak unit would need a computer interface to record and store data and provide e-mail communication. Miller had originally intended to use an iPAQ Pocket PC for this. However, of the weather conditions he'd face, Cloudberry advised something a lot more rugged.
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