AARRGGHH, I live and work about 20 miles outside of the nearest coverage area. Maybe in a year or so. I do some volunteer Search and Rescue work in Marin County, where the urban areas are covered, but not the hills where I would need it the most. Occasionally we do mutual aid in the covered counties (San Mateo) but not enough to justify it. I guess I should explain some uses I thought of for a wearable. Constant update of position on Maps displayed via GPS It's one o'clock in the morning and the last time you were on this trail was over three years ago, does the water tank indicate you've already passed the trail junction, or is it just around the next corner, or another 2 miles up the trail. Then the base asks you for your position, so you pull out your map in the pouring rain and try to calculate UTM's based on where you think you are. Might even setup an APRS like setup so there is no need for base to call for position. Digital Camera to snap pictures of footprints and fax back to base Kind of like Steve Manns viewcam, except I want fax capabilities. Currently the first group to find a footprint sends a runner back to base to get the footetcher, sketches the footprint and then takes it base again to make photocopies. Might also be useful for other clues like if you find a jacket and send the picture back to base the victims family might be able to identify it without contaminating the scent. Would also be useful as a general camera for training purposes. LowLight Camera put through to viewfinder Upon request we can borrow some night goggles from the SWAT team, but they aren't cheap, and they aren't always available, plus I don't like the limited vision they offer (about 45 degrees). If the viewcam mentioned above can be put through a realtime enhancer (I know we are talking some horsepower here) and provide a nightvision like display for one eye while letting the other have full field of vision, it just might be the best of both worlds. Even if I can't get realtime, I could point the camera in the direction of something that might be interesting, capture the image, run it through an enhancer and then display it. Radio Log Ever try to write down by flashlight everything you say over the radio while hiking at night, nuff said Trailside interviews also can be handled like this, although the whole issue of being interviewed by a Sheriff volunteer wearing something that looks like it came from the borg should be looked at carefully. Also any clues you come across can be written down with exact GPS coordinates. Back at base, debriefing consists of finding the nearest printer and plugging in. Keeping track of patient vitals also needs to be carefully logged, although by that time everyone except the medic has his/her hands full carrying the litter. > ---------- > From: Paul McCarty[SMTP:] > Sent: Wednesday, February 25, 1998 5:40 PM > To:
> Subject: Re: USA Today > > As with everything, there's a web page for these guys that includes a > cgi-script that lets you test to see if you can are in their coverage > area. They also have a wireless PalmPilot box to get on their > network. > > http://www.ricochet.net/ricochet/ > > Unfortunately, they don't cover my area. :( > > -Paul > > Paul McCarty > University of Rochester >
> > > To:
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