Remember the successful use of balloons to map the Deepwater Horizon oil spill? The Grassroots Mapping Forum team that brought this innovative and low-cost remote sensing approach to this project now has a project on Kickstarter to raise money to make low-cost kits.
For a pledge of just $85, you receive the Balloon Mapping Kit that includes printed flight instructions and map making how-tos, a 5.5′ (170cm) rubber balloon, 1000′ of 110-pound line on an 8″ hoop winder, protective rubber-coated gloves, three 100-pound swivel clasps, 10 zip ties, 1″ ring, and 10 rubber bands. All you need to add is a camera, a soda bottle, and about $35 of helium.
Here’s a great video with the pitch, and it’s working with more than $5,000 pledged toward the $6,200 goal with 18 days to go. The same group got its start with a Kickstarter project specifically aimed at mapping the oil spill.
