Power Line Charging Mechanism for Drones

The use of multirotor drones has increased dramatically in the last decade. These days, quadcopters and Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL) drones can be found in many applications such as search and rescue, inspection, commercial photography, intelligence, sports, and recreation. One of the major drawbacks of electric multirotor drones is their limited flight time. Commercial drones commonly have about 20–40 min of flight time. The short flight time limits the overall usability of drones in homeland security applications where long-duration performance is required. In this paper, we present a new concept of a “power-line-charging drone”, the idea being to equip existing drones with a robotic mechanism and an onboard charger in order to allow them to land safely on power lines and then charge from the existing 100–250 V AC (50–60 Hz). This research presents several possible conceptual models for power line charging. All suggested solutions were constructed and submitted to a field experiment. Finally, the paper focuses on the optimal solution and presents the performance and possible future development of such power-line-charging drones.

A full catalogue and analysis of a collection of postcards at the Art Gallery of Ontario depicting scenes of Toronto

This applied thesis is focused on the full cataloguing and contextualizing of a collection of one hundred and sixteen postcards at the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) depicting scenes of Toronto a the beginning of the twentieth century. Twenty-seven publishers representing international, national and regional manufacturers are identified with their imprint on the verso of the postcard. The applied thesis includes a literature survey discussing a rationale for the cataloguing of postcards, as well as a brief overview of the history of postcards and the history of the urbanization of the City of Toronto. A description and analysis of the AGO postcards provides information about the production cycle of postcards, the scope of commercial photography and the dissemination of photographic imagery in Toronto. The thesis also examines the way images were altered in the production cycle and the manner in which photographers and publishers exchanged photographs intended for postcard production.

A full catalogue and analysis of a collection of postcards at the Art Gallery of Ontario depicting scenes of Toronto

This applied thesis is focused on the full cataloguing and contextualizing of a collection of one hundred and sixteen postcards at the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) depicting scenes of Toronto a the beginning of the twentieth century. Twenty-seven publishers representing international, national and regional manufacturers are identified with their imprint on the verso of the postcard. The applied thesis includes a literature survey discussing a rationale for the cataloguing of postcards, as well as a brief overview of the history of postcards and the history of the urbanization of the City of Toronto. A description and analysis of the AGO postcards provides information about the production cycle of postcards, the scope of commercial photography and the dissemination of photographic imagery in Toronto. The thesis also examines the way images were altered in the production cycle and the manner in which photographers and publishers exchanged photographs intended for postcard production.

Imaging a colonial presence : a photograph album of the S.M.S. Bismarck South Pacific Expedition 1878-1800

This thesis examines the expeditionary photographs taken in association with the S.M.S. Bismarck and commercial photographs by the Dufty Brothers in the nineteenth century South Pacific. It is not a study of the culture and lives of South Pacific peoples, but rather of the nineteenth century European society, culture, and imperial benevolence that led to their production and collection into this album. The photography that is included in this study reflects the prevailing culture of capitalism and colonialism of the nineteenth century and demonstrates influences from anthropological science, art, studio and commercial photography. By placing these images within the context of photographic history, South Pacific history, and European colonialism of the late nineteenth century, they can be assessed against the notion that photographs occupy a temporal space that is fractured by its very nature and mode of production, but also by its representation of events, people and landscapes.

Ricardo Villaalba's Péron et Bolivie : types et costumes : an album of cartes de visite

Despite the research done by many authors on the history of Andean people and their culture, and some research done on the history of Latin American photography, little is known about the Villaabla's Péron et Bolivie - Types et Costumes album. It is my contention that in order to understand how commercial photography altered and perpetuated an image of Andean people, it is necessary to understand the influences of the nineteenth century mindset and the business of photography. The album Péron et Bolivie - Types et Costumes, consists of two hundred cartes de visite ca. 1860 on Aymara and Quechua Indian types. The symbolic clues within the images, and nineteenth century cultural attitudes, as suggested by the handwritten text, imply that categorization of Villaalba's sitters as types of people that could be seen in Péru and Bolivia. My examination and analysis of the album aims to interpret the images through a variety of disciplines that include photography, anthropology, and sociology. By investigating the Péron et Bolivie - Types et Costumes album, I hope to contribute research about the album, create an awareness of its existence, and provide an examination of Villaabla's work that will help others investigate similar topics.

Ricardo Villaalba's Péron et Bolivie : types et costumes : an album of cartes de visite

Despite the research done by many authors on the history of Andean people and their culture, and some research done on the history of Latin American photography, little is known about the Villaabla's Péron et Bolivie - Types et Costumes album. It is my contention that in order to understand how commercial photography altered and perpetuated an image of Andean people, it is necessary to understand the influences of the nineteenth century mindset and the business of photography. The album Péron et Bolivie - Types et Costumes, consists of two hundred cartes de visite ca. 1860 on Aymara and Quechua Indian types. The symbolic clues within the images, and nineteenth century cultural attitudes, as suggested by the handwritten text, imply that categorization of Villaalba's sitters as types of people that could be seen in Péru and Bolivia. My examination and analysis of the album aims to interpret the images through a variety of disciplines that include photography, anthropology, and sociology. By investigating the Péron et Bolivie - Types et Costumes album, I hope to contribute research about the album, create an awareness of its existence, and provide an examination of Villaabla's work that will help others investigate similar topics.

Imaging a colonial presence : a photograph album of the S.M.S. Bismarck South Pacific Expedition 1878-1800

This thesis examines the expeditionary photographs taken in association with the S.M.S. Bismarck and commercial photographs by the Dufty Brothers in the nineteenth century South Pacific. It is not a study of the culture and lives of South Pacific peoples, but rather of the nineteenth century European society, culture, and imperial benevolence that led to their production and collection into this album. The photography that is included in this study reflects the prevailing culture of capitalism and colonialism of the nineteenth century and demonstrates influences from anthropological science, art, studio and commercial photography. By placing these images within the context of photographic history, South Pacific history, and European colonialism of the late nineteenth century, they can be assessed against the notion that photographs occupy a temporal space that is fractured by its very nature and mode of production, but also by its representation of events, people and landscapes.

Don’t Work for Free: Online Discursive Resistance to Precarity in Commercial Photography

While increasing academic attention has been paid to the precariousness of contemporary work, less research has examined how workers organise in response. This article examines how a group of precarious workers – commercial photographers – use an online forum to resist changes to their working conditions. Our findings illustrate how the forum enables photographers to share knowledge, debate rules and organise collectively. We discuss two implications: firstly that the forum performs many of the functions of a professional association, and so gives us a new insight into how traditional forms of worker organisation may be translated in the digital realm; and secondly, that the form of collective resistance produced by the group may constitute a move beyond existing understandings of online resistance as relatively ineffectual. Our work contributes a new perspective on how precarity is reshaping workers’ collective organisation and resistance mechanisms.