Mapping Alcatraz: Digitizing the Notorious Prison

Key Benefits at a Glance

Access For over a century, certain areas of Alcatraz were completely off-limits. With the Elios 3 drone, these spaces became accessible without any risk to personnel.	Safety The drone allowed teams to avoid dangerous environments like wastewater storage and confined spaces, significantly reducing safety risks.
Data Quality The Elios 3's LiDAR technology provided high-resolution visuals, which are now being compiled into a comprehensive digital model of the entire island.	Reporting The data collected is helping to manage Alcatraz more effectively, protecting it from damage caused by climate change and high visitor numbers.

Pete Kelsey, founder of VCTO Labs, has been at the forefront of storytelling through drone mapping and digitalization in the U.S. His work often focuses on cultural heritage and historical research, taking him across the country to map places like Pearl Harbor and investigate the mysterious Skinwalker Ranch. For over a decade, Pete has dreamed of digitizing an entire National Park. In 2023, he was connected with a park archaeologist at one of the most iconic parks—Alcatraz.

Planning to Digitize a National Park with Drones

Alcatraz is a small island near San Francisco, once known as the most secure prison in the world. It was used for over a century, including during the Civil War. After being decommissioned in the 1960s, it was added to the Golden Gate National Recreation Area and opened to the public in 1973. Since then, it has been managed by the National Park Service. Pete proposed using drones to create a virtual version of the island. The goal was to develop a scientific resource that could help manage the site, identify maintenance needs, and access dangerous or hard-to-reach areas. It could also offer digital access to closed areas for tourists and provide a tool for monitoring environmental changes and visitor impact. It took Pete nine months to get the necessary permits, including a special drone permit, since drones are generally not allowed in national parks. Once approved, he assembled a team of volunteers from across the mapping and surveying fields.

Assembling a Specialized Drone Mapping Team

Pete reached out to his network and found experts in LiDAR, photogrammetry, SLAM, and more. Everyone volunteered, excited to be part of this groundbreaking project. Matt MacKinnon from UAS Inc suggested bringing the Elios 3 to handle confined spaces. Pete had never used the drone before but welcomed the addition. Over three weeks, the team gathered data from every corner of the rocky island. They slept in old jail cells due to the lack of infrastructure. Experts from the U.S. and even Australia joined the effort.

The Elios 3 at Alcatraz

Pete hadn’t used the Elios 3 before, but its ability to access tight spaces made it essential. The drone can fit into areas as small as 50x50 cm, collecting both LiDAR and visual data for detailed analysis. There were three main applications for the Elios 3: scanning the powerhouse, exploring a sealed area behind a barred door, and inspecting underground cisterns. The old powerhouse was off-limits due to hazards like oil boilers and HVAC systems. The Elios 3 was the only tool that could safely gather data there. The team also flew up the smoke stack, capturing high-quality scans. Behind a sealed door, they discovered a Civil War-era dungeon, which had been inaccessible for decades. Using the Elios 3’s LiDAR, they created a 3D model of the space, exciting the archaeological team. In another area, the team inspected underground cisterns that had been difficult to access. The Elios 3 easily captured clear images of the piping networks inside, providing valuable data for the park ranger.

How the Elios 3 Simplified Drone Mapping Alcatraz

All the data from the project is being processed using an AMD supercomputer. Pete emphasized how much the Elios 3 contributed to the mission. “I hadn’t seen the Elios 3 in action before, but I was amazed by the access it provided. Many of these sites wouldn’t have been reachable without it, and it saved us time while keeping the team safe.”

A compilation of LiDAR data captured by the Elios 3 on Alcatraz

This project marks a first for the U.S., setting a new standard for creating digital models of National Parks. It highlights the power of modern technology and shows how drones can play a vital role in preserving history and managing natural resources. The use of multiple tools to achieve a common goal demonstrates the exciting advancements in the field today. Discover more about the Elios 3 and its applications.

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