Cameras flying high
BOB carries one digital camera, one 35 millimeter camera for use with infrared film and remote control trigger, all attached to a gondola that hangs from the bottom of the blimp. Controlled by the wind direction and the person holding onto the tether lines, it has an altitude limit of 600 feet, per FAA regulations. BOB is 15 feet long, approximately six feet wide and when filled with helium is capable of lifting 9.5 pounds.
The gondola carries a Canon Rebel 2000 35 mm camera usually loaded with color-infrared film. The film is scanned to create a 30MB file with a typical ground resolution of about 3 by 3 centimeters. The other camera is an Olympus 8080, an eight megapixel digital camera which provides a 22.8 megabyte file and ground resolution of about 6 by 6 centimeters. The cameras are triggered by the operator via small radio-controlled motors. A GPS unit is triggered when the cameras take a photograph to note the location of the blimp at the time of the shutter release. A barometric altimeter determines the altitude, giving the location of the blimp in three dimensions.