CubeSat Flood Detection – Teen Innovation
- This article details the work of young engineer, Merchant, and her project to develop a flood detection system for CubeSats (small satellites).
- * The Project: Merchant developed a CNN model to detect flooding from space.
- In essence, the article highlights Merchant's impressive work, her proactive problem-solving skills, and her dedication to advancing space-based flood detection technology.
Summary of the Article:
This article details the work of young engineer, Merchant, and her project to develop a flood detection system for CubeSats (small satellites). Here’s a breakdown of the key points:
* The Project: Merchant developed a CNN model to detect flooding from space. She’s now working to transition it from a prototype to a functional product for deployment on CubeSats.
* Challenges & Solutions:
* Variable Conditions: The initial model struggled with detecting flooding in different environments. She improved it by training the algorithm to identify flooding based on pixel colors.
* Communication: Bluetooth, while functional in testing, is unsuitable for space communication. She proposed using SMA antennas and connectors for reliable data transmission.
* Accenture Internship: Merchant secured an internship with Accenture, mentored by Chris Hudson (global technical lead in space cybersecurity), to help scale her project.
* MIT Internship: She’s also an intern at MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL), led by Daniel Rus, focusing on cognitive cartography and using embedding models to help AI understand relationships between concepts.This internship is conducted remotely from a lab at the University of Central Florida.
* Future Outlook: Her payload is scheduled for launch early next year.
* IEEE’s Impact: Merchant emphasizes the importance of IEEE in her growth as a researcher,turning her passion for engineering into a reality.
In essence, the article highlights Merchant’s impressive work, her proactive problem-solving skills, and her dedication to advancing space-based flood detection technology. It also showcases the valuable opportunities she’s receiving through internships at both Accenture and MIT.