Delaware Sea Grant College Program
Newark, DE 19716 USA
Phone: 302-831-8083
E-mail: marinecom@udel.edu
SeaTalk Video - UD Airship
Blimps flying silently overhead are familiar sights at sporting events. Now University of Delaware scientists are pioneering the use of a similar vehicle for environmental research.
Publication Date:
November 5, 2009 Episode Script:
This is SeaTalk: Ocean News from the University of Delaware.
Blimps flying silently overhead are familiar sights at sporting events. Now University of Delaware scientists are pioneering the use of a similar vehicle for environmental research. UD’s new 60-foot airship is a novel way for researchers and students to gather data about the coastal landscape. The airship can be equipped with a variety of tools such as infrared cameras and a GPS system before being sent into the air. Depending on the instruments used, it can gather information on land-use and the shape of changing coastlines. The remote-controlled airship also lets scientists gather data on areas they want to survey repeatedly to watch for changes over time, at a much lower cost than renting a small plane. This is SeaTalk, a public service announcement from the University of Delaware, the Delaware Sea Grant College Program, and this station.
