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Technology for Mapping the Underground?

Posted by Cliff on from the getting-below-the-surface dept.

Archon-X asks: "As an avid CaveClanner, I spend my spare time sloshing around underground in drains, and have more than once considered 'mapping' the drains. How would readers approach this problem? Mobile reception and presumably GPS is non-existent, and it's pretty dark and wet down there."

3 of 41 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Use a... by AmateurCoder · · Score: 2, Insightful

    grandparent: You track around the sewers for fun? You seriously need a new hobby.

    parent: similar to caving and you have no right to say that.

    Hey. Where I come people *have* the right to voice uninformed opinions such as that.

  2. Start on the surface by Pathwalker · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Start by walking around aboveground with a GPS, marking the locations of manhole covers, and other features that you should be able to identify when underground. Maybe drop some brightly colored markers down storm drain gratings to ensure you will know which grating you are under.

    This should give you some points of reference that you can build the rest of your map around.

    You might also want to plot those locations on a topographic map, or an arial photo, and play "connect the dots" to try to figure out a simple overview of how the drain system is layed out. Once you have the overview, you can fill in more details as you explore.

  3. compass & pedometer by duffbeer703 · · Score: 2, Insightful

    take a reading every time you change direction.

    gps has made people very, very lazy. navigation isn't rocket science.

    --
    Conformity is the jailer of freedom and enemy of growth. -JFK