Automated Wireless File Transfers?

Maskirovka asks: "I'm in the process of designing a helicopter mounted compact flash reader/transmitter package to upload photos to a fileserver upon landing, probably using 802.11g. It needs to be idiot proof (ie, plug a flashcard into it, and it'll upload automatically as soon as it gets in range of the basestation), and should weigh less than 5 pounds so as not to affect the aircraft weight and balance. It could probably be built around a Via EPIA board using a PCI WiFi card and riser, but that almost seems overkill for the one specific task. Is there a more efficient way to do this with off the shelf hardware?"

Comments

Let me pop-up an answer

[orthogonal]

Is there a more efficient way to do this with off the shelf hardware?

Get a wireless X-10 camera, and mount it on your helicoptor. Then a model-quality blonde who wears nothing other than bikinis will move in next door, digging out a pool in one doesn't yet exist, and spend her entire life lounging by the pool, moving only in order to keep herself centered in the lens of your camera.

It's all true, I saw it in a pop add. And another pop-up add, and another pop-up add, and then in a pop-up add.

<script language="ECMAScript"> window.open("http://www.x10.com/annoyingflashingad ", scrolbar='no', closable='no', alwaysontop='yes', believable='no');</script>

scripting & openbrick

[DA-MAN]

Here's a quick suggestion

1) Get OpenBrick (www.openbrick.org)
2) Install Linux w/ ftp server
3) Use heartbeat to monitor your box on board
4) when available, copy data from OpenBrick with either ftpcopy or mirroring software of your choice
5) ???
6) Profit

ipaq

[Hadlock]

iPaq + linux + CF reader + 802.11g card + 20 minutes persuading the compsci major to write you an app + cron job for this = success!

i'm sure you could have equal luck with a palm pilot of sorts if you worked at it hard enough.