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Saturday 25 November 2017 TECHNOLOGY
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Old, meet new: Drones, high-tech camera revamp archaeology

By MICHAEL CASEY timistic Casana’s discovery
Associated Press would offer clues into a so-
ENFIELD, N.H. (AP) — Scan- ciety that lived here as far
ning an empty field that back as 17th century be-
once housed a Shaker vil- fore the French arrived.
lage in New Hampshire, The site is now home to the
Jesse Casana had come in Midewin National Tallgrass
search of the foundations Prairie, the only federal
of stone buildings, long- prairie reserve east of the
forgotten roadways and Mississippi. Researchers are
other remnants of this com- hoping to better under-
munity dating to the 1790s. stand things like trade net-
But instead of a trowel works, agriculture practices
and shovel, Casana and and their involvement in
his Dartmouth College col- warfare.
league Chad Hill are using “Every time we get a new
a drone equipped with a imaging technique that
thermal imaging camera does not include excava-
and mapping instruments. tion — which is expensive
The camera can identify and destructive— it’s al-
remnants of buildings and ways a plus. It allows us to
other structures up to sev- see new things,” Schurr
eral feet below the surface, In this Nov. 14, 2017, photo, Dartmouth’s Chad Hill readies a drone to be flown over a site of a said.
since the temperatures of Shaker Village in Enfield, NH. But Plymouth State Univer-
that brick or stone material Associated Press sity’s David Starbuck, who
is often warmer than the soil recently satellite imagery and camera at an ances- less at locations with forest is leading the dig at the
Hulu sued for not offering audio or not offering audio
Hulu sued f
around it. And by using the and data from laser sensors tral Pueblo settlement in cover or, in the case of Cy- Enfield Shaker Village, was
ser
service for blind customersvice for blind customers
drone, the researchers can known as Lidar to map and Blue J, New Mexico. The prus, where there wasn’t a more cautious. He argued
survey an area in minutes discover new sites. The field researchers were able to big difference in tempera- the technology could be
that might take months is further transforming with find a dozen ancient house ture between the structures good for historical sites
with traditional methods. the emergence of cheap compounds and a circular and the surrounding soil. but questioned whether
“If you look, you see a flat drones, resulting in several structure that could be a “It will enable you to pros- it could be much benefit
field but below it there are significant discoveries in kiva that was used for pub- pect for features and see for prehistoric sites that go
big stone walls. There are Asia, South America and lic events and ceremonies. things you can’t see with much further back and
cellars. There is a big old the Middle East, including They have found structures your eyes and that you of- lack markers like founda-
well, all kinds of stuff you a massive manmade stone around an Islamic fort in ten can’t see with any oth- tions. “With Jesse’s work in
can’t see on the ground,” platform spotted last year Qatar and used the drone er method over gigantic ar- a place like Enfield Shaker
Casana said of a communi- hidden under sand in the and camera in October to eas very quickly,” he said, Village where on one side
ty that once housed nearly ancient city of Petra in Jor- identify a circular structure adding he plans to deploy of the highway there, they
100 buildings but was sold dan. at a prehistoric site con- the technology at sites in have lots and lots of build-
in the 1920s and is now an Casana and Hill have tak- nected to Native Ameri- Iraq, Mexico and Hawaii. “I ings that were removed,
outdoor history museum. en the process a step fur- cans near Joliet, Illinois. would say it could be po- drones and cameras
“Those things have differ- ther by adding a thermal So far, Casana said, the tentially game-changing if should be able to pick out
ent thermal properties. If imaging camera. They first camera technology has people would adopt it.” just where those founda-
you capture an image at began to experiment with proved a success at arid Mark Schurr, a University tions used to be,” he said.
the right moment, you can the technology in 2012 af- locations without a lot of of Notre Dame anthropol- “If his techniques can take
see it — which is amazing.” ter receiving a grant from vegetation and where ogy professor who is co- us directly to where the
Archaeologists have for the National Endowment the structures are near the directing the Illinois dig with buried foundations are,
decades have used aerial For The Humanities. surface. It has been more his colleague Madeleine your crew is a going to be
photography and more In 2014, they used the drone challenging or nearly use- McLeester, said he was op- a whole lot happier.”q

Hulu sued for not offering audio service for blind customers

By ALANNA DURKIN RICHER joy Hulu like everyone else in the paired person can otherwise only ally impaired individuals in contem-
Associated Press country,” said Meredith Weaver, experience through whispers from porary society.” Most major movie
BOSTON (AP) — Advocacy groups an attorney with Disability Rights a sighted companion,” the lawsuit companies already provide audio
have sued Hulu in an effort to force Advocates, which filed the lawsuit says. The lawsuit also seeks to en- description tracks, and audio exists
the subscription streaming service on behalf of the American Coun- sure people who use screen read- for many TV shows and movies that
to provide an audio track that cil of the Blind, Bay State Council ers can use Hulu’s website and ap- are available on Hulu, the lawsuit
helps people who are blind or vi- of the Blind and a blind Massachu- plications. Screen readers convey says. Netflix in 2015 started offering
sually impaired enjoy TV shows and setts couple. A spokeswoman for what’s seen on a website or apps an audio track for the show “Dare-
movies. The federal lawsuit filed in the Los Angeles-based Hulu didn’t using audio or braille. “Movies and devil” that features a blind super-
Boston on Monday asks the court immediately respond to an email television are pillars of American hero after fans complained. In a
to declare that Hulu’s failure to Tuesday. The groups want Hulu to culture,” said Kim Charlson, presi- settlement reached last year with
provide services for the blind vio- provide audio tracks that describe dent of the American Council of the American Council of the Blind
lates the Americans with Disabili- a scene, facial expressions or ac- the Blind. “As delivery of such me- and others, Netflix agreed to ex-
ties Act. The groups say Hulu has tions during a pause in dialogue. dia transitions to video streaming pand its audio description offering
refused to do so despite repeat- The audio track “describes what services, it is critical that these plat- and make its website and mobile
ed requests from advocates and a sighted person might take for forms be accessible in order to en- apps accessible for people who
blind customers. “They want to en- granted and blind or visually im- sure the inclusion of blind and visu- rely on screen reading software.q