Crowdsourcing used to search satellite images for missing Malaysia Airlines plane

[Shawn Knight]

As the mystery of what happened to missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 deepens, people from all around the world are eager to help. Crowdsourcing website Tomnod.com, run by DigitalGlobe Inc., is asking its users to comb through thousands of miles of satellite imagery in search of clues that could be of use to search and rescue teams.

Shay Har-Noy, director of product development at DigitalGlobe, said they have millions of people using their website to look for anything out of place. More than two million people have donated their time thus far, flagging 645,000 features on images that look unusual.

According to a report from Bloomberg, the site operates five high-resolution satellites orbiting the globe which can define images as small as a briefcase. Tomnod now has imagery online that covers 24,000 square kilometers (9,300 square miles) and at times, traffic surges have caused the site to go offline.

John McGraw, founder of John McGraw Aerospace Consulting, pointed out that having that many people involved in the search is a force multiplier. He added that none of the government agencies would be able to bring that many people to bear.

Flight 370 disappeared from radar on the morning of March 8 en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. The aircraft had 239 people aboard and despite the efforts of a dozen countries, its whereabouts still remain a mystery.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/56004-crowdsourcing-used-to-search-satellite-images-for-missing-malaysia-airlines-plane.html

 

[misor]

This is when I long to hear from conspiracy theorists, UFOlogists, nutcases, and other "experts" to shed light (or otherwise) on the possible whereabouts of the Malaysian Airlines flight MH370.

I have closely followed the news development on cnn and on PH tv channels.

one thing that I tend to agree with is the interview of a cnn personnel with a retired u.s. commercial airline pilot who said that based on real evidence gathered, it is likely that one of the pilots may have commandeered the plane or some passengers may have gained access to the cockpit and took control of the plane.

one thing that clouds my mind is if it's a hijacking, where is the plane now and what are the demands of the hijackers?

if this is a pilot error, why the loss of communications between the plane and air traffic controllers or to whoever has access to long distance communications?

if this is an air accident, where are the debris?

if this is an alien abduction, nah... I wouldn't want to go there.

 

[Guest]

I think it was a hijacking, the hijackers cut off the communications then somehow the plane crashed because there were some resistance in the cockpit..

or maybe, the government itself do not reveal all the information to the public..

 

[lmike6453]

Too many possibilities, only thing you can do is be open minded....just like everything else in this world that has yet to be explained/figured out.

 

[wiyosaya]

What could be more nutcase than CNN as it is now? CNN used to be a true news network, it is now only after "ratings," and its motto should now be "The most untrusted name in news."

Interesting idea, though, getting the eyes of the crowd to search through these photos.