Exploring Qinghai & Gansu provinces---SJTU International Summer Camp

Program Introduction

The "Global Engagement Program" (GEP) is a social practice program funded by Shanghai Jiao Tong University, and it aims to reflect on and solve common issues faced by human being in terms of social and economic development, to build sense of responsibility for their countries and the whole society of SJTU students, and to build “a community with a shared future of mankind”.

In 2021, under the framework of GEP, School of Aeronautics and Astronautics (SAA) will establish an international practical summer camp named " Exploring Qinghai & Gansu with Beidou", aims to use Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) to map the uninhabited territory of the northwest of China. Teachers and students will visit Lenghu Town, Qinghai Province; and Dunhuang City, Gansu Province to carry out the social services, field research and scientific research practices. They will try to propose feasible and executable solutions for local issues, and will also try to make it become reality.

The project plans to carry out terrain surveys, map mapping and early warning exercises for personnel rescue responses aided by UAVs in some uninhabited areas, such as Yardang landforms and Gobi deserts where near the Lenghu Town and Dunhuang Yangguan.

Our country has a vast territory, and many places are still "no man's lands." In many of the no-man's lands, the map information is still incomplete, and the communication base stations breaks down occasionally. Every year, there are dozens of explorers and tourists get lost of their bearings. Moreover, due to the complex topography and landforms of the uninhabited area, as well as possibilities of severe weather and wild animal attacks, it is almost impossible to conduct manual patrols and timely rescue. Therefore, it is important to carry out the rescue response by using UAVs and complete the map surveying work in these areas. By using Beidou RTK (Real-time Kinematic) technology, centimeter-level positioning coordinates can be obtained in real-time under outdoor environment, which is suitable for the status monitoring and terrain mapping of UAV flight.

We will make full use of the disciplinary advantages of Shanghai Jiao Tong University to support this program and target to solve local practical problems. Field investigations, hands-on practice, theoretical research, and science education will be combined into this project, and a platform for communication and cooperation between Chinese and International students within SJTU will also be built for the purpose of jointly making efforts to the development of Western areas of China.

The main tasks include:

1. Based on Beidou's high-precision navigation service, UAV coordinated inspections to conduct mapping of multiple complex landforms;

2. UAV emergency rescue based on Beidou high-precision positioning technology to assist the local government in the management and rescue response of tourists in unmanned land;

3. Conduct aerospace science education activities for local primary and middle school students;

4. Cooperate with Lenghu Laboratory to carry out a series of aerospace science exploration activities by using the related laboratory's equipment: such as operating satellite receiving stations to explore satellite signals, launching simulated rockets, operating Mars rover, carrying out night star watching, etc.

 

1 Project location

Lenghu Town, Mang’ai City, Haixi Prefecture, Qinghai Province,

Dunhuang City, Jiuquan City, Gansu Province

2 Project time

Mid to late July, 12 days

3 Recruitment requirements

Recruit 35 Chinese and foreign students from Shanghai Jiao Tong University. Requirements are as follows:

Interested in the subject content, and have relevant knowledge background and common sense reserves;

Good English communication skills and capable in working in the cross-cultural and cross-disciplinary teams;

Good physical fitness, able to adapt to the plateau and no-man's land environment quickly.

 

Extra skills

Have a certain understanding of the history, culture and customs of the area involved in the project, have experience in related topics, be familiar with social media design, photography and video editing techniques.

Schedule design

Activity time: mid to late July 2021

In the early stage of the event, Chinese and foreign campers will participate in training, seminars and basic experiments remotely or on-site

Day 1  Register, holding pre-departure mobilization meeting

Day 2  Flight from Shanghai to Dunhuang, arrive and rest

Day 3  Opening ceremony and ice-breaking activities

Day 4  Morning: Depart from Dunhuang to Lenghu Mars Camp

Afternoon: Collective research, holding expert lectures, assigning tasks and grouping students

Day 5  Morning: Depart from Dunhuang to Lenghu Mars Camp

Afternoon: Collective research, holding expert lectures, assigning tasks and grouping students

Day 6  Conduct UAV surveying and mapping in groups and sort out relevant conclusion reports

Day 7  Morning: Receive satellite signals and go to Yardang Geopark

Afternoon: Conduct UAV surveying and mapping and sort out reports

Day 8  Morning: Simulate rocket launch and learn to control the Mars rover

Afternoon: Group competition

Day 9  Return to Dunhuang, rest and summarize the project

Day 10 Back to Shanghai

Day 11 Final results display

Day 12 Closing ceremony and awards

Organization

Organizer: Shanghai Jiao Tong University

Undertaker: School of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Shanghai Jiao Tong University

Co-organizers:

Education Bureau of Dunhuang City, Gansu Province,

Lenghu Industrial Park, Qaidam Circular Economy Pilot Zone,

Dongjie Primary School, Dunhuang City,

Lenghu Laboratory, Dunhuang City

Activity costs

This project is specially supported by the "Global Engagement Program" of Shanghai Jiao Tong University. During the event, round-way tickets, local transportation costs and accommodation for students will be provided by the university. Other costs will be the responsibility of students themselves.

Contact

Office location: Room A228, School of Aeronautics and Astronautics

Consultation email: zzw0622@sjtu.edu.cn

 

To register, please send the Application Form to zzw0622@sjtu.edu.cn

 

Click it to Download application from.