Identification of a putative man-made object from an underwater crash site using CAD model superimposition

Jay Vincelli,Fatih Calakli,Michael Stone,Graham Forrester,Timothy Mellon,John Jarrell

doi:10.1016/j.forsciint.2018.02.006

Abstract

In order to identify an object in video, a comparison with an exemplar object is typically needed. In this paper, we discuss the methodology used to identify an object detected in underwater video that was recorded during an investigation into Amelia Earhart's purported crash site. A computer aided design (CAD) model of the suspected aircraft component was created based on measurements made from orthogonally rectified images of a reference aircraft, and validated against historical photographs of the subject aircraft prior to the crash. The CAD model was then superimposed on the underwater video, and specific features on the object were geometrically compared between the CAD model and the video. This geometrical comparison was used to assess the goodness of fit between the purported object and the object identified in the underwater video.

Highlights

Finding and identifying pieces of manmade wreckage in underwater environments can be challenging
We describe using the superimposition of CAD models using underwater video as source data to assess the geometry of objects purported to be from the July 2, 1937 crash site of Amelia
An object in the submarine video was identified as potentially being the window slide rail of a Lockheed Electra Model 10E aircraft

Summary

Introduction

Finding and identifying pieces of manmade wreckage in underwater environments can be challenging. Many types of information must be taken into consideration when identifying objects, such as texture, pattern, and color differences. We describe using the superimposition of CAD models using underwater video as source data to assess the geometry of objects purported to be from the July 2, 1937 crash site of Amelia. Earhart’s lost airplane, a Lockheed Electra Model 10E, construction number 1055, off of the island of Nikumaroro in the western Pacific Ocean. The outer skin of the aircraft was attached using rivets, and a section of rivets along the window slide rail appeared to match the objects seen in the underwater video. Rivet patterns covering the aircraft were reviewed and the closest resemblance was the rivets located at the window slide rail. Due to the remoteness of the crash site and difficulty involved in safely retrieving the objects, the objective of this study was to assess the geometry of the purported airplane component to determine whether additional investigation of these objects, such as retrieval, is merited

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