David Luis was born in Hilo and grew up in Puna on the Big Island of Hawaii. He is currently at the University of Hawaii at Manoa working towards receiving his Bachelors of Science in electrical engineering next spring. David enjoys running around the university track, finding applications for things learned, and exploring through questioning. After graduation, he hopes to pursue a career in an industry related to space exploration and technology.
Home Island: Big Island
High School:
Institution when accepted: University of Hawaii at Manoa
Akamai Project: Keck Surveillance Web-Camera
Project Site: W.M. Keck Observatory
Mentor: Craig Nance
Project Abstract:
During the winter season the W.M. Keck Observatory is subjected to severe winter weather atop the fourteen thousand foot summit of Mauna Kea. The weather often blocks access to the summit while the staff is unaware of the state of the observatory and its surroundings. During the observatories regular operation the staff has also been in need of a surveillance set-up to view intruders and solicitors, especially during night. The goal for this project was to devise and install a surveillance system that would meet these needs while operating under the extreme summit conditions. To accomplish this, research was done through the Internet, the Keck blueprint archives, and other observatories. The main concern was to find a camera that would provide images under the brightest conditions after snow fall to the darkest conditions of the night. A color camera was selected to provide color information during the day, and a monochrome camera was selected for low-light conditions. Both cameras were powered up and connected to the Internet to view the imagery produced. The current problem is in mounting the two cameras, an I.P. converter, and a power supply in a weather enclosure to yield the widest viewing angle without the cameras making contact with the provided weather heaters. Once this is done, the camera will be able to be installed, tested, and ready to use at the summit.