DigitalGlobe’s Tomnod, Crowd Searching for Clues About Missing Plane
DigitalGlobe, the Longmont, CO-based satellite imagery provider, has once again turned to the crowd to help analyze its images as part of a disaster recovery effort, this time for the missing Malaysia Airlines flight that disappeared Saturday.
DigitalGlobe is participating in the search for Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, which disappeared Saturday while flying from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to Beijing. The Boeing 777 jetliner was carrying 239 people.
For the search, DigitalGlobe is using its Tomnod platform, which crowdsources the analysis of satellite photos. Tomnod posts images and allows users to scan and tag features and landmarks. In this case, users would be looking for debris.
Xconomy ran a story on Tomnod in November, when the company used it to evaluate damage in the Philippines in the wake of Super Typhoon Haiyan.
According to the company’s blog, two of Digital Globe’s satellites on Sunday collected images of a 3,200-square-kilometer area in the Gulf of Thailand and South China Sea where the plane may have disappeared. The company has since expanded its search area as Malaysian authorities widen their search.
The story about DigitalGlobe’s involvement in the search was first reported in the Denver Post.
Trending on Xconomy
By posting a comment, you agree to our terms and conditions.
please give us a larger area to search, they could be on either side of Malaysia…
I HOPE WE CAN FIND IT SOON
Good luck getting on this thing it is crashed just like the plane
what is this… im trying to help.. and the server just crashed
I would suggest that the slow loading times are more a result of unusually heavy usage due to people helping in the search. Another factor may be the image details adding to download speeds. All-in-all, this is a great service.
I”ve been trying to get online (off and on) for an hour and a half but it won’t let me on. I was able to set up an account but after that the map wouldn’t load. I WANT TO LOOK TOO!! I have an idea where the plane might be.
Yes not working for me as well. Very upsetting! Has been down all day I believe. I just get blank page, all blue with tomnod logo on top left and DigitalGlobe logo on bottom right, nothing else!
I think the pilot is in on it. And that plane is most likely in another therd world country by now.. The gov and cia no were it is…
I see a blue square, no images at all??????
do you have the current version of Java, I had to update mine
Like they said there are two passports on there that aren’t those people… It might be in another country and it’s being made into a weapon and used on a country
is it working for anyone
I THINK I FOUND SOMETHING ON MAP 21962 LOWER RIGHT CORNER OF MAP TWO ANOMALYS. ONE JUST BELOW A CLOUD AND THE OTHER 45 DEGREES SOUTH WEST OF THE FIRST. ABOUT AN INCH FROM THE RIGHT HAND CORNER.
post a screenshot. so hard to find these.
I saw it too. Also 2 grids that had very pink looking clouds. The result of an explosion perhaps?
any way to zoom?
I see somethin like boat i guess on MAP 24091.
Check this out guys and let me know what do you think ??
http://www.tomnod.com/nod/challenge/malaysiaairsar2014/map/24091
i see it, its on MAP 21651? wish there was a way to zoom
Yes Eva, its on 21651
post a screenshot.
here is the screen shot
i found that too, loos the the airplane head
okay, either there are a lot of 100 ft. long fishing boats on this grid or we have all found something. Wondering if the media or anyone will ever be mentioning this again. They seem quite slow to confirm or deny anything.
CheckOut
map/155841
looks like an airplane slide raft
thats a ship for sure.. here is a plane
-> http://www.tomnod.com/nod/challenge/malaysiaairsar2014/map/53863
CheckOut
map/155841
looks like an airplane slide raft
So hard to see anything because of their setup. I seem to have found 3 items very similar myself.
Have a look at maps 23985 & 21669,21054 if you find one of these go direct north or direct south a few maps within the same grid
what about MAP 6060
What’s that? http://www.tomnod.com/nod/challenge/malaysiaairsar2014/map/21669
here is something: http://prntscr.com/304ol7
tell me how the grid is numbered? I can’t find any of the ones you commented on. or take a screenshot. please
Has anyone thought about a Missile taking down this plane? This is way to
strange-I still don’t think they are looking in the right place-the plane could have
gone another couple of hundred miles in either directions if it was on auto pilot?
https://www.politicususa.com/2014/03/14/rush-limbaugh-crazy-theory-malaysian-aircraft-shot.html
Slow loading speed: As I mentioned early on, the maps appear to load very slowly, even via my higher speed cable pipeline. As long as you are logged in & can see a message: “Map Loading” in the lower right corner, the system is working. Maps tend to load in small squares of info with hundreds of squares making up your search grid. You may have to just walk away from the machine for a while while they load.
Once the grid is fully loaded, I’ve found it’s easiest to begin at one corner and scroll up or down one screen at a time, searching the screen before moving up or down to next view. Once you hit the top or bottom, scroll right or left one screen, then repeat in opposite direction. It’s a lot like mowing a lawn or stepping through a sort of “swim lane” search grid.
I don’t mean to sound really terrible but I don’t get how this is helping. I’ve tried to get on many times over the last 24 hours and only have been to actually get on twice. I can’t get back to where my tags are, the images are now 3 days old, and there are large areas that were cloud covered. I’m still going to keep trying for a while longer but I think it was a good idea that needs to be more accessible and relevant.
What could this be?
http://www.tomnod.com/nod/challenge/malaysiaairsar2014/map/24066
Looks like 2 ships. The sire crashed yesterday but is working today
Could we check any of the abandoned airbases in Iran? There is a runway north west of Konarak suitable for landing large aircraft. A novice with only simulator experience could locate it by easily visible landmarks.
I think what might have happen is that some how the Coder was taken out by someone and they threw it in the water.So that might the answer why there is no debri in the water. i just Pray for the BEST for the MANY FAMILIES that have love ones that is aboard the plane. MAY GOD BLESS EVERYONE WHO IS INVOLVED
.
Best of luck
Is there a way to go to a certain coordinate on tomnod?
This was a great idea but the site loads slowly, there are no instructions, the features don’t always work, the images are days old, trying to coordinate with other searchers on social media and look at their posted maps is impossible, and I just don’t see how this could possibly be a valuable tool that so few people can use and/or know how to use. Even questions posted on twitter were not answered. I found zoom in/out by accident and never was able to go back to the tags I had made. Best of luck to future searchers.
i thing i find an object in map 24091
Please provide full coverage (new extent – radius of 2000
miles from KL ) as per new search – Bay of Bengal , Male island , Maldives, luccadive sea ,Andaman sea , gulf of Thailand
, Malacca Strait. The satellites images should cover sea and land if possible.
I found a plane as well.. Dont know if its down..in flight or what. But it looks like a ‘prop’ plane..But i’m no expert.
clicky -> http://www.tomnod.com/nod/challenge/malaysiaairsar2014/map/53863
Please have a look at maps 24306 of the oil rig then go direct I think south to map 23985 of two objects. what do you think.
Two other maps that are in the direct south direction are 21669 and map 21054
Nothing loads. Shame, I wanted to help.
Map 125464 – I found a lot of debris
See pick and tags
Same map different view
I seriously need to know if someone is really looking/reading through the comments here? is this map updated or live? I need help on getting some Maps and this is serious!
The map I am referring to was taken by digital globe wed 3/12 at 3:58am – can you see the pic I’m sharing?
Thank you for your prompt response. Where is this map pointing to? I need to know briefly from which location to which location…
If i need a map for a specific location.. is that possible?
Not sure – You might try to contact info@tomnod.com to get that info.
Thanks bud for putting me on the rite direction.. hope i get a positive response from them….
Map 120620 definitely looks like it
http://www.tomnod.com/nod/challenge/malaysiaairsar2014/map/120620
Looks like a boat. Seems to be a faint trail behind it.
Couple of whales playing
Look at map 211787 on tomnod. It appears to be a full plane in upper left corner.
Can you do a screenshot?
no..cannot get back in or not sure how to find it again but I did save it. sorry. Look in upper left corner,
http://www.tomnod.com/nod/challenge/malaysiaairsar2014/map/211787
http://www.tomnod.com/nod/challenge/malaysiaairsar2014/map/441871
http://www.tomnod.com/nod/challenge/malaysiaairsar2014/map/53863
aeroplane in sight
http://www.tomnod.com/nod/challenge/malaysiaairsar2014/map/53863
aeroplane in sight
http://www.tomnod.com/nod/challenge/malaysiaairsar2014/map/53863
aeroplane in sight
Someone needs to look closely at Map#553575…I also found 153 pieces of debris around it…
Map# 553575-Please check this out
Yeserday.I looked at 2000 grids…Never seen any oil..But plenty of other things….today, large Heavy oil slick with debris in the following map grids..#545535.543878,542561,542701,543518,543909,544005,543046,……..Also,In 545179…again surrounded by Heavy oil slick…There is Something there like a raft or something…
Wow, yeah. You’re definitely on to something. I would show this to a new station!
Possible Plane-map#553575—Please respond
I have definitely found a LARGE plane in a wooded area on Tomnod.com and from what I can tell the rear tail section seems to be disconnected from the rest of the plane.. MAP# 654342
Seriously, that is weird. I see it too. Is this a joke?
I looked at it 3 times to make sure myself before I posted it here. But no answer yet from Tomnod if they looked at it.
I see it too, I pulled the latitude and longitude for that location, it’s: 11.577303,92.680922
Nayashahar RV, Andaman and Nicobar Islands 744105
India
Strangely, google maps shows cloud cover over this location? Wtf?
@jimblydematt:disqus how do you pull the long/lat for a tomnod map?
I see the same plane in a different map altogether. Something weird here.
I see what may be a plane and wreckage around the same generalized area on Map #592161, #592929, #589882 debris and possible body…not sure….possible wing #584036, #592415 debris, #584534, #596722 not sure what it is…..
This is a 777 (imagery captured sun 3/9/2014 4.12am):
http://www.tomnod.com/nod/challenge/malaysiaairsar2014/map/637975
It could be “the” plane yet in flight? Is the imagery date compatible?
Could be a 757, they look very similar and the Malaysian 777 took off just after midnight on 3/8/2014 so no way it had the fuel to still be airborne.
Map 654342 could be the most possible one: http://www.tomnod.com/nod/challenge/malaysiaairsar2014/map/654342
Well NO ONE from Tomnod will get back to me on this map. I wonder at times is this site is really working?
Very interesting formation in this area as if you could see all the parts of a plane.. I look very close at it and it is not clouds, something is in the water.. http://www.tomnod.com/nod/challenge/mh370_indian_ocean/map/16495
WOW seems 90% of the time Tomnod will not load at all.. Wants to crash all the time.. FIX THE SITE so we can help!!! Please!
Maps 281317, 280142, and 27127 from 3/17/2014 need to be reviewed ASAP.
If tomnod would go to there grid map on 3/15/2014 at 4:10am utc map #126974 you might see something interesting there. Nobody is checking it out FBI and CNN might be surprised I contacted both. I found it but tomnod won’t send me back to 3/15/2014 at 4:10am to map #126974.
Please check out map 915192 and adjoining 900062 as there are appears to be large pieces of debris up to 25m long. Also maps around it show debris 928320 & 887754