Module 2: Operation Search and Recovery

WOVEN
Operation Search & Rescue
Module 2  ·  Search & Scan Mission
UC Merced Drone Workshop  ·  Mission: Catalina Code Recovery

Urgent news! A research drone has crashed on an unstable crater wall on Catalina Island. Before its power failed, its screen froze on a binary code message — your first vital clue. Your team's job: pilot in, scan the codes through your drone's camera, and bring the data home. Real search-and-rescue pilots do exactly this.

1
🎯 Phase 1 — First Sighting
Santa Catalina Island

The scenario: The section of crater wall with the first code is in a known zone, and you can see the general area from your launch point. Your first clue is waiting.

Your objective
  1. From your launch area, pilot your drone toward the crater wall where the first binary code is displayed.
  2. Even if you can see the target with your own eyes, your real goal is steady flight and a clear view through your drone's camera.
  3. Use the live video feed in the TSpeed7 app to get a stable, readable view of the code. Write it down or capture a clear screenshot through the app.
  4. Use smooth maneuvers and controlled hovering so the code stays legible.
  5. Safely return your drone to the launch point.
⚠️ Challenge advisory

That crater wall is fragile. Unsteady flight or hovering too close could kick up dust and make the code hard to read on your screen. Focus on precise control and reading your drone's video feed.

Need a refresher on binary? Watch this:

Instructor resource: Binary code image files to display on the target wall.

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🕶️ Phase 2 — Blind Data Retrieval

The scenario: Great work deciphering the first code, pilots. Intel now shows a second, even more critical binary code on a remote section of the crater wall — and this time the target is not visible from your piloting station.

Your objective — FPV only
  1. Launch from a spot where you cannot see the target wall — around a corner, behind a screen, or with your back turned.
  2. This is a First-Person View (FPV) only challenge. Rely entirely on your drone's live video feed to navigate and spot. No peeking!
  3. Using only the camera, navigate to find the new binary code.
  4. Capture a clear screenshot or short, stable video of this second code.
  5. Navigate back to the launch point using FPV only.
⚠️ Critical challenge

The surface is still unstable. Flying "blind" on camera alone demands patience, smooth control, and clear communication with your co-pilot or spotter watching the feed. Trust your drone's perspective.

★
📡 Decode & Report

Once you have captured images of both binary codes, decode them into the hidden message. Then post your final decoded message to The Wall below — put your team name in the Subject line.

Binary decoder

Use the chart below to turn each 8-digit binary code back into a letter. Match each code, write the letter, and reveal the hidden message.

Binary code chart: letters A to Z and a to z
Padlet QR code

Career Connection

Flying a camera into a place people cannot safely reach is real work. Search-and-rescue teams use drones with cameras and thermal imaging to find lost hikers, check collapsed buildings, and map wildfires and floods. FPV pilots and emergency-response technicians do exactly what you just practiced. Fields like emergency management, geographic information systems (GIS), and public safety open the door for first-generation students at community colleges and at UC Merced.

Mission Accomplished

You flew a real search pattern, read data off a live camera feed, and pulled off a blind FPV retrieval — skills real rescue pilots train for. Next up: Module 3 — Drone Coding Cadets.

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