One individual's account of Alcatraz's historical reconfiguration

Reborn Alcatraz: Uncovering History, Protecting Legacy

A solitary visionary stands at the helm of Alcatraz's future. In the year 2023, as waters crept up around the legendary island in San Francisco Bay, Pete Kelsey - a tech maverick renowned for 3D data capture - was given the monumental task of preserving Alcatraz for upcoming generations.

The assignment was simple: map the entire island to keep tabs on its future and safeguard it from potential dangers. Preserving such a globally celebrated isle is no trivial feat. As Kelsey embarked on his initial voyage to Alcatraz in December 2023, he recognized the significance of the project and identified it as an opportunity he'd relish only once.

Not everyone gets to explore the hidden nooks and crannies of the island that remain unexplored by visitors. Before diving headfirst into the project, Kelsey made it clear that his team was to study every inch of the site meticulously. The motivation was undeniably scientific, but for Kelsey it symbolized his own real-life adventure - an Indiana Jones-esque expedition through a destination that harbored a plethora of mysteries.

Alcatraz is primarily recognized for its 29-year stint as a federal penitentiary. However, the island has a richer history beyond its ominous past. It served as a military fort during the Civil War, protecting San Francisco from Confederate incursions. Over a century later, in 1969, it transformed into the epicenter of a 19-month Native American civil rights demonstration, led by activists seeking justice.

'Revealing the Hidden'

Equipped with advanced technology, Kelsey and his team set out to create a 3D map of the popular tourist destination. They landed on the island in December 2023, armed with the latest equipment, such as Boston Dynamic's robot dog "Spot" and Flyability Elios 3 drones, protected by sturdy cages to ensure both the aircraft and the site remained unharmed.

Through their cutting-edge gear, Kelsey and his team of researchers, scientists, and drone pilots were able to inspect areas previously deemed off-limits due to safety concerns stemming from lead, asbestos, or structural damage.

Some might consider Italy's Santo Stefano as the country's version of Alcatraz[4]. Nowhere on Alcatraz was off-limits for this duo of history enthusiasts and explorers. Kelsey reveled in the privilege granted to him, admitting that his team reclaimed some of the oldest structures on the island, such as the Guardhouse - a Civil War-era building where Confederate spies were once imprisoned in the basement.

The technology powering the project was Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR), an airborne mapping technique that creates precise, centimeter-level 3D models by utilizing laser scanning[5]. In layman's terms, it's like giving X-ray vision to the entire island.

The undertaking was far from simple. The National Park Service, which manages Alcatraz, forbids drones on its lands, making obtaining a permit an arduous process that took several months. The island is also a refuge for seabirds; the team had to wait twice for the end of the nesting season before they could commence their mission. The entire project took more than a year, from December 2023 to January 2025.

During their stay, the team resided on the island for three weeks, sleeping in the very cells occupied by some of Alcatraz's most dangerous inmates in the infamous D-block. They left with a couple of ghost stories and groundbreaking historical insights, including the rediscovery of the 1857 sallyport entrance, a Civil War-era artifact concealed for over a century.

Guarding Alcatraz's Legacy

Since completion, Kelsey's maps will serve as the foundation for future studies, enabling comparisons to assess potential impacts due to climate change, seismic activity, or deterioration. The data will help inform decisions regarding resource allocation for preservation efforts, as the island draws in around 1.2 million tourists annually[6].

The information secured by this project goes beyond just scientific applications. The data can be employed in the creative sector, such as allowing movie directors to create precise, realistic fictional representations of the prison with green screen technology. Virtual tourism is another possibility, using the data to provide lifelike recreations for individuals unable to visit the actual island.

Kelsey's work on Alcatraz might just be the crowning achievement of his career, remarking that it represented his artistic counterpart to Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa. "I've worked on projects all across the globe, but this one... I've got a feeling it'll be something I'll remember for the rest of my life," he said.

Footnotes:

[1] https://vctolabs.com/alcatraz-3d-laser-scanning

[2] https://www.lenovo.com/us/en/stories/campaigns/thinkstation-alcatraz

[3] https://www.rt.com/usa/news/553137-trump-alcatraz-prison

[4] https://www.indurilabs.it/index.php/2020/11/10/the-italian-alcatraz/

[5] https://www.sciencedirect.com/research/article/pii/S1366865619307174

[6] https://www.alcatraztours.com/visitor-information/stats

In the realm of data-and-cloud-computing, the 3D map created by Pete Kelsey and his team using LiDAR technology can be utilized in the technological field, potentially enhancing virtual tourism experiences for those who cannot physically visit Alcatraz.
As technology continues to advance, Kelsey's work on Alcatraz, a renowned historic site in politics and lifestyle, serves as an example of how it can aid in protecting and preserving landmarks, even those that hold a significant place in criminal history.