Learn how the adaptable Noggin GPR system has enabled Wilson Parra to travel the world and solve mysteries buried beneath the surface.
The Noggin family of ground penetrating radar (GPR) provides high-performance results with configurations that are adaptable for many varied applications.
This could not be truer than the experiences that Sensors & Software customer, Wilson Parra from Bogotá, Colombia, has experienced throughout the years with his Noggin GPR system, which he purchased more than 20 years ago.
His primary passion and success lie in using his Noggin for archaeology. He has explored areas in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Guatemala, Mexico, Honduras, and Venezuela. His exploration has led to him founding the El Dorado Museum, a non-profit entity with the purpose of disseminating scientific and cultural artifacts (www.museoeldorado.com).
Wilson Parra shared that “the ease of use, versatility, and acceptable weight are the reasons I chose Sensors & Software among various GPR brands. This allowed me to reach difficult-to-scan areas such as rocky soils and wild areas, not to mention old houses, structures, and ruins.”
Wilson understands that GPR is sometimes limited by the soil properties and does not always get the desired results, so he often approaches an investigation with multiple technologies that are complementary to GPR. But his Noggin GPR is always a staple that travels with him and has aided him with many novel discoveries. Some of his more notable adventures include:
- Search for paleontological interest areas in construction zone of a sanitary landfill.
- Working with a Colombian Petroleum company to detect fuel theft through illegal valves and pipeline extensions from the main line and identifying pipeline leaks of oil and gas.
- Working with the United States Embassy to search for lost objects, utilizing Noggin GPR and other technologies including thermal cameras, magnetometers, and gravimeters.
- Collaborating with the Columbian Army to detect caches of weapons and hideouts. In this case, Wilson used GPR in remote mountainous areas, warehouses, bunkers, trenches, and large-scale military bases.
- Searched for mass graves and clandestine burials in Colombia.
- Aiding Colombian police in the search and identification of caches of drugs and money stored in plastic drums.
- Detection of water theft and illegal connections in Colombia using a Noggin 250 GPR and geophones. The Noggin can map the main water network and identify pipes not on the plans to target for further investigation.
- Survey of archaeological zones around Chiquimulilla, southern Guatemala and Esmeraldas, Ecuador using GPR, magnetometers and drones.
- Investigating different haciendas within Guanajuato territory in Mexico using the Noggin, magnetometry and metal detectors.
According to Wilson, the Noggin GPR is a “passport to a world filled with adventures, discoveries and hundreds of undocumented stories that I hope to share some day.”
As evidenced by Wilson’s experiences, and so many of our Noggin customers, the flexibility and adaptability of the Noggin allows it to solve mysteries ranging from archaeological investigations, illegal taps on pipes, forensic investigations, and many other applications. Explore the Noggin GPR product family by browsing our catalog or visiting the Noggin product page (https://www.sensoft.ca/products/noggin/overview/).
We always love to hear about our customers’ adventures and the mysteries they solve with our GPR solutions.
Story courtesy of Wilson Parra, Forester Inc.
