UAV based aerial mission planning.

1. Aerial Mission Planning
and Data Collection
NEPAL DRONE TRAINING 2019
The Power of Local

2. Outlines…
The Power of Local
❑ Understanding Mission Planning.
❑ Flight Parameters.
❑ Types of Missions.
❑ Mission Planning According to Terrain Types.
❑ Ground Control Points (GCP).
❑ Flight Planning for 2D and 3D outputs.
❑ Flight Planning Demo.
❑ Executing a Drone Based Aerial Image Capture Mission.
❑ Some challenges.
NEPAL DRONE TRAINING 2019

3. Understanding Mission Planning
The Power of Local
➢ Introduction.
➢ Aerial Mission Planning.
NEPAL DRONE TRAINING 2019

4. Mission
The Power of LocalNEPAL DRONE TRAINING 2019
Goals
Desired
Outcomes
Strategies
Measures
&
Targets
Results
How can we improve?
How did we do?
How do we measure success?
How do we get there?
Where do we want to go?
Introduction…
“Without Planning no
any missions can
achieve their Goal”

5. • Objective
• Time Available
• Budget Available
• Accuracy Needed
• Area to be Covered
Project
Definition
• Overlaps
• Ground Sampling
Distance(GSD)
• Flying height
• Take off and
Landing Locations
Flight Planning
• Horizontal and
Vertical Control
• Scale Control
• Overlaps Control
• Drift and Tilt Control
Flight Control
The Power of Local
Aerial Mission Planning…
NEPAL DRONE TRAINING 2019

6. Flight Parameters
The Power of Local
➢ Overlaps
➢ Ground sampling Distance(GSD)
➢ Flying height
➢ How elevation changes affect image overlap
➢ How elevation changes affect GSD
➢ Balancing GSD and overlap
NEPAL DRONE TRAINING 2019

7. Overlaps
The Power of LocalNEPAL DRONE TRAINING 2019
Source: https://www.questuav.com/wp-
content/uploads/2017/02/d7aa0701a1306386b7fa643104f098dd-1024x830.jpg

8. Why Overlaps?
The Power of LocalNEPAL DRONE TRAINING 2019
Source : https://support.dronedeploy.com/docs/mapping-varied-elevations-tall-buildings-or-trees

9. How Much Overlaps?
The Power of LocalNEPAL DRONE TRAINING 2019
Source : https://www.propelleraero.com/blog/collect-quality-drone-data-part1-bare-earth/

10. Ground sampling Distance(GSD)
The Power of LocalNEPAL DRONE TRAINING 2019

11. Ground sampling Distance(GSD)
The Power of LocalNEPAL DRONE TRAINING 2019
Google Earth 50cm/pix Drone Orthophoto3cm/pix

12. Flying height
The Power of LocalNEPAL DRONE TRAINING 2019
Source : Doug Corrin, Maps and Photogrammetry

13. How elevation changes affect image overlap
The Power of LocalNEPAL DRONE TRAINING 2019
Source : https://support.dronedeploy.com/docs/mapping-varied-elevations-tall-buildings-or-trees

14. Elevation changes affect GSD
The Power of LocalNEPAL DRONE TRAINING 2019
Source : https://support.dronedeploy.com/docs/mapping-varied-elevations-tall-buildings-or-trees

15. Balancing GSD and overlap
The Power of LocalNEPAL DRONE TRAINING 2019
Source : https://support.dronedeploy.com/docs/mapping-varied-elevations-tall-buildings-or-trees

16. Types of mission
The Power of LocalNEPAL DRONE TRAINING 2019

17. Polygonal mission
The Power of Local
✓ Speed from a range between Slow and Fast (default)
✓ The camera between 0°, horizontal, and 90° (default), vertical.
✓ Overlap between 70%, 80%, and 90%.
✓ Main interest in 2D map outputs (DSM, orthomosaic, etc.).
✓ Relatively flat surface (e.g. fields, earthworks).
✓ Large area.
✓ Complex shape and constraints in the flight boundaries.
NEPAL DRONE TRAINING 2019

18. Single grid mission
The Power of Local
✓ Speed from a range between Slow and Fast (default)
✓ The camera between 0°, horizontal, and 90° (default), vertical.
✓ Overlap between 70%, 80%, and 90%.
✓ Main interest in 2D map outputs (DSM, orthomosaic, etc.).
✓ Relatively flat surface (e.g. fields, earthworks).
✓ Large area.
NEPAL DRONE TRAINING 2019

19. Double grid mission
The Power of Local
✓ speed from a range between Slow and Fast (default).
✓ the camera between 45° and 80° (default), 90° being vertical.
✓ overlap between 70%, 80%, and 90%.
✓ Main interest in 3D model outputs (point cloud, mesh, etc.).
✓ Surface with height fluctuations or objects (e.g. buildings, forest).
✓ Small and medium area as the flight time is doubled.
NEPAL DRONE TRAINING 2019

20. Circular mission
The Power of Local
✓ Speed from a range between Slow and Fast (default).
✓ The value varies between 4° (Low) and 20° (High).overlap
✓ Main interest in 3D model outputs (point cloud, mesh, etc.).
✓ Isolated object (e.g. tower, pylon, building).
✓ Small area.
NEPAL DRONE TRAINING 2019

21. Free flight mission
The Power of Local
✓ Suitable to map more difficult objects that require more flexibility.
✓ The camera shutter is automatically triggered according to a horizontal and
vertical distance interval. It requires to manually pilot the drone.
✓ Main interest in 3D model outputs (point cloud, mesh, etc.).
✓ Small area.
✓ Complex or vertical structures (e.g. building facade, cliff, bridge, etc.
NEPAL DRONE TRAINING 2019

22. Mission Planning According to Terrain Types
The Power of Local
➢ Urban or semi urban area
➢ Flat terrain with agriculture fields
➢ High undulating terrain
➢ Forest and dense vegetation
NEPAL DRONE TRAINING 2019

23. The Power of Local
✓ Single/Double grid.
✓ high overlap (80%).
✓ First grid covering the area by near vertical photos.
✓ Second grid by oblique image perpendicular to first grid.
Urban or semi urban area
NEPAL DRONE TRAINING 2019

24. The Power of Local
✓ Single or double grid
✓ Front overlap at least 85%
✓ Side overlap at least 70%
✓ Flying higher improves results
Flat terrain with agriculture fields
NEPAL DRONE TRAINING 2019

25. The Power of Local
✓ Single grid
✓ Front overlap at least 85%
✓ Side overlap at least 70%
✓ Flying higher improves results
✓ Single flight following the terrain elevation variation
✓ Multiple flights at different constant altitudes
High undulating terrain
NEPAL DRONE TRAINING 2019
Source : http://www.carbonbird.com/products/pixhawk-px4-deluxe-kit-osd-pmu-8mngps-433telem-combo-australia-usa

26. High undulating terrain
The Power of LocalNEPAL DRONE TRAINING 2019
Single flight following the terrain elevation variation
✓ Recommended
✓ Difficult
Source : https://support.pix4d.com/hc/en-us/articles/204656209-Image-acquisition-plan-for-terrain-with-height-variations

27. High undulating terrain
The Power of LocalNEPAL DRONE TRAINING 2019
Multiple flights at different constant altitudes
✓ Multiple flights at different altitudes with the flight lines perpendicular to the slope.
✓ It is important that the there is overlap between the flights.
Source : https://support.pix4d.com/hc/en-us/articles/204656209-Image-acquisition-plan-for-terrain-with-height-variations

28. The Power of Local
✓ Single or double grid
✓ Front overlap at least 85%
✓ Side overlap at least 70%
✓ Flying higher improves results
✓ Best results with a GSD > 10cm/pixel
Forest and dense vegetation
NEPAL DRONE TRAINING 2019

29. Ground Control Points (GCP)
The Power of Local
➢ Introduction
➢ Number of GCP requires
➢ Distributions of GCP
NEPAL DRONE TRAINING 2019

30. The Power of Local
✓ Relate the photo images to the actual ground surface.
✓ Horizontal and Vertical control.
Introduction…
GCP Plate
(40x40 cm)
Signal seen from
50m above
NEPAL DRONE TRAINING 2019

31. The Power of Local
Number of GCP requires
NEPAL DRONE TRAINING 2019

32. The Power of Local
Example of Good GCP Distribution Example of Bad GCP Distribution
Distributions of GCP
NEPAL DRONE TRAINING 2019

33. Flight Planning for 2D and 3D outputs
The Power of Local
➢ Difference
➢ Flight plan for 2D
➢ Flight plan for 3D
NEPAL DRONE TRAINING 2019

34. 2D Mapping
✓ Polygonal/Single or Double grid
mission.
✓ Nadir images.
✓ Can fly higher.
✓ High geometric accuracy.
✓ Less time consuming.
3D Maps/Modeling
✓ Double grid/Circular/Free flight
mission.
✓ Oblique & Nadir Images.
✓ Low flying height.
✓ Low geometric accuracy.
✓ Time consuming.
Difference
NEPAL DRONE TRAINING 2019

35. Flight plan for 2D
The Power of LocalNEPAL DRONE TRAINING 2019
Source : http://www.carbonbird.com/products/pixhawk-px4-deluxe-kit-osd-pmu-8mngps-433telem-combo-australia-usa

36. Flight plan for 3D
The Power of LocalNEPAL DRONE TRAINING 2019

37. Flight Planning Demo
The Power of LocalNEPAL DRONE TRAINING 2019
I. Pix4D Capture
II. DroneDeploy

38. Executing a Drone Based Aerial Image Capture Mission
The Power of Local
STEPS:
1. Secure Permission
2. Select Software & Hardware
3. Perform Flight Plan
4. Mark GCP & Measure it
5. Capture Image
6. Process Image
7. Extract Feature
8. Prepare Map
NEPAL DRONE TRAINING 2019

39. The Power of Local
✓ Drone registration
✓ Flight permission
✓ Field challenges
Some challenges
NEPAL DRONE TRAINING 2019

40. Er. Anil Kumar Mandal
kanil2310@gmail.com
www.WeRobotics.org/Roster
www.WeRobotics.org/Blog
THANK YOU
NEPAL DRONE TRAINING 2019