Purdue Wildlife Area outing

 

Figure 1: M600 in flight

Introduction:

This blog will function as an introduction to crew work and as an introduction to setting up geocaching ground points in order to make a mapping image. This flight experiment took place at the Purdue Wildlife Area, under the supervision of professor Joseph Hupy. It was done during lab time of the class AT 30900 at Purdue University. Everyone involved in the mission is part 107 certified and had to show that certification in order to attend. 

Checklist:

Figure 2: Flight checklist

Shown above is the flight checklist used for the M600 shown in figure one. Having a flight checklist is very important for operations, as it allows a set system to be in place for operations. This way every time this platform is used for flight operations, the same process is used in order to maintain consistency. It also functions as a single source of truth for preparation, as it can always be referred to in the event of a mix-up or confusion. A Checklist should always be included in a missions travel bag/kit.

Flight Controller:

Figure 3: Flight Controller

Shown above is the flight controller for the M600. It is a flight controller, with a tablet used as the display. The software that was used for this mission is Measure. I will be covering Measure in detail in my next blog. The flight controller is used for takeoff, landing, manual flight, and setting up an automated flight. Obviously, you must bring the flight controller with you for your mission, as you will not be able to fly without it.

The Platform:

Figure 4: The DJI Matrice M600 Pro

The vehicle used for this mission is the DJI Matrice M600 Pro, with a variety of sensors that allows it to capture a wide array of images, such as NIR. The figures below show the vehicle taking off.

Figure 5: Takeoff 1

Figure 6: Takeoff 2

Figure 7: Takeoff 3

After taking off to a height of around 300 ft., it follow points that are set on the flight controller previously. It flew around a square perimeter capturing images. These points aligned with the geocaching points laid previously that we will be going over in the next section.

Geocaching Pads:

Figure 8: The Satchel for carrying the pads

The pads used are called Propeller Aeropoints. These pads are used with a proprietary software that requires an account and subscription to use (that is quite expensive). The pads send GIS data and map points to the cloud. These pads are mildly antiquated, as software such as Measure do pratically for the same thing, and for much cheaper. The pad locations are spread around the area measured in a perimeter. These points are shown below.

Figure 9: Point 1

Figure 10: Point 2

Figure 11: Field being observed

Figure 12: Point placed in grass

Figure 13: Point placed below tree (Bad Spot)

Figure 14: Point placed below tree (Bad Spot)

The location of the pads is important, as if they are in bad locations they may not be able to send their data. Also, if the points are in a simple square, it may lead to compression in the middle of the image. It is also important to know that you pick up pads in the reverse order you lay them down. As you place them down you press a button to turn them off, you press the same button to turn them off. It is also important that you do not move the points after placing them, as it well mess up the data.

Discussion and Conclusion:

Knowing how to use geocaching allows you to gather very accurate maps. These maps have many uses, such as surveying, agriculture, and mapping. The GIS data that can be gathered from these maps is very valuable. Knowing how to plan this mission is also very important, so that you do not mess up any of your data, or your platform. It is also very important to use your checklist in order to promote an environment of safety and consistency.