Negative Dynamic Elevations and UAVs

Avocet · Apr 2, 2020

I'm going to be shooting a very large, active gravel quarry in my state. Looks a bit daunting due to its size and the severe elevation changes. PLANNING: My first pass will be to provide a near real time mapping of the current state of the site from a safe and generaly constant altitude. I will be using a waypoint mission (Litchi) to do this. If any advantages to using mapping software, perhaps for a 3D representation appy I'lls consider that however the site might be too large for that to be practical. Hopefully this Litchi pass will provide me with more current visual clues as to the actual topography. Using the first pass, I can then begin to capture the vertical space in a more dynamic fashion as I always attempt to apply both variations in speed and altitude in my filming and photography. Google maps are VERY stale and are not useable in the vertical plane in this instance as 99% of the subject matter is below takeoff point on the quarry's rim. Filming from the quarry interior (or bottom) is not an option and would present similar problems only upside down.

Does anyone use or know of tools that I can make use of to map vertical elevations of this nature? These elevations are not captured in MapBox or Google Earth or other digital topo software that I have.

I realize VLOS will offer some idea, but there are obstacles ( sharp increases in elevations) that may interfere with VLOS from a single point making the quarry's big picture challenging also.

Thanks, as usual, for your wise considerations ...

Stay Safe, Stay Healthy, and Stay the hell Home.

Dave Pitman · Apr 2, 2020

Generally, I would use Map Pilot with Terrain Awareness and fly the mission as high as practical. With that image set, create a DSM that can be fed back into Map Pilot to use for the terrain reference data set in future terrain aware flights. In other words, the app will use your own very precise vertical detail when calculating it's agl on future missions.

Terrain Awareness

The world is not flat. As of Map Pilot 2.1.0, the ability for the app to download terrain data for adjusting flight plans according to the terrain under them is available as an In-App Purchase. Pu...

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Custom Terrain Source for Terrain Awareness

For most flights, the SRTM data is good enough. But for when the flight needs to be super low or the terrain has cliffs, steep slopes, or structures it may help to have some more resolution. To han...

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Arbitrary DEM Preparation for use as a Custom Terrain Source

Bring your own Terrain. This is an advanced user activity. Map Pilot can use terrain model data that is created by processing imagery in Maps Made Easy. Every time a job is run in Maps Made Easy a ...

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LUIS MARTINEZ · Apr 2, 2020

What is the mission..ultimate goal?

Maps Made Easy and Map Pilot should do the trick.
how many acres?

clolsonus · Apr 2, 2020

It would be pretty interesting if a mapping app let you generate a terrain map and then input your own terrain data for subsequent flights. That would be a super cool feature and potentially dangerous if something went wrong, but I guess that is what safety pilots and line of site requirements are for. Like you say, for a quarry, the online terrain data could be years out of date and not account for trees or other anomalies. If you could create your own current terrain database that accounted for all these things, you could fly much tighter missions subsequently ... maybe even keep refining your personal terrain model with each new mission you fly?

Avocet · Apr 2, 2020

LUIS MARTINEZ said:
What is the mission..ultimate goal?

Maps Made Easy and Map Pilot should do the trick.
how many acres?

This is not a mapping mission per say, but I wan't to capture the vastness and activity of this rather large quarry producing as interesting and provocative a video I can. I would guestimate this as being around 100 acres. Have a look, ... that gold line is .7 miles as the crow flies. Also a good challenge for planning, operations and video production ... plus ... its THERE.

Screen Shot 2020-04-02 at 9.02.27 PM.png

Dave Pitman · Apr 2, 2020

clolsonus said:
t would be pretty interesting if a mapping app let you generate a terrain map and then input your own terrain data for subsequent flights.

Umm, go back up and check out my post with links. Hint, It IS pretty cool!

Avocet · Apr 2, 2020

Some interesting ideas ... hmmmm ...

clolsonus · Apr 2, 2020

Dave Pitman said:
Umm, go back up and check out my post with links. Hint, It IS pretty cool!

Oh man, actually read people's posts?!?

Ok, twist my arm ... I'll blame it on the way the forum formatted things that distracted my eyes right to the ads.

Dave Pitman · Apr 2, 2020

clolsonus said:
I'll blame it on the way the forum formatted things that distracted my eyes right to the ads.

You see ads? ?

LUIS MARTINEZ · Apr 2, 2020

Avocet said:
This is not a mapping mission per say, but I wan't to capture the vastness and activity of this rather large quarry producing as interesting and provocative a video I can. I would guestimate this as being around 100 acres. Have a look, ... that gold line is .7 miles as the crow flies. Also a good challenge for planning, operations and video production ... plus ... its THERE.

View attachment 2314

Oh just a video...

Avocet · Apr 6, 2020

LUIS MARTINEZ said:
Oh just a video...

Yes, for now. Often, large lucrative mapping projects sometimes start with one.

Stay Safe and Stay Home ....

R.Perry · Apr 6, 2020

Avocet said:
This is not a mapping mission per say, but I wan't to capture the vastness and activity of this rather large quarry producing as interesting and provocative a video I can. I would guestimate this as being around 100 acres. Have a look, ... that gold line is .7 miles as the crow flies. Also a good challenge for planning, operations and video production ... plus ... its THERE.

View attachment 2314

I would use Drone Deploy with 3D. 100 acres is easy. It will fly a hatch pattern then a perimeter and the 3D presentation will most likely give you the desired view. On the Inspire 2 would take two battery changes. I would do the flight from about 100 feet above the highest point. This is just my guess, if you talk to the Drone Deploy folks they will probably even help you set up the flight. Good luck.