A few comments on your flight planning. You should always plan your route in a way so the drone works its way back to you. So flyving "from side to side", starting at the longest distance from the HP. That way, as the battery is drained, the drone comes closer. Regarding your alt/distance settings. You should never max them out like you do. In case of a malfunction, that setting could help, with some limitation in the set values. Why max the radius when only flying VLOS? And when limited to 120m AGL (In Europe), why not set it to 150m, that way the drone wont climb to airspace with manned aircrafts (hypothetical). Your still in control of your flights, and will not be "bothered" by the limitations. Its also a good idea, if not wearing shades, to place your takeoff so you have the sun behind you, if possible. Nice and informative video, not trying to sound like an angry old man. Great footage and editing! What a fantastic location for flying in late December. Here its raining and winds are insane. Fly safe Indiana! *** Just looked on a few of your videos, first time for me. Really nice and valuable content your sharing! Keep it up. (+1 subscriber)
I agree with Sune. You should always plan your flight to have the drone work its way towards you for the reasons noted. It is also important to use the limits that are programmable as these are for your safety as well as others in the airspace. Since this was a video on terrain following, you should at least mention where in the UgCS software you set it to follow the terrain (above AGL). UgCS is a great flight control package. We have been using it for the last 4 years. Nothing beats it.
Would you be able to do an updated version of this video for the M350? Seems like it isn't possible to send missions from ugCS to M350 with the "Upload" button. From my testing at the moment you can only send to RC Plus via the cloud tab, but in doing so you loose a lot of the ugCS functionality... There isn't a continuous "stream" of information from the drone, controller and ugCS. Most importantly for the custom payload I'm flying it apprears there is no way keep the adaptive banking turns. Would love to hear everyone's process to see if/where I'm going wrong. Or if this is a known bug with these relatively new drone... Cheers!
Hmm. I would hit up the team over at UgCS to see if they can provide additional support on that. But I will keep the request for an updated video in mind.
great video!! Can you explian how it is working in case you don´t have internet or 4G connection in the area that you are flying? Do still have the maps too? Thank you so much
A local connection is the only thing required. The map data can be pre-loaded in the office. Reach out to hello@rockrobotic.com and we can help you further!
Just found your channel, great videos thanks. Regarding the terrain following, what DTM is the UgCS software using and have you ever had a problem with the DTM being too low resolution/inaccurate? We recently had a crash with our fixed wing because the SRTM which is only 1 arc sec (30m) placed a cliff edge 180 m from where it should be. I apricate the M300 as collision avoidance etc but an inaccurate DTM will still mess with the survey.
I hear yah, but I think this would be a question better directed towards UgCS. I don't want to give you any wrong info, but I think that it uses the same datasource (SRTM).
Harrison... just for practice, will UgCS or Maps Made Easy work with a Mini 2 or 3 for Terrain Following? I noticed in your video you had a GNSS receiver over a GCP. How many GCP's did you shoot before this flight? What make and model is your GPS, and is the Emlid brand okay to use for Photogrammetry and map making? Great video as always.
With regards to the UcGS flight planning. Assuming the same mission, but you flew it at a set elevation of 150ft AGL ( assume take off point is highest point). So now your flying on a level plane, sometimes at 150’ AGL and possibly 350’ AGL over the deeper valleys. How would this effect your data? Thanks
AGL is the most important factor in LiDAR accuracy. So it would result in better data at 150’ than 350’. If you have that much terrain then you should fly terrain following style mission
Hi Indiana. Congratulations for your videos. They are very good at learning. Does the DJI GNSS RTK 2 antenna work well with uGcs? If there is no internet signal in the field, does the flight affect you? For forests, does DJI Lidar L1 work well? Thanks
Hi so I am using UGCS for my DJI M300 drone but when the drone moves from point to point or waypoint to waypoint the drone speed slows down and is not constant at the set speed, is there a setting I missed?
For challenging terrain like this video, do you ever fly a separate photogrammetry mission to create a more accurate terrain model and bring that into UgCS?
Yes! I actually just flew 1200 acres with LiDAR and it had 1,500ft of elevation change. So I flew high and fast and then generated a DEM on the rock cloud then flew the same area the next day much lower and slower! Awesome workflow
@@IndianaDrones Would be an interesting video to watch. Personally i have no experience with lidar work, only thermal data here. How important is it to have the "exact" same AGL, when surveying with lidar? My understanding is, that lidar is so precise, AGL/elevation changes of 10-20m doesnt matter. Is that a misunderstanding?
Looks great, I wonder how it works for corridor mapping/powerlines. I would need to create a single line route in same position there and back just above the wires. Anybody tryed someting like that? One more question: Is it possible to fly uploaded mission without using laptop in the field? Using just remote controller? Cheers!
Hey Kevin! Thanks for inquiring. Reaching out to a ROCK Robotic LiDAR Expert would be the best way to obtain proper information. Please write to, sales@rockrobotic.com - we will get you answers!
This was an awesome video. I am new to drones and I use photo-scanned content for my 3d renders but if you don’t mind me asking, what was the purpose of going out and scanning the terrain you scanned in this video? Do you sell the geo info?
Haven't tried UgCS yet for terrain flow but just started out with the M300RTK. I tried DJI pilot for terrain follow using a DSM. It flew a lot higher than expected for the mission. Any ideas why? Also the DJI Pilot app only lets you go as low as 82.1ft in terrain follow, unless I'm missing something 🤷🏻♂️
Hi Mr. Knoll. I am using Mavic 3E. I have set max altitude at 85 mtrs. I have downloaded the Aster Dem from DJI pilot 2 and enabled terrain follow. DSM height is between 449 mtrs to 495 mtrs. My take off point height is at 460 mtrs. The drone did not want to fly. I have disabled the max distance as you said. When i set the flight at 100 mtrs it still stopped the mission in the middle. How do i make this work.
Did you select the camera in ugcs? I saw you set it up but during setting up the mission it just says none. For me, the camera profile I set up doesn’t show up as an option.
I am being asked to do a project on an airport runway using terrain following. The elevation change is around 1m (3-5ft) total across the entire mission area. It's train following even useful in this situation it only being requested "because we can"?
What are the added benefits of terrain following. Is it maintaining the constant altitude AGL? Does it make for a more accurate data set? Sorry just curious beings I’m learning about this now and it seems fairly new. So I was just wondering about the pros and cons. A video on this would be awesome. Also great videos I have learned a lot from you.
Yes, you are correct in your assumptions. It also creates less risk of crashing your drone when the flight pattern is automated to the terrain. Thank you for the support!
Thanks John! I appreciate your feedback. Yes! Please feel free to bring any of your questions to our discussion board at community.rockrobotic.com - you can find answers and get help there!
I have the M300 and the L1 LiDAR sensor. I have been creating DSM and uploading them Into the pilot app and it’s been working but there is a ton of limitations. Especially with calibration of the L1 sensor. Because of the 100s recommendation of DJI to calibrate the sensor. I have been looking into UGCS software for terrain follow. I know it has the option for manual calibration but have you or anyone else used the M300 + L1 combo on UGCS for doing calibrations? I would like to buy this software but still not sure about that yet. Any feedback would be great!
Hey Keegan, thanks for watching! I appreciate your feedback. Please feel free to bring your questions over to our discussion board at community.rockrobotic.com - you can find answers and get help from our support team there!
TOTALLY agree with this setup: it's the exact same I use every week. all of which Rock family turned me onto, so can't take credit. Life is EASY!!!
We use UgCS as well for terrain following. We fly DJI and Arducopter for magnetic sensors. We haven’t found anything better for our use.
Would you be willing to chat about your workflow for your magnetic sensors?
I'm also flying mags (in Australia). Would love to connect!
I've been using UGCS over two years now with the M600Pro MR32 for Lidar and photogrammetry, Great tool!
A few comments on your flight planning. You should always plan your route in a way so the drone works its way back to you. So flyving "from side to side", starting at the longest distance from the HP. That way, as the battery is drained, the drone comes closer. Regarding your alt/distance settings. You should never max them out like you do. In case of a malfunction, that setting could help, with some limitation in the set values. Why max the radius when only flying VLOS? And when limited to 120m AGL (In Europe), why not set it to 150m, that way the drone wont climb to airspace with manned aircrafts (hypothetical). Your still in control of your flights, and will not be "bothered" by the limitations. Its also a good idea, if not wearing shades, to place your takeoff so you have the sun behind you, if possible. Nice and informative video, not trying to sound like an angry old man. Great footage and editing! What a fantastic location for flying in late December. Here its raining and winds are insane. Fly safe Indiana!
***
Just looked on a few of your videos, first time for me. Really nice and valuable content your sharing! Keep it up. (+1 subscriber)
I agree with Sune. You should always plan your flight to have the drone work its way towards you for the reasons noted. It is also important to use the limits that are programmable as these are for your safety as well as others in the airspace. Since this was a video on terrain following, you should at least mention where in the UgCS software you set it to follow the terrain (above AGL). UgCS is a great flight control package. We have been using it for the last 4 years. Nothing beats it.
Wow! Great video! Thank you for explaining the UgCS from a user perspective! Safe flights! :)
Great video as always Harrison! Can't wait to show we what we are working on with the custom drones and your sensor!
Would you be able to do an updated version of this video for the M350?
Seems like it isn't possible to send missions from ugCS to M350 with the "Upload" button.
From my testing at the moment you can only send to RC Plus via the cloud tab, but in doing so you loose a lot of the ugCS functionality... There isn't a continuous "stream" of information from the drone, controller and ugCS. Most importantly for the custom payload I'm flying it apprears there is no way keep the adaptive banking turns.
Would love to hear everyone's process to see if/where I'm going wrong. Or if this is a known bug with these relatively new drone...
Cheers!
Hmm. I would hit up the team over at UgCS to see if they can provide additional support on that. But I will keep the request for an updated video in mind.
Let's fly!
Hey Harrison. Great video! Will these UGCS settings work with the R3PRO? Should I adjust anything? Let me know. Thanks!
Hey there! Just now seeing this one, if you still have questions please be sure to reach out to our support team! support@rockrobotic.com
great video!! Can you explian how it is working in case you don´t have internet or 4G connection in the area that you are flying? Do still have the maps too? Thank you so much
A local connection is the only thing required. The map data can be pre-loaded in the office. Reach out to hello@rockrobotic.com and we can help you further!
Another awesome Indy vid! Making it easy to understand the nuts and bolts of flying LiDAR with UCGS.
Just found your channel, great videos thanks. Regarding the terrain following, what DTM is the UgCS software using and have you ever had a problem with the DTM being too low resolution/inaccurate? We recently had a crash with our fixed wing because the SRTM which is only 1 arc sec (30m) placed a cliff edge 180 m from where it should be. I apricate the M300 as collision avoidance etc but an inaccurate DTM will still mess with the survey.
I hear yah, but I think this would be a question better directed towards UgCS. I don't want to give you any wrong info, but I think that it uses the same datasource (SRTM).
Harrison... just for practice, will UgCS or Maps Made Easy work with a Mini 2 or 3 for Terrain Following? I noticed in your video you had a GNSS receiver over a GCP. How many GCP's did you shoot before this flight? What make and model is your GPS, and is the Emlid brand okay to use for Photogrammetry and map making? Great video as always.
That was an Emlid Reach RS2 (we sell this if you need one). It's great to use for Photogrammetry. Reach out to us www.rockroboitc.com/talk-to-sales
thank you very much.. u explaination is awesome.. its detail with demo n easy to understand. nice job..🎉🎉
With regards to the UcGS flight planning. Assuming the same mission, but you flew it at a set elevation of 150ft AGL ( assume take off point is highest point). So now your flying on a level plane, sometimes at 150’ AGL and possibly 350’ AGL over the deeper valleys. How would this effect your data?
Thanks
AGL is the most important factor in LiDAR accuracy. So it would result in better data at 150’ than 350’. If you have that much terrain then you should fly terrain following style mission
Great video👍 I used UgCS for with PC Windows using with iPhone IOS. That is great UgCS is available for Mac now.
Thank you!
Hi Indiana. Congratulations for your videos. They are very good at learning.
Does the DJI GNSS RTK 2 antenna work well with uGcs?
If there is no internet signal in the field, does the flight affect you?
For forests, does DJI Lidar L1 work well?
Thanks
Do I need to do this calibration with the Zenmuse L1?
Hi, very informative video, will the drone complete the mission if the signal is lost between controller and drone?
Yeah there is, hit us up! www.rockrobotic.com/talk-to-sales
UgCS smart tool . Very good explanation.!
Hi so I am using UGCS for my DJI M300 drone but when the drone moves from point to point or waypoint to waypoint the drone speed slows down and is not constant at the set speed, is there a setting I missed?
Thanks for posting this, Harrison - I needed this. Question: Can the two still link through your hotspot when there's no cell service?
You can!
Thank you for the informative field presentation!
For challenging terrain like this video, do you ever fly a separate photogrammetry mission to create a more accurate terrain model and bring that into UgCS?
Yes! I actually just flew 1200 acres with LiDAR and it had 1,500ft of elevation change. So I flew high and fast and then generated a DEM on the rock cloud then flew the same area the next day much lower and slower! Awesome workflow
@@IndianaDrones Smart... I'm gonna have to give that a try.
@@IndianaDrones Would be an interesting video to watch. Personally i have no experience with lidar work, only thermal data here. How important is it to have the "exact" same AGL, when surveying with lidar? My understanding is, that lidar is so precise, AGL/elevation changes of 10-20m doesnt matter. Is that a misunderstanding?
@@IndianaDrones can you show a video explaining this workflow or show what you mean please?
Looks great, I wonder how it works for corridor mapping/powerlines. I would need to create a single line route in same position there and back just above the wires. Anybody tryed someting like that? One more question: Is it possible to fly uploaded mission without using laptop in the field? Using just remote controller? Cheers!
Hey Kevin! Thanks for inquiring. Reaching out to a ROCK Robotic LiDAR Expert would be the best way to obtain proper information. Please write to, sales@rockrobotic.com - we will get you answers!
Thanks for a very informative vid :) BTW, why do you leave the RC antenna folded?
I don’t always, the drone was just very close so I didn’t experience any signal drop
This was an awesome video. I am new to drones and I use photo-scanned content for my 3d renders but if you don’t mind me asking, what was the purpose of going out and scanning the terrain you scanned in this video? Do you sell the geo info?
Wow it's It's good to scan the hill.
Haven't tried UgCS yet for terrain flow but just started out with the M300RTK. I tried DJI pilot for terrain follow using a DSM. It flew a lot higher than expected for the mission. Any ideas why?
Also the DJI Pilot app only lets you go as low as 82.1ft in terrain follow, unless I'm missing something 🤷🏻♂️
Hi Mr. Knoll. I am using Mavic 3E. I have set max altitude at 85 mtrs. I have downloaded the Aster Dem from DJI pilot 2 and enabled terrain follow. DSM height is between 449 mtrs to 495 mtrs. My take off point height is at 460 mtrs. The drone did not want to fly. I have disabled the max distance as you said. When i set the flight at 100 mtrs it still stopped the mission in the middle. How do i make this work.
Thanks for watching! It would be best if you git up UGcS directly so they can help you troubleshoot your issues.
Did you select the camera in ugcs? I saw you set it up but during setting up the mission it just says none. For me, the camera profile I set up doesn’t show up as an option.
I am being asked to do a project on an airport runway using terrain following. The elevation change is around 1m (3-5ft) total across the entire mission area. It's train following even useful in this situation it only being requested "because we can"?
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Another great one.
hello can anyone tell me the 3d modals generated from a terrain flight are flat ??,
What are the added benefits of terrain following. Is it maintaining the constant altitude AGL? Does it make for a more accurate data set? Sorry just curious beings I’m learning about this now and it seems fairly new. So I was just wondering about the pros and cons. A video on this would be awesome. Also great videos I have learned a lot from you.
Yes, you are correct in your assumptions. It also creates less risk of crashing your drone when the flight pattern is automated to the terrain. Thank you for the support!
Great informative content!
Best video ever
Very informative video. Nice sharing. Keep doing your work. I am really impressed. ❤
Thank you, I will!
Awesome Video Harrison! One clarification. Did I hear you say you built in you say you built in you calibration flights into UGCS?
Thanks John! I appreciate your feedback. Yes! Please feel free to bring any of your questions to our discussion board at community.rockrobotic.com - you can find answers and get help there!
Great job
Great video. Can this type of LIDAR mapping be done on a mountain at 16,000 feet elevation for 700X700 feet of glacial terrain?
That's an incredibly small area, but of course!
You would need to check the flight ceiling on the M300, it may need different props but you should be good to go.
Are you able to do PPK with UgCS?
I have the M300 and the L1 LiDAR sensor. I have been creating DSM and uploading them Into the pilot app and it’s been working but there is a ton of limitations. Especially with calibration of the L1 sensor. Because of the 100s recommendation of DJI to calibrate the sensor.
I have been looking into UGCS software for terrain follow. I know it has the option for manual calibration but have you or anyone else used the M300 + L1 combo on UGCS for doing calibrations? I would like to buy this software but still not sure about that yet. Any feedback would be great!
Hey Keegan, thanks for watching! I appreciate your feedback. Please feel free to bring your questions over to our discussion board at community.rockrobotic.com - you can find answers and get help from our support team there!
why not plan in UGCS directly? why use Google earth pro?
Is the UgCS lidar version necessary/ worth the upgrade?
Case dependent, but generally... yes.
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How u doing?,you made good ofotage~see u around. 🤩
Can this be done without internet connection?
Yes, but you have to download the elevation profile for the area you want to cover. It can be uploaded to UgCS, for that exact purpose.
Have you tried Hammer?
To handle all this programs what computer (minimum requerimientos) is needed?
I use a Macbook M1!
Can we use the lates dji m30 to replace dji m300
Yes!
Great information; where was they drone 50 years ago; when I was collecting terrain data using a compass; engineer level; measuring tape and grade rod
Ha! It was stuck somewhere in the future!
Wow🤩
Who are your clients for this kind of Business? 🤔
Construction / Builders / Civil Engineering
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Please give me a drone