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Week 3 Skydio Mapping Assignment

1. Introduction

The purpose of this mission was to conduct two mapping flights using the Skydio drone: (1) a lawnmower grid 2D mapping mission at 200 ft altitude, and (2) a cross-hatch with perimeter capture over a smaller site containing vehicles and structures. The goal was to capture high-quality orthomosaic-ready imagery with 80% side and frontal overlap.

2. Compliance and Weather

LAANC authorization was obtained for Class D airspace at Purdue University Airport (KLAF). The authorization window was September 9, 2025, from 1:05 PM to 3:06 PM EDT (2 hours 1 minute). Approval was confirmed via Aloft app and SMS notification.

Weather at 11:54 LT was VFR with clear skies, 10 SM visibility, winds 150° at 5 kt, temperature 21.7°C, dewpoint 10.0°C, pressure 30.19 inHg, relative humidity 47%, and Kp-index 1. These conditions were favorable for mapping flights.

3. Study Area

The flights were conducted over the north turf field and a smaller area near student gardens and structures. These provided contrasting environments: an open grass field suitable for lawnmower grid, and a small target zone with objects appropriate for cross-hatch and perimeter mapping.

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Fig. 1. Turf field flight area overview.

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Fig. 2. Flight crew setup and safety equipment.

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Fig. 3. METAR summary: VFR, winds 150°@5kt, 21.7°C.

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Fig. 4. Detailed weather: RH 47%, no clouds, Kp=1.

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Fig. 5. LAANC pre-check and authorization window.

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Fig. 6. LAANC approval confirmation via SMS.

4. Methods

Flight 1 – Lawnmower Grid (Red Rectangle):

• Altitude: 200 ft • Camera: Nadir (90°) • Overlap: 80% side / 80% front • Result: 67 images, 9 min flight, no cross-hatch or perimeter enabled.

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Fig. 7. Flight 1 result summary.

Flight 2 – Cross-Hatch + Perimeter (Small Area):

• Altitude: 60–80 ft • Camera: Oblique (~75°) • Cross-hatch and perimeter enabled • During flight, GPS signal was lost, requiring manual intervention (Take Control). After relaunch, the scan continued, reaching 268 of 375 photos captured at 80 ft.

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Fig. 8. GPS error – manual intervention required.

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Fig. 9. Flight 2 scan in progress (Photo 268/375).

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Fig. 10. Coverage preview – strong interior density (purple).

5. Results

Table 3

Table 3

Mission

Flight Time

Images

Altitude

Notes

Flight 1 – Grid

9 min

200 ft

Completed successfully

Flight 2 – Cross/Perimeter

In progress (268/375)

Expected ~375

60–80 ft

GPS error, manual intervention

There are no rows in this table

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6. Discussion and Conclusion

The first mission successfully met assignment requirements: high-altitude lawnmower grid with 80/80 overlap produced complete coverage in 9 minutes. The second mission highlighted operational challenges at low altitude, specifically GPS signal loss. This emphasized the importance of manual intervention training and reliance on Skydio’s vision-based navigation. Future steps include re-flying the small area with cross-hatch and perimeter enabled to ensure full coverage.

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