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Review and get practice on the Skydio 2+ 8 different nadir photos as 8 different set altitudes at a hover, with the gimbal facing directly down 25 ft, 50 ft, 75 ft, 100 ft, 125 ft, 150 ft, 175 ft, 200 ft Waypoint flight Keyframe
Waypoint Flight Keyframe
Skydio Flight Skills
Intro to Lab
The mission of this flight was to review training and get practice on the Skydio 2/2+. My partner, Joseph Kahi, and I took 8 different nadir images at 8 different altitudes. We took these in a hover with the gimbal facing directly down. The altitudes set were 25 ft, 50 ft, 75ft, 100 ft, 125 ft, 150ft, 175ft, and 200 ft above ground. Our main goal was to see how altitude affected the Field of View, Ground Sample Distance, and image resolution. We also practiced capturing a waypoint and keyframe flight. We engaged in several Skydio Flight Skills and learned how to change settings on the Skydio Platform. We are using the Skydio 2+ for this flight due to its exceptional autonomous flight skills, obstacle avoidance, high-powered AI, and high-quality photos that result from the seven cameras onboard.
Location
Figure 1. William H. Daniel Turf-grass Research and Diagnostic Center
The location of this flight was at William H. Daniel Turf-grass Research and Diagnostic Center. This location is located 2.3 miles from Purdue University Airport and UAS Dispatch. The Turf-grass research diagnostic center is under Class D airspace due to its close proximity to the Purdue University Airport. My partner and I requested and got approval from LAANC, Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability, to complete this flight.
Part 1: Mission Planning
Before leaving UAS Dispatch at Purdue University Airport, my partner and I completed a checklist to ensure all equipment was present, safe to use, and that our batteries were fully charged. In addition, we applied to LAANC and got approval to fly at the Turf-grass center. We requested a maximum ceiling of 200 ft AGL and maximum 500 ft horizontally. Upon arrival at the turf-grass center, we examined the area. We made note of any possible hazards, obstacles, and weather.
Before setting up the drone, we defined clear objectives for our mission. One of us would be the Pilot in Command (PIC) and the other the Visual Observer (VO). We rotated roles, so that both of us would get the opportunity to practice on the Skydio 2+.
After, it was time to set up the Skydio 2+. We went through a pre-flight checklist to ensure we were properly setting up the UAS, which led to the success of our flight, and contributed to my partner and I not encountering any issues.
Our goals for this flight:
Part 2: Gathering Data
Weather at site
Table 3
Weather
METAR REPORT
MEANING
Airport Airspace
KLAF
Purdue University Airport
Day and Time
021954Z
2nd of September; 1954Z; 1554 EDT
Wind
VRB05KT
Variable Direction at 5 knots
Visibility
10 SM
10 Statute Miles
Cloud Cover
BKN070
Broken Clouds at 7,000 ft AGL
Temperature/Dew Point
28/11
27.8 C or 82 F; 11 C (Dew Point)
Altimeter Pressure
A300
30.00 inches of Mercury
Sea Level Pressure
SLP156
1015.6
There are no rows in this table
Known and observable hazards
Figure 2: Tree Hazards
Figure 3: Parking Lot Hazard
Figure 4: Turf Research, not allowed to fly directly over turf squares
Part 3: Deliverables
As stated earlier in the report, the deliverables of this mission were to get familiar with the Skydio platform and controls. We accomplished this by capturing 8 nadir images at 8 different specified altitudes; 25 ft, 50 ft, 75 ft, 100 ft, 125 ft, 150 ft, 175 ft, and 200 ft above ground. In addition to the nadir images, we captured a waypoint flight and keyframe.
Figure 5: 25ft AGL, image size: 4056 x 3040 pixels, Image DPI: 72 pixels/inch
Figure 6: 50 ft AGL, Image size: 4056 x 3040-pixel, Image DPI: 72 pixels/inch
Figure 7: 75 ft AGL, Image size: 4056 x 3040 pixels, Image DPI: 72 pixels/inch
Figure 8: 100 ft AGL, Image size: 4056 x 3040 pixels, Image DPI: 72 pixels/inch
Figure 9: 125 ft AGL, Image size: 4056 x 3040 pixels, Image DPI: 72 pixels/inch
Figure 10: 150 ft AGL, Image size: 4056 x 3040 pixels, Image DPI: 72 pixels/inch
Figure 11: 175 ft AGL, Image size: 4056 x 3040 pixels, Image DPI: 72 pixels/inch
Figure 12: 200 ft AGL, Image size: 4056 x 3040 pixels, Image DPI: 72 pixels/inch
Figure 13: 25 ft AGL zoomed in, Image size: 739 x 606 pixels, Image DPI: 72 pixels/inch
Figure 14: 200 ft AGL zoomed in, Image size: 197 x 144 pixels, Image DPI: 72 pixels/inch
Data Collection Outcomes
Table 4
Time to drive to the field and set up for the mission
24 minutes
Mission Duration
45 minutes
Number of images
8 images
Number of videos
2 videos – Keyframe (24 seconds) Waypoint (73 seconds)
Size of videos
Keyframe (2.62 GB) Waypoint (5.72GB)
Size of images (TOTAL)
80.76 MB
Size of entire data set
8,420.76 MB or 8.42076 GB
There are no rows in this table
Link to OneDrive:
Part 4: Report
The main goal of this flight was to understand and practice operating the Skydio 2+. My partner and I accomplished this. The overall time of this mission was roughly an hour and 15 minutes. It took us 7 minutes to drive to the turf-grass farm and 7 minutes to drive back to the Purdue University Airport UAS Dispatch where we checked our drone out. The total distance was 2.3 miles there and 2.3 miles back. At the farm, it took us about 10 minutes to set up, check weather, go through pre-flight checklists and communicate intent to one another. The actual flight took about 45 minutes. Within 45 minutes, we captured the 8 nadir photos, waypoint, and keyframe.
Alongside the skills learned from flying the Skydio 2+, we also concluded that as the drone increases in altitude, the Field of View (FOV) increases and the (Ground Sample Distance) GSD increases. This means as the FOV is capturing a larger portion of the ground, the GSD value becomes larger, resulting in a lower image resolution. You can see this in Figure 5 through 12 above in Part 3. As our altitudes begin to increase, the image resolution decreases. Figures 13 and 14 compare the same zoomed in portion taken at different altitudes. Figure 13 shows it at 25 ft AGL and Figure 14 shows the same area zoomed in but at 200 ft AGL. This is evidence to support our claim that as the altitude increases, FOV and GSD increase, which results in lower image resolution.
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