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AT 309 Lab – Lab 03: Skydio 2D Mapping Mission

Mason Cole Cramer

Contributors: Nikolai Auclair (PIC), Mason Cramer (VO), Hailey Manuel (Notetaker)

Flight Date: Tuesday, September 9th

Flight Time: 15:20 to 16:00

Location: William H. Daniel Turfgrass Research and Diagnostic Center

Airspace: Class D (LAANC approval through another UAS class)

Mission Objectives:

Use Skydio 2D Mapping skill to collect orthomosaic data

Compare nadir vs angled camera image capture

Collect data using lawnmower and crosshatch flight patterns

Practice overlap, gimbal tilt, and surface detail capture

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Study Area

Address: 1340 Cherry Ln, West Lafayette, IN 47907 (Turf Farm)

Mapped Zones:

🔴 Red Rectangle – lawnmower pattern at 200 ft

🔵 Blue Rectangle – crosshatch with perimeter at 75 ft

Airspace Notes: KLAF Class D; team operated under a shared LAANC authorization with another UAS class

Figure 1: Flight Boundaries

Figure 1: Flight Boundaries

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On-Site Conditions & Hazards

Temperature: 70°F

Dewpoint: 54°F

Winds: 7 mph gusting to 14 mph from SW

Visibility: 10 SM

Clouds: Overcast

Observed Wind: Light wind at surface

Identified Hazards:

Power lines to the south

Trees within the flight boundary

Heavy overhead aircraft traffic (but above 200 ft ceiling)

Another UAS class operating in same airspace; team waited ~40 minutes before launch

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Methods

Pre-Flight Checklist:

App updated, aircraft inspected, SD card formatted, battery levels checked

Crew roles assigned:

Nikolai – RPIC

Mason – VO

Hailey – Notetaker / Logistics

Launch site established along the gravel edge of the field

Failsafe settings confirmed via Enterprise app (Home Point, RTH altitude)

Flight 1: Red Rectangle (200 ft Nadir)

Flight Height: 200 ft AGL

Gimbal: 90° (straight down)

Pattern: Lawnmower

Overlap: 80% front & side

Fully automated via Skydio Enterprise App

No sensing floor/ceiling or geofence used

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Figure 2: Screenshot of the First Lawnmower Pattern Flight

Figure 2: Screenshot of the First Lawnmower Pattern Flight

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Flight 2: Blue Rectangle (75 ft Crosshatch + Perimeter)

Flight Height: 75 ft AGL

Gimbal: 75° tilt

Pattern: Crosshatch + Perimeter

Overlap: 80% front & side

Enhanced surface detail collection (especially around cars and small structures)

No sensing floor/ceiling or geofence used

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Figure 3: Screenshot of the Second Crosshatch Flight

Figure 3: Screenshot of the Second Crosshatch Flight

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Data Collection Summary

Table 1

Table 1

Metric

Value

Setup Time

53 min (40 min waiting for class)

Flight Time

39 minutes total

Images Captured

80 (200 ft) + 474 (75 ft) = 554

Dataset Size

550 MB (200 ft) + 3.83 GB (75 ft) = 4.38 GB

There are no rows in this table

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Flight 1 images are optimal for 2D orthomosaic reconstruction

Flight 2 images may support basic 3D structure generation due to gimbal tilt and lower altitude

Small building in center of 75 ft flight zone provides a good candidate for evaluating photogrammetric software

Deliverables

554 images total with full overlap and varied gimbal settings

Clean datasets prepared for photogrammetric stitching

Weather and site hazard notes logged

Screenshots of mission planning and flight path embedded

Next step: process both image sets using photogrammetry software like Pix4D or WebODM

Study Area

On-Site Conditions & Hazards

Methods

Data Collection Summary

Table 1

Deliverables

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