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Week 6 - M300 Thermal Mapping Mission
Date: 9/30/2025
Introduction
The goal of this mission was to perform a thermal mapping flight using the DJI Matrice 300 (M300) equipped with the H20T thermal sensor. This platform allows for simultaneous RGB and thermal infrared imaging, allowing for surface temperature mapping. The purpose of this lab was to gain experience in configuring and conducting a thermal mapping mission.
This exercise built upon our prior experience with the Mavic 2 Pro 2D mapping mission by introducing thermal imaging and more complex mission planning considerations. Unlike visual mapping, thermal missions require greater overlap (90%) due to the lower bit depth and resolution of thermal sensors. We also learned the basics of setting up a GNSS base station for future ground control applications.
Study Area
The mission took place at the Purdue Turf Research Farm, a site used for prior mapping assignments. The area provides a controlled environment with open fields and minimal obstructions for UAV operations. As seen in (fig 1), the mission was flown following the red rectangle.
The weather during the day of operation was perfect for flying, with a temperature of 81 degrees, and a slight 7 mph wind from the NE. However, when conducting thermal missions, the time of day is vital to the accuracy and precision of your scan. This is because in the middle of the day, when everything is at its warmest, solar radiation can reduce the contrast between desired features and the background. For this reason, thermal scans should be conducted when solar radiation does not actively affect the target area.
Figure 1. Thermal mapping study area at Purdue Turf Research Farm
Methods
The mission was created in the DJI Pilot 2 application, programming a parallel lawnmower grid pattern at an altitude of 60 meters with 90% overlap. The H20T sensor was configured to capture both RGB and thermal imagery simultaneously.
Due to only one M300 being available at the time of the lab, a single mission was flown, and the data will be shared with each student at a later point for further analysis. Prior to flight, a standard preflight checklist was completed.
Upon launch, the M300 autonomously followed the grid pattern, collecting imagery across the red rectangle shown in Figure 1. As seen in Figure 2, the controller displayed multiple views of the data being collected and showed mission progress, including an estimated remaining flight time.
During the mission, it was discovered that the flight speed had been set incorrectly to 4 mph. This slowed down the operation and resulted in a mission duration of nearly 30 minutes instead of the expected 10–15 minutes. This was our second attempt at configuring a thermal scan, as the first scan created in lab did not function in the field. When a new scan was created, the flight speed setting was not adjusted to a higher value.
Figure 2. DJI M300 controller view during thermal mapping mission
Figure 3. M300 landing after completion of the thermal mapping mission
Data Collection Outcomes
After the mission, it was agreed that the data would be shared at a later point after verifying that it had been correctly collected and downloaded.
M300 Thermal Mapping Mission Data
Parameter
Value
Drive + Setup Time
8 minutes
Mission Duration
30 minutes
Flight Speed
4 mph
Altitude
60 m
Camera
DJI Zenmuse H20T (RGB + Thermal)
Overlap
90%
Images Captured
—
Average Image Size
—
Total Dataset Size
—
There are no rows in this table
Discussion
This mission provided valuable experience with thermal mapping parameters and sensor configuration. The longer-than-expected flight time highlighted the importance of verifying all mission settings before launch. Despite the slower pace, the mission successfully collected comprehensive RGB and thermal data suitable for thermal mapping applications.
Future flights will include verification of all flight parameters prior to takeoff, as errors like this can cost valuable time in operational environments. The completion of this mission demonstrated the precision and reliability of the M300 platform for thermal mapping tasks.
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