Remotely Piloted Aerial Systems For the professional surveyor

The Scenario

Your client requests mapping of a large area

Volumes, contours, planimetric etc…

High resolution imagery would be good too!

Images need to be current and you might need to show changes over time

You thought of hiring a plane, but the job is small and the cost to mobilize an

aircraft is $20,000

and you haven’t even taken a picture yet!

The Solution

What if: You could mobilize on a moment’s notice

Your company could internalize data capture and production

And you could survey 100 acres in 45 minutes

To RTK accuracy

With a density of 200 points per square meter

Remotely Piloted Aerial System

Cutting edge technology

High quality and cost effective

Where

Safety

Speed

Efficiency

Accuracy

Are critical

What is a drone?

Unmanned Aerial Vehicle - UAV

Unmanned Aerial System - UAS

Remotely Piloted Aerial System - RPAS

Type of aircraft that carry no passengers or aircrew

Can be remotely piloted (RPV) or fully autonomous (Drone) – you use a

combination

Launched without aircrew, perform a task and then land

Difference between a UAV and a missile is that the UAV is intended to be

recovered

What is a drone?

Fixed wing, rotary wing (helicopter) or a balloon

Today UAV’s come in many sizes from micro (toys) that weigh several grams

to full size aircraft at 25,000 lbs (typically military application)

Proper Nomenclature

Transport Canada has elected to use a non-gender specific name consistent

with other jurisdictions:

“Remotely Piloted Aerial System”

Example RPAS’

Commercial RPAS’

Specialty RPAS’

Safety and Security RPAS’

Surveying and Mapping

Professional surveyors are logical users of this technology

Miniaturization of existing technology to create products we already use

Allow smaller organizations to access these products cost-effectively

Small scale application of traditional products

Potential Deliverables

Ortho-rectified mosaics

Digital Elevation Models – raw surface

Digital Terrain Models – bare earth

Volumetric calculations

Planimetric/Topographic mapping

3D Fly-Throughs

Inspection services

GIS data update

Custom mapping – client driven

Point Clouds

Ortho-Mosaics

Sample Deliverables

Sample Deliverables

Sample Deliverables

Sample Deliverables

Fly-Through

Accuracy/Precision – What Should You

Expect?

Horizontal Accuracy = 0.020 to 0.050 metres

Vertical Accuracy = 0.035 to 0.25 metres

Point Clouds = 100,000 to 350,000,000 points

GSD – Ground Sample Distance

In a digital aerial photo, the distance between pixel centres measured on

the ground

It is one of the measures with respect to image resolution

GSD

Resolution and Definition

Resolution 1 Pixel = 5cm x 5cm

Resolution and Definition

Often used interchangeably, but not the same

Definition is the CLARITY of the image detail

Resolution is the size of the smallest unit of data that forms the

image

Resolution and Definition

Resolving Power

Photo Scale

Scale of Photograph = Altitude AGL / Focal Length

Sb = H / f

CMOS – Complementary Metal-Oxide-

Semiconductor

used in microprocessors, microcontrollers, static

RAM, and other digital logic circuitsSemi-conductor

that is light sensitive device

Size of the CMOS array & pixel size determines GSD

Pixel Area = [(L * W) * 1,000,000] / #Total Pixels

to determine the dimension of a pixel

Pixel Dimension = √ Pixel Area

Scale Number of Photograph = Altitude AGL / Focal Length

therefore:

GSD = Scale Number * Pixel Dimension

Resolution and Definition

Definition

Pixels to Image – How it relates

ESTABLISHING A BASELINE

20 cm GSD imagery from high-end aerial camera

ESTABLISHING A BASELINE

5 cm GSD imagery from high-end digital aerial camera

ESTABLISHING A BASELINE 5 cm GSD imagery from UAV camera

LET’S COMPARE AERIAL CAMERAS

20 cm GSD camera 2 cm GSD UAV camera

5 cm GSD digital camera

General Workflow

Agree on the scope – size of area to be flown

Pre-flight planning: permissions, weather, mobilization, equipment to be used

Mobilization: firmware/software, batteries, TDG

Acquisition: final site check, GCP’s, permissions, flight crew ready, JRLA

Post-flight: all data obtained, download, backup, clean-up of site

Process data: create deliverables, confirm QA/QC – you meet specifications

Delivery: cloud, hard-drive

What Equipment is Available?

Pro’s

Large area coverage

Long endurance

Stable in strong winds

Con’s

Landing area required

Controlled flight into terrain

Inflexible with tight boundaries

Cannot loiter

Pro’s

VTOL

Loiter

Closeup Inspection

Low altitude missions

Confined spaces

Con’s

Low endurance

Small area coverage

Fixed Wing RPAS Rotary Wing RPAS

What Equipment is Available

Canada eh!

Infinite Jib

Draganfly

Aeryon Labs

Drone Delivery

EnviroDrone

Epoc Unmanned

Indro Robotics

Brican

ING Robotics

Etc…

Others Equally Good!

DJI (largest market share, but not yet

compliant)

Intel

Lockheed-Martin

Delair

Sensefly

Choosing Equipment

Word of caution: Changes to the Federal Aeronautics Act are coming

Complex operations will require a compliant RPAS

List is available on the Transport Canada website

Choose wisely – ask industry professionals what will work best for your

operations and budget

Software

Decide if you want to process in-house or contract out services

Aero Propeller, Kerspy, Drone Deploy etc.

In-house – many products out there

Pix4D, Agisoft, UAV Master, SimActive (Canadian), Drone Mapper etc.

Software

Decide on complexity of deliverables

Skill sets in-house

TRAINING TRAINING TRAINING!

Costs

RPAS - $500 to $500,000

Software - $0 - $60,000

Training - $200 - $2,500 per person

Licensing - $150?

Learning Curve

Transport Canada

This organization deals with permissions

Governing Ministry

Mandate is safety

Licensing

Education

Research

Aeronautics Act is the legislation and with associated regulations

(CARs)

Focus is on policy and regulation, not operations

Canadian Aviation Regulations

“CAR’s” – you’ll hear reference to this all the time

Divided into 9 functional parts

Part I: General Provisions

Part II: Aircraft Identification and Registration and Operation of a

Leased Aircraft by a Non-registered Owner

Part III: Aerodromes and Airports

Part IV: Personnel Licensing and Training

Canadian Aviation Regulations

Part V: Airworthiness

Part VI: General Operating and Flight Rules

Part VII: Commercial Air Services

Part VIII: Air Navigation Services

Part IX: Repeals and Coming into Force

UAV’s fall under CAR’s 602.41

Operations can also be exempt from 602.41 of the CAR’s per

document 623.35

Enforcement

INDIVIDUALS

NO SFOC = $5,000

NOT ABIDING = $3,000

CORPORATIONS

NO SFOC = $25,000

NO ABIDING = $15,000

PER VIOLATION

Operating Limitations

No person shall operate an aircraft unless it is operated in

accordance with the operating limitations as set out in the aircraft

flight manual or placards.

Operating Limitations

Flight Manual

Special Flight Operation Certificate

SFOC do I or don’t I need one?

Exemptions?

0.1 – 1.0 kg

1.1 – 25 kg

Current Reality

Exemptions - Today

< 1 kgs

No SFOC

Notification required

As long as you meet exemption

requirements

5NM from any aerodrome

listed in CFS

3NM from all other

aerodromes

Can fly in a built up area

Max 300’ AGL

1.1 - 25 kgs

No SFOC

Notification required

As long as you meet exemption

requirements

5NM from any aerodrome

listed in CFS

3NM from all other

aerodromes

3NM from a built up area

Max 300’ AGL

SFOC – FLOWCHART

Recreational Flying

One Regulation

Dos and Don’ts

Commercial UAV Operation

Compliant Operator

Restricted Operator

SFOC

Simple (1,2) Complex (3)

Standing

Exemptions

0 - 1kg

43 conditions

1.1 - 25kg

63 conditions

Certified operators

Basic or Complex Operations

Pilot knowledge requirements

Pilot certifications

Aircraft certifications

VLOS and BVLOS

Future Regulations

Future Regulations

Regulatory Category 250g to 25 kg - VLOS

Basic Operations Advanced Operations

Airspace Class G Class C - G

Aircraft Design Standard No Manufacturer's declaration

Aircraft Marking & Registration TC Registered with tail number

Personnel Licensing & Training Basic on-line test Comprehensive on-line and flight review

Age Restriction 14, unless supervised 16, unless supervised

Operations in Built-up Areas Yes

Operations over People No Yes if RPAS safety is positive

Distance from Pilot VLOS at all times

Distance from People >30 meters 0 - 30 meters

Maximum Altitude 400'

Night Operations Yes

Aerodrome Restrictions 1 Nm from heliports, 3 Nm from aerodromes Yes with approval from ATC

Liability Insurance No

Getting Started

Determine if you want to make this investment

Assign dedicated pilot(s)

Select an RPAS that meets most of your needs

Select software or service to process data

RPAS Ground School – check the TC Self Declared List

Radio Operators Certificate – Aviation

Flight Training or Practice

SFOC – moving to Pilot Certificate

Write exams on-line and/or schedule a flight review

Small steps