ISL recently completed a comprehensive aerial mapping project for the Village of Cumberland, utilizing the advanced capabilities of the DJI Matrice 350 Real Time Kinematic (RTK) drone (M350). Unlike traditional topographic surveys which take weeks to conduct and compile, ISL was able to produce a digital terrain model of nearly the entire Village in a single day.
The M350 drone is a multi-payload platform, allowing for the use of multiple sensors. This allowed for the use of photogrammetry and LiDAR sensors within the same flight, resulting in significant data collection in record time.
The expertise and use of this technology is a welcome benefit to municipalities and clients with limited budgets and resources.
“This mapping allows our budgets to stretch farther in a time where construction costs have skyrocketed.”
–Joel Clarkston, Village of Cumberlan
Project Overview
Drone specialists from ISL’s Technology and Innovation team conducted a comprehensive aerial mapping mission for the Village of Cumberland. The team captured valuable imagery and data, demonstrating ISL’s expertise in utilizing advanced unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology for large-scale mapping projects.
The results of this project have provided the Village of Cumberland with an exceptionally detailed digital terrain model. This resource enables precise spatial analysis, enhancing decision-making capabilities across various municipal applications. Joel Clarkston, a representative of the Village of Cumberland, highlighted the benefits by stating:
“The value in having a high-definition digital terrain model that can be quickly and accurately produced is immense, not only for construction and planning purposes but also for helping with operational needs like our road maintenance programs. For a municipality like the Village of Cumberland where our budgets are small, in a single day nearly the entire Village was able to be mapped. In comparison, to get a traditional topographic survey of the same scale and quality would have taken weeks, as well as hundreds of thousands of dollars. This mapping allows our budgets to stretch farther in a time where construction costs have skyrocketed.”
Technology & Innovation at ISL
The successful completion of this project is a testament to ISL’s expertise in implementing cutting-edge technology to deliver cost-effective and efficient solutions. Our innovative approach in utilizing the DJI Matrice 350 RTK drone has not only met the objectives of the project but has also laid the groundwork for future technological advancements in the field of aerial mapping.
Technical Details
Transport Canada Compliance
The M350 was flown with a L2 LiDAR Sensor and P1 Photogrammetry sensor.
As the flight involved operations over bystanders, the M350 required the purchase and installation of a parachute (which looks like a hard hat) in order to maintain compliance with Transport Canada regulations.
Ground Control Points
The M350 is equipped with dual Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) antennas which allow the unit to connect to a Virtual Reference Station, such as CanNet. This provides an active connection to RTK position corrections. The M350 can also capture GNSS observations for Post Processing Kinematic (PPK) corrections.
For this flight, the team built and distributed 8 ground control points (GCPs) around the Village of Cumberland. These high contrast GCPs were geolocated using Trimble survey equipment and were used in post processing to confirm the processed map/model was a true-to-life representation of the real world.
Safety
Safety is the highest priority when flying any drone system. There were four ISLer’s involved in the maiden voyage of the M350 including three Advanced Operations. Keegan Seddon was the Pilot in Command (PIC) and ensured safety with the following precautions:
- Routine calls to local traffic in the area on 126.7Mhz advising them of drone operations in the area at 400 feet and below
- Visual line of sight had to be maintained at all times. Two bodies manned the home base for replacement batteries and mission coordination. Two bodies relocated to a high point to maintain visuals and report to the PIC via radio.
- The M350 was flown over built up areas and within 30m of bystanders, so it was necessary to fly it with an emergency parachute system, as regulated by Transport Canada.
Challenges
- There was some rain showers that led to some down time during data collection.
- Safe operation required the use of a Transport Canada approved parachute. However, the vertical obstacle avoidance sensors had to be disengaged in order to avoid detecting the parachute and pausing flight. Initially this led to the inability to execute the flight plan, but once resolved, the flight was carried out smoothly.
Flight Planning
Prior to the M350 taking flight, the general area of interest was identified and marked out on a computer. This information was then imported onto the M350 controller where the area was finalized and flight mission parameters were added. ISL stayed in communication wilth the Village to align on data collection, and steps were taken to unlock necessary geo zones.
The Data Story
- 15 square kilometres
- 6,840 photos
- 107 GB of raw photo data
- Full resolution ortho output at 39.6 GB
- 5 hours of flight time
- 2 Advanced Operations Pilots
Equipment Specifications
AVSS Drone Parachute
The ASTM F3322-18 compliant PRS-M350 has been designed to easily integrate with the DJI Matrice 350 RTK. The attachment bracket secures the PRS without interfering with sensitive GPS modules and ensures take-off with various payload combinations. The parachute recovery system includes an electronic module to power the Parachute Pod™ and flight termination system. The onboard system comes equipped with an automatic triggering device to deploy the drone parachute. An independent remote for manually deploying the drone parachute gives you constant control over your operations.
DJI Zenmuse P1
The DJI Zenmuse P1 Photogrammetry sensor, a flexible full-frame sensor camera on a 3-axis stabilized gimbal, was the primary payload.
The P1 was used for the capture of 6,840 photos that were processed to generate a high resolution orthographic photo, preliminary topographic details, and a point cloud.
DJI Zenmuse L2
The L2 sensor was rented and used as an alternate payload for research and development.
Within the Village of Cumberland, Penrith Avenue is in design stages for road rehabilitation. The L2 was used to capture high resolution point cloud data which enables the creation of surfaces for preliminary design purposes.