PHOENIX MISSION GUIDANCE
Improve Data Acquisition Instantly
In unmanned acquisition, a flightplan is commonly loaded into the UAV and executed by the flightcontroller with predictable velocity and accuracy. However, unmanned acquisition adds a pilot/driver as an additional source of uncertainty.
Phoenix LiDAR Systems' MissionGuidance is designed to help streamline manned LiDAR data acquisition by supplying the pilot/driver with guidance information. The same flightplan that would be navigated by a UAV's flightcontroller is now visualized to the pilot relative to the vehicle's current position along with allowed tolerances, allowing fine adjustments in realtime.
A wide range of configration options allows customizing the visualization to the pilots's preferences, while a deep integration into SpatialExplorer supports intuitive flightplan management by the sensor operator.
Mission Guidance Benefits
Peace of mind, no gaps, no remobilization
Use of heightmaps allows custom terrain models, e.g. from previous acquisitions of open-pit mines
Little training required for new pilots
More steady and calm flying improves data accuracy
Proper overlap helps trajectory optimization and ortho generation
Less trouble and complexity in postprocessing
How does Mission Guidance Work?
Plan Faster
Load and review a flight plan in SpatialExplorer prior to flight. Users can organize the approach, check and adjust heights, and configure the interface as desired.
Make Adjustments Instantly
Real-time acquisition management by the sensor operator from within SpatialExplorer during flight: ensuring that all passes are successfully collected within tolerance and according to the plan, rescheduling lines as necessitated by weather or other external factors, and making in-flight decisions confidently.
Improved Acquisition
ForeFlight
The trajectory produced using ForeFlight shows more deviation in the flightlines, leading to unnecessary overlap and worse, gaps in data coverage. This is because ForeFlight:
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requires the pilot to control the camera in-flight
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uses low-resolution heightmaps
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displays no lane tolerances around flightlines
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doesn't provide a look-ahead on terrain-changes
MissionGuidance
Using MissionGuidance results in a much more accurate flight pattern. No unnecessary overlap, no gaps.
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uses high-resolution heightmaps
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ensures all passes are successfully collected within tolerance
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reschedules flightlines for weather or other external factors
Resulting Data Accuracy
Resulting Accuracy
- Manned aerial acquisition using RANGER-LR Lite
- 200 checkpoints, worst separation 8/100th ft, so <2.5cm
- LiDARSnap report on left shows interswath precision