Assignment 4.6 – Blog Activity: Unmanned System Data Protocol and Format

Don Moore

UNSY 601 Unmanned Systems Sensing, Perception, and Processing

Embry Riddle Aeronautical University 

eBee SQ

For this weeks assignment I have selected the eBee SQ; an agricultural unmanned aerial system (UAS).  The eBee SQ is sold and manufactured by Parrot; a company who develops, markets and designs consumer products for tablets and smartphones.  Parrot also creates solutions for technology within the UAV and Automotive industry. One of the main reasons why I selected this particular unmanned vehicle is because Parrot actually created the aircraft around one of its groundbreaking cameras; The Parrot Sequoia.

 Sensors

As stated previously the eBee SQ uses the Parrot Sequoia sensor, Which is a multispectral sensor which captures Data over us for spectral bands (Parrot, 2017).  The Individual bands are red (1.2Mpx Definition; 40nm bandwidth and 660 nm wavelength), green (1.2Mpx Definition; 40nm bandwidth and 550 nm wavelength), red edge (1.2Mpx Definition; 10nm bandwidth and 735 nm wavelength), and near infrared (1.2Mpx Definition; 40nm bandwidth and 790 nm wavelength) (Parrot, 2017). Additionally the sensor is capable of producing RGB imagery within a single flight (Parrot, 2017). The Device also carries an Upward-facing Sunshine Sensor so that no matter what the current light condition is; customers can collect accurate imagery (Parrot, 2017).

Data format

Previewing image quality while in the field

After the vehicle lands Data can be in ported into an E-motion program, which produces immediate feedback such as a low-resolution orthomosaic preview (Sensefly).

Point clouds and 3D models

Pix4Dmapper's generates 3D digital surface models and point clouds using the previewed images (Sensefly).

Edits

The Editor functions allows the user improve the accuracy of the projects (Sensefly).

RayCloud

The rayCloud is a Pix4D feature which links the 3D point cloud with original images, which increases 3D point accuracy (Sensefly).

Output Results provided by sensefly are:

2D output results:

• Georeferenced nadir orthomosaics in GeoTIFF output format

• Georeferenced oblique orthomosaics in GeoTIFF output format

• Google tiles export in KML and HTML output formats

• Mapbox tiles in MB format

• Index maps (DVI, NDVI, SAVI, etc.) in GeoTIFF and SHP formats

3D output results:

• 3D PDF for easy sharing of 3D mesh

• Georeferenced nadir DSMs and DTMs in GeoTIFF output format

• Georeferenced oblique DSMs from any plane in GeoTIFF output format

• Full 3D textured mesh in OBJ, PLY, DXF, FBX

• Point cloud in LAS, LAZ, XYZ and PLY output format

• Contour lines in SHP, DXF, PDF format

• User-defined vector objects in DXF, SHP, DGN and KML format

Power and storage

The battery for this device is produced by sensefly and weighs .50 LBS. On a single charge the device can collect data on over a distance of 500 acres in 55 Minutes (Farmers Progress).  The sequoia multispectral sensor has 64GB internal memory along with Wi-Fi and USB access. The attached Sunshine Sensor enhances storage capacity storage because it has an SD card slot; it also records GPS location and inertial data.

Recommend at least one alternative data treatment strategy that you think would improve the operation of the system and enhance the experience for the end user

I would recommend Enhanced Compression Wavelet (ECW).  The reason that I would choose ECW is because it offers fast compression and decompression rates.  The reason why I think that transfer rate compression and decompression is important for this specific aircraft is because the distance that it covers.   It seems to me that this aircraft being a fixed wing aircraft should be stay in the air much longer.  What this does for it end-user is allows the collection of more data this can’t be downloaded in Process during fight.

References:

Farmers Progress. “SenseFly ups the agricultural ante with launch of high precision, large coverage eBee SQ drone.” Corn and Soybean Digest, 8 Nov. 2016, www.cornandsoybeandigest.com/application-equipment/sensefly-ups-agricultural-ante-launch-high-precision-large-coverage-ebee-sq-dr.

Parrot. (2017, October 27). Parrot SEQUOIA. Retrieved from https://www.parrot.com/us/business-solutions/parrot-sequoia#parrot-sequoia-

Sensefly. “SenseFly teams up with Esri to host free 'Drone to GIS' webinar.” Processing Drone Images Using Professional Photogrammetry Software: senseFly SA, www.sensefly.com/drones/photogrammetry-software.html.