UgCS flight planning software program Engineering Insights

Drone expertise is evolving at a fast tempo, and with it comes the necessity for extra superior, dependable, and user-friendly flight planning software program. On the forefront of this innovation is UgCS, developed by SPH Engineering. To achieve a deeper understanding of the engineering challenges and breakthroughs behind UgCS, we interviewed Kristaps Brass, the corporate’s Product Proprietor and an skilled engineer. Kristaps has been with SPH Engineering since 2014, main subject assessments throughout the globe, coaching clients from Brazil to Australia, and even taking part in a Greenland expedition. With levels from the Stockholm College of Economics in Riga and Tallinn College of Expertise, Kristaps now leads the UgCS improvement group, striving to make UgCS the premier alternative for skilled drone pilots.

Rethinking Terrain-Following: The Beginning of Good AGL

One of the crucial vital challenges in drone surveying is making certain protected and correct flights over complicated terrain. Kristaps defined, “When doing drone surveying, pilots usually must make the drone comply with very difficult terrain. This contains not solely having to cowl small hills and different terrain elevation adjustments however usually even flying in mountainous areas and close to cliffs.” He famous that conventional flight planning options usually use a hard and fast Above Floor Stage (AGL) strategy, which works properly on mild slopes however might be dangerous on steep inclines.

This problem led to the event of the Good AGL algorithm. As Kristaps described, “Good AGL calculates the flight top considering not solely what’s under the drone but in addition what’s in entrance of it. This innovation permits drone pilots to make use of UgCS flight planning software program to plan safer flights that may even cowl steep slopes, all whereas amassing correct information.” The Good AGL characteristic exemplifies UgCS’s dedication to addressing real-world points confronted by drone operators.

True Terrain Following: Precision With out Exact DEMs

Correct terrain following is very necessary for specialised surveys, similar to these utilizing ground-penetrating radar or echosounders. These missions usually require drones to fly extraordinarily near the bottom. Kristaps shared, “Our true terrain following (TTF) system options our SkyHub onboard laptop in addition to an altimeter which makes it doable for the drone to comply with the terrain even as little as 1 meter above the bottom. That is needed when flying with sensors similar to GPR, echosounders, metallic detectors and others.”

He emphasised that this technique is designed for bigger drones carrying heavy payloads, such because the DJI M300, M350, and numerous American-made platforms. UgCS comes geared up with high quality Digital Elevation Mannequin (DEM) information, and for U.S. pilots, even higher-resolution DEMs can be found. “It comes with different necessary options similar to means to regulate the decision of terrain following, trajectory slope and plenty of extra,” Kristaps added.

3D Flight Planning: Managing Complexity with a Gaming Engine

Fashionable drone missions usually require integrating a number of information layers, which might be computationally demanding. Kristaps defined, “UgCS is constructed on a gaming engine, giving it a novel benefit available in the market of drone software program. Due to this, UgCS can simply deal with displaying a number of map overlays in addition to digital terrain and floor fashions.”

He highlighted a current development: “Not too long ago we added the likelihood to make use of a digital floor mannequin (DSM) separate from the digital terrain mannequin (DTM). This enables pilots to plan their missions with a continuing altitude with respect to the bottom degree, all whereas making certain that the drone will likely be at a protected distance above treetops and buildings.” This flexibility is essential for protected operations in city and forested environments.

Smoother Trajectories for Delicate Sensors

Some drone surveys, similar to magnetic and LiDAR mapping, require particularly easy flight paths. Kristaps mentioned the engineering behind UgCS’s trajectory smoothing algorithm: “The trajectory smoothing algorithm permits customers to set a precise slope angle in addition to gaps that the drone ought to skip. This smoothes out the flight trajectory (particularly when mixed with Good AGL). That is particularly necessary when flying with delicate sensors similar to magnetometer, which are sometimes hanging on ropes under the drone. Smoother flight for the sensor results in higher ensuing information and fewer time wanted for processing.”

Navigating Engineering Commerce-Offs: Security, Accuracy, and Effectivity

Growing terrain-following options for excessive environments requires balancing security, accuracy, and effectivity. Kristaps defined, “What works greatest in these conditions is giving the customers the instruments of their arms. When flying in excessive environments they’ll select between utilizing an altimeter with on-board processing or counting on a extremely correct DEM.”

He emphasised the flexibleness UgCS affords: “Any route deliberate in UgCS might be transformed into separate waypoints, giving the person full management round any a part of the mission.” This strategy ensures that pilots can adapt to a variety of mission necessities and environmental challenges.

Dealing with Excessive-Decision Elevation Knowledge

The accuracy of flight path calculations depends upon the decision of elevation information. Kristaps famous, “By default UgCS makes use of 1 arc second (30m) SRTM information worldwide. Not too long ago we added ⅓ (10m) elevation information for our clients within the USA from the USGS database. Customers may also load their very own elevation information (DEM) with a most decision of 1 m.”

He additionally identified the sensible limits: “Datasets with greater decision than 1 m get downscaled to 1 m since that’s in regards to the restrict of accuracy wanted for drone flights. Something under that offers diminishing marginal returns when weighing elevated flight accuracy towards processing energy wanted for trajectory calculations for big missions.”

Integrating with Various {Hardware}

Integrating terrain-following options throughout completely different drone platforms and altimeter applied sciences presents distinctive challenges. Kristaps mirrored, “After we began out with our true terrain following methods, we relied on laser altimeter expertise. Nevertheless, quickly after that we discovered that one measurement doesn’t match all. Whereas laser altimeters enable customers to very precisely fly even at greater altitudes, they do fall brief when flying over reflective surfaces similar to water, snow or dense fog. These downsides…are addressed by our radar altimeter.”

He added, “DJI and Ardupilot are two completely different beasts. DJI drones are nice and permit us to simply combine via their SDK. On this case the onboard altimeter works via our SkyHub laptop. The mountings are standardized. Ardupilot drones, whereas being open-source, are usually primarily based on very completely different frames, every of which wants a separate mount for the altimeter. Within the case of Ardupilot, the altimeter will get related on to the autopilot.”

Balancing Superior Options with Consumer Accessibility

UgCS has advanced considerably through the years, balancing technical sophistication with person accessibility. Kristaps defined, “UgCS has been available in the market for round 12 years now and has gone via a number of evolution and adjustments, all impressed by suggestions from our customers. With the discharge of UgCS 5.0 final 12 months, we’ve gone via vital UI redesign in comparison with the earlier model, making it extra user-friendly for brand new customers whereas retaining the options necessary for present customers.”

He additionally mentioned the philosophy behind new options: “With the discharge of UgCS 5.11 we’re making it quicker and extra easy for customers to get their deliberate missions delivered to them. With this model we’re introducing UgCS Cloud. This characteristic permits all routes to robotically sync from the pc to the drone’s distant controller. Not solely does this make fieldwork quicker for pilots, it additionally makes it simpler for groups to work collectively, sharing deliberate routes throughout units.”

Wanting Forward: The Way forward for Drone Flight Planning

The world of drone surveying is dynamic and requires fixed adaptation. Kristaps summed up the UgCS philosophy: “The world of drone surveys is one that’s fast-moving and a group sport. We perceive the significance of comfort, fast deployment and fast teamwork. And that is what we’re addressing subsequent.”

UgCS continues to push the boundaries of drone flight planning, combining technical innovation with real-world practicality, and setting new requirements for skilled drone pilots worldwide.

Learn extra: