User Manual

eBee and eBee NIR

Revision 8 / August 12, 2013

Copyright © 2010-2013 senseFly Ltd
Disclaimer

SenseFly Ltd reserves all rights related to this document and the information contained herein. REPRODUCTION, USE

OR DISCLOSURE TO THIRD PARTIES WITHOUT WRITTEN PERMISSION FROM SENSEFLY LTD IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED.

SenseFly Ltd makes no warranties based on the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this document and

reserves the right to make changes to specifications and product descriptions at any time without notice.

By using senseFly Ltd software and products you accept senseFly’s warranty and liability terms.

ALL USE OF SENSEFLY LTD PRODUCTS, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE USE CONFORM TO THE APPLICABLE LAW

OF THE COUNTRY IN WHICH THE PRODUCT IS OPERATED, IS UNDER YOUR SOLE RESPONSIBILITY. INFORM YOURSELF

BEFORE USING THE PRODUCT. SOME COUNTRIES MAY HAVE LAWS THAT LIMIT THE USE OF UNMANNED AIRCRAFT TO

‘LINE-OF-SIGHT’ OPERATIONS AND/OR PROHIBIT THE USE OF UNMANNED AIRCRAFT IN SPECIFIC AREAS OR AT ALL.

Product limited warranty

SenseFly Ltd warrants that the product will be free from defects in workmanship and materials for a period of twelve

(12) months from the date that the item was first purchased. During Warranty Period, should the covered product,

in senseFly Ltd’s sole opinion, malfunction due to any defect in material and/or workmanship, your sole remedy and

senseFly Ltd’s sole liability shall be, at senseFly Ltd’s option, to either repair or replace the malfunctioning product

with a similar product at no charge or to reimburse the purchase payment, provided that the malfunctioning product is returned, with proof of purchase in the form of your original copy of the sales receipt, within the applicable

Warranty Period.

The warranty shall exclude defects due to normal wear and tear, including but not limited to deterioration of the

airframe after first flight, normal degradation, misuse, moisture or liquids, proximity or exposure to heat, accidents,

excessive strain, abuse, neglect, misapplication, repairs or modifications made by anyone other than senseFly Ltd,

damage due to manual operation, damage due to take-off or landing location with obstacles, damage due to low

altitude flight, damage due to loss of data radio connection, damage due to strong wind, rain or humidity or other

causes for which senseFly Ltd is not answerable. Any claim related to in-flight malfunction of the product will be

considered by senseFly Ltd only if accompanied with the related flight log.

There are no express or implied warranties, representations or conditions other than those stated in this limited

warranty. The remedy set forth herein shall be the sole, exclusive remedy with respect to the product.

Product liability

UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES WILL SENSEFLY LTD BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL OR

CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (EVEN IF SENSEFLY LTD IS NOTIFIED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES) INCLUDING,

BUT NOT LIMITED TO, ANY DAMAGES CAUSED BY YOU OR A THIRD PARTY WHILE OPERATING OR USING THE PRODUCT, ANY LOSS OF REVENUE, LOSS OF PROFIT, OR LOSS OF DATA WHETHER BASED UPON ANY ALLEGED BREACH

OF WARRANTY, REPRESENTATION OR CONDITION, CONTRACT, OR ANY OTHER CONDUCT INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE

(INTENTIONAL OR OTHERWISE), GIVING RISE TO SUCH CLAIM.

UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES WILL SENSEFLY LTD BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL OR

CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (EVEN IF SENSEFLY LTD IS NOTIFIED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES) INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, ANY DAMAGES CAUSED BY FAILURE OF THE AUTOPILOT, ELECTRONICS OR SOFTWARE.

YOU SHALL NOT OPERATE THE PRODUCT IN AREAS OR UNDER CIRCUMSTANCES WHERE A FAILURE COULD CAUSE

DAMAGES AND/OR HARM TO OBJECTS AND/OR PEOPLE.
Address

senseFly Ltd

Chemin de la Venoge 11

(Z.I. Vallaire Ouest D)

1024 Ecublens

Switzerland

Website: http://www.sensefly.com

Technical support

If you have questions on your eBee or eMotion 2 software please consult senseFly Ltd’s Technical support website at the following address:

http://www.sensefly.com/support/

Welcome to your eBee

Congratulations on your purchase of the eBee, a complex and powerful yet intuitive autonomous mapping system. We take great care to develop and design the

best possible hardware and software tools for quick, high-quality and easy-to-use

2D and 3D aerial mapping.

Note: This manual refers to the version 2.1.0 of eMotion 2 software.

Check the software version included in your package and consult the

Release Notes for potential changes included in more recent versions

of the software.
Package contents

eBee

battery

packs

wing eBee wing

central body

spare

propeller

camera

user

manual

radio

modem

battery

charger

EPP

glue

remote control,

cables and

propeller

attachment

bands

eBee

battery

charger

cable

camera

charger
The standard eBee package contains the following items:

• 1x carrying case with foam protection

• 1x eBee central body with built-in autopilot

• 1x pair of detachable wings

• 1x spare propeller

• 10x spare propeller attachment rubber bands

• 2x Lithium-Polymer battery packs

• 1x Lithium-Polymer battery charger (including cables)

• 1x 2.4 GHz USB radio modem for data link (including USB cable)

• 1x 2.4 GHz remote control (including battery pack, charger and cables)

• 1x still camera (including memory card, battery and charger)

• 1x USB cable for interfacing with camera and on-board autopilot

• 1x EPP glue

• 1x eBee user manual

Depending on your order, your package may also include additional items. Please

verify upon delivery that your package is complete. In case of a missing item,

please contact your eBee reseller immediately.
Hardware features

Top face of the eBee

battery compartment

aileron

winglet

propeller

servo connection

mechanism

antenna

pitot probe, status LED

wing

camera compartment

central body

Bottom face of 

the central body

ground

sensor

camera lens hole

Detachable

wing

wing

struts

The eBee is an autonomous flying drone comprised of the following components:

• Central body: This is the core of the eBee and includes all the electronics,

actuators and communications hardware on-board the drone.

• Wing: The two wings of the eBee are detachable for storage and replacement. Each wing has two wing struts and two clips to hold it in place within

the central body.

• Winglets: These structures add aerodynamic stability to the eBee while it

is in flight.
• Ailerons: Used to control the eBee while in flight.

• Servo connection mechanism: The ailerons are connected to the servomotors within the central body of the eBee through this connection mechanism.

• Propeller: Used to generate thrust while it is in flight.

Caution: When attached to the motor the propeller spins at high

speeds and can be potentially dangerous if it comes into contact with

exposed skin. Be sure to always keep your hands clear of the propeller

when the battery is attached to the eBee.

• Battery compartment: The eBee is powered by a LiPo (Lithium Polymer)

battery stored within the battery compartment.

Caution: Proper care of your battery is essential. Please read section

‘Proper battery care’ on page 129 before using your eBee for the first

time.

• Camera compartment: The eBee features a built-in 16 megapixel camera

for taking aerial images stored within the camera compartment.

• Antenna: Used by the eBee to communicate with the eMotion 2 software

through the USB radio modem.

• Pitot probe: This is the sensor used by the eBee to detect airspeed, wind

and altitude. It must be kept clean and clear of obstructions to function

properly.

• Status LED: This coloured LED displays the current state of the eBee. It is

housed underneath the pitot probe and thus illuminates the entire transparent probe in various colours depending on the eBee’s state.

• Ground sensor: The ground sensor, composed of a high-speed optical

sensor and lens assembly, is used to detect the proximity of the ground.
Software features

The eBee package allows for the download and use of eMotion 2 * and Postflight

Terra 3D-EB * at no extra cost.

eMotion 2 is the integrated software package that allows you to interact with your

eBee. Its easy-to-use interface allows you to plan a mapping flight intuitively from

the comfort of your office or directly in the field. Once your eBee is launched, you

can use eMotion 2’s wireless connection with your eBee to track its position, monitor the progress of your mapping flight and send commands if desired.

Once your eBee returns after an aerial mapping flight it is the turn of Postflight

Terra 3D-EB to process the captured images fully automatically. Postflight Terra 3DEB is a full-featured mapping solution: with just a few short mouse clicks it can

create high-quality geo-referenced 2D and 3D orthomosaics and digital elevation

models (DEM). While you are still in the field Postflight Terra 3D-EB analyses the

quality of the captured images and generates an easy to understand report, letting you know immediately if the data you captured meets your mapping requirements.

∗ Software license terms and conditions apply. Postflight Terra 3D EB is limited to eBee images only.
Contents

I Quick start guide 15

1 Planning and simulating a flight 17

1.1 Installing eMotion 2, Postflight Terra 3D-EB and the radio module

drivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

1.2 The eMotion 2 interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

1.3 Creating a new flight plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

1.4 The mission phase of a flight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

1.5 Saving your flight plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

1.6 Simulating your flight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

1.7 Getting ready for a mission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

2 Executing a flight 27

2.1 Weather check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

2.2 Preparing the eBee for flight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

2.3 The setup phase of a flight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

2.4 Take-off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

2.5 In-flight monitoring and control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

2.6 Landing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

2.7 Potential in-flight errors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

3 Processing image data 49

3.1 Importing images and flight data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

3.2 In-field image quality check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

3.3 Creating advanced mapping products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
II Advanced functionalities 55

4 Understanding aerial mapping with the eBee 57

4.1 Waypoints and their properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

4.2 Advanced polygonal mission area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

4.3 3D mission planning using elevation data . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

4.4 Flight visualization in Google EarthTM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

4.5 Autonomous controller and modes of flight . . . . . . . . . . . . 66

4.6 Linear landing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

4.7 Flying multiple drones at the same time . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74

5 eMotion 2 in-depth guide 79

5.1 Toolbar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80

5.2 Simulator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84

5.3 Control Bar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86

5.4 Flight Monitoring tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89

5.5 Setup Phase tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92

5.6 Mission Planning tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95

5.7 Mission Waypoints tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103

5.8 Camera tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105

5.9 Flight Parameters tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108

6 Manual control of the eBee 113

6.1 Enabling manual control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113

6.2 Pre-flight testing of the remote control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115

6.3 Full Manual mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116

6.4 Assisted Manual mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
III Maintenance, Repair and Troubleshooting 121

7 Maintenance and repair of the eBee 123

7.1 Updating the eBee software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123

7.2 Cleaning and Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125

7.3 Full airframe and sensor inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125

7.4 Repairing the eBee airframe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129

7.5 Proper battery care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129

8 Troubleshooting 133

8.1 Pre-flight errors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134

8.2 Take-off vetos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137

8.3 In-flight warnings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139

8.4 Critical failures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151

8.5 Resetting camera settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154

8.6 Improving radio signal communication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155

8.7 Losing and locating your eBee in the field . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156

8.8 Reporting a problem with your eBee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157

IV Specifications 159

Part I

Quick start guide

The first part of this document introduces you to the eBee and contains the basic

information you will need to plan and execute a simple mapping project. A typical

mapping project can be divided into three main phases:

1. Planning and simulating a flight: Every project begins with careful planning, whether it is a quick flight over a small area or a multi-stage flight in

complex terrain. Section ‘Planning and simulating a flight’ on page 17 describes how to use the Mission Planning feature to quickly generate a flight

plan and to test it using the built-in simulator.

2. Executing a flight: Once planning is complete it is time for the eBee to

perform its flight. In section ‘Executing a flight’ on page 27 you will learn

how to prepare your eBee for flight, connect it to eMotion 2 and to monitor

it in flight while it gathers images. Though the eBee can complete a flight

fully autonomously from take-off to landing, you can also modify its flight

plan at any point during flight.

3. Processing image data: The last step in a project is converting the images

taken by your eBee into usable products such as precise geo-referenced

orthomosaics or 3D terrain models. Section ‘Processing image data’ on

page 49 leads you through the process of transferring images from the eBee

to a computer, checking if the image quality suits your needs while still in

the field and producing advanced 2D and 3D maps.

1 Planning and simulating a flight

Goal of this section: This section introduces the eMotion 2 software

used to interface with the eBee. It describes the steps required to

plan, simulate and save a simple mapping flight. A more detailed

description of eMotion 2 and its advanced functions is presented in

section ‘eMotion 2 in-depth guide’ on page 79.

1.1 Installing eMotion 2, Postflight Terra 3D-EB and the radio

module drivers

You can download the latest version of eMotion 2 and Postflight Terra 3D-EB at:

http://www.sensefly.com/support/download

Use the password provided with your eBee to access the download section.

We recommend that you download and install Google EarthTM1 to take full advantage of the features of eMotion 2. You can find more information at the following

address:

http://www.google.com/earth/index.html

Windows

To install eMotion 2 on Windows, simply execute the provided installers for eMotion 2 and Postflight Terra 3D-EB and follow the on-screen instructions. The eMotion 2 and Postflight Terra 3D-EB software will be available in the ‘Start’ menu.

Drivers for the USB ground station radio module will automatically be installed

along with eMotion 2.

1 NEED TO ADD A DISCLAIMER HERE?
Quick start guide

In case a problem arises after connecting the radio module to the computerfor the

first time you can find the drivers in one of the following directories (depending

on your version of Windows):

C:\Program Files\senseFly\eMotion 2\usb driver\

C:\Program Files (x86)\senseFly\eMotion 2\usb driver\

Mac OS X

To install eMotion 2 on Mac OS X, simply execute the provided installer and follow the on-screen instructions. The eMotion 2 software will be available in the

‘Applications’ folder and the drivers for USB ground station radio module will be

automatically installed.

At the moment Postflight Terra 3D-EB only runs on Windows.

See section ‘Updating the eBee software’ on page 123 if you have any difficulty

with software installation.

1.2 The eMotion 2 interface

Designing a mapping flight for your eBee is a simple process when using the powerful tools available within eMotion 2. After launching eMotion 2 you will be presented with the Connection window:

click OK

select 

Simulator

eBee

18
Planning and simulating a flight

In order to plan a flight eMotion 2must be connected either to a real or a simulated

drone. We recommend that you plan flights using a simulated eBee by selecting

this option in the Connection window and clicking ‘OK’. Once connected to a real

or simulated drone you will see the main screen of eMotion 2:

Map Area Sidebar

Control

Bar

Toolbar

Status

Panel

Flight Parameters tab

Camera tab

Mission Waypoints tab

Mission Planning tab

Setup Phase tab

Flight Monitoring tab

The main screen of eMotion 2 is split into four sections:

• Map Area: The Map Area of eMotion 2 displays a map with the eBee’s current position, indicated by the symbol. A small Status Panel floats beside the symbol, indicating important status information including the eBee’s

19
Quick start guide

current height (both above the take-off altitude, marked as m/ATO and

above mean sea level, marked as m/MSL), battery level, flight time and

status. The Status Panel can be hidden by clicking on the drone. Moving

around the map is done by clicking and dragging at any place not occupied

by a symbol (such as a waypoint or the eBee symbol).

• Control Bar: The Control Bar is used to issue various commands to the eBee

while it is in flight, such as starting the mission phase or holding position.

It is also used to display and acknowledge warnings that may occur either

before or during a flight.

• Toolbar: The Toolbar contains buttons to control the layers, sources or map

information and other display options related to the Map Area. eMotion 2

can use many sources of mapping information.

• Sidebar: The Sidebar is split into several tabs, each with a particular function. The Flight Monitoring tab is used for monitoring the eBee while in

flight. The Setup Phase tab controls the take-off and landing portions of

a flight plan (referred to as the ‘setup phase’) whereas the Mission Planning tab defines the image acquisition portion of the flight plan (referred

to as the ‘mission phase’). The last three tabs are used for advanced waypoint planning and parameter setting. You can hide the Sidebar by clicking

on its left edge. The Sidebar also contains controls for the simulator when

connected to a simulated eBee.

1.3 Creating a new flight plan

Every mapping flight requires a flight plan, which is a path defined by a set of

waypoints, or points in 3D space, and a set of actions that can be performed at

or in between waypoints, such as taking images, proceeding to the next waypoint or landing. A flight plan is shown in the Map Area using circles to represent

waypoints, lines to represent the flight path and arrows to show the direction of

flight. The large circle with a hatched border illustrates the working area boundaries within which the eBee will always remain. See section ‘Waypoints and their

20
Planning and simulating a flight

properties’ on page 57 for more information on waypoints and the various symbols presented in the Map Area.

A complete flight plan for an eBee is composed of two separate phases: the setup

phase and the mission phase. The mission phase includes waypoints and actions

related to mapping and capturing images. The setup phase includes waypoints

and actions related to take-off and landing. This phase is usually planned directly

in the field and is explained in detail in section ‘The setup phase of a flight’ on

page 37.

1.4 The mission phase of a flight

The easiest way to create a mapping flight for the systematic coverage of an area is

to use the automatic mission planning feature of eMotion 2. By simply positioning

a rectangle around the area you would like to cover, eMotion 2 will generate a

mission plan optimised for the ground resolution that you desire.

mission

area

Step 1: open tab

Step 2:

rotate,

resize,

 displace

Step 3:

choose

params

Step 4:

upload

Step 5: check in Google Earth

21
Quick start guide

Note: For more complex terrain and missions eMotion 2 has the ability to set polygonal mission areas of any size and shape and to automatically adjust waypoint altitudes based on a terrain model. These

powerful advanced features are described in more detail in section

‘Advanced polygonal mission area’ on page 62 and section ‘3D mission planning using elevation data’ on page 63, respectively.

Follow these steps to automatically setup waypoints for a mapping mission:

1. Select the Mission Planning tab from the Sidebar. A grey zone will appear

in the Map Area to designate the mission area to cover. Information such

as size and position is overlaid on the area. A mission plan, including the

required waypoints, is automatically calculated and displayed to preview

the mission plan that will be created.

2. Adjust the location of the mission area using the handles around it. The

area can be relocated by dragging the gray zone. The four square handles

on the edges of the area can be used to resize the area and the round handles on the corners of the area can be used to rotate it. As you adjust the

area the mission plan preview is continuously updated.

3. Adjust the mapping and mission parameters in the Mission Planning tab to

suit your terrain and quality requirements2. Setting these parameters for

optimal results takes some experience. As a first step eMotion 2 provides

two predefined set of parameters: ‘Easy terrain’ are the default parameters

designed for simpler terrain such as mines or agriculture whereas ‘Difficult

terrain’ is designed for complex areas such as forests and provides higher

image overlap at the cost of a lower resolution. Be sure to include an estimated wind speed and direction, as this has an effect on the area that can

be covered in a single flight. Once again, the mission plan preview will be

continuously updated as you modify the parameters.

4. Check the resulting flight characteristics in the tab. Once you are satisfied

upload the mission plan to the simulated eBee by clicking the ‘Upload’ button.

2 see section ‘Mission Planning tab’ on page 95 for a complete description of available parameters

22
Planning and simulating a flight

5. Click the button in the Toolbar to open the flight plan in Google EarthTM3.

Review the flight plan to ensure that there is sufficient clearance between

the flight plan and the ground. Any updates to the flight plan that you

make within eMotion 2 will be reflected directly in Google EarthTM.

Caution: eMotion 2 as well as the automatic mission planning tool

are not aware of any obstacles that may exist in the area. In addition, when not using elevation data the mission planning tool assumes that the mission area is flat and at the same altitude as the

take-off location. It is also not aware of any legal restrictions (such as

minimum or maximum heights) that may exist in your region. The resulting flight plan should be carefully reviewed in order to avoid any

collision with uneven terrain or tall objects such as buildings and to

comply with local regulations.

1.5 Saving your flight plan

The final step after you have prepared a flight plan is to save it to a file, allowing

you to load it to the eBee when you are in the field. Select the Setup Phase tab

from the Sidebar, click on ‘Save flight plan to file...’, choose a filename and location

and click ‘Save’.

1.6 Simulating your flight

Simulating your flight gives you an idea of the position and size of images that

will be taken during the flight. In addition it allows you to learn to use advanced

functions such as in-flight waypoint editing and camera control without putting

your eBee at risk4. When eMotion 2 is connected to a simulated eBee an extra set

of buttons appears in the Sidebar:

3 see section ‘Flight visualization in Google EarthTM ’ on page 64

4 see section ‘Simulator’ on page 84 for a complete description of the simulator

23
Quick start guide

re-position take-off location

initiate take-off

instant recharge of battery

fast-forward

play

pause

You can set the take-off location of the eBee by clicking on the icon and placing

the point on the map. This simulates the action of switching on the real eBee and

letting it acquire a GPS fix. You can test your flight plan by clicking the icon,

simulating a take-off manoeuvre. The eBee will then go through its flight plan in

the same way it would in the field. You can pause, play or speed up the simulation

by clicking the corresponding buttons in the Toolbar. You can monitor the state of

the eBee while in flight using the Flight Monitoring tab and the Status Panel5. You

may also monitor the flight in 3D in Google EarthTM by clicking on the button

in the Toolbar.

Caution: The simulator is a tool designed to aid with flight planning

and to familiarise you with the advanced functions of your eBee. The

simulated physics, however, are basic and do not always accurately

reflect the true behaviour of the eBee in flight. In particular, estimates

of battery level and reactions to wind are difficult to simulate with

high accuracy. You should in no case depend on behaviours seen in

the simulator to be reproduced exactly in real flight.

1.7 Getting ready for a mission

Before leaving for the field to perform a flight be sure to fully charge all your eBee

batteries as well as the camera battery. When delivered, the eBee battery may not

be fully charged.

5 see section ‘In-flight monitoring and control’ on page 44

24
Planning and simulating a flight

eBee battery pack

power cable

3

2

1

Status

LiPo Balance

Charger

balance LEDs

(not to scale) status LEDs

To charge an eBee battery pack, connect it to the battery charger as illustrated

above. During charge the status LED on the charger will be solid red. Charging is

completed when the status LED on the charger turns green.

The charger provided with the eBee individually balances the voltage of each of

the 3 cells contained in the battery pack to ensures optimal performance and battery life. If any of the cells are unbalanced, their associated LED will also be solid

red during charging until that cell is re-balanced. Charging can take up to an hour,

depending on the charge level of the battery and the required cell balancingwork.

See section ‘Proper battery care’ on page 129 for more information on taking care

of your eBee battery.

To charge the camera battery, take it out of the camera and insert it into its charger.

Plug the charger into a power outlet. The charge LED will be red when charging

begins. Once the battery is fully charged, the LED will turn to green. Charging

takes approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes6.

If you plan on performing a flight away from an internet connection it is useful

to preload map tiles by scrolling and zooming in the target area. More details on

how to take advantage of the various map sources available in eMotion 2 can be

found in section ‘Toolbar’ on page 80.

6 More information concerning the camera charger can be found in the camera manual on the support section of the senseFly Ltd website

25

2 Executing a flight

Goal of this section: This section describes how to prepare your eBee

for flight, launch, monitor and control from the air and initiate an autonomous landing.

Note: We recommend that you perform your first flight in a large,

obstacle-free area and limit the length of the mission in order to familiarise yourself with the eBee in flight.

2.1 Weather check

Before each flight, you should be aware of the weather conditions. The eBee is

a small drone that cannot fly in heavy rain or strong wind conditions. In case of

doubt, make sure to check a weather bulletin including wind estimations in the

flight area. Note that wind is often stronger at higher altitudes and that the wind

perceived at the surface is not always a good reference to estimate the wind at

flight altitude. Cloud velocity or tall tree movements can help you to estimate the

wind speed once you are out in the field.

Weather forecasts may use various units to measure wind speed. As a reference,

1 m/s = 3.6 km/h = 2.24 mph = 1.94 kts

Caution: The eBee should not be launched if the wind speed exceeds

12 m/s (in other units: 43.2 km/h, 26.8 mph, 23.3 kts).

Caution: The eBee is not designed to fly in temperatures above 35◦ C.

Avoid exposing the eBee to high temperature for prolonged periods

of time. In particular, leaving the eBee exposed to the sun or in a car

should be avoided.
Quick start guide

2.2 Preparing the eBee for flight

The eBee’s simple design means it can go from the box to being ready for flight in

minutes. We recommend you perform the following 6 steps before every flight to

ensure that the platform is best prepared for flight.

Note: Remove the red warning sticker from the motor before your

first flight.

2

6

Central body

bottom view

Central body

top view Wing - detached

3

4

5

Step 1: Perform a general inspection

Visually inspect the eBee for damage or wear using the following steps:

1. Check the foam central body and wings for cracks or other damage.

2. Verify that the pitot probe is properly attached to the airframe and that the

holes in the probe are free of obstructions.

3. Verify that the ground sensor is free of obstructions and that the sensor’s

lens is clean.

28
Executing a flight

4. Verify that the wing struts are not split or damaged in any way.

5. Verify that the tubes within the Central Body that hold the wing struts are

not cracked or damaged in any way.

Caution: It is vital to carefully inspect the wing struts and tubes

within the Central Body before every flight, as they may cause a crash

if they are damaged in any way. This is particularly important if the

wings were found separated from the Central Body after a previous

flight.

6. Verify that the power cables within the battery compartment are well insulated and not damaged.

Note: A general inspection should be performed before every flight.

It is also good practice to perform a full airframe check regularly to

keep your eBee in good shape. See section ‘Full airframe and sensor

inspection’ on page 125 for more details.

29
Quick start guide

motor

propeller

propeller

attachment

rubber bands

motor

Step 2: Install the propeller

Mount the propeller on the motor axis. Important: the metal ring of the propeller

should be on the motor side. Secure the propeller using two attachment rubber

bands as illustrated above. Ensure that the propeller is lying flat against the motor

mount, and that the rubber bands do not show cracks or other signs of ageing.

Caution: Failure to use two rubber bands may result in the loss of the

propeller in flight!

Note: After extensive use, the rubber bands may develop cracks. This

is normal and is caused by the ageing of the rubber material. For maximum security, inspect the rubber bands regularly and discard them

if they show cracks. 10 spare rubber bands are included in the eBee

package for replacement.

30
Executing a flight

insert camera into

compartment plug in camera connector to camera plug

close camera

compartment lid

Step 3: Install the camera

Make sure that an empty memory card and a fully-charged battery are in the camera before inserting it into the eBee and closing the camera compartment lid. If

the camera connector is not already connected, plug it into the connector with

the icon on the eBee.

Caution: The eBee has not been designed to fly without the camera.

Attempting to fly without the camera may render the eBee unstable,

which may eventually lead to a crash.

31
Quick start guide

insert wing struts into central

body

ensure servo 

connection

mechanism is 

aligned

and engaged

Step 4: Attach the wings

Attach the wings to the central body by inserting the wing struts into the receptacles in the central body. Ensure that the ailerons are properly aligned with

the servo connection mechanism before pushing the wings fully into the central

body.

Caution: Flying with damaged wing struts or a badly engaged servo

connection mechanism may cause erratic flight and ultimately a

crash. Be sure to properly inspect and attach the wings before flight.

32
Executing a flight

blue preflight checks failed

pulse status LED:

green

solid status LED:

ready for startup

connect battery

red

blink status LED:

disconnect battery

connect battery and

insert into

compartment

close battery

compartment

Startup

process:

Step 5: Install and connect the battery

Lay the eBee horizontally on the ground outside in the vicinity of the take-off location, with the top face up. To install the battery, begin by connecting the power

cables to the battery. Insert the connectors firmly to the end in order to avoid undesired disconnection when in flight. Once connected, insert the battery into its

compartment and close the compartment lid.

Caution: Take care to keep the propeller area clear, in case it suddenly starts spinning.

33
Quick start guide

Note: Only connect the battery cables to the eBee when you are

ready for start-up. Do not leave the battery connected for extended

periods of time when the eBee is on the ground, as this may discharge

the batteries and cause irreparable damage. When connected and

not in flight, the eBee will briefly move its ailerons up and down every minute as a reminder that it is switched on.

As soon as the battery is connected the eBeewill perform an automatic self-check

of its sensors and acquire a GPS signal. Be sure not to move the eBee during these

tests. It is important that the eBee is not inclined more than 10 degrees in order to

start up properly. Pre-flight checks may last from a few seconds to several minutes

in the case of poor GPS signal reception. As a GPS signal is required for the checks

to complete, be sure to place the eBee outside with a clear view of the sky.

During the pre-flight checks the status LED will pulse blue. Once the pre-flight

checks are complete the eBee will flip its ailerons up and down and the status LED

will turn solid green to indicate it is ready. You may already connect the eBee to

eMotion 2 (Step 6) before pre-flight checks are complete to get a better idea of the

status of the checks.

Note: If there was any problem during the pre-flight checks performed by the eBee this will be indicated by a Pre-flight error in eMotion 2 as well as a by the status LED blinking red. See section ‘Preflight errors’ on page 134 for a description of possible Pre-flight errors

and how to handle them.

34
Executing a flight

when position

acquired

click OK

select eBee

select FTDI port

Step 6: Connect to eMotion 2

Start by connecting the USB radio module to your computer. Then launch eMotion 2, which will display the Connection window. Select the eBee connection profile, choose the corresponding FTDI port and click ‘OK’.

Note: Every eBee is paired with the radio modem it is delivered with,

and will only work with that particular modem. The name of the FTDI

port corresponding to the radio modem is labelled as ‘eBee-SERIAL’,

where SERIAL is the serial number of the eBee it is paired with.

When a connection is established eMotion 2 will display a map and the Status

Panel indicating the current state of the eBee. If the eBee has not yet detected

its location the Status Panel will appear in the top right corner of the Map Area

with the text ‘Waiting for GPS fix’. During this time the status LED on the eBee will

pulse blue.

Once a GPS position is acquired an icon of the eBee will appear at its location on

the map. If the eBee’s location is not on the map you can click the button from

the Toolbar to centre the map on the eBee. The eBee’s status on eMotion 2 will be

displayed as ‘Idle, Ready to take-off’ and the status LED will become solid green.

You can now load a flight plan you prepared earlier by selecting the Setup Phase

35
Quick start guide

tab from the Sidebar, clicking on ‘Load flight plan from file...’ and selecting your

flight plan file. Alternately you can plan the entire mission in the field, following

the same process outlined in section ‘Planning and simulating a flight’ on page 17.

36
Executing a flight

2.3 The setup phase of a flight

The setup phase of a flight includes the waypoints and actions related to the takeoff and landing of the eBee and includes the following locations:

• Take-off location: The point from which the eBee is launched, automatically set to the GPS location detected by the eBee when it is launched. This

location defines the height of 0 m/ATO (ATO stands for above take-off); the

altitudes of all other waypoints, when defined in m/ATO, are referenced to

the altitude of this location. Once launched, the eBee will try to keep its

wings level and climb until reaching the take-off transition height (with is

set by default to 20 m/ATO).

• Start waypoint: The first point that the eBee flies towards when launched

(once it reaches the take-off transition height).

• Home waypoint: The safe point for the eBee to circle in case of emergency,

as well as its landing position at the end of a flight for both Linear and Circular landings.

wind

direction

obstaclefree zones

40m

take-off 

transition

height reached

10m

60m

Take-off 

location

Home

waypoint

Start

waypoint

Approach

sector

37
Quick start guide

It is important to carefully select the take-off location, the Start waypoint and the

Home waypoint to ensure your eBee remains at a safe distance from obstacles.

The eBee should always be launched against the wind. Select a take-off location

clear of obstacles (buildings, rocks, power lines, hills, trees, etc.) within a distance

of at least 40 m in the upwind direction. Immediately after takeoff the eBee will

keep its wings level and climb in the general direction it was launched until it

reaches the take-off transition height7, at which point it will start flying towards

the Start waypoint.

By default, the Start waypoint is set to a distance of 80 m north of the initial GPS

fix of the eBee and a height of 75 m/ATO. It is good practice to move the Start

waypoint close to and upwind from the take-off location to allow a smooth transition between take-off and waypoint-directed flight. You can move waypoints

by clicking on them and dragging them within the Map Area8.

The Home waypoint is used both as the landing location and as a safety position

in case of a In-flight warning. The eBee can perform either a Linear or a Circular

landing. Linear landing is the default and recommended landing type, especially

in high winds. To prepare a Linear landing, place the Home waypoint centre at a

location that is at the same height as the take-off location and is clear of obstacles

in a 10 m radius. Choose one or several approach sectors that are free of obstacles

for at least 60 m from the Home waypoint centre. You can drag the approach sector around the Home waypoint and change its width directly in the Map Area or

from within the Setup Phase tab. Make the approach sector(s) as wide as possible

to maximize the chance that the eBee can subsequently land against the direction

of the wind. Ensure that the terrain within the approach sector is flat and contains

visual contrast to allow the ground sensor to function properly during landing.

When a Linear landing is initiated (either automatically or by pressing the ‘Go

Land’ button in the control bar) the eBee will fly towards the Home waypoint, circle the waypoint (at 75 m/ATO by default) to measure the direction of the wind at

the landing location and choose an approach direction as much against the direc-

7 By default the take-off transition height is set to 20 m. You can change this parameter in the Flight

Parameters tab, as described in section ‘Flight Parameters tab’ on page 108.

8 see section ‘Waypoints and their properties’ on page 57 for a more detailed explanation on waypoints and how to modify them

38
Executing a flight

tion of the wind as possible. It will then fly downwind in the opposite direction

of the approach direction, turn 180◦and begin descending in the approach direction until it lands towards the centre of the Home waypoint. The approach angle

is around 20° and the eBee will reverse its thrust if needed to maintain a suitable

airspeed during this phase.

Note: There are a number of requirements that must be fulfilled

to ensure a successful Linear landing. Section ‘Linear landing’ on

page 69 describes in more detail the Linear landing process and how

to properly define approach sectors in more complex terrain. In

particular, in the case of strong-wind conditions, low light or lowcontrast terrain, the precision of the final landing location around

the Home waypoint is reduced. Therefore, it is safer to plan for more

clearance, especially in the downwind direction.

If there are no suitable approach sectors to perform a Linear landing the eBee can

also perform a Circular landing around the Home waypoint. When initiating a Circular landing around the Home waypoint the eBee will switch off its motor and

glide down while circling around the Home waypoint at the waypoint’s radius.

During the Circular landing procedure the eBee uses its ground sensor to measure

its distance to the ground, if the ground is well textured and there is enough light.

When it reaches a height of 30 m above the ground the eBee will level out, estimate the direction of the wing and resume its descent so as to touch down against

the wind while remaining on the circle defined by the Home waypoint.

Caution: The ground sensor can only provide usable feedback in

daylight conditions above flat terrain that contains enough visual texture. If these conditions are not met the eBee cannot ensure a touchdown against the direction of the wind. Landing in the direction

of the wind in strong-wind conditions may result in a high landing

speed and damage to the eBee.

To prepare a Circular landing, place the Home waypoint in a location that has no

obstacles within a radius of 50 m (or 20 m more than the Home waypoint radius)

to give the eBee enough space to land. Ensure that the entire landing area is flat to

39
Quick start guide

allow the ground sensor to function properly. By default, the radius of the Home

waypoint is 30 m. In high-wind conditions it is recommended to increase this

diameter9.

Caution: The radius of the Home waypoint, and thus of a Circular

landing, can be reduced to 20 m but should only be done in low wind

conditions (<3 m/s). Reducing the radius of the Home waypoint below 30 m in moderate- or high-wind conditions can result in damage

to the eBee when it contacts the ground during a landing. As indicative values, the Home waypoint radius should be set to 30 m for wind

speeds below 5 m/s, 40 m for wind speeds between 5-8 m/s, and to

50 m for wind speeds above 8 m/s.

Note: In case of strong-wind conditions, the eBee may drift even further than 50 m away from the center of the Home waypoint when

performing a Circular landing. Therefore, it is safer to plan for even

more clearance in the downwind direction.

By default, the Home waypoint is set to a height of 75 m/ATO. In case a Go to

Home Waypoint procedure is triggered during flight10 the eBee will, by default,

determine the highest altitude between its current altitude and the Home waypoint’s altitude, and climb in a circle towards that highest altitude (if required).

Once it reaches this highest height it will then fly towards the Home waypoint.

Due to this behaviour, the height of the Home waypoint should be selected with

care; it should be at least 20 m higher than the surrounding obstacles to avoid the

risk of a crash, but should not be set too high to reduce the effect of potentially

high winds and altitude and to prevent the eBee from getting lost. Alternately,

you can change the altitude transition behaviour within the Setup Phase tab. See

section ‘Waypoints and their properties’ on page 57 for more information on altitude transition behaviours and how to modify them.

9 see section ‘Setup Phase tab’ on page 92

10 either automatically due to an In-flight warning or manually using eMotion 2

40
Executing a flight

2.4 Take-off

Once you’ve planned your mission and the eBee status LED is solid green you can

launch it using the procedure on the following pages.

Caution: Make sure to keep the propeller area free of all obstructions

at all times during the launch procedure.

no holdingzone

d anger zone

green

solid status LED: bluepulse status LED:

Not horizontal!

Step 1: Orient horizontally and against the wind

Orient yourself against the direction of the wind, and confirm that the take-off direction in front of you is free of obstacles. Firmly grasp the eBee with both hands,

one hand on the front of each wing as shown in the figure. Hold the eBee horizontally with the nose pointed against the wind and level wings.

41
Quick start guide

Note: If the eBee detects a condition that prevents correct take-off

a Take-off veto will be displayed in eMotion 2 and the status LED will

start pulsing blue. Section ‘Take-off vetos’ on page 137 describes the

possible Take-off veto messages and the user action that should be

taken to remove them. For example, if the eBee is not oriented horizontally the status LED will start pulsing blue until you re-orient it

horizontally, at which point the status LED turns solid green again.

Caution: It is imperative to launch the eBee directly against the wind,

otherwise it will be unable to gain enough speed during take-off and

likely crash. Likewise, launching the eBee in high winds above the

specified safe wind speed of 12 m/s is dangerous and can result in a

crash.

shake 3x

no holdingzone

anger zone

shake 3x

motor startup begin

green

solid status LED:

blue

pulse status LED:

Step 2: Switch the motor on

Shake the eBee back and forth 3 times longitudinally (within approx. 3 seconds)

to begin the motor power-up sequence. The status LED will pulse blue until the

motor is at full power and ready for take-off.

Note: You do not need to hurry to launch the eBee. In case you want

to shut off the motor, just repeat the back and forth action three times

and the motor will stop.

42
Executing a flight

motor ready for take-off

green

blink status LED:

blue

pulse status LED:

green

solid status LED:

step forward and release

Caution: always orient the eBee

against the wind for take-off!

place nose up 10°

10°

danger zone

Step 3: Launch the eBee

Once the motor is at full power the status LED will blink green. Orient the eBee

with approximately 10 degrees nose up and level wings. When the angle is correct

the status LED will turn solid green, indicating that the eBee is ready for take-off.

Launch the eBee with a gentle push by walking 1-2 steps forward while releasing

it with both hands in a purely forward motion.

After take-off, the eBee tries to maintain its initial direction by keeping its wings

levelwith full thrust until reaching the take-off transition height, by default 20 m11.

At this point, it will switch into waypoint navigation mode and fly towards the

Start waypoint. Once it reaches the Start waypoint location and height the eBee

will circle around the waypoint 1-2 times to estimate the wind and calibrate its

sensors before starting the mapping mission12.

11 see section ‘Flight Parameters tab’ on page 108 to change this parameter

12 The eBee may also be programmed to wait at the Start waypoint for a command before starting its

mapping mission. See section ‘Setup Phase tab’ on page 92 for more information.

43
Quick start guide

Control Bar

Status

Panel

Flight Monitoring tab

Wind

speed

and

direction

Estimated

picture

footprint

2.5 In-flight monitoring and control

You can monitor and control your eBeewhile in-flight through eMotion 2 using the

Map Area and the Flight Monitoring tab in the Sidebar.

The Map Area displays the current position of your eBee, updated live as the eBee

executes its flight. A small arrow and infobox show the speed and direction of

the wind as measured by the eBee. The Status Panel that follows the position of

the eBee displays basic flight information including battery charge, flight time and

height, both above the take-off location(ATO) andfrom mean sea-level(MSL). This

same information is reproduced in the Flight Monitoring tab, along with other

useful flight data.

44
Executing a flight

Note: All waypoints, image locations and flight paths displayed in

eMotion 2 are a reflection of the data contained within the eBee autopilot. If at any point the connection between eMotion 2 and the

eBee is lost, the eBeewill by default continue its planned flight, including the imaging mission and the selected automatic landing, fully autonomously. If you would like the eBee to return to the Home waypoint instead of continuing its mission when it detects a loss of connection you may set the appropriate parameter in the Flight Parameters tab, as described in section ‘Flight Parameters tab’ on page 108.

During the Mission phase of the flight the eBee will automatically take pictures at

pre-defined moments based on the parameters that were defined during mission

planning. The estimated area captured on the ground is displayed in the form of

a continuously-updating polygon in the Map Area.

Note: The eBee will not take a picture unless it is in the correct location and altitude. Some reasons for not taking an image are strong

head wind, large off-track distance or incorrect altitude. A corresponding message is displayed in the Status Panel if a picture is not

taken.

At the top of the Map Area is the Control Bar, which can be used at any time to

send commands to your eBee as well as to acknowledge warning and failure messages if they occur. During a fully autonomous flight the eBeewill control its flight

autonomously from take-off to landing and you do not need to use any of the control buttons. They can however be useful in unexpected situations to temporarily

hold position by pressing the ‘HOLD POSITION’ button or to send the eBee to the

Home or Start waypoints with the ‘GO TO HOME WPT’ or ‘GO TO START WPT’ buttons, respectively. We recommend you use the simulator to learn the effects of

the buttons on the eBee. Detailed descriptions of the buttons and their effects on

the eBee are described in section ‘Control Bar’ on page 86.

45
Quick start guide

2.6 Landing

After finishing a mapping mission the eBee will, by default13, return to the Home

waypoint and automatically initiate a landing sequence. During a Linear landing,

the eBee will land in a straight line according to the process described in section

‘Linear landing’ on page 69. In case of a Circular landing the eBee will land in a

circle according to the process described in section ‘The setup phase of a flight’

on page 37.

Disconnect the battery from the eBee before picking it up. We recommend you

immediately import the images and flight data after each flight (see section ‘Importing images and flight data’ on page 49) before putting the eBee back in its

case for storage. When disconnecting the wings, be sure to pull gently in the axis

of the wing struts to prevent damage to the wing struts. Check the wing struts for

any damage before putting them into the storage case. Remove the propeller if

you don’t plan on using the eBee for an extended period of time.

2.7 Potential in-flight errors

The eBee can encounter two types of error messages while flying: In-flight warnings and Critical failures. In-flight warnings typically indicate a dangerous situation such as a low battery or strong winds and typically result in a Security action such as a return to the Home waypoint. In-flight warnings appear in blue or

yellow in the Flight Monitoring tab. Critical failures occur only when the eBee’s

ability to fly is severely compromised, such as a loss of GPS position or an empty

battery. The situation will be displayed in red in the Status section of the Flight

Monitoring tab. When a critical failure arises, the eBee will immediately perform

an emergency landing.

13 see section ‘Setup Phase tab’ on page 92 for information on changing the default behaviours of the

eBee

46
Executing a flight

Caution: We recommend that you familiarise yourself with the possible in-flight errors to have a better understanding of what happens

if they occur in the field. A full list of possible In-flight warnings and

Critical failures and the eBee’s reaction to them is described in section ‘In-flight warnings’ on page 139 and section ‘Critical failures’ on

page 151.

Note: It is important to keep track of the location of the eBee during

a Critical failure until the moment it reaches the ground. Its position’s

coordinates can aid in finding it afterwards. Instructions on how to

find a lost eBee can be found in section ‘Losing and locating your eBee

in the field’ on page 156.

47

3 Processing image data

Goal of this section: In this section you will learn how to import images and flight data from your eBee and create basic mapping products directly in the field to gauge the quality of the images that you

gathered.

3.1 Importing images and flight data

The next step to creating mapping products, after completing a flight, is to import

the raw images and log files to a computer. The eBee records flight data onboard in

a special Drone Flight Log file. The Drone Flight Log tracks important information

throughout a flight, such as sensor data, GPS location and control inputs. The file

is required for assigning GPS location information to the images taken by the eBee.

The file is also required and must be sent to senseFly Ltd in case an issue occurred

during the flight14. A similar eMotion Flight Log file is created within eMotion 2

during a flight and serves as a backup in case the Drone Flight Log file cannot be

recovered.

eMotion 2 features a Flight Data Manager to help you transfer and consolidate all

the data related to a mapping mission. Open the Flight Data Manager by clicking

on the Flight Data Manager icon when you load eMotion 2. Alternately, click on

the icon in the Toolbar and select ‘Flight Data Manager...’.

14 see section ‘Reporting a problem with your eBee ’ on page 157
Quick start guide

click OK

select Flight

Data Manager

Follow these steps to import data from the eBee:

1. Step 1 - Select a flight: If the flight was monitored from the computer

you are using to import images then the flight is saved within the local

database. Select the date that the flight took place. A list of flights (including number of images taken) from that date will appear in the combo

box, select the one you wish to import.

2. Step 2 - Create a directory: Choose a directory name that uniquely identifies your flight (e.g. the date, the name of the area, etc.).

connect USB cable

to autopilot

50
Processing image data

3. Step 3 - Prepare data for import: To import the Drone Flight Log, connect

the supplied USB cable to the eBee’s autopilot, marked with a icon. Connect the battery to the eBee if it is not already connected. The status LED

will become white and a new storage drive will appear on your computer.

To import images, remove the SD card from the camera, insert it into the

SD card reader of your computer and select ‘Import from SD-card reader’.

Alternately, transfer the images from the camera by lifting it out of its compartment just enough to connect a USB cable to the it and turn the camera

on. Copy all the images into a temporary folder on your computer. Select

‘Import from a specific folder’ and choose the temporary folder. There is no

need to disconnect the camera from the eBee when importing pictures.

4. Step 4 - Import flight logs: Confirm that the Drone and eMotion Flight

Logs found by the Flight Data Manager are correct. You may select logs

manually if they are not correctly detected.

5. Step 5 - Import images: Confirm that the images corresponding to your

flight were found and matched to the Drone Flight Log correctly.

6. Step 6 - Select outputs: Choose the output actions to execute and files to

create. Geotagging images is necessary to create geoinfo, KML and Postflight Terra 3D-EB files.

7. Step 7 - Import complete: You may now disconnect the drone. Eject the

SD-card drive and the eBee drive before removing the SD-card and the USB

cable, respectively. Disconnect the battery and USB cable from the eBee.

Insert the SD-card back into the camera, put it back properly into its compartment and ensure that it is turned off. You can now open the KML file in

Google EarthTM or the project in Postflight Terra 3D-EB for further processing.

51
Quick start guide

3.2 In-field image quality check

Postflight Terra 3D-EB software15, available as a free download with the eBee package, can be used to rapidly create a Quality Report directly in the field. The Quality

Report that is automatically generated as well as the orthomosaic provide immediate feedback on the quality of the images gathered during your mission.

You can open a project for processing in Postflight Terra 3D-EB directly from the

Flight Data Manager after importing your data by clicking the ‘Open project in

Terra’ button. You will now see the main Postflight Terra 3D-EB window. The position of your images will appear as red dots in the Map Area of Postflight Terra 3DEB.

Map Area

Top Toolbar

Project

Summary

Local

Processing

panel

Layers

Step 1: select ‘1. Initial project processing’, ‘Rapid’ Step 2: click ‘Start’

Automatic Reconstruction

Report generation

To create a Quality Report while in the field bring up the local processing panel by

selecting ‘Local processing’ from the ‘Process’ menu or by clicking the icon in

15 powered by Pix4D, see section ‘Installing eMotion 2, Postflight Terra 3D-EB and the radio module

drivers’ on page 17 for installation instructions

52
Processing image data

the Toolbar. Select only the ‘Initial project processing’ checkbox and the ‘Rapid’

button. If you wish to create a low-resolution orthomosaic while generating the

report, check the ‘Orthomosaic and DEM generation’ checkbox. Click ‘Start’ to

begin rapid processing.

Postflight Terra 3D-EBwill now process the data and produce a report that includes

the overall completeness and georeference quality of the images taken during

your last mission. You may use this information to decidewhetherfurther imaging

flights are required while you are still in the field. The report will be displayed on

the right side of the main Postflight Terra 3D-EB window (click the icon in the

Toolbar if it does not appear). The report is also available as a PDF file in the ‘report’

subfolder of your project folder. If you selected orthomosaic generation, you can

find the resulting low-resolution orthomosaic in the ‘orthomosaic’ subfolder of

your project folder.

3.3 Creating advanced mapping products

Beyond Quality Reports and low-resolution orthomosaics, Postflight Terra 3D-EB

can generate geo-referenced high-resolution 2D orthomosaics, 3D point clouds,

triangle models and DEMs or export to common third-party photogrammetry software such as Bingo, Orima or Inpho. Ground Control Points (GCP) can be added to

increase the geo-reference accuracy. Postflight Terra 3D-EB also includes seamline

editing, giving you more control on the quality of your final mapping products, as

well as a simple measurement tool.

Note: The best way to learn how to use the various features of Postflight Terra 3D-EB is to look at the comprehensive in-application user

manual by clicking ‘Help contents’ from the ‘Help’ menu.

53

Part II

Advanced functionalities

4 Understanding aerial mapping with the eBee

Goal of this section: Aerial mapping using the eBee is designed to be

simple and fully automatic, requiring very little input from the user.

Understanding the basics of aerial navigation, however, can help you

map more complex terrain and yield higher quality results. This section explains the basics ofwaypoint-based navigation and the control

strategies used by the eBee for flight.

4.1 Waypoints and their properties

The eBee uses a flight plan consisting of a list of waypoints to navigate. A waypoint

essentially consists of a circle about a given position and information that defines

how the eBee should behave when reaching them. The entire list of waypoints is

stored in the eBee autopilot and can be remotely edited using eMotion 2.

from previous

waypoint

to next

waypoint

Position (GPS coordinates)

Altitude above:

Take-off position (m/ATO)

OR

Mean Sea Level (m/MSL)

Radius

Direction

In eMotion 2 every waypoint is defined by the following parameters:

• ID: Every mission waypoint has a unique ID, beginning at 1. The eBee can

store up to 50 mission waypoints. Setup phase waypoints (Start and Home)

do not have an ID.
Advanced functionalities

• Active: Indicates whether the waypoint is active or not. Deactivating a

waypoint by clicking the checkbox beside its ID will remove it from the current flight plan. Setup phase waypoints (Start and Home) cannot be deactivated.

• Current: A status that indicates if the waypoint is currently being circled

or navigated toward (indicated by > < around the waypoint’s ID). Only one

waypoint is marked Current at a time.

• Change altitude: This parameter defines the way the eBee transitions to

the altitude of the waypoint once the waypoint becomes the current waypoint.

– During transit: The eBee will fly in the direction of the current waypointwhile simultaneously changing altitude by climbing or descending in a linear fashion. If the required climb or descent rate is beyond

physical limits, the eBee will reach the destination and keep climbing/descending around the destination waypoint. This is typically

used to achieve the best efficiency when the altitude between waypoints is not constrained.

– Before transit: The eBee will first climb or descend at its current position until it reaches the altitude of the waypoint, and then fly in the

direction of the waypoint at its altitude. This is typically used for 3D

mapping.

– Keep highest: The eBee will first determine whether its current altitude or the waypoint’s altitude is highest. If its current altitude is

highest, it will first fly towards the waypoint and then descent to the

waypoint’s altitude in a circular fashion. If the waypoint’s altitude is

highest, the eBee will begin by climbing at its current position until it reaches the waypoint’s altitude and then fly towards the waypoint. This is typically useful to avoid hitting the terrain in mountainous landscapes and, in particular, for the Home waypoint when the

mission altitude is below the take-off location.

• Altitude: The altitude of the waypoint above the altitude reference. The

58
Understanding aerial mapping with the eBee

waypoint is considered ‘reached’ only when the eBee starts circling about

it at the waypoint’s altitude.

• Altitude reference: The reference point of the Altitude value. When set to

m/ATO, the Altitude value is a height Above Take-off (ATO) altitude. When

set to m/MSL, the Altitude value is a height above Mean Sea Level (MSL).

The altitudes of Setup phase waypoints (Start and Home) are always set to

m/ATO.

• Turn direction: The direction that the eBee flies around the circle (clockwise or counter-clockwise);

• Radius: The distance at which the eBee will circle around the waypoint.

Note: The eBee has a limited turning radius. Setting this paramater

lower than 20 m may cause the eBee to significantly deviate from its

desired flight path.

• Auto-next: Indicates whether the eBee should remain on the waypoint

upon reaching it (until a new command is received) or automatically continue to the next active waypoint.

• Action: The action (if any) to be performed upon reaching the waypoint.

Supported actions include starting and stopping Continuous photo mode16.

Setup phase parameters (Start and Home) do not have associated Actions.

• Position (GPS coordinates): The precise latitude and longitude of the

centre of the waypoint.

Waypoints are represented in the Map Area as circles with their actual radius and

an arrow to indicate their direction. The flight path of the eBee around and in

between waypoints is drawn as a line of varying opacity; the path ahead of the

eBee’s current position is dark, becoming lighter the further it is from the current

position in the flight plan. The path already traversed is a uniform light colour.

16 see section ‘Camera tab’ on page 105

59
Advanced functionalities

If a waypoint’s Auto-next parameter is disabled, the path directly after it will be

dashed, indicating that a command must be sent for the flight to continue.

Clicking a waypoint in the Map Area will display its characteristics (waypoint ID

for mission waypoints or name for setup waypoints, altitude, radius and action)

and will select it for modification. It will also activate the Mission Waypoints tab

and highlight the selected waypoint.

Current

waypoint

Selected

waypoint

Traversed flight path

Future

flight path

Inactive

flight path

Current status

Flight path

altitude

You can modify the waypoint’s parameters directly in the Map Area using your

mouse using the following actions:

• Position: Change the position by left-clicking on the waypoint and dragging it around on the map.By default the waypoint snaps to a position inline with the current flight lines before and after the waypoint. Hold down

the ‘Alt’ button while dragging to disable the snapping feature.

• Turn direction: Hold down the ‘Shift’ button while left-clicking on a waypoint to toggle its turn direction.

• Radius: Modify the radius by left-clicking on the circle and dragging it.

60
Understanding aerial mapping with the eBee

• Altitude: Hold down the ‘Ctrl’ button while left-clicking on the waypoint

and moving the mouse up or down to increase or decrease the altitude of

the waypoint, respectively.

• Create new waypoint: Right-click anywhere in the Map Area that does not

contain a symbol to bring up the context menu, then select ‘Add waypoint

here’ to add a new waypoint.

• Context menu: Right-click on a waypoint to bring up the context menu.

You can then select the following options:

– Go to: Select while the eBee is in flight to make this the current destination waypoint.

– Auto-next: Toggle the Auto-next parameter of the waypoint.

– Reverse turn direction: Toggle the Turn direction parameter of the

waypoint.

– Change altitude: Set the transition behaviour of the eBee when flying towards the selected waypoint.

– Remove waypoint: Remove the selected waypoint.

Any modification will be sent directly to the eBee to update its onboard waypoint

list. If the message is not acknowledged by the eBee (for example due to a temporary loss of communication link), the waypoint will move back to its previous

position on the map to accurately reflect the current waypoint list status within

the eBee’s autopilot.

Note: Modification of flight plan parameters can cause the eBee to

react in unexpected ways. In particular, the eBee may have trouble

following its flight path when the radius is set very low or if there is

high wind. We highly encourage you to test your entire flight plan

using the simulator to get familiar with the eBee’s behaviours before

going out into the field.

61
Advanced functionalities

4.2 Advanced polygonal mission area

The mission area defines the area of interest where the eBee will take photos. It

appears as a grey rectangle when you select the ‘Mission planning’ tab and to calculate the flight plan of the eBee. For many cases the rectangular-shaped mission

area provides the simplest way to quickly create a flight plan. It can be modified

as described in section ‘The mission phase of a flight’ on page 21.

For more complex areas eMotion 2 has the option of using polygonal-shaped missions areas. Begin by converting a rectangular area into a polygonal area by setting the ‘Mission area’ type to ‘Polygonal’ in the ‘Mission planning’ tab or by rightclicking on the area and selecting ‘Convert to polygon’.

A polygonal mission area is set slightly differently than a rectangular mission area:

• The edges of the rectangle now become vertices of the polygon. Left-click

on a vertex to drag and reposition the vertex.

• Left-click and drag anywhere on the edge of the polygon to create a new

vertex and reposition it.

• Right-click on vertex and select ‘Remove vertex’ to remove a vertex. Alternately, hold down the ‘Ctrl’ button and left-click on a vertex to remove it.

• Left-click and drag on the dark-grey area within the polygon to reposition

the entire polygon.

• Left-click and drag the circle on the corner of the light-grey rectangle surrounding the polygon to rotate the direction of the resulting flight lines.

You may also set a polygonal mission area directly from a KML file containing a

polygon, such as those created by Google EarthTM. Simply click on the icon in

the ‘Mission planning’ tab, select ‘Load mission area from KML file’ and choose a

KML file that contains the desired polygon.

62
Understanding aerial mapping with the eBee

4.3 3D mission planning using elevation data

eMotion 2 has the ability to take into account elevation data to set the altitude of

mission waypoints and the resulting flight lines of a mapping mission. This not

only improves the resulting ground resolution but also increases mission safety

(particularly in uneven terrain) by keeping a more even distance between the eBee

and the ground.

Caution: eMotion 2 uses Shuttle Radar Topography Mission, or SRTM

version 2.1 elevation data. This data has near-global coverage between 56◦

S and 60◦N latitude, and is available as a 3 arc-second (approx. 90 m resolution) digital elevation model. This data may contain

inaccuracies of several meters, may have no-data holes (particularly

around mountain and desert areas) and does not contain data on obstacles such as buildings or trees. We highly recommend that you

check your flight plan thoroughly in Google EarthTM and ensure sufficient clearance between the flight plan and the ground. SenseFly Ltd

provides no guarantee regarding the accuracy of the elevation data

and it is the operator’s sole responsibility to ensure a safe flight trajectory and altitude.

You can activate the 3D mission planning feature by selecting the ‘Use elevation

data to set absolute waypoint altitudes’ parameter in the ‘Mission Planning’ tab.

Once activated, eMotion 2will download elevation data17 for the mission area that

is currently defined. Elevation data is displayed in the Map Area above the current

map using a range of colours based on the legend in the bottom-right corner of

the Map Area18.

Elevation data is used to adjust every mission waypoint altitude as follows:

1. The flight planner uses elevation data to find the maximal terrain elevation

under the current waypoint, the previous waypoint and the flight line that

connects the two.

17 eMotion 2 must be connected to the internet. Once downloaded, elevation tiles are cached and can

then be used off-line.

18 You may adjust the colours by double-clicking on the legend.

63
Advanced functionalities

2. This maximum value is increased by the target altitude value, and the result

is set as the altitude of the current waypoint.

The altitude of every waypoint can always be manually adjusted in the Mission

Waypoints tab. By default, the ‘Change altitude’ parameter for the first mission

waypoint is set to ‘Highest’. For all other mission waypoints the ‘Change altitude’

parameter is set to ‘Before transit’ so that the eBee climbs or descends to the altitude of the next waypoint (and thus the next flight line) before transiting and

taking pictures.

It is important to understand that even if each flight line can have a different altitude, the altitude is constant along a given flight line. If the terrain height is

uneven along a flight line, the resulting imagery will have varying ground resolution and overlap. When the mission planner computes the altitudes of flight lines

it tries to ensure that the required amount of overlap is achieved, possibly leading to a lower ground resolution in some areas. During flight planning the range

of ground resolution computed by the mission planner is displayed. For optimal

results, it is best to set the orientation of the flight lines as parallel as possible to

the terrain’s contour lines.

4.4 Flight visualization in Google EarthTM

eMotion 2 includes an interface with Google EarthTM to help with flight plan verification and visualization, particularly in uneven terrain. Clicking on the button

in the Toolbar will open Google EarthTM and zoom to the current position of the

eBee. The current position of eBee, its planned trajectory, the working area circle

and all waypoints currently uploaded to the eBee (including Take-Off, Start and

Home) are displayed within Google EarthTM. Any changes to waypoints or flight

parameters within eMotion 2 are updated accordingly within Google EarthTM.

The interface with Google EarthTM is particularly useful to check the eBee’s trajectory with respect to obstacles in the area19. The flight plan is projected onto the

ground in a darker colour, giving you an idea of the distance between the flight

19 While checking flight plans in Google EarthTM is a good safety practice, senseFly Ltd provides no

guarantee regarding the accuracy and completeness of the Google EarthTM terrain model.

64
Understanding aerial mapping with the eBee

path and the ground. If you connect to a simulated eBee you can simulate the

entire flight and follow the eBee within Google EarthTM.

Note: To use this feature Google EarthTM has to be installed on the

ground station PC, as described in section ‘Installing eMotion 2, Postflight Terra 3D-EB and the radio module drivers’ on page 17. We recommend to use the last version of the Google EarthTM software.

Caution: A flight trajectory visualized in Google EarthTM represents

the planned trajectory. The real flight trajectory can be different from

the planned due to flight conditions such as strong wind.

Caution: The terrain data within Google EarthTM, including hills and

buildings, may contain significant errors. When planning flights over

uneven terrain be sure to keep sufficient distance between the flight

plan and the terrain.

65
Advanced functionalities

4.5 Autonomous controller and modes of flight

Idle

(on ground)

Take-off

Circle

Start Waypoint

Perform

Mission

Circular

Landing

Switch On

after a few seconds

on ground

shake 3x

and release

after climbing

to take-off

transition height

automatically after

if Circular 2 complete circles

landing selected

if ‘Wait on Start

waypoint after

take-off’ is

enabled

if ‘Go to start waypoint

after mission’ is enabled 

when mission is completed

Circle

Home Waypoint

Hold

Position

if ‘Restart mission 

after mission’

is enabled

Emergency

Landing

Full

Manual

Assisted

Manual

Autonomous operation modes

Manual and emergency modes

Linear

Landing

if Linear

landing

selected

plug in battery

During a typical flight the autonomous controller on the eBeewill switch between

various modes depending on its flight plan and the commands that it receives

from the Control Bar20. The controller changes between modes during a typical

mission as shown in the figure above, and as described in more detail in the following list:

• After being switched on and running pre-flight checks the eBee will enter

Idle mode until it is ready to be launched. Shaking the eBee back and forth

20 see section ‘Control Bar’ on page 86 for details on the Control Bar

66
Understanding aerial mapping with the eBee

three times initiates the take-off procedure21 and changes to the Take-off

mode.

• After take-off the eBee climbswith levelwings, gaining altitude until it reaches

the take-off transition height, by default 20 m22 above the take-off location.

At this point the eBee heads for the Start waypoint and changes to Circle

Start Waypoint mode.

• Once it reaches the Start waypoint, the eBee circles the waypoint several

times to estimate the strength of the wind. Once it calculates the estimated

wind the eBee either:

– heads towards the first mission waypoint, if ‘Start mission’ is selected

in the ‘After take-off’ panel of the Setup Phase tab, and changes to

Perform Mission mode.

– continues circling the Start waypoint until a command is received

from the Control Bar (typically a ‘START MISSION’ command that is

sent once a flight plan is finalized).

• While in Perform Mission mode the eBee flies between all enabled mission

waypoints, taking images of the ground below. Once it reaches the final

mission waypoint the eBee either:

– heads towards the Home waypoint, if ‘Land’ or ‘Go to Home waypoint’ is selected in the ‘After mission’ panel of the Setup Phase tab,

and changes to Circle Home Waypoint mode.

– heads towards the Start waypoint, if ‘Go to Start waypoint’ is selected

in the ‘After mission’ panel of the Setup Phase tab, and changes to

Circle Start Waypoint mode.

– heads towards the first mission waypoint, if ‘Restart mission’ is selected in the ‘After mission’ panel of the Setup Phase tab, and remains

in Perform Mission mode.

21 as described in section ‘Take-off’ on page 41

22 see section ‘Flight Parameters tab’ on page 108 for details on changing this height

67
Advanced functionalities

• Once it reaches the Home waypoint (if in Circle Home Waypoint mode) the

eBee will either:

– begin a Circular landing procedure and change to Circular Landing

mode, if ‘Land’ is selected in the ‘After mission’ list and ‘Circular landing’ is selected in the Landing type list of the Setup Phase tab.

– begin a Linear landing procedure(as described in section ‘Linear landing’ on the following page) and change to Linear Landing mode, if

‘Land’ is selected in the ‘After mission’ list and ‘Linear landing’ is selected in the Landing type list of the Setup Phase tab.

– circles the Homewaypoint and remains in Circle HomeWaypoint mode

until a command is sent.

• After completing a landing procedure and detecting that it has successfully

landed, the eBee changes to Idle mode.

• Turning on the remote control will cause the eBee to enter either Assisted

Manual or Full Manual mode, depending on the setting in the Flight Parameters tab23. Turning off the remote control will return the eBee to its

previous mode.

• Clicking the ‘HOLD POSITION’ button in the Control Bar at any time will

cause the eBee to start circling its current position and change to Hold Position mode until it receives a new command from the Control Bar. This

mode is also enabled automatically after certain In-flight warning or Critical failure conditions24.

• Clicking the ‘LAND NOW’ button in the Control Bar three times in quick succession will cause the eBee to initiate a Circular landing procedure at its current location and change to Emergency Landing mode. This mode is also

enabled automatically after certain In-flight warning or Critical failure conditions.

23 see section ‘Manual control of the eBee ’ on page 113 for information on the various manual control

modes

24 see section ‘Troubleshooting’ on page 133 for a full list of In-flight warning and Critical failure conditions and the subsequent reactions of the eBee

68
Understanding aerial mapping with the eBee

4.6 Linear landing

A typical Linear landing follows these steps:

1. The eBee flies towards the Home waypoint (defined by the user within eMotion 2; default altitude is 75 m/ATO). The altitude change behaviour between the current location and the Home waypoint depends on the ‘Altitude change’ parameter of the Home waypoint. By default, it is defined

as ‘Keep highest’, which means that the drone will fly at the highest altitude

between its current altitude and the Home waypoint’s altitude, climbing in

a spiral first if needed.

2. Once the Home waypoint is reached the eBee circles the waypoint and descends to a fixed altitude of 75 m/ATO.

3. The eBee circles to estimate the wind speed and direction. An approach direction is then calculated as close to the upwind direction as possiblewithin

the allowable approach sectors (defined by the user within eMotion 2).

4. The eBee flies downwind against the approach direction. After flying for a

sufficient distance it turns around to align itself with the approach direction.

5. The eBee glides down in the approach direction at a controlled speed and

descent angle of approximately 20◦, braking by spinning its propeller in

reverse if necessary.

6. When the eBee detects a distance of around 20 m to the ground it begins

to level out its descent.

7. When the eBee detects a distance of around 3 m to the ground it performs

a final brake to reduce its speed and lifts its nose.

8. The eBee then glides for the final few metres in a deep stall until it lands.

69
Advanced functionalities

15 ̊ 20 ̊

Landing location

below Home waypoint

50m 50m 60m 10m

13.4m

26.8m

3. Circle to

measure wind

4. Fly in calculated direction

5. Glide with controlled

angle and speed

7. Final brake 

at 3m

8. Deep stall

to ground

6. Start level 

out at 20m

approach sectors

Home

calculated upwind waypoint

approach direction

calculated downwind

direction

estimated wind

direction

Home

waypoint 1. Aproach Home

waypoint

2. Descend to 75m

measure wind

Linear landing procedure, seen from the side

Linear landing procedure, seen from above within eMotion 2

Height of

75m

70
Understanding aerial mapping with the eBee

The Linear landing process uses an optical-based sensor to detect the proximity

of the ground. A number of conditions on the environment and the positions of

the Home waypoint and approach sectors must be met in order for the ground

sensor to function correctly and ensure the accuracy of the Linear landing:

• The Linear landing location must be at the same altitude as the Take-off

location, as the eBee uses the altitude of the Take-off location to level out

and slow down before landing (Steps 6-8).

Caution: Moving the Home waypoint to a location with a different

ground altitude than the Take-off location will decrease the accuracy

of the Linear landing and may result in damage to the eBee.

• A Linear landing can only be performed over flat terrain. Ensure that the

ground is flat and at the same altitude as the Take-off location for a distance of at least 100 m from the Linear landing location within every approach sector. It is also recommended to have flat terrain in the opposite

direction of every approach sector in case a Linear landing is aborted in its

final stages.

Caution: Attempting a Linear landing on sloped terrain, the top of

a roof or the edge of a cliff or any other terrain that is not flat will

likely result in false detection of the distance to the ground during

the approach and may result in damage to the eBee. In particular,

landing downhill may cause a large overshoot and should always be

avoided.

• Ensure that there are no obstacles within 60 m of the Linear landing location within all approach sectors and within a radius of 10 m around the Linear landing location. If there are some obstacles in the distance, ensure that

the top of the obstacles is at no more than a 15◦angle from the point 60 m

from the Linear landing location, as indicated in the figure on the previous

71
Advanced functionalities

page. It is also recommended to not have any obstacles in the opposite direction of all approach sectors, in case the Linear landing is aborted before

completion.

Caution: It is not recommended to perform Linear landings between

tall obstacles, as they may disturb the GPS sensor on the eBee.

• In order to limit the ground speed when landing and to achieve the best

landing accuracy, the eBee should only perform a Linear landing against

the direction of the wind. Approach sectors should be as large as possible

and in as many directions as possible to allow the eBee to select the optimal

approach direction based on its estimate of the wind. If all of the available

approach sectors are in the direction of the wind an In-flight warning25 will

appear in eMotion 2 when the eBee calculates its trajectory (Step 3).

Caution: If the eBee performs a Linear landing in the direction of the

wind during strong wind conditions or with certain In-flight warnings or Critical failures it may not be able to slow enough during its

descent. It will likely overshoot the Home waypoint location and land

at a high speed, potentially resulting in damage.

• The ground sensor must have sufficient light and texture to accurately detect the distance to the ground. Ensure that the ground sensor lens is clear

of dirt or other obstructions. Only attempt Linear landings in full daylight

conditions. Ensure that there is high-contrast surfaces in all the approach

sectors. Do not define approach sectors over low-texture surfaces such as

large bodies of water, snow or sand.

• During a Linear landing the eBee requires sufficient energy to slow down

its descent and perform its final brake (Steps 5-7). If the Linear landing option is active and the battery descends below 15% an In-flight warning will

appear26 in eMotion 2.

25 see section ‘In-flight warnings’ on page 139

26 see section ‘In-flight warnings’ on page 139

72
Understanding aerial mapping with the eBee

10m

Approach sectors:

textured and flat terrain, 

obstacle-free zones

Obstacle-free zone

below centre of Home waypoint

To enable Linear landing select ‘Linear landing’ from the ‘Setup Phase’ tab. A single approach sector appears around the Home waypoint. Rotate and resize the

approach sector to define the directions around the Home waypoint that are completely clear of obstacles. You can add additional approach sectors from within

the ‘Setup Phase’ tab. These approach sectors will be used by the eBee to plan

its landing path while taking into account the wind. Defining multiple possible

approach sectors can increase the chance that the eBee selects a favourable landing against the direction of the wind. Be sure that there are also no obstacles in a

10 m radius circle around the Home waypoint, as the Linear landing process may

be effected by wind or positioning imprecision of the on-board GPS.

73
Advanced functionalities

Note: The eBee’s ground sensor can typically begin detecting ground

proximity at a distance of 40 m. If the eBee reaches an estimate altitude of 20 m/ATO (as estimated using the on-board GPS and pressure sensor) without a signal on its ground sensor it assumes there

is a malfunction with the ground sensor. This may be due to insufficient light or contrast in the environment, dirt on the sensor’s lens

assembly or a Linear landing location at a different altitude than the

Take-off Location. In this case the eBee performs the braking and stall

manoeuvre at a height of 20 m instead of 3 m. This increased time

while stalled can greatly reduce the accuracy of the final landing position and damage to the eBee.

If the Linear landing process is aborted (by clicking on the ‘ABORT LANDING’ button in the Control Bar) before completion the eBee will turn on its motor in full

thrust and gain altitude while continuing in a straight line in its approach direction. Once the altitude of 40 m/ATO is reached the eBee will turn towards the

Home waypoint and continue climbing until it reaches an altitude of 75 m/ATO. It

then continues circling until it receives a further command.

Caution: Do not abort a Linear landing if there are obstacles in the

approach direction behind the Home location, as the eBee will continue flying in straight line and may collide with those obstacles.

Caution: It is not recommended to abort a Linear landing when the

battery is low, as the eBee may not have enough power to attempt a

second landing.

4.7 Flying multiple drones at the same time

Operating multiple drones at the same time enables the coverage of larger areas

in a shorter amount of time. This can be useful when the mission time must be

kept short, for example because of varying lighting conditions. To enable multidrone operation eMotion 2 provides the following:

74
Understanding aerial mapping with the eBee

• When more than one drone is connected at a time, a dedicated interface

called the Multi-drone panel is displayed to monitor each drone and switch

between them.

• A number of settings are offered to keep relevant flight configurations(such

as the Start and Homewaypoint) synchronised between all connected drones.

• Missions that require more than one flight can be automatically split and

uploaded individually among all connected drones.

• Collision avoidance is provided by eMotion 2. This is done by automatically

changing the altitude of the Start and Homewaypointsfor each drone in order to separate them. Also, the drones are automatically put on hold when

there is a collision risk during the mission.

synchronisation and

collision avoidance options

selected drone

Multi-drone panel Sidebar

When connecting to more than one drone at a time (real or simulated), a dedicated Multi-drone Panel is displayed next to the Sidebar. Each drone is displayed

75
Advanced functionalities

with its name, battery level and status and can be selected. The rest of the Sidebar

and its various tabs are associated to the currently selected drone, as indicated by

the colour of the frame. The multi-drone interface also displays the relative height

of all drones with respect to the selected drone. Since this is a relative height, a

value close to 0 m means that a drone is at the same altitude as the currently selected drone. The button next to each drone can be used to disconnect a drone

or change its colour.

At the bottom of the Multi-drone Panel there are synchronisation options for the

various waypoints and parameters that can be shared among connected drones:

• Start waypoint: When the Start waypoint is synchronised, eMotion 2 will

use the same location and height for the Start waypoint of each connected

drone. Every modification to the Start waypoint of one drone is thus transferred to all other drones. To prevent collisions between drones, eMotion 2

will automatically create a stack by incrementing the altitude of each drone

that is currently circling the Start waypoints to ensure a 15 m separation.

The base altitude of the Start waypoint, which is the altitude of the lowest

drone in the stack, can be set in the Multi-drone Panel.

• Home waypoint and landing: Similarly to the Start waypoint, when the

Home waypoint is synchronised eMotion 2will us the same Home waypoint

for all connected drones. A stack will also be created to avoid collisions

between multiple drones circling the Home waypoint.

Caution: eMotion 2 uses the altitude over take-off location to check

for potential collision and to achieve altitude separation on the Start

and Home waypoints. It is therefore critical for all drones to take off

from the exact same location.

• Flight parameters: This option will synchronise all the parameters in the

‘Flight parameters’ tab across all drones. This includes the Working area

radius and ceiling, take-off transition height, Security action parameters,

etc.

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Understanding aerial mapping with the eBee

• Mission planning: This option will share the same Mission Area among all

connected drones.

• Sync. across network: This option extends synchronisation(of Homewaypoint, Start waypoint, etc.) across multiple instances of eMotion 2 running

on computer in the same local network.

The ‘Upload incrementally flight to drones’ button can be used to automatically

upload a multi-flight mission to all connected drones in a single click. To achieve

this, follow this procedure:

1. Go to the Mission Planning tab and prepare the required mission area (this

can be done with any of the connected drone selected). Make sure that

the number of flights required matches the number of connected drones.

If needed, the ‘Max flight time’ option can be lowered to force the mission

planner to split the mission in several flights (see section ‘Mission Planning

tab’ on page 95).

2. Click the ‘Upload incrementally flight to drones’ button.

In addition to the altitude separation on the Start and Home waypoints described

above, eMotion2 provides two mechanisms to help avoid collision between drones

in flight:

• Proximity warning: When enabled, a visual and audible warning will be

emitted if two drones are on a trajectory potentially leading to a collision

in less than 7 seconds.

• Collision avoidance: When enabled, eMotion 2will constantly monitor the

trajectory of the connected drones and automatically put one drone in a

temporary hold pattern (similar to the HOLD POSITION function, see section ‘Control Bar’ on page 86) until it is safe to resume the flight. Priority is

given to drones with the lowest battery level, engaged in a landing procedure or with an active error or warning.

77
Advanced functionalities

Caution: All collision avoidance mechanisms are implemented by

eMotion 2 on the ground computer. The drones’ autopilot do not

communicate between themselves and do not have knowledge of

each other’s positions. It is therefore critical to keep all drones connected to eMotion 2 at all times and remain well inside communication range.

Note: While eMotion 2 strives to avoid all collisions, the operator is

ultimately responsible to ensure flight safety. In particular, situations

involving more that two drones in converging trajectories may not

always be handled automatically in a fully safe manner. It is recommended to use slightly different altitudes for each drone when flying

more than two drones at a time to limit the risk of collision.

78
5 eMotion 2 in-depth guide

Goal of this section: eMotion 2 is a powerful tool designed specifically to work with your senseFly Ltd mini-drones. This section includes a comprehensive guide to all the functionalities in eMotion 2

to help you plan, simulate and monitor your next mapping flight.

Map Area Sidebar

Control

Bar

Toolbar

Status

Panel

Flight Parameters tab

Camera tab

Mission Waypoints tab

Mission Planning tab

Setup Phase tab

Flight Monitoring tab
Advanced functionalities

The main eMotion 2 interface is composed of a Map Area, a Toolbar and a Sidebar27. The Map Area displays the current location of the eBee, a Status Panel with

important information on the eBee’s current status, and a Control Bar used to send

commands to the eBee (section ‘Control Bar’ on page 86).

The Toolbar above the Map Area includes the File menu, controls for selecting the

source of map data, the display of picture footprints and various other controls

(section ‘Toolbar’ ).

The Sidebar is separated into six individual tabs that are used during different

phases of planning and monitoring a flight. The Sidebar tabs can be hidden at

any time by clicking on the left-hand edge of the Sidebar. Each tab is described

in detail in the following chapter. The Sidebar also contains controls for the Simulator (section ‘Simulator’ on page 84)

5.1 Toolbar

Map source Zoom

Google Earth display

Custom map source

Follow drone position

Center on drone

Center on coordinate

Fullscreen

File

Clear all footprints

Show/hide footprints

You can access the ‘File’ menu by clicking on the button in the Toolbar. From

this menu you can connect or disconnect to a drone, access the Flight Data Manager, change eMotion 2 preferences or import custom maps. Clicking the icon

will launch Google EarthTM and display the current flight trajectories of drones

connected to eMotion 2, as described in detail in section ‘Flight visualization in

Google EarthTM ’ on page 64.

27 for an overview of the eMotion 2 interface see section ‘The eMotion 2 interface’ on page 18

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You can select the background map source from the drop-down list in the Toolbar,

and adjust its zoom level using the and buttons. eMotion 2 can use many

sources of commercially available and custom mapping information. Tiles from

map sources with the icon are downloaded by eMotion 2 from the Internet as

required and locally cached on the hard drive. If you anticipate the use of eMotion 2 in conditions where connecting to Internet is impossible, you can preload

the map data by scrolling and zooming into the target region beforehand when

you are connected to the Internet. Due to regulatory restrictions, map sources

with the icon cannot be saved locally and are not recommended for use in the

field.

eMotion 2 can also import and display custom layers which may include KML files

or custom map tiles. To import a KML file, select ‘Import KML...’ from the ‘File’

menu and select your KML file. The resulting layer will now be available in the

Toolbar by clicking on the icon, and can be clicked to display or hide it. eMotion 2 can display lines, polygons, paths and points saved in KML format.

Note: KML files, including associated icons or images included within

them, are not copied to the eMotion 2 directory and will no longer

appear in eMotion 2 if the original KML files are deleted.

Custom map tiles can also be added as a layer in eMotion 2. In order to be displayed, the map tiles must be formatted in the web-compatible coordinate system Tile Map Service (TMS). Such a data set can be created using any image reference software such as MapTiler28.

28 http://www.maptiler.org

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The folder containing the hierarchical tile set should be placed in the

eMotion/tiles/ directory which is created in My Documents (on Windows)

or ∼/Documents (on Mac OS X). Note that you may have to create the tiles

folder first. Several tile sets can be present and they can be named arbitrarily. The

resulting file hierarchy would thus be the following:

[My] Documents/eMotion/tiles/MyCustomTileSet/18/...

[My] Documents/eMotion/tiles/MyCustomTileSet/17/...

[My] Documents/eMotion/tiles/MyCustomTileSet/16/...

...

[My] Documents/eMotion/tiles/MyOtherTileSet/18/...

...

When creating the tile set, make sure that at least zoom level 18 is generated,

with zoom level 19 as well if possible, since this is typically needed for precise

flight planning with the eBee. In ‘MapTiler’, the ‘Google Maps compatible’ option

should be selected to generate a tile set compatible with eMotion 2.

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Note: If you use Postflight Terra 3D-EB (see section ‘Processing image

data’ on page 49), a tile set will be generated for each project. This

tile set is directly compatible with eMotion 2. You can therefore create

your own map background using the eBee.

Whenever the eBee takes a picture, eMotion 2 records the location and orientation

of the eBee and computes the approximate span of the photo on the ground (or

‘footprint’). All the footprints taken by a drone are added to a shaded polygon

outlined with the drone’s colour and displayed in the Map Area. This polygon

represents an estimate of the area that has been photographed by the drone.

The footprints can be shown or hidden using the button. When hidden, the

footprints are kept in memory and new photos continue to be recorded, but nothing is displayed in the Map Area. Footprints for all drones remain in the memory of

eMotion 2, even when a drone is disconnected or eMotion 2 is shut down. Clicking

on the button removes all footprint polygons from the Map Area the memory

of eMotion 2. New picture footprints will be created for subsequent pictures that

are taken.

Note: Clearing or hiding the footprints has no influence on what is

logged by eMotion 2 and on-board the eBee during the flight, such as

the information required to geotag the images after the flight.

Note: The footprints displayed on the map are only an approximate

estimation of the actual ground coverage of the corresponding image. Cross-wind may also introduce errors in the orientation of the

displayed footprint compared to the actual coverage.

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The Toolbar also contains buttons for centering the Map Area on the current position of the drone ( button), on a coordinate ( button) or to continually follow

the position of the drone while it is in flight ( button). Finally you can vieweMotion 2 in full-screen mode by clicking the button.

5.2 Simulator

Familiarising yourself with your eBee and its features will allow you to more efficiently plan and execute mapping flights, saving you time and improve your imaging results. The Simulator in eMotion 2 is designed to help you test the various

features of the eBee and to better prepare a mapping mission before performing

it in the field.

re-position take-off location

initiate take-off

instant recharge of battery

wind speed

wind direction

fast-forward

play

pause

The Simulator bar appears at the bottom of the Sidebar of eMotion 2 when you

connect to a simulated eBee. The simulated eBee will go through the same preflight checks as a real eBee, after which it will update the Home to its current position (typically the last position that was used within the simulator) and the Start

waypoint to 80 m North of the Home waypoint. The various buttons available in

the Simulator bar are described in table 1 on the following page.

Feel free to modify the wind speed, waypoint positions and other parameters in

the Toolbar and the various tabs of the Sidebar in eMotion 2 to see their effect on

the eBee while it is in flight. Also be sure to explore the effects of the various buttons in the Control Bar on the behaviour of your eBee. Don’t be afraid to push the

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boundaries! Aborting a flight or causing an emergency landing in the simulator

will better prepare you for unexpected circumstances while in the field.

Table 1: Simulator bar buttons

Button Description

Pause Clicking the pause button will pause the simulation

and thus stop the eBee while in flight. This can be

useful when you wish to change parameters or waypoints while the eBee is already in flight. Note: this

is a simulated action that is not possible with the

real eBee. Instead of pausing while in flight we

recommend that you use the ‘HOLD POSITION’

button in the Control Bar to better simulate real

flight conditions.

Play Clicking the play button returns the simulation to actual speed from the pause or fast-forward conditions.

Fast forward Clicking this button increases the speed of the simulation to 4x actual speed. This allows you to shorten

the time required to simulate a complete mission.

Re-position

take-off location

Clicking this button and then clicking on a location

in the Map Area simulates the action of connecting the battery to the eBee in a new location. The

eBee is returned to the ground at the new location

and runs through its pre-flight checks before entering Idle mode.

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Initiate take-off Clicking this button simulates a take-off procedure,

including the motor power-up sequence and the

hand launch29.

Instant recharge of

battery

Clicking this button will instantly recharge the battery of the eBee. Note: This is a simulated action

that is not possible with the real eBee while it is

in flight.

Wind speed and

direction

These fields are used to input a simulated wind speed

and direction. A random wind speed and direction is

set when eMotion 2 connects to the simulated eBee.

5.3 Control Bar

Command buttons

Warning indicator

The Control Bar includes buttons for sending commands to the eBee and for acknowledging warnings while it is in flight. Certain buttons can only be used during specific flight modes30.

The Command buttons allows the operator to directly control the eBee while it is

in flight. The various buttons are described in table 2 on the next page.

29 see section ‘Take-off’ on page 41 for a description of the take-off procedure

30 see section ‘Autonomous controller and modes of flight’ on page 66 for more information on flight

modes

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Table 2: Control Bar Buttons

Button Available Action

WARNING31 Active

warning

For yellow In-flight warnings, button text

changes to ‘ACK WARNING’ and clicking will

acknowledge the current warning. For red

Critical failures, button text changes to ‘CRITICAL FAILURE’ and cannot be clicked.

START

MISSION

No active

Security action

Fly towards the first active waypoint in the

waypoint list and start the mission from the

beginning.

RESUME

MISSION

Not in Perform

Mission mode

Return to the last position reached during

the mission and continue the flight plan.

GO TO

START WPT

No active

Security action

Fly towards the Start waypoint, circle and

wait for next command.

GO TO

HOME WPT

Anytime Fly towards the Home waypoint, circle and

wait for next command.

GO LAND Anytime Fly towards the Home waypoint and initiate

landing procedure.

HOLD

POSITION

No active

Security action

Create a virtual waypoint at the current location and height, circle around this point and

wait for next command.

31 see section ‘Troubleshooting’ on page 133 for a full description of In-flight warnings and Critical

failures that may occur

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LAND NOW

Click 3x

Anytime Initiate a Circular landing around a 20 m radius waypoint at the current location. Must

be clicked 3 times in quick succession to

be engaged.

ABORT

LANDING

During Circular Landing, Linear

Landing, or

Emergency

Landing mode

(if no active

Critical failure)

Circular or Linear landing: abort current

landing procedure, return to the altitude of

the Home waypoint, circle the Home waypoint and wait for next command.

Emergency landing: (only available if there

is no active Critical failure) abort current

landing procedure, return to the location

where the Emergency landing was triggered,

circle and wait for next command.

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5.4 Flight Monitoring tab

Drone status

Instruments

Identification

Autonomy

Flight data

Advanced

Instruments

The Flight Monitoring tab can be used to monitor the eBee during a mapping mission and is the default tab that is displayed when you click anywhere on the map

area that does not have a symbol. The tab is split into the following sections:

• Drone Status: The status of the plane keeps you informed on what the

eBee is currently doing. This can include mission actions such as ‘Taking

photo’ or ‘Going to waypoint’ as well as warning or failure messages such

as ‘Out of working area’ or ‘High wind’32.

32 see section ‘Troubleshooting’ on page 133

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Note: The most important status and warning messages are reproduced in the Status Panel in the Map Area, and thus remain visible

even when the Sidebar is hidden.

• Autonomy: The battery level displays the current charge and voltage of

the battery. As the battery’s charge level decreases, the voltage decreases

as well. A fully charged battery has a voltage of 12.6 V and is fully discharged when it reaches about 9 V33.

This section also displays the total time in flight, the straight-line distance

to the Home waypoint and the estimated time required to return to the

Home waypoint (based on estimated wind strength). The strength and direction of the wind estimated by the eBee is displayed with an arrow.

Caution: Lithum polymer batteries are chemical devices whose performance depends on a number of parameters, including temperature, lifetime, number of cycles, mechanical integrity, etc. Estimating

the remaining capacity of a battery can thus be tricky and the displayed value may occasionally be inaccurate. It is the operator’s responsibility to monitor battery voltage and flight time in addition to

the battery level to make sure that endurance is sufficient to complete the mission.

• Flight data: This section includes additional information that may be useful during the flight, including ground speed and distance, altitude above

Mean Sea Level (MSL), absolute position detected by the GPS on-board the

eBee and the quality of the data link.

Note: The ground sensor distance indicates the distance to the

ground detected by the ground sensor. The sensor can typically detect distances below 60 m, depending on available light and surface

contrast.

33 see section ‘Proper battery care’ on page 129

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eMotion 2 in-depth guide

current height over

take-off location

in metres

current heading in degrees

attitude with respect

to artificial horizon

desired height over

take-off location

in metres

current air speed

in metres per second

desired air speed

in metres per second

• Instruments: This display mimics the classical primary flight display used

in manned aircraft. The column on the left displays the current air speed of

the eBee as well as the desired air speed, in metres per second. The column

on the right displays the eBee’s current height over take-off location, as well

as the desired height over the take-off location, in metres. The bar at the

top displays the current heading of the eBee34. North is indicated as 0◦, East

as 90◦, South as 180◦and West as 270◦.

• Identification: This displays the serial number of your eBee and the number of the Drone Flight log for the current flight. This number can be used

as a reference when importing flight data after a flight35.

• Advanced Instruments: This section displays the current internal temperature of the eBee, the number of GPS satellites detected and the estimate

accuracy of the the GPS position.

34 this feature is only accurate when in flight

35 see section ‘Importing images and flight data’ on page 49

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5.5 Setup Phase tab

Start waypoint

Landing

Home waypoint

After mission and

take-off actions

Flight plan actions

Setup phase reset

The Setup Phase tab is used to define the setup phase of a flight plan. This phase

includes the definition of the Home and Start waypoints and the actions to be

taken before and after the mission phase of the flight plan.

The Setup Phase tab is divided into the following sections:

• Start waypoint: Here you set the position, change altitude parameter, altitude above take-off (m ATO), turn direction and radius of the Start waypoint. You can set the location by clicking the button and clicking on the

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desired location in the Map Area.

Default values: Change altitude: During transit, Altitude: 75 m/ATO, Turn

direction: anticlockwise, Radius: 30 m, Location: 80 m North of the GPS

position detected on start-up

• After take-off: You can either command the eBee to start the mission phase

immediately after reaching the Start waypoint or to wait for a command

fromeMotion 2. This second option is useful if you want to modify the flight

plan while the eBee is already in flight.

Default value: Start mission

• After mission: Use this panel to select the action you wish the eBee to execute once it completes the mission phase. The eBee can either automatically go to the Home waypoint and land, go to the Home or Start waypoint

and wait for a command or to restart the mission phase.

Default value: Land

• Home waypoint: Here you set the position, change altitude parameter, altitude above take-off (m ATO), turn direction and radius of the Home waypoint. You can set the location by clicking the button and clicking on the

desired location in the Map Area.

Default values: height: Change altitude: Keep highest, Altitude: 75 m/ATO,

Turn direction: anticlockwise, Radius: 30 m, Location: GPS position detected on start-up

• Landing: With this panel you can choose between a Circular landing or

a Linear landing on the Home waypoint. If you select ‘Linear landing’ the

panel expands to show options on approach sectors. You can define up to

four approach sectors, each of which has a heading and a span, either by

dragging in the map area or by manually setting parameters in the panel.

See section ‘Linear landing’ on page 69 for details how to correctly select

the Home waypoint and approach sectors.

Default value: Linear landing

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• Setup phase reset: Pressing the ‘Reset all setup phase parameters’ will

reset the Home and Start waypoints to the take-off location and reset the

rest of the parameters on the tab to factory defaults.

• Flight plan actions: The ‘Load flight plan from file...’ and ‘Save flight plan

to file...’ buttons load and save the current flight plan (both setup and mission phases) to a XML file for later reuse. You can also save the current flight

plan to the eBee’s on-board memory by clicking the ‘Save flight plan as default in drone’ button. Once a route is saved in the eBee’s memory, it will

become the default route the next time the eBee is started and appear in

eMotion 2 upon connection.

Note: It is not necessary to save a flight to the autopilot in order to

fly! This is an advanced option meant to reduce the preparation time

required when the same flight is performed many times.

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5.6 Mission Planning tab

The Mission Planning tab is used to automatically define a set of waypoints based

on a mission area and a set of image parameters. Clicking on this tab will make a

grey box appear in the Map Area that represents the mission area to be mapped.

You can modify this area’s location, size and rotation using the handles around it,

as explained in section ‘The mission phase of a flight’ on page 21.

mission

area

rotate,

resize,

 displace

generated

flight

lines

Note: The quality of the output orthomosaic is usually lower on the

outer edges of the area that is photographed, as there is less overlap

between images. The area photographed is thus always calculated

to be bigger than the mission area selected so as to ensure maximum

image overlap within the mission area itself.

Note: If there is no flight plan overlaid on the mission area rectangle

then the mission is too large and cannot be flown by the eBee. This

can be for two reasons: either the distance between two waypoints

is too long for the eBee to cover in a single flight, or the waypoints are

too far from the Take-off and landing locations.

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Mapping and

mission parameters

Resulting flight characteristics

Mission plan actions

Advanced parameters

The Mission Planning tab is divided in several panels. The first panel, Mapping

and mission parameters, contains the parameters that define the requirements

of a particular mission:

• Difficult terrain: Clicking this button will fill in preset values to the rest

of the parameters. The Difficult terrain preset is meant for imaging terrain

with complexfeatures such asforests. High image overlap is recommended

to increase the amount of features that can be matched between images,

though at the cost of lower image resolution.

• Easy terrain: This preset is meantfor simple terrain such as quarries or agricultural areas where high-resolution images can be taken with relatively

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low image overlap.

Note: The preset values are recommended settings that have

demonstrated good results in the past. Do not hesitate, however, to

modify these parameters to suit the particularities of the terrain you

are mapping.

• Mission area: You can select either a rectangular mission area for simple

terrain (as described in section ‘The mission phase of a flight’ on page 21) or

a polygonal mission area for more complex terrain (as described in section

‘Advanced polygonal mission area’ on page 62).

Default value: Rectangular

• Ground resolution: The target ground resolution to be achieved, expressed

in centimetres per pixel. This parameter is directly linked to the flight height:

a higher resolution (few cm/px) requires a lower height, while a lower resolution (many cm/px) requires a higher one.

Default value: 4.0 cm/px

• Target height: The target height value is the desired height above the

ground at which the eBee will take images. It is automatically calculated

based on the Ground resolution and the characteristics of the on-board

camera.

Note: If the calculated height is below 50 m the eBee may not be able

to achieve the required longitudinal overlap. This will be indicated by

a icon. Flying at a height of less than 40 m is potentially dangerous

and will be indicated by a icon.

• Use elevation data to set absolute waypoint altitudes: Checking this

box will enable the flight planner to adjust the absolute altitudes of all mission waypoints based on elevation data. This advanced planning mode is

described in detail in section ‘3D mission planning using elevation data’ on

page 63.

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Default value: disabled

• Lateral overlap: The percentage of overlap between the ground coverage

of pictures from adjacent flight lines. For most mapping purposes, a minimum of 50% is usually required. Higher coverage values may increase the

mapping quality but will increase the flight duration.

Default value: 60 %

Note: For its overlap calculation, the automatic flight planning assumes that the ground is flat and has the same altitude as the take-off

location. Actual lateral overlap and/or ground resolution may vary if

the terrain is not flat.

• Longitudinal overlap: The percentage of overlap between the ground

coverage of pictures taken consecutively in the same flight line.

Default value: 70 %

Note: The longitudinal overlap is configured and achieved independently from the automatic flight planning. This message is indicated

with a icon. See section ‘Camera tab’ on page 105 for more information.

• Generate perpendicular flight lines: Checking this box creates a second

pass over the desired area perpendicular to the first pass. This option may

increase image quality and is useful for difficult terrain at the cost of doubling the flight time.

Default value: disabled

• Reverse flight direction: By default, the flight planner will design a flight

in which the eBee begins a mission at the farthest waypoint and finishes

closer to the Home waypoint. Checking this box reverses the order of the

planned mission waypoints.

Default value: disabled

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• Save parameters as default: Clicking this button will save the current parameters as the default ones in eMotion 2.

The next panel contains advanced parameters used by the flight planner:

• Starting waypoint: The waypoint ID of the first waypoint used to implement the mapping mission, as organized in the Waypoint list in the Mission

Waypoints tab. This option is useful when including more than one mission

area into a single flight. The default valuefor a new mission is 1. When planning for a second area to be covered in the same flight, the ‘After previous’

button sets the starting waypoint after the waypoints used for the previous

area.

Default value: 1

• Wind estimate: The estimated wind speed and direction. Incorrectly setting the windspeed affects the estimated flight time of the eBee and may

cause it to return to Home before completing the desired flight plan. Clicking the ‘Use current wind’ button will copy the wind speed currently estimated by the eBee to the Wind estimate field.

Default value: direction: 0◦, speed: 0 m/s

• Max flight time: This parameter sets the maximum estimated flight time

for a single flight. If the flight planner estimates a longer flight time for the

currently-selected Mission area it will split the mission into two or more

flights.

Default value: 40

The third panel, Mission plan actions, includes the ‘Upload’ button which is used

to upload the resulting mission waypoints to the autopilot. If there are multiple

flights required this button becomes a drop-down list, and you can upload each

flight individually.

Caution: Clicking ‘Upload’ will directly modify the waypoints required for the flight plan in the eBee. If the eBee is flying towards or

around one of these waypoints, its navigation will be affected to reflect the new waypoint parameters.

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Clicking the ‘More’ button reveals several more options:

• Load mission area...: Click to load a previously-saved mission area and

parameters from an Auto Flight Planner (.afp) file.

• Save mission area...: Click to save the current mission area and parameters to an Auto Flight Planner (.afp) file. This can be useful for example to

map the same area with different image and mission parameters, or to save

and restore a large mapping mission that requires multiple flights. Note

that this saves only the mission area (location, size and rotation angle of

the rectangle) and the associated mission and image parameters, not the

actual list of waypoints that is then generated.

• Load last used mission area: Clicking will load the last mission area that

was successfully uploaded to an eBee autopilot, whether itwas a real or simulated one. This option is useful when you want to repeat your last mission

and did not explicitly use the ‘Save mission area...’ button.

• Load mission area from KML file: Use this option to load a Polygonal mission area directly from a KML file.

• Load mission area from map object: Use this option to load a Polygonal

mission area from a previously-imported map object (see section ‘Toolbar’

on page 80).

• Reset mission area: Clicking will reset the mission area to the default rectangular size and reposition it in the centre of the Map Area. It will also reset

all mapping and mission parameters to their last saved default values36.

• Restore factory settings: Click to restore all the parameters of this tab to

their default settings.

The last panel of this tab displays the characteristics of the flight(s) resulting from

the selected image parameters:

36 Default values for mapping and mission parameters are set by clicking the ‘Save parameters as default’ button.

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• Numberof flights: The resulting number of flights that must be performed

to cover the chosen mission area. If the mission area cannot be mapped in

a single flight, eMotion 2 will split it into the minimum possible number of

flights. The estimated distance that can be covered in a flight is calculated

assuming a fully charged battery and an accurate wind estimate.

• Flight time: This is the estimated flight time for each of the flights.

• Total flight distance: The total distance that will be flown during all of the

flights.

• Total ground coverage: The total area that will be mapped during all of

the flights.

• Number of flight lines: The total number of flight lines in the mission

phase of the flight plan, not including flight lines to and from the Take-off

or landing locations. The second number represents the flight lines perpendicular to the first number.

• Flight lines spacing: The required distance between parallel flight lines,

calculated using the Lateral overlap and Ground resolution parameters.

• Mean flight lines height over elevation model: Mean height difference

between all flight lines and the ground height, based on the elevation model

(3D flight planning only).

• Max flight lines height over elevation model: Maximum height difference between a flight line and the ground height, based on the elevation

model (3D flight planning only).

• Min flight lines height over elevation model: Minimum height difference between a flight line and the ground height, based on the elevation

model (3D flight planning only).

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Note: If the spacing is too small (less than 40 m) the radius of the

waypoints at each end of a flight line may be too small for the eBee

to follow accurately, and the eBee may overshoot the beginning of

each flight line. You can remove this warning by decreasing the Lateral overlap or the Ground resolution. A will appear beside this

parameter to indicate the warning.

• Distance between photos: The required distance between each consecutive photo taken in the same flight line, calculated using the Longitudinal

overlap and Ground resolution parameters. The wind also has an influence

as the ground speed increases with back wind.

Note: A planned distance of less than 40 m will probably not be

achieved due to the minimum time required by the eBee to take a single image, and will be indicated with a icon. This is not critical for

the flight, but it may reduce the longitudinal overlap of the images.

Consider reducing the ground resolution (fly higher) to achieve the

selected longitudinal overlap, or reduce the longitude overlap itself

to remove this notice.

• Single image coverage: The estimated ground area covered by a single

image, based on the Height over take-off location parameter (assuming flat

terrain).

• Number of waypoints: The total number of waypoints to cover the mission area.

The flight characteristics are updated automatically as you modify the mission

area in the Map Area or the parameters in the first panel.

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5.7 Mission Waypoints tab

Selected mission

waypoint

parameters

Remaining

mission

waypoints

Add or reset

waypoints

The Mission Waypoints tab contains a list of all mission waypoints currently on

the eBee autopilot. It can be used for finer control of individual waypoints in the

current mission. The list of waypoints displays the ID, Change altitude parameter,

Altitude and Action related to each mission waypoint.

Clicking on a mission waypoint in the list or in the Map Area will expand the panel

to display all the parameters related to that waypoint. These parameters are explained in detail in section ‘Waypoints and their properties’ on page 57. Changes

made to the selected waypoint are sent to the eBee immediately after selecting an

item in the popup menu or upon hitting the ‘Enter’ key in the text fields. You can

reposition the waypoint by clicking the button and then clicking at the desired

position by clicking on the Map Area. You can make the selected waypoint the

current waypoint by clicking the button.

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Caution: Any change to the waypoints or their parameters are directly sent to the eBee and may therefore impact its flight behaviour.

We recommend that you take great care before modifying waypoints

while the eBee is in flight.

You can add new waypoints by clicking the button or by right-clicking on the

Map Area and selecting ‘Add waypoint here’. Clicking the button will remove

all mission waypoints from the eBee.

Note: All modifications made to the waypoint list will be lost when

the eBee is switched off, unless the list is explicitly saved into the autopilot using the ‘Save to autopilot’ button in the Setup Phase tab

(see Section ‘Setup Phase tab’ on page 92).

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5.8 Camera tab

Camera control

Camera parameters

Photo locations

The camera tab is an advanced tab that can be used to precisely control the functioning of the camera. It is split into three sections: ‘Camera control’, ‘Camera parameters’ and ‘Photo locations’.

The ‘Camera control’ has the following functions:

• Take photo now: Clicking this button will send a command to the eBee to

take a single picture at its current location. This command can be sent during both the setup and mission phases of a flight plan. A icon indicates

that the command was successfully sent to the eBee’s autopilot.

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Note: The ‘Take photo now’ button has no effect during Take-off, Circular landing, Linear landing and Emergency landing modes.

• Continuous photo sequence: These radio buttons define how the eBee is

taking images. When the default option ‘Auto’ is selected the eBeewill start

and stop continuous photo shooting based on the actions associated with

mission waypoints. Selecting ‘On’ overrides waypoint actions and enables

continuous shooting. Conversely, selecting ‘Off’ will override waypoint actions and disable continuous shooting.

Default value: Auto

The Camera parameters section is used to define detailed parameters related to

the camera and has the following functions:

• Pitch angle: By default the eBee takes images at a default estimated pitch

angle of 7◦relative to the horizon. This angle provides the best compromise between image quality and flight endurance. In some cases, however,

you may wish to change this value to suit your imaging needs.

Increasing this angle to 15◦ provides a slightly more perspective view of a

building and is useful for individual photos. Note, however, that a higher

pitch angle will cause the eBee to slow down every time it takes an image,

losing altitude and decreasing flight time and longitudinal overlap.

Decrease the pitch angle down to 0◦can capture more vertical images of

the ground if mapping precision at low altitudes is of utmost importance.

However, decreasing this angle will cause the eBee to lose altitude with

each image taken, requiring it to return to the target height before taking

another image, once again decreasing both flight time and longitudinal

overlap between images.

Default value: 7

◦

You must click ‘Apply’ after changing settings for them to be uploaded to the autopilot. A icon indicates that the parameterswere successfully sent to the eBee’s

autopilot. Clicking the ‘More’ list will provide further options:

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eMotion 2 in-depth guide

• Refresh parameters from drone: Sends a request to the eBee for the parameters currently set in its autopilot.

• Save parameters as default in drone: Saves the currently-set camera parameters to the eBee’s autopilot’s memory.

• Restore factory parameters: Returns the parameters to their default values and automatically send them to the eBee’s autopilot.

The ‘Photo locations’ section is used to manually define specific locations where

the eBee should take an image. This function can be used, for example, to take

an image outside of the mission area. To add a photo location click on a row in

the table, then click to the icon. Use the cross-hairs to select the location in

the Map Area. The GPS coordinates of the location will now be sent to the eBee’s

autopilot and the corresponding letter will appear in the Map Area. You can move

the photo location by clicking and dragging it in the Map Area. The eBee will now

take an image at the desired location once it reaches that position. You can add

up to 5 individual photo locations, labelled A to E.

Note: Placing an image location has no effect on the flight plan of

the eBee; the eBee will not take an image at a location that it never

reaches. It is therefore necessary to create a flight line above the

desired image location by adding waypoints as described in section

‘Mission Waypoints tab’ on page 103.

Clicking ‘Refresh from drone’ will send a request to the eBee for the current photo

locations stored in its autopilot. A icon indicates successful reception of the

locations.

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Advanced functionalities

5.9 Flight Parameters tab

Flight parameters

General

information

The Flight Parameters tab includes some advancedfunctions that govern the overall behaviour of the eBee while in flight. It is separated into two sections: ‘Flight

parameters’ and ‘Information’. The ‘Flight parameters’ section includes the following items:

• Working area radius: This is the radius of the working area around the

take-off location. Flying outside of this area will create a warning and cause

the eBee to return to the Home waypoint.

Default value: 500 m

• Working area ceiling: This is the maximum height above the take-off location at which the eBee can fly. Flying above this height will create a warning and cause the eBee to return to the Home waypoint.

Default value: 300 m/ATO

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eMotion 2 in-depth guide

• Take-off transition height: After take-off the eBee will climb while keeping its wings level until it reaches the Take-off transition height, at which

point it will turn and fly towards the Start waypoint. Here you can set the

height above the take-off location at which this transition occurs.

Default value: 20 m

Caution: Setting the Take-off transition height too low may cause

the eBee to perform a change of direction too early and may result in

a crash. Setting the Take-off transition height too high may cause the

eBee to drift sideways after take-off if there is too much wind.

• Manual control mode: Selects between Full Manual control and Assisted

Manual control when the remote control is turned on37.

Default value: Full Manual control

• Security actions: The next checkboxes are used to disable certain Security

actions38

• Ignore RC signals: Checking this option will result in the eBee ignoring any

signals coming from a remote control (RC) transmitter on the ground.

Default value: unchecked

Caution: In certain regions it is illegal to disable the remote control

connection between the eBee and the operator on the ground. Please

check the laws in your region before enabling this option.

• Return to Home in case of strong wind: Checking this box will enable

the Security action related to high wind strength (return to Home waypoint). Un-checking this box will disable the Security action, however the

37 see section ‘Manual control of the eBee ’ on page 113 for more information

38 see section ‘In-flight warnings’ on page 139 for more information on Security actions related to

specific In-flight warnings

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Advanced functionalities

eBee will continue to estimate the wind strength and direction and the Inflight warning will continue to appear.

Default value: checked

Caution: The eBee is not designed to fly in winds above 12 m/s. Flying in high-wind conditions increases the chances of a crash that may

damage the eBee and is done at your own risk.

• Return to Home in case of poor GPS coverage: Checking this box will

enable the Security action (return to Home waypoint) related to poor GPS

coverage. Un-checking this box will disable the Security action, however

the In-flight warning will continue to appear.

Default value: checked

• Return to Home in case of camera malfunction: Checking this box will

enable the Security action (return to Home waypoint) related to a camera

malfunction. Un-checking this box will disable the Security action, however the In-flight warning will continue to appear.

Default value: checked

• Return to Home after 30s in case of link loss: Checking this box will enable In-flight warnings and Security actions related to a loss of the communications uplink between eMotion 2 and the eBee (return to Home after 30 s

of link loss). Un-checking this box disables both the In-flight warning and

the Security action and will result in the eBee continuing on its flight path

even if it does not re-connect with eMotion 2.

Default value: unchecked

• Climb in case of detected ground proximity (<30 m): The eBee features

a ground sensor that continuously checks the presence of the ground. If

this box is checked and the ground sensor detects a distance to the ground

of less than 30 m, the eBee will climb to a safe distance of 60 m before continuing the mission.

Default value: checked

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eMotion 2 in-depth guide

• Use ground sensor for landing: The eBee uses its ground sensor together

with its estimate of the wind speed during its landing maneouver to calculate the ideal moment to perform a final brake and enter deep stall. If

this box is unchecked the eBee will ignore the ground sensor during its approach and will assume that the landing location is precisely at the same

height as indicated in eMotion 2. This will result in a landing precision that

is decreased and highly dependant on the strength of the wind.

Default value: checked

You must click ‘Apply’ after changing settings for them to be uploaded to the autopilot. A icon indicates that the parameterswere successfully sent to the eBee’s

autopilot. Clicking the ‘More’ list will provide further options:

• Refresh parameters from drone: Sends a request to the eBee for the parameters currently set in its autopilot.

• Save parameters as default in drone: Saves the currently-set flight parameters to the eBee’s autopilot’s memory.

• Restore factory parameters: Returns the flight parameters to their default values and automatically sends them to the eBee’s autopilot.

The ‘General information’ section displays information specific to your eBee. This

includes the current firmware bootloader versions loaded into the autopilot, the

serial numbers of the airframe and the autopilot, the total number of flights performed by eBee and the total time spent in the air.

Note: The flight counter is incremented every time the take-off procedure is initiated by shaking the eBee back and forth 3 times, even if

take-off is subsequently aborted.

Clicking ‘View flight database...’ will bring up a window that presents a summary

of all the flights performed by the eBee using this computer.

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6 Manual control of the eBee

Goal of this section: This section describes how to use the remote

control to manually control the eBee, either in Full Manual or Assisted

Manual modes.

Caution: Operation of the eBee in either Assisted or Full Manual mode requires the skills of an experienced RC aircraft pilot.

SenseFly Ltd cannot be held responsible for damage caused by manual control of the eBee. Any damaged caused by manual control of

the eBee will void the warranty.

6.1 Enabling manual control

By default, the eBee flies autonomously and does not need the provided remote

control to be operated. However, by using the remote control, it is possible to

override the eBee’s autopilot by switching to one of two available manual modes:

Full Manual or Assisted Manual. In Full Manual mode the sticks of the remote

control directly set the motor power and the angle of the ailerons of the eBee. In

Assisted Manual mode the sticks of the remote control are used to set the speed,

turn rate and climb or sink rate.

Note: Ensure that the ‘Ignore RC signals’ option in the Flight Parameters tab is unchecked39, otherwise the eBeewill ignore the commands

from the remote control and remain in autonomous operation mode.

Turning on the remote control will cause the eBee to change to either Assisted

Manual or Full Manual mode, depending on the ‘Enable assisted manual control’

setting in the Flight Parameters tab40 of eMotion 2. Turning off the remote control

will cause the eBee to return to the last autonomous operation mode it was in

before Manual mode was enabled.

40 see section ‘Flight Parameters tab’ on page 108 for more details on this setting
Advanced functionalities

Caution: We recommend that you only turn the remote control on

when it is held by a pilot ready to take manual control of the eBee,

and that you turn it off when putting the remote control down.

Manual control of the eBee can be achieved at any time if the eBee is within range

of the remote41.

FM: thrust

AM: speed

FM: ailerons

AM: turn rate

FM: elevator

AM: climb/sink rate

FM: Full Manual

AM: Assisted Manual

left stick right stick

on: manual

off: auto

trim dials

Caution: The remote control is preconfigured for use with the eBee.

In particular, the trim dials, used to finely adjust the position of the

eBee’s ailerons, are calibrated to ensure optimal flight characteristics

and should not be adjusted. Changing the remote control’s configuration, including the trim settings, may compromise the flight characteristics of the eBee. If, for any reason, the preset settings should

be lost, contact your eBee reseller.

41 see section ‘eBee technical specifications’ on page 162 for the range of the remote control

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Manual control of the eBee

6.2 Pre-flight testing of the remote control

If you plan to use the remote control during a flight we recommend that you first

test it on the ground. Ensure that the eBee is set to Full Manual mode42 and follow

these steps:

1. Check that the left stick on the remote control is in the low position to prevent the propeller from spinning.

2. Turn on the remote control.

3. Turn on the eBee by connecting the battery. Once the eBee detects the signal from the remote control it will change to one of the manual modes.

Caution: The motor of the eBee is now controlled by the remote control and will begin spinning if the left stick is pushed up. Always keep

the area around the propeller clear of obstacles and body parts to

prevent injury.

4. Move the right stick on the remote control to verify proper reception by the

eBee and correct servo direction.

5. Turn off the remote control for take-off.

Note: If the remote control is switched on while it is performing preflight checks the ailerons will not move when the checks are completed and the GPS fix is acquired.

For more information on using the remote control, refer to the original user manual available in the downloads section of the senseFly Ltd website43.

42 see section ‘Enabling manual control’ on page 113

43 http://www.sensefly.com/support/download

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Advanced functionalities

6.3 Full Manual mode

Full Manual mode allows you to have direct control over the eBee’s actuators, overriding all control from the on-board autopilot. The left stick controls the thrust.

For safety reasons, the left stick should remain at the lowest position at all times,

except during flight.

The right stick controls the elevator and the ailerons in the same way as a typical

aircraft control stick (or the joystick with a flight simulator). Note that the eBee

uses its ailerons to fulfil the functions of both ailerons and elevator in a classical

airplane. When the ailerons function in the same direction, they act as the elevator. When the function in opposite motion, they act as ailerons.

We recommend you perform a standard take-off procedure in autonomous mode

and only switch to Full Manual mode when the eBee is in the air. If you wish to

take-off in Full Manual mode, however, you must use the following steps:

1. Prepare the eBee for flight as described in section ‘Preparing the eBee for

flight’ on page 28 while keeping the remote control turned off and the left

stick at its lowest position.

2. Turn on the remote control. You now have manual control over the main

thrust motor and the servo-motors.

Caution: The motor of the eBee is now controlled by the remote control and will begin spinning if the left stick is pushed up. Always keep

the area around the propeller clear of obstacles and body parts to

prevent injury.

3. Firmly grasp the eBee horizontally with level wings using both hands, one

hand on the front of each wing. Shake the eBee back and forth 3 times longitudinally (within approx. 3 seconds). The status LED will pulse blue while

the eBee’s autopilot performs a start-up sequence. As the motor is now controlled by the remote control, it will not begin spinning. Once the sequence

is complete, the status LED will turn green (solid or blinking, depending on

the angle at which you are holding the eBee).

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Manual control of the eBee

Caution: Taking off without performing the motor power-up sequence will result in the eBee staying in Idle mode during the entire

flight and is not recommended. The eBee will no longer be able to

enter automatic mode while in flight and must land using manual

control.

4. The eBee is now ready for manual take-off. Orient yourself into the wind,

and confirm that the take-off direction in front of you is free of obstacles.

We recommend that you take off at full power and into the wind by setting

the left stick to its highest position and releasing the eBee when the status

LED is solid green.

6.4 Assisted Manual mode

In Assisted Manual mode the sticks on the remote control set the desired speed,

turn rate and climb or sink rate. These commands are then transferred to control

signals for the individual actuators by the autopilot based on feedback from its

sensors. This control scheme simplifies control of the eBee.

Caution: Though it may be easier to fly the eBee manually when in

Assisted Manual mode it remains dangerous and should be used with

care. In particular, the pilot must still be aware of obstacles in the

area, the height of the ground, the inversion of control commands

when the eBee is flying towards the pilot and the distance between

the drone and the pilot. We recommend that you only try Assisted

Manual mode when in a large open space with no obstacles and low

wind.

In this mode the left stick is used to set the desired speed of the eBee. Setting the

stick below 10% turns off the motor, allowing the eBee to glide down. Setting the

left stick between 10% and 100% sets a desired speed between 10.5 and 20 m/s.

The right stick is used to set the direction of flight of the eBee. Moving the stick

left or right will set a left or right roll angle of up to 45◦/s, respectively. Moving

the stick down will set a climb rate of up to 3.5 m/s. Moving the stick up will set

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Advanced functionalities

a sink rate of up to 3.5 m/s. Releasing the right stick at any point will return the

eBee to a straight flight path at a constant height.

It is not possible to take-off in Assisted Manual mode. You may only switch to

Assisted Manual mode after completing the standard take-off procedure44.

Caution: There is no clear indication during the take-off procedure

that the eBee will change to Assisted Manual mode rather than Circle

Start Waypoint mode after the take-off transition height is reached45.

For this reason we recommend that you do not turn on the remote

control unless you are ready to manually control the eBee right after

take-off.

To perform a manual landing we recommend the following procedure:

1. The eBee should always perform a linear landings into the wind. Face the

downwind direction and confirm that there are no obstacles in an area of at

least 100 m downwind and a width of 20 m in either direction from downwind.

2. Set the eBee to a height of around 50 m from the landing height by moving

the right stick up or down.

3. Fly downwind until the eBee is around 100 m away from the landing location.

4. Turn the eBee upwind and towards the landing location by moving the right

stick left or right.

5. Set the speed to a low value by moving the left stick down to around 25%

of its maximum value.

6. Bring the eBee closer to the ground by controlling the sink rate with the

right stick. Keep the eBee descending until it is around 5-10 m from the

ground.

44 as described in section ‘Take-off’ on page 41

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Manual control of the eBee

7. Once the eBee is around 5-10 m from the landing location, cut motor power

using the left stick and allow the eBee to glide down to the ground.

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Part III

Maintenance, Repair and

Troubleshooting

7 Maintenance and repair of the eBee

Goal of this section: This section describes how to update

senseFly Ltd software and on-board firmware, keep your eBee in good

working condition and perform small repairs such as cracks in the airframe.

7.1 Updating the eBee software

Occasionally, senseFly Ltd releases a software upgrade for the eBee to provide additional features to our users or to correct potential issues. As of version 2.0.2,

eMotion 2will check for new versions during start-up46 and will display a message

with update instructions if a new version is available. We recommend, however,

that you check the senseFly Ltd website regularly for updates to ensure you have

the latest version of the software.

To upgrade eMotion 2 or Postflight Terra 3D-EB to the latest version, download

the installer from the senseFly Ltd website and follow the standard install procedure (see section ‘Installing eMotion 2, Postflight Terra 3D-EB and the radio module

drivers’ on page 17). It is not necessary to uninstall previous version of eMotion 2

before installing the new one.

Every version of eMotion 2 is packaged with an accompanying firmware revision

which must be installed on the eBee before it can be used. To upgrade the firmware

of the eBee follow these steps:

1. Connect the battery to the eBee.

2. Connect the USB cable between the computer on which you installed eMotion 2 and the autopilot of the eBee as shown in the figure. The connector is

beside the camera connector and is marked with a icon. The status LED

will turn white as soon as you connect the cable.

46 provided that there is an internet connection
Maintenance, Repair and Troubleshooting

connect USB cable

to autopilot

3. Open the ‘Updater eBee’ on the computer(available in the ‘eMotion 2’folder

in the Start menu in Windows or inside the eMotion 2 disk image in Mac

OS X).

4. Click ‘Update’ to begin the updating process. Wait until the process is complete, which is indicated by the text ‘File downloaded successfully’.

Click Update

Wait for update

to complete

File downloaded

successfully

Note: You may need to install a driver the first time you upgrade your

firmware. The driver will be installed automatically but may cause the

firmware update to fail. If this is the case, retry the update process by

clicking ‘Update’ again, without disconnecting the battery or cable

from the eBee or closing the ‘Updater eBee’ program.

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Maintenance and repair of the eBee

5. Disconnect the USB cable and the battery.

It is important that both the eBee and eMotion 2 have the same software version

for them to work properly together. Make sure that you keep both up-to-date.

To check which version of eMotion 2 you have installed, use the ‘About eMotion

2...’ item in the ‘Window’ menu on Windows or the ‘About eMotion 2’ item in the

‘eMotion 2’ menu on Mac OS X. The eBee firmware version can be seen in the Flight

Parameters tab once connected (see section ‘Flight Parameters tab’ on page 108).

Caution: We are constantly working to improve the performance

of our products and dedicated to providing our customers with the

newest software as soon as it becomes available. Since the highest

level of flight safety can only be achieved with the latest software release, senseFly Ltd can only offer warranty service for products that

have been properly updated.

7.2 Cleaning and Storage

Use a damp cloth to wipe off dirt from the eBee. In order to avoid structural deformation of the wing, it is recommended to store the eBee either in its transport

case or on a flat surface at room temperature.

Caution: Never bring the eBee into direct contact with water, as this

may damage the electronics within the eBee airframe.

7.3 Full airframe and sensor inspection

Beyond the general airframe inspection that is performed before every flight, we

recommend that you perform a full airframe and sensor inspection regularly to

keep your eBee in good operating condition.

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Caution: The autopilot, sensors and actuators within the Central

Body of the eBee are specially calibrated and should only be modified by your eBee reseller. Opening the Central Body of the eBee will

void the warranty.

The inspection includes the following checks:

Check 1: Motor and Servos

The eBee uses a brushless DC motor to turn its propeller and generate thrust. The

servos are the two actuators connected through a servo connection mechanism

to both ailerons. Damaged actuators can prevent the eBee from flying correctly

and thus it is important to ensure their proper functioning.

servo connection

mechanisms

pitot probe

motor

To check the actuators, follow these steps:

1. The motor must be clean and spin smoothly without friction to function

correctly. Ensure that there is no sand or other obstructions within the motor. If there is something blocking the motor from spinning smoothly blow

some air through the motor to dislodge the obstruction.

2. Make sure the left stick of the remote control is all the way down to keep

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Maintenance and repair of the eBee

the motor off47. Place the eBee at the edge of a flat surface and keep the

area around the propeller clear.

Caution: The propeller on the eBee spins at high speeds and can

cause deep cuts if it comes into contact with exposed skin. Always

wear gloves and glasses when any work is done requiring the battery

to be connected to the eBee.

3. Switch the eBee on by connecting the battery.

4. Connect to eMotion 2. Ensure that both the ‘Enable assisted manual control’ and the ‘Ignore RC signals’ settings in the Flight Parameters tab are not

checked48.

5. Switch the remote control on.

6. Move the right stick on the remote control and check the aileron motion.

The ailerons must smoothly and quickly follow the stick. When the stick is

not moved, the ailerons must stay still. When travelling from one end to the

other, fast or slow, the ailerons must smoothly follow without twitching.

7. Hold down the eBee against the flat surface with one hand to prevent it

from moving. Gently move the left stick on the remote control to spin up

the motor and propeller. The motor should run smoothly without making

excessive noise.

8. When done, switch the remote control off.

In case of doubt, take a short video and follow the instructions in section ‘Reporting a problem with your eBee ’ on page 157 for advice.

Check 2: Inertial sensors

The inertial sensors are used by the autopilot to compute the attitude (i.e. its orientation in space) of the eBee. The attitude is displayed by the artificial horizon in

47 see section ‘Manual control of the eBee ’ on page 113 for details on using the remote control

48 see section ‘Flight Parameters tab’ on page 108 for more details on this setting

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Maintenance, Repair and Troubleshooting

the Flight Monitoring tab of eMotion 2. To check the inertial sensors, follow these

steps:

1. Switch the eBee on by connecting the battery and connect to eMotion 2.

2. Put the eBee on a flat surface (typically an office floor) and check that the

artificial horizon is level.

3. Take the eBee with your hand and put it in different orientation. Make sure

that the artificial horizon displays the corresponding orientation.

The artificial horizon should follow smoothly the motion of the eBee and it should

not drift when the eBee is not moving. In case of doubt, take a short video and follow the instructions in section ‘Reporting a problem with your eBee ’ on page 157

for advice.

Check 3: Barometric pressure sensor

The barometric pressure sensor is used to measure the height from the take-off

location. To check it, follow these steps:

1. Switch the eBee on by connecting the battery and connect to eMotion 2.

2. Move the eBee from your feet to above your head (about 2 m height variation).

3. Check the height on the vertical bar right of the artificial horizon or in the

Status Panel next to the eBee icon on the map).

The displayed height shouldfollow the eBeemotion, i.e. if the eBee is raised by 2 m,

the height reading should increase by about 2 m. When the eBee is not moving,

the height reading may slowly drift by up to ±10 m.

Check 4: Air speed sensor

The air speed sensor is connected to the pitot probe by a pair of tubes. To check

it, follow these steps:

1. Visually check the pitot probe. Make sure that it is properly fixed to the

airframe and that both tubes are properly attached and not damaged). The

holes in the probe must be clear and free of dirt or other small obstructions.

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Maintenance and repair of the eBee

2. Switch the eBee on by connecting the battery and connect to eMotion 2.

3. Gently blow into the front opening of the pitot tube from a distance of

around 5 cm. The airflow direction should match the natural flow experienced in flight.

4. Check the air speed displayed on the vertical bar left of the artificial horizon.

At rest, the displayed air speed should be close to zero (it may drift up to about

2 m/s). When blowing in the pitot probe there should be an air speed indicated

in the ‘Flight Monitoring’ tab of eMotion 2 that should easily reach values above

8 m/s.

Check 5: Ground sensor

The ground sensor is composed of a high-speed optical sensor and a lens assembly. The lens assembly must be clean and unobstructed for the sensor to work

correctly. Clean the lens assembly regularly by using a cotton swab.

7.4 Repairing the eBee airframe

Small repairs of cracks in the airframe can be done using contact glue such as

UHU® POR glue. Take care to use only contact glues that are specifically designed

for Expanded Polypropylene (EPP). If you have doubts about the extent of the

damage, always contact your eBee reseller to verify if the damage can be easily

repaired by yourself or if you need to send your eBee in for repair to.

Caution: Never fly your eBee if it has cracks in the airframe.

7.5 Proper battery care

Proper care of your eBee’s battery is important to prevent damage to your eBee and

to maximize flight time. With a fully charged battery, the eBee will fly for about 45

minutes. Frequent altitude changes, presence of wind, use of old batteries and/or

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Maintenance, Repair and Troubleshooting

frequent photo acquisition may significantly reduce the flight endurance. Batteries perform better at medium or high air temperature and it is normal to observe

shorter flight times in cold weather.

The eBee is powered by a Lithium Polymer (LiPo) battery composed of three cells

connected in series. A single LiPo cell can have a range between 3 V (empty) and

4.2 V (full) in its normal operating range. This results in an empty battery voltage

of 9 V and a fully-charged battery voltage of 12.6 V. A well-balanced and healthy

battery should have all three cells at a voltage very close to each other and between 3 and 4.2 V.

The charger delivered with your eBee automatically checks for healthy voltages

of all three cells and only attempts charging if they are within limits. If the cells

are out of balance, the charger will take care of balancing them. If the charger

detects a voltage outside of the allowable range it will indicate an error by flashing

the status LED red. This means that the battery is over-discharged and should be

discarded.

Caution: The batteries delivered with your eBee are designed to be

charged with the charger delivered with your eBee. senseFly Ltd cannot be held responsible for any consequences resulting from using

a different charger. In particular, using a charger improperly configured or designed for other types of batteries may lead the battery

pack to be permanently damaged or to catch on fire.

LiPo batteries do not exhibit any memory effect. We recommend that you always

fully charge them after use even when they are only partially discharged. When

not using the battery store it in the carrying case provided with your eBee. Avoid

leaving the battery in direct sunlight.

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Maintenance and repair of the eBee

Caution: If any of the cells of your battery pack are overly discharged

the battery may be irreversibly damaged and becomes dangerous to

charge. If the battery grows beyond its regular size or if any of the

cells are punctured it is also likely damaged and should be discarded.

Forcefully charging a damaged battery may lead it to take fire. Do

not attempt to charge an over-discharged or damaged battery.

Dispose of the battery safely.

131

8 Troubleshooting

Goal of this section: This section describes the various error messages that may be displayed during start-up or while the eBee is in

flight and provides some tips on solving the simplest problems. In the

case of a more serious problem, this section describes how to prepare

the required data on the problem and report it to your eBee reseller.

The eBee can generate several types of error messages depending on its flight

mode. Some of these messages are minor and simply need to be acknowledged

through eMotion 2, whereas others require more specific action from the user. As

long as the eBee is connected to eMotion 2, error messages will appear in the Status Panel in the Map Area, as well as in the Drone Status panel of the Flight Monitoring tab.

ACK

WARNING

Status

Panel

Drone

Status

Error messages are divided into four categories: Pre-flight errors, Take-off vetos,

In-flight warnings and Critical failures.
Maintenance, Repair and Troubleshooting

8.1 Pre-flight errors

As soon as the battery is connected to the eBee it performs a series of pre-flight

checks to thoroughly test its on-board systems. The start-up process is described

in detail in section ‘Preparing the eBee for flight’ on page 28. If an error occurs

during these pre-flight checks the status LED will blink red and a description of

the error will appear in eMotion 2. In most cases, re-connecting the battery will

suffice to remove the error. Table 3 presents all the Pre-flight errors that may occur

and possible actions to fix the error. If the problem is related to the firmware in

the on-board autopilot, try re-loading the firmware using instructions in section

‘Updating the eBee software’ on page 123. If an error persists after reconnecting

the battery several times we recommend you report the problem by following the

instructions in section ‘Reporting a problem with your eBee ’ on page 157.

Table 3: Pre-flight errors

eMotion 2 text Description and User action

Incorrect firmware

detected

There is an error with the current version of the

firmware in the eBee’s autopilot.

User action: Re-load the correct firmware49.

Battery too low for

take-off

The battery level is too low to perform a take-off.

User action: Re-connect a fully-charged battery.

Drone flight log

memory full

The memory card used to store the Drone flight log is

full.

User action: Empty the memory card by following the instructions in section ‘Importing images and

flight data’ on page 49.

49 see section ‘Updating the eBee software’ on page 123

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High airspeed A high airspeed was detected while on the ground.

User action: Be sure to protect the eBee from the

wind and re-connect the battery. If the problem persists, perform Check 4 in section ‘Full airframe and

sensor inspection’ on page 125. If this does not solve

the problem contact your eBee reseller.

High current A too high current was detected, which may be

caused by an internal problem.

User action: Re-connect the battery. If the problem

occurs twice, contact your eBee reseller.

Magnetometer

malfunction

There is an error with the drone’s magnetic field sensor.

User action: Re-connect the battery. If the problem

persists, contact your eBee reseller.

EEPROM

malfunction

There is an error with the memory chip of the eBee’s

autopilot.

User action: Re-connect the battery. If the problem

persists, contact your eBee reseller.

Barometer

malfunction

There is an error with the eBee’s barometer.

User action: Be sure to place the eBee on a flat surface, reconnect the battery and do not move the

drone until pre-flight checks are complete. If the

problem persists, perform Check 3 in section ‘Full airframe and sensor inspection’ on page 125. If this

does not solve the problem contact your eBee reseller.

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De-calibrated

INS or Attitude

malfunction

The orientation sensors were not calibrated correctly.

User action: Be sure to place the eBee on a flat surface, reconnect the battery and do not move the

drone until pre-flight checks are complete. If the

problem persists, perform Check 2 in section ‘Full airframe and sensor inspection’ on page 125. If this

does not solve the problem contact your eBee reseller.

Ground sensor

malfunction

There is an error with the eBee’s ground sensor.

User action: Ensure that the ground sensor on the

bottom of the eBee is clear of debris and is not damaged, then re-connect the battery. If the problem

persists, perform Check 4 in section ‘Full airframe and

sensor inspection’ on page 125. If this does not solve

the problem contact your eBee reseller.

Invalid flight

controller gains

There is an error with the firmware in the eBee’s autopilot.

User action: Re-connect the battery. If the problem

persists, contact your eBee reseller.

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8.2 Take-off vetos

After successfully completing pre-flight checks the status LED becomes a solid

green to indicate that the eBee is ready for take-off. At this point the eBee continues to monitor its sensors and battery level. If at any point the eBee detects

a condition that prevents it from beginning the automatic take-off procedure it

displays a Take-off veto in eMotion 2 and the status LED changes to a blue pulse.

Once the Take-off veto is cleared the status LED returns to a solid green colour to

indicate that the eBee is ready for take-off.

Table 4 on the next page presents all the Take-off vetos that may occur and possible actions to remove the veto. If a veto persists after performing the suggested

action, we recommend you report the problem by following the instructions in

section ‘Reporting a problem with your eBee ’ on page 157.

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Table 4: Take-off vetos

eMotion 2 text Description and User action

Drone not

horizontal (roll or

pitch)

The eBee must be held horizontally with level wings

to initiate take-off.

User action: Hold the drone horizontally.

Motor is blocked Excessive current was detected from the motor.

User action: Check that the propeller is mounted

correctly and that the motor is freely turning and try

the take-off procedure again.

Battery too low for

take-off

The eBee requires a fully-charged battery for the

take-off procedure.

User action: Change the battery.

Wings not

detected

The eBee’s wings are not attached correctly or the

wing struts are damaged.

User action: Ensure that the wings are fully inserted

into the main body and that the wing struts are not

damaged, as described in section ‘Preparing the eBee

for flight’ on page 28.

USB cable

detected

The eBee has detected a USB cable connected to the

eBee’s autopilot.

User action: Remove the USB cable before take-off.

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8.3 In-flight warnings

While it is in flight the eBee can generate two types of errors: warnings andfailures.

In-flight warnings occur when there is an event that requires user attention but

does not compromise the eBee’s ability to continue flying.

When an In-flight warning is activated the warning will appear in yellow in eMotion 2 and cause the ‘WARNING’ button in the Control Bar to change to ‘ACK WARNING’, turn yellow and activate. The eBee will then perform a Security action depending on the active In-flight warning. Some In-flight warnings simply need to

be acknowledged by clicking on the ‘ACK WARNING’ button. Others require action

by the user before the warning is cleared and the eBee can return to full functionality. The full list of possible In-flight warnings and required User actions can be

found in table 5 on the following page.

The In-flight warnings marked with a ∗can have their Security actions disabled,

whereas the In-flight warnings marked with a ∗∗ can have both the warning and

the Security action disabled. See section ‘Flight Parameters tab’ on page 108 for

instructions on disabling warnings and Security actions.

Caution: The Security action for most In-flight warnings is to fly back

to the Home waypoint (if Circular landing is selected) or the Home

waypoint (if Linear landing is selected). As soon as this Security action is triggered the eBee will fly in the direction of the selected landing waypoint while climbing or descending to the waypoint’s height.

It is thus important to ensure that there are no obstacles above the

height of the selected landing waypoint within the entire flight area

to prevent a collision resulting from this Security action.

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Table 5: In-flight warnings

eMotion 2 text Description and Security action

Failure occurred:

(failure

description)

This warning ensures that the user is aware that a

Critical failure has occurred even if it is no longer active50.

Security action: The eBee flies towards the Home

waypoint at an altitude defined by the Home waypoint’s Change altitude parameter (by default, set to

‘Highest’).

User action: Ensure that the failure condition is no

longer present before acknowledging the error and

continuing normal operation.

Low battery The remaining battery level is too low to continue the

flight plan.

Security action: The eBee flies towards the Home

waypoint at an altitude defined by the Home waypoint’s Change altitude parameter (by default, set to

‘Highest’) and automatically initiates an expedited

landing procedure (without performing a full wind

estimation) once it reaches the waypoint.

User action: Land as soon as possible. Re-charge the

eBee battery before performing another flight.

50 see section ‘Critical failures’ on page 151 for a description of possible Critical failures

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Troubleshooting

Drone flight log

malfunction

There is an error saving data to the on-board memory card which will prevent the images from being

geo-tagged. Images may still be geo-tagged using

the eMotion Flight Log file but may be less precise.

Security action: The eBee continues normal flight.

User action: Land as soon as possible. Once on the

ground, connect to the on-board memory card as described in section ‘Importing images and flight data’

on page 49 and re-format the memory card.

Flight controller

malfunction

The flight controller has encountered an unexpected

state, such as an incorrect waypoint type.

Security action: The eBee flies towards the Home

waypoint at an altitude defined by the Home waypoint’s Change altitude parameter (by default, set to

‘Highest’).

User action: Land as soon as possible and re-start

the eBee. If the problem persists, contact your eBee

reseller.

Camera sync

malfunction

There is a problem with the wiring of the on-board

camera.

Security action: If required parameter set in the

Flight Parameters tab, the eBee flies towards the

Home waypoint at an altitude defined by the Home

waypoint’s Change altitude parameter (by default,

set to ‘Highest’). Otherwise it continues its mission

without taking further images.

User action: Land as soon as possible and re-start

the eBee. Reset the camera settings as described in

section ‘Resetting camera settings’ on page 154.

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Camera power

malfunction

The camera is no longer responding, most likely because it is out of power.

Security action: If required parameter set in the

Flight Parameters tab, the eBee flies towards the

Home waypoint at an altitude defined by the Home

waypoint’s Change altitude parameter (by default,

set to ‘Highest’). Otherwise it continues its mission

without taking further images.

User action: Land as soon as possible. Check the

cable connection between the camera and the eBee

and charge both the camera and the eBee battery before performing another flight.

Barometer

malfunction

The barometer used to sense the current altitude is

malfunctioning.

Security action: The eBee flies towards the Home

waypoint at an altitude defined by the Home waypoint’s Change altitude parameter (by default, set to

‘Highest’) using GPS-based altitude only, potentially

causing large fluctuations in altitude.

User action: Land as soon as possible and perform

Check 3 in section ‘Full airframe and sensor inspection’ on page 125.

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Troubleshooting

Motor

malfunction

The motor is drawing too little or too much current.

This may be caused by damaged wires or connectors

leading to the motor or by sand or other debris within

the motor.

Security action: The eBee attempts to re-start the

motor. If the first attempt fails a Failure: Motor malfunction Critical failure is announced51.

User action: Land as soon as possible and perform

Check 1 in section ‘Full airframe and sensor inspection’ on page 125.

Battery

malfunction

The sensor used to measure the battery voltage and

current is registering invalid values, indicating that

the sensor is de-calibrated or damaged.

Security action: The eBee flies towards the Home

waypoint at an altitude defined by the Home waypoint’s Change altitude parameter (by default, set to

‘Highest’).

User action: Land as soon as possible and re-start

the eBee. If the problem persists, contact your eBee

reseller.

51 see section ‘Critical failures’ on page 151

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Maintenance, Repair and Troubleshooting

Airspeed

malfunction

The differential pressure sensor used to measure airspeed is registering invalid values. This may be due

to a damaged sensor or to a clogged pitot probe.

Security action: The eBee flies towards the Home

waypoint at an altitude defined by the Home waypoint’s Change altitude parameter (by default, set to

‘Highest’) at a constant thrust value instead of controlled speed, potentially resulting in low or high

flight speeds depending on wind. Once it reaches the

Home waypoint it initiates a landing procedure.

User action: Try to provide a maximum amount of

approach sectors to ensure that the eBee can land

against the direction of the wind. Land as soon as

possible and perform Check 4 in section ‘Full airframe

and sensor inspection’ on page 125.

Low airspeed Detected airspeed is unusually low or close to zero.

This may be due to a collision with the ground or a

clogged airspeed sensor.

Security action: The eBee shuts off its motor and

tries to continue its mission.

User action: If the warning is due to a clogged airspeed sensor it may be due to moisture in the air.

Try commanding the eBee to descend closer to the

ground and out of any cloud cover.

Overspeed Detected airspeed is unusually high, possibly due to

a loss of control.

Security action: The eBee applies a 50% reverse

thrust to try to slow down.

User action: Keep track of the eBee’s position in case

it is unable to slow back down to a regular airspeed.

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Troubleshooting

Ground sensor

malfunction

The ground sensor used to detect the proximity of

the ground is malfunctioning.

Security action: The eBee continues normal flight.

User action: Land as soon as possible and perform

Check 5 in section ‘Full airframe and sensor inspection’ on page 125.

Wings detection

malfunction

The sensor used to detect the presence of the wings

malfunctioning.

Security action: The eBee continues normal flight.

User action: Land as soon as possible and inspect

the wing struts as described in section ‘Preparing the

eBee for flight’ on page 28.

Temperature out

of working levels

The temperature sensor on the drone is registering

internal temperatures of less than -50◦ C or more

than 90◦ C. This may occur in extremely hot or cold

environments or if the on-board autopilot is damaged.

Security action: The eBee flies towards the Home

waypoint at an altitude defined by the Home waypoint’s Change altitude parameter (by default, set to

‘Highest’).

User action: Land as soon as possible. If the outside temperature is above 35◦C or below -10◦C, disconnect the battery and wait until the temperature

changes to within these limits.

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Above working

area ceiling

The eBee has passed the vertical boundary of the

working area, defined by the working area ceiling.

This may occur if waypoint heights are set close to or

outside the working area or due to strong wind.

Security action: The eBee flies towards the Home

waypoint at an altitude defined by the Home waypoint’s Change altitude parameter (by default, set to

‘Highest’). It also turns off its motor as long as it remains above the working area ceiling.

User action: Limit the height of all waypoints to less

than the working area ceiling.

Out of working

area radius

The eBee has passed the lateral boundary of theworking area, defined by the working area radius. This

may occur if waypoints are set close to or outside of

the working area or due to strong wind.

Security action: The eBee flies towards the Home

waypoint at an altitude defined by the Home waypoint’s Change altitude parameter (by default, set to

‘Highest’).

User action: Limit the planned flight path within the

working area boundaries.

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Far outside of

working area

The eBee has passed far outside of the working area.

This may be caused by very high winds or due to mechanical failure.

Security action: The eBee tries to orient itself in the

direction of the Home waypoint and begins descending immediately until it lands on the ground or returns within the working area.

User action: Keep track of the location of the eBee

during landing. If the eBee lands outside of view follow the instructions in section ‘Losing and locating

your eBee in the field’ on page 156.

Poor GPS

coverage∗

GPS coverage is low. This may be due to mountains

or tall buildings blocking satellite signals. If coverage

degrades any more a Critical failure will be activated

and an emergency landing will be initiated52.

Security action (if enabled): The eBee flies towards

the Home waypoint at an altitude defined by the

Home waypoint’s Change altitude parameter (by default, set to ‘Highest’).

User action: If this occurs once or twice, click ‘ACK

WARNING’ and continue normal flight. If this warning

appears more often, land as soon as possible andwait

for better GPS conditions. Alternately, move away

from objects that may disturb GPS such as mountains

or cellular antennas.

52 see section ‘Critical failures’ on page 151

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Maintenance, Repair and Troubleshooting

Data uplink lost∗∗

(if enabled)

This warning occurs if the eBee does not receive any

data from eMotion 2 for more than 30 s. This can be

due to a large distance between drone and ground

station, a problem with the USB radio modem, antenna positioning or interference.

Security action (if enabled): The eBee flies towards

the Home waypoint at an altitude defined by the

Home waypoint’s Change altitude parameter (by default, set to ‘Highest’).

User action: Try to improve radio signal quality by

following the instructions in section ‘Improving radio

signal communication’ on page 155.

Ground proximity

detected∗∗

(if enabled)

The ground sensor on the eBee has detected a ground

distance of less than 30 m during normal flight.

Note: this feature should not be depended on for

avoiding obstacles, as the ground sensor may fail

to detect obstacles in certain environmental conditions53.

Security action (if enabled): The eBee circles the

current position while climbing to a height of 60 m

above the detected ground distance. Once this

height is reached the eBee continues towards the

next waypoint but sets the waypoint’s target height

at 60 m above the last detected ground distance.

User action: Ensure that there are no obstacles such

as hills or buildings higher than the waypoints of your

flight plan.

53 see section ‘Linear landing’ on page 69

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Troubleshooting

Ground proximity

not detected

landing precision

decreased∗∗

The ground sensor on the eBee was unable to detect

the proximity of the ground during a Linear landing

procedure. This may be due to an obstruction in the

sensor, low ambient light or low contrast in the environment54.

Security action: The eBee continues the Linear landing procedure but will initiate its final brake at an estimated height of 20 m instead of 3 m (assuming the

Linear landing location is at the same height at the

Take-off location), resulting in decreased precision in

the landing location.

User action: Be ready for the eBee to overshoot

its planning Linear landing location by preparing a

larger obstacle-free zone around the location.

Back wind,

landing precision

decreased∗∗∗

(in blue)

There are no approach sectors available against the

direction of the wind. The eBee has calculated a Linear landing approach direction in the direction of the

wind.

Security action: The eBee continues normal flight.

User action: Add a new approach sector against the

direction of the wind, if possible, abort the landing

and try landing again. If not, be ready for the eBee

to overshoot its planning Linear landing location by

preparing a larger obstacle-free zone around the location.

54 see section ‘Linear landing’ on page 69

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Maintenance, Repair and Troubleshooting

Strong wind∗The wind is too strong for the eBee to navigate safely.

Security action (if enabled): The eBee flies towards

the Home waypoint at an altitude defined by the

Home waypoint’s Change altitude parameter (by default, set to ‘Highest’).

User action: Land as soon as possible and wait for

better flight conditions.

Cannot maintain

altitude

The eBee cannot maintain the altitude that is commanded by the flight controller. This may be due to a

damaged motor, airframe or ailerons or a strong vertical wind.

Security action: The eBee continues normal flight.

User action: If the condition persists during a flight,

land and wait for the wind to decrease, as explained

in section ‘Weather check’ on page 27. If the problem occurs in low-wing conditions perform Check 2

in section ‘Full airframe and sensor inspection’ on

page 125.

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Troubleshooting

Pitch or Roll

instability

The orientation sensors on the eBee detected unusually high pitch or roll values even after performing

stabilization. This may be due to strong winds or

damaged airframe.

Security action: The eBee continues normal flight

while trying to stabilize the pitch as much as possible.

User action: If the condition persists during a flight,

land and wait for the wind to decrease, as explained

in section ‘Weather check’ on page 27. If the problem occurs in low-wing conditions perform Check 2

in section ‘Full airframe and sensor inspection’ on

page 125.

8.4 Critical failures

A critical failure is an error that occurs in flight that prevents the continuation of

normal flight. This is the most serious type of error that can occur with the eBee,

and is indicated in red in eMotion 2. The ‘WARNING’ button in the Control Bar

changes to ‘CRITICAL FAILURE’, becomes red and cannot be acknowledged. When

a critical failure occurs flight is aborted and the eBee initiates an Emergency action

in which it is immediately directed to the ground. The Emergency action for each

Critical failure is designed to minimize the airspeed and thus impact energy with

the ground using the sensors that are still functioning.

Table 6 on the following page describes the critical failures that may occur and

what action is taken by the eBee. In some cases it may be possible to manually

control the eBee using the remote control55. If such a critical failure occurs that

results in an Emergency landing we recommend that you keep track of the eBee’s

55 see section ‘Manual control of the eBee ’ on page 113

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Maintenance, Repair and Troubleshooting

last known position in the air and in eMotion 2 if possible and follow the instructions in section ‘Losing and locating your eBee in the field’ on page 156.

Table 6: Critical failures

eMotion 2 text Description and Emergency action

Failure: loss of GPS

fix

The GPS position(or ‘fix’) is no longer available, which

makes it impossible for the eBee to know where it is

and thus to navigate.

Emergency action: The eBee turns off its motor, sets

a bank angle and glides in a large circle towards the

ground. If there is a strong wind the eBee may be

pushed far from its current position. If a GPS ‘fix’ is

re-acquired the eBeewill abort the landing procedure

and go to the Home waypoint.

Failure: empty

battery

The battery is completely empty.

Emergency action: The eBee turns off its motor and

glides towards the ground in the direction of the

Home waypoint. This error is always preceded by a

Low battery In-flight warning.

Failure: INS

malfunction

There is a failure with the orientation sensors which

makes it impossible for the eBee to stabilise itself and

thus initiate a gliding emergency landing.

Emergency action: The eBee turns off its motor and

fully deflects its ailerons which results in an uncontrolled descentwith limited impact energy(deep stall

or spin).

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Troubleshooting

Failure: motor

malfunction

The motor is not working even after an attempted

re-start commanded by a Motor malfunction In-flight

warning.

Emergency action: The eBee orients itself in the direction of the Home waypoint and glides towards the

ground while continuously trying to re-start the motor. If motor re-start is successful the eBee cancels the

landing and flies towards the Home waypoint at an

altitude defined by the Home waypoint’s Change altitude parameter (by default, set to ‘Highest’).

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8.5 Resetting camera settings

The configuration of the on-board Canon Ixus 125HS (or Canon Elph 110HS NIR)

camera is critical for the acquisition of quality images. In case of unwanted configuration changes, the camera can be configured to a suitable state using the

following procedure.

1. Restore default settings (‘Reset All...’ in ‘Camera Settings’ menu)

2. Switch the program selector switch (top of the camera, beside the ON/OFF

button) to ‘Manual’ mode (indicated by a camera icon)

3. Deactivate the flash (right of the multipurpose controller)

4. In the ‘Shooting settings’ menu:

(a) Set ‘AF Frame’ to ‘Center’

(b) Set ‘AF Frame Size’ to ‘Normal’

(c) Set ‘Digital Zoom’ to off

(d) Set ‘AF-Point Zoom’ to off

(e) Set ‘Servo AF’ to off

(f) Set ‘AF-assist Beam’ to off

(g) Set ‘Red-Eye Corr.’ to off (in the ‘Flash Settings...’ sub-menu)

(h) Set ‘Red-Eye Lamp’ to off (in the ‘Flash Settings...’ sub-menu)

(i) Set ‘i-Contrast’ to off

(j) Set ‘Review’ to off

(k) Set ‘Blink Detection’ to off

(l) Set ‘Grid Lines’ to off

(m) Set ‘IS Mode’ to off (in the ‘IS Settings...’ sub-menu)

(n) Set ‘Date Stamp’ to off

(o) Set ‘Face ID’ to off (in the ‘Face ID Settings...’ sub-menu)

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Troubleshooting

5. In the ‘Camera Settings’ menu:

(a) Set ‘Mute’ to on

(b) Set ‘Hints & Tips’ to off

(c) In the ‘Power Saving...’ sub-menu:

i. Set ‘Auto Power Down’ to off

ii. Set ‘Display Off’ to 3 minutes

For more information, refer to the original camera manual in the support section

of our website56.

8.6 Improving radio signal communication

You may occasionally lose the data connection between eMotion 2 and your eBee

while in the field. Whether there is a loss in uplink or downlink communication,

the eBee will continue flying along its Flight Plan and should re-establish the connection as it flies closer to the base station or changes direction.

If the eBee stops receiving messages from eMotion 2 (uplink direction) for more

than 30 s you will see a ‘Data uplink lost’ In-flight warning appear in eMotion 2.

If for safety reasons you would like the eBee to automatically return to the Home

waypointwhen thiswarning appears, select the corresponding option in the Flight

Parameters tab57.

If there are no more messages received by eMotion 2 from the eBee (downlink

direction), a ‘Data downlink lost’ message will appear in eMotion 2. If there is still

an active uplink connection you may still command your eBee to return to the

Home waypoint using the Control Bar.

Data connection range can be effected by many external factors such as antenna

height, terrain and obstacles or radio interference. We recommend the following

tips to improve the range of your connection in the field:

56 http://www.sensefly.com/support/download

57 see section ‘Flight Parameters tab’ on page 108 for more details

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Maintenance, Repair and Troubleshooting

1. Place the USB radio modem as high as possible (for example, on top of a

car, ladder or nearby building). A height of at least 2 m is recommended.

2. Ensure that the USB radio modem’s antenna is pointing straight up.

3. Disable any 2.4 GHz-based communication devices (or put them into ‘Airplane mode’) in the vicinity of the USB radio modem. This includes all Wifi

and Bluetooth devices such as the ground station computer or mobile phones.

The strength of the connection between the eBee and eMotion 2 is indicated in the

Flight Monitoring tab58. The three LEDs next to the antenna on the radio modem

also indicate the strength of the connection. The connection is strongest when

all three LEDs are a solid red, and weakest when a single LED is blinking.

8.7 Losing and locating your eBee in the field

We recommend that you write your address and phone number on your eBee (by

putting your business card on top of the camera for example) in case it gets lost

and subsequently found by a third party. In case you lose your eBee in the field for

whatever reason, whether from a loss of communications, a Critical failure or an

accidental collision, use the following steps to try to recover it:

1. Do not disconnect the connection in eMotion 2! If it is simply out of communication range the eBee should reconnect automatically as it returns to

the Home waypoint after completing its mission.

2. Note the last known location of the eBee in eMotion 2 by printing the screen

or writing down the location displayed in the Flight Monitoring tab.

3. Move towards this last known direction with the computer running eMotion 2 in the hope of regaining a connection. Be sure to take the remote

control with you as well.

4. If you have reached the last known location of your eBee and have not yet

found it, turn on the remote control.

58 see section ‘Flight Monitoring tab’ on page 89

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Troubleshooting

5. Try moving both the control sticks around. If the eBee is within range it may

start making noise with its main motor or servo motors.

6. Try moving downwind from the last known location in case the eBee was

pushed by the wind while still in the air.

8.8 Reporting a problem with your eBee

If there is a problem with your eBee, whether it is a software malfunction, damaged airframe or any other problem, we recommend the following actions:

1. If there is an error message displayed in eMotion 2, begin by checking section ‘Troubleshooting’ on page 133 to see if there is a solution to the particular message.

2. Check the on-line Questions & Answers section on senseFly Ltd’s website59

to see if there is a solution to your problem.

3. If you have still not found a solution, contact your eBee reseller. Please include the following information with your inquiry:

• The serial number of your eBee, in the format EB-XX-XXX. You can find

this number inside the battery enclosure.

• A short description of the problem.

• The Drone Flight Log file of the flight that had a problem60.

• The eMotion Flight Log file of the flight that had a problem. You can

find this file in the eMotion/logs/ directory which is created in My

Documents (on Windows) or ∼/Documents (on Mac OS X).

• Photos or video of the eBee airframe, if required.

59 technical support can be found at http://www.sensefly.com/support/

60 see section ‘Importing images and flight data’ on page 49 for information on retrieving this file from

the eBee

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Maintenance, Repair and Troubleshooting

Note: In order to provide support, senseFly Ltd may request the flight

log files for inspection.

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Part IV

Specifications

Troubleshooting

Software requirements

eMotion 2 has the following minimum software requirements:

Operating system Windows XP / Vista / 7 / 8

Mac OS X 10.5 or later

Hardware 1.6 GHz processor

2 GB RAM

500 MB free storage space

Screen min. resolution: 1024×768

visible outdoors

Postflight Terra 3D-EB has the following minimum software requirements:

Operating system Windows XP / Vista / 7 / 8, 64-bit only

Hardware 1.6 GHz processor (2 GHz Intel i5/i7/Xeon recommended)

4 GB RAM (16 GB recommended for large projects)

10 GB free storage space (1 TB recommended for large

projects)

Screen min. resolution: 1024×768

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Specifications

eBee technical specifications

Size Wingspan: 96 cm

Wing area: 0.25 m2

Typical Weight 0.7 kg

Payload 16 MP camera, electronically integrated and controlled

Battery 3-cell Lithium-Polymer

Capacity: 1800 mAh

Endurance61 45 minutes of flight time

Propulsion Electric brushless motor

Nominal static thrust: 0.63 kgf (6.2 N)

Nominal cruise speed 36-72 km/h (10-20 m/s)

Wind resistance up to 45 km/h (12 m/s)

Mapping area coverage up to 10 km2

Communication devices62 Remote control: 2.4 GHz, range: approx. 1 km, certification: CE, FCC

Data: 2.4 GHz, range: approx. 3 km, certification:

FCC Part 15.247, IC RSS210, CE

Navigation up to 50 waypoints

61 Endurance can vary greatly depending on external factors such as wind, altitude change and temperature.

62 Range of communication can vary greatly depending on external factors such as cruise altitude,

presence of obstacles and radio-frequency interferences.

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