feBee 

-------- senseFiy 

Extended User Manual 

eBee and eBee Ag 

Revision 16 I April 2015 

Copyright© 2010-2015 senseFiy Ltd 

\...-"vsenseFiy 

a Parrot company 

GENERAL INFORMATION 

READ THIS USER MANUAL CAREFULLY BEFORE USING A SENSEFLY LTD PRODUCT. 

senseFiy Ltd products are Intended for professional use only. 

Applicable Regulations 

senseFiy Ltd products are subject to Civil Aviation regulations. Regulations may vary depending on the country 

where you intend to-operate your product. 

ANY USE OF SENSEFLY LTD PRODUCTS IN BREACH OF THE LAW OF THE COUNTRY WHERE YOU OPERATE THE PRODUG 

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 AT All 

OR IN SPECIFIC AREAS. 

Privacy 

Recording and circulating an image of an individual may constitute an infringement of their image and privacy for 

which you can be liable. Ask for authorization before taking pictures of an individual, particular1y if you want to keep 

your recordings and/or circulate images on the Web or any other medium. Do not circulate degrading images or 

ones that could undermine the reputation or dignity of an individuaL Check that your use of the cameras on board 

senseF!y ltd products comply with the legal provision on privacy in the country where you operate your product. 

Limited Warranty 

Sense Fly Ltd warrants that the product will be free from defects in material and workmanship for a period of twelve 

(12} months from the date of delivery. Sensefly Ltd further warrants that the product will perform substantially in 

accordance with its specification. During the warranty period senseFiy Ltd's sole liability shall be at senseF!y Ltd's 

sole option, either to repair or to replace the defective product with another product or a product with similar spec~ 

ffications, at no charge, or to reimburse the purchase price of the product, or if repair or replacement is not possible, 

issue a credit note; provided however, that the defect has been confirmed by senseF!y Ltd and that the defective 

product Is returned to senseFly Ltd in accordance with the support and repair form together with a[[ requited flight 

logfiles. 

Warranty does not apply, without limitation, in case: a} the products are not stored and used according to their 

specifications, b} the products are damaged due to carelessness, negligence, or wrong use by the user, and c} for 

defects due to normal wear and tear including, but not limited to, deterioration to 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 third party other than senseFiy Ltd, damage due to manual 

operation, damage due to take-off or landing location with obstacles, damage due to low altitude flight, damagedue 

to loss of data radiO connection, damage due to strong wind, rain or humidity, or other causes for which senseF!y Ltd 

has no control. 
THE FOREGOING WARRANTIES ARE IN LIEU OF All WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION ANY IMPLIED WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. AND OF 

ANY OTHER OBLIGATION ON THE PART OF SENSEFLY LTD. 

limitation of liability 

TO THE EXTENT PERMITT£D BY APPLICABLE LAW, IN NO EVENT Will SENSEFLY LTD BE LIABLE FOR ANY LOSS OF REVENUE, lOSS OF PROFIT, lOSS OF DATA, OR INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAl OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF 

SENSEFLY LTD HAS BEEN NOTIAED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES, AND WHETHER THIS LIABILITY ARISES 

FROM A ClAIM BASED ON CONTRACT, WARRANTY, TORT OR OTHERWISE, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF GROSS NEGLI· 

GENCE AND DEATH. 

YOU SHAll AT All TIMES OPERATE THE PRODUCT IN AREAS OR UNDER CIRCUMSTANCES SO AS TO GUARANTY SECURITY AND SAFETY OF PEOPLE, PROPERTY AND ANIMALS. 

FCC and iC Compliance statement : 

~ This device complies with part 15 of the FCC Rules and Industry Canada license-exempt RSS standard{s). 

Operation is subject to the following two conditions: 

1. This device may not cause harmful interference, and 

2. This device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation. Changes or modifications not expressly approved by the party responsible for compliance could void 

the user's authority to operate the equipment. 

This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a class B digital device, pursuant to part 

15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide a reasonable protection against harmful interference in a 

residential installation. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency energy· and, if not installed 

and uses iri accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful Interference to radio communications. However, 

there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful 

interference to radio or television reception, wich can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user 

is encouraged to try to correct the Interference by one or more of the following measures: 

1. Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna 

2. Increase the separation between the equipment and the receiver 

3, Connect the equipment into a an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected 

4. Consult the dealer or an experienced radionv technidan for help. 
This Class B digital apparatus complies with canadian ICES-Q03. 

This equipment complies With FCC's radiation exposure limits set forth for an uncontrolled environment under the 

following conditions: 

1. This equipment should be installed and operated such that a minimum separation distance of 20cm is 

maintained between the radiator (antenna) and user's/nearby person's body at all times. 

2. This transmitter must not be co-located or operating in conjunction with any other antenna or transmitter. 

Disposal of this product at the end of its life 

\...7 At the end of this product's life, please do not dispose of this product in your general household waste. A Instead, in order to prevent possible harm to the environment or human health from uncontrolled waste 

- =~~~~~~~~~i:O~eo:!~r~;:~~~~~~~~~~~~sa~~o:~:~~::~i:r~~~c::~~:~~~de~e~~~~~~·t:~ are available for consumers, near your home, free of charge, please contact your local municipal authority. 

You can also contact senseFiy ltd or the reseller from which you purchased your drone who may provide recycling 

services or be part of a recycling scheme. 

Copyrights 

sensefly ltd reserves the right to make changes to specifications and product descriptions contained in this document at any time without notice. Please consultwww.sensefly.com for the latest release. 

Copyright© 2015 senseFiy ltd. All rights reserved. REPRODUCTION, USE OR DISCLOSURE OF All OR IN PART OF THIS 

MANUAl TO THIRD PARTIES WITHOUT THE PRIOR WRlffiN PERMISSION OF SENSEFLY lTD IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED. 
Address 

senseFiy Ltd 

Route de Geneve 38 

1033 Cheseaux-Lausanne 

Switzerland 

Website: http://www.sensefly.com 

Technical support 

If you have questions about any of your sense Fly products, please visit my.senseFiy* where you'll find: 

• Our Knowledge Base. 

• A form for contacting support. 

*my.sensefly.com 
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. 
Package contents 

eBee 

battery 

packs 

spare 

propeller 

remote control, 

cables and 

propeller 

attachment 

bands 

ground 

modem 

EPP 

glue 

User manual 

battery 

charger 

eBee 

battery 

charger 

cable 

camera 

charger 

camera 

central body 
The standard eBee package contains the following items: 

• 1 x carrying case with foam protection 

• 1xe8eecentral body with built-in autopilot 

• 1 x pair of detachable wings 

• 1 x spare propeller 

• 1 Ox spare propeller attachment rubber bands 

• 2x Lithium-Polymer battery packs 

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

• 1 x 2.4 GHz USB ground modem (FCC ID: 2AC2VGMEBEE) for radio data link 

(including USB cable) 

• 1 x 2.4 GHz remote control (including 3 AA batteries) 

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

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

• 1xEPPglue 

• 1 x eBee User Manual 

• 1 x camera User Manual 

Depending on your order, your package may also include other items, such as 

additional payloads. Please verify upon delivery that your package is complete. 

In case of a missing item, please contact your eBee reseller immediately. 

* http://my.sensefly.com 
Hardware features 

data link antenna---~ n~-·:::::~;-- tlattervcompartment 

camera lens hole 

Bottom face of 

the central body 

Top face of the eBee 

I,-,7- oiitot probe, status LED 

· .H=~~~;;;;;;, central body ---. camera compartment 

servo connection 

:::J!1f, ~-----'~_:_::_ mechanism 

--~---wing 

-",------'\;,--aileron 

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 stru.ctures add aerodynamic stability to the drone 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 drone through this connection mechanism. 

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

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

battery stored within the battery compartment. 

• Camera compartment: The eBeefeaturesa built-in camera for taking aerial 

images stored within the camera compartment 

• Data Link Antenna: Used by the drone to communicate with the eMotion 

software through the USB ground 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 drone's state. 
o 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 you to download and use eMotion' and 

Postflight Terra3D •t at no extra cost. 

eMotion 2 

senseF/y 

eMotion 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 the drone is launched, you 

can use eMotion's wireless connection with your eBeeto track its position, monitor 

the progress of your mapping flight and send commands if desired. 

Postflight t~ t 

Terra 1 _, Powered by Pix4D 

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

Terra 3D to process the captured images fully automatically. Postflight Terra 3D is 

a full-featured mapping solution: with just a few mouse clicks it can create highquality geo-referenced 20 and 3D orthomosaics and digital elevation/surface models (DEM/DSM). While you are still in the field Postflight Terra 30 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 access terms and conditions apply 

t Postflight Terra 3D works withe Bee images only 
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Contents 

Quick start guide 19 

1 Planning and simulating a flight 20 

1.1 Installing eMotion, Postflight Terra 30, and the ground modem 

drivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 

1.2 The eMotion interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 

1.3 Creating a new flight plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 

1.4 The mission phase of a flight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 

1.5 Simulating your flight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 

1.6 Getting ready for a mission 

2 Executing a flight 

2.1 Weather check 

27 

29 

29 

2.2 Preparing the eBee for flight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 

2.3 The setup phase of a flight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 

2.4 Take-off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 

2.5 In-flight monitoring and control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 

2.6 Landing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 

2.7 Potential in-flight errors 48 

3 Pr~cessing image data 50 

3.1 Importing images and flight data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SO 

3.2 In-field image quality check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 

3.3 Creating advanced mapping products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 
II Advanced functionalities 57 

4 Understanding aerial mapping with the eBee 58 

58 

62 

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

4.2 Advanced polygonal mission area ..... 

4.3 30 mission planning using elevation data . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 

4.4 Flight visualization in Google EarthTM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 

4.5 Autonomous controller and modes of flight . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 

4.6 

4.7 

4.8 

4.9 

Linear landing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

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

Individual photo targets and oblique imagery 

Emergency Manoeuvres 

5 eMotion in-depth guide 

5.1 Toolbar ..... 

5.2 

5.3 

5.4 

5.5 

5.6 

5.7 

5.8 

Simulator .... 

Control Bar . . . 

Flight Monitoring tab . . . ............ . 

Setup Phase tab . . . . ...... . 

Mission Planning tab .. 

Mission Waypoints tab . 

Camera tab ........... . 

72 

77 

83 

85 

89 

90 

93 

95 

98 

102 

107 

116 

118 

5.9 Flight Parameters tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123 

6 Manual control ofthe eBee 

6.1 Enabling manual control ...... . 

127 

127 

6.2 Pre-flight testing of the remote control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129 
6.3 Full Manual mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130 

6.4 Assisted Manual mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131 
Ill Maintenance, Repair and Troubleshooting 135 

7 Maintenance and repair of the eBee 136 

7.1 Updating the eBee software ........ . 136 

7.2 Cleaning and storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138 

73 Full airframe and sensor inspection ........... ·. . . . . 139 

7.4 Repairing the eBee airframe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142 

7.5 Proper battery care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142 

8 Troubleshooting 145 

146 

IV 

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

8.2 Take-offvetoes ........................... 149 

8.3 In-flight warnings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151 

8.4 Critical failures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163 

8.5 Resetting default camera settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166 

8.6 Improving radio signal communication .............. 166 

8.7 Losing and locating your eBee in the field . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167 

8.8 Reporting a problem with your eBee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168 

Specifications 169 

1 Software requirements 170 

2 Drone specifications 171 
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 the next 

page 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 drone to 

perform its flight. In section 'Executing a flight' on page 29 you Will learn 

how to prepare your drone for flight, connect it to eMotion, 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 SO 

leads you through the process of transferring images from the drone to a 

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

field and producing advanced 2D and 3D maps. 
Quick start guide 

1 Planning and simulating a flight 

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1.1 Installing eMotion, PostflightTerra 3D, and the ground modem drivers 

You can download the latest version of eMotion and Postflight Terra 30 at: 

http://my.sensefly.com 

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

address: 

www.google.com/earth/ 

To install eMotion on Windows, simply execute the provided installers for eMotion 

and Postflight Terra 30 and follow the on-screen instructions. The eMotion and 

Postflight Terra 30 software will be available in the 'Start' menu. Drivers fort he USB 

ground station ground modem will automatically be installed along with eMotion. 

In case a problem arises after connecting the ground modem to the computer for 

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:\ProgramFiles (x86)\senseFly\eMotion 2\usb_driver\ 

See section 'Updating the eBee software' on page 136 if you have any difficulty 

with software installation. 

20 
Planning and simulating a flight 

1.2 The eMotion interface 

Thanks to the powerful tools available within eMotion, designing a mapping flight 

for your eBee is a simple process. To get started, launch eMotion and choose what 

you would like to do ... 

• To run a simulation, select the simulator, choose the drone you want to 

simulate and click OK. 

• To fly a drone, connect your ground modem to your computer and select 

Drone. If you have more than one USB device connected to your PC. choose 

the ground modem you want to connect to from the list and click OK. Otherwise, just click OK. 

• To process flight data you already created, select the Flight Data Manager 

and click OK. 

We recommend that you plan flights using a simulated drone. Once connected to 

a real or simulated drone you will see the main screen of eMotion. 

The main screen of eMotion is split into four sections: 

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

21 
Quick start guide 

22 

Flight Parameters tab -----, 

Camera tab -----, 

Mission Waypoints tab -----., 

Mission Planning tab 

Setup Phase tab 

Flight Monitoring tab 

Status 

Panel 

current altitude (both Above the Take-off Altitude, marked as ATO, and Above 

Mean Sea Level, marked as AMSL), 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 drone 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. 
Planning and simulating a flight 

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 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 drone 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 drone. 

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 thick border illustrates the working area boundaries within 

which the eBee will always remain. See section 'Waypoints and their properties' 

on page 58 for more information on waypoints and the various symbols presented 

in the Map Area. 

A complete flight plan for an eBee is divided into 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 39. 

23 
Quick start guide 

1.4 The mission phase of a flight 

The easiest way to create a mappingflightforthe systematic coverage of an area is 

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

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

plan optimised for the ground resolution that you desire. 

mission 

Step2: 

rotate, 

resize, 

move 

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

24 

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. 
Planning and simulating a flight 

2. Adjust the location, size, and shape of the mission area. 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 it 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 

suityourterrain and quality requirements'. As a first step, eMotion 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 drone by clicking the 'Upload' 

button. 

5. Click the~ button in the Toolbar to open the flight plan in Google Earth 7M2

• 

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 will be reflected directly in Google Earth TM. 

1 see section 'Mission Planning tab' on page 107 for a complete description of available parameters 2 see section 'Flight visualization in Googfe EarthTM' on ~age 66 

25 
Quick start guide 

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

can load into 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: 

1.5 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 risk'. When eMotion is connected to a simulated drone an extra set 

of buttons appear in the Sidebar: 

fast-forward ------,, r~----- re-position take-off location 

play ----, initiate take-off 

pause ---, r-- instant recharge of battery 

You can setthetake-offlocation ofthe eBee by clicking on the 0 icon and placing 

the point on the map. This simulates the action of switching on the real drone 

3 see section 'Simulator' on page 93 for a complete description of the simulator 

26 
Planning and simulating a flight 

and letting it acquire GPS signals. 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 Tool bar. You can monitor 

the state ofthe drone while in flight using the Flight Monitoring tab and the Status 

Panel4

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

~button in the Toolbar. 

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1.6 Getting ready for a mission 

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

batteries'. When delivered, the eBee battery may not be fully charged. 

power cable LiPo Balance 

.... ~""'!Charger 

30 

20 

1 0 

Status 

0 

balance LEOs 

eBee battery pack 

(notto scale) 

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

above. During charge, the status LED on the charger is solid red. Charging is complete when the status LED turns green. 

The charger provided independently balances the voltage of each of the 3 cells 

contained in the battery pack to ensures optimal performance and battery life. 

4 see section 'In-flight monitoring and control' on page 46 5 Consult your payload user manual to know If the payload battery is necessary for the flight 

27 
Quick start guide 

If any of the cells is unbalanced, its associated LED will flash red during charging 

until it is re-balanced. Charging can take up to an hour, depending on the charge 

level ofthe battery and the required cell balancing work. See section 'Proper battery care' on page 142 for more information on maintaining your drone's batteries. 

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

preload map tiles by selecting 'Download maps .. : from the 1ii1 File menu. More 

details on how to take advantage of the various map sources available in eMotion 

can be found in section 'Toolbar' on page 90. 

28 
Executing a flight 

2 Executing a flight 

~ ~~~l',f~~issection: ~~,i~l~cti~n desctib~~~~~~il;Brepare your eBee 

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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. 

29 
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 that you perform the following 6 steps before every 

flight to ensure that the platform is best prepared for flight. 

30 

Central body 

top view 

Central body 

bottom view 

3 

Wing- detached 
Executing a flight 

Step 1: Perform a general inspection 

Visually inspect the drone 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. 

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. 

·······················-~-.·.·.·.·.·.··_, !.ii __ ·.·.··.·.·.···•·•·.· .... 1 '·within.~~~q~!)t~ai.Body Cautio,'!; lt•l~vftal· to c~l'~f~[ly'ipspect_thei~~h~'~$rEts_and ~~fR/~~y~rY flight,_as,t.~~~~aycause a tub~~; crai~ .. ·. 

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•fiJ~H1i·tv•: · ·· Jl~l~1;,1:t•&>··· 

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

A __ ·_.•····· \~~tl!; A gen~r~Jij~~p~ction sho41~~~£ertorme~llitil£~}~X~~~ight. ~-·• .•Jr is also go9(j ri~~ticeto perj'OJ~~fu.ll airfrall)~f~~~g[~gularly to 

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•; inspectio~' 9QR~!Je 139 for Q1.£!¢o.etails. ··::g; •·-<•·· 

31 
Quick start guide 

~ 

attachment 

propeller c· 

rubber bands 

Step 2: Install the propeller 

Mount the propeller on the motor axis. 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 any 

other sign of aging. 

32 

Note:.Aftere)(te~s~~~~}~,th€_rubber bands.IP#0~,~&~~~~'2i~ck; .. rhis 

i_s·normal ~~d is 5a~~ed ~)'~he ageingpfth~r~p~~r~~teri~l.cFor maximum•sefyri\}'!in"pectth~rubberb~p9:ireg~,l~r~y~h~discardthem 

iftheyshow~rac~Jo spare rubberbandsar~J~duded inthe.pack- -.... -., .. ,--.. ·--.. ·'·<·" .,, .. _ '- --- -- - ' - : - ---- ------->.:-.·.-J·>i.----<-!>.(y;':i•'', >" ------- -.. 

ag~. 
insert camera into 

compartment 

Step 3: Install the camera 

Executing a flight 

plug in camera connector to camera plug 

l 

/ 

~ 

Ill 1;1 

close camera 

compartment lid 

Install the camera into the payload bay' within the eBee and close the camera 

compartment lid. If the camera connector is not already connected, plug it into 

the connector with the~ icon on the eBee. 

6 Some payloads may require a separate battery or SD card to operate properly. Please refer to the 

User Manual of the camera or other payload for proper installation instructions. 

33 
Quick start guide 

ensure servo 

connection 

mechanism Is 

aligned 

and engaged 

Step 4: Attach the wings 

insert wing struts into central 

body 

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. 

34 
connect battery and 

insert into 

compartment 

close battery 

compartment 

Startup 

process: 

connect battery - disconnect battery 

! - I 

status LED: 1 btue' _ preflight chec~-~~iled ,pulse I • •, I - "' status LED·:' red I t . \~~~~ ... ready for startup 

qrc-en status LED: ·~olici 

Step 5: Install and connect the battery 

Executing a flight 

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. 

C~~.f~~~~;f~li~ care to/~~¢~>the. prop~ll~i ~~~)cii~~r. in· case it ci-~~-.!¥;*~i:FS :spinning_. __ -,_;::::;~~~-;~ - -_,:_;·_:{~-:-:.:_;~:_,, :: 

35 
Quick start guide 

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

of its sensors and acquire GPS signals. Be sure notto move the drone during these 

tests. It is important that the drone is not inclined more than 1 Odegrees 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 these satellite signals are 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 drone to 

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

status of the checks. 

36 
select FTDI port 

Step 6: Connectto eMotion 

·····~·r···-,-~-·. 

Gm/f<TO 

v·· -'~•."'fM51 

iJ·i !DID:O;OO 

EtL:.<,_:,iill~: . \R~~ojl!<~.! 

OK 

when position 

acquired 

Executing a flight 

Start by connecting the USB ground modem to your computer. Then launch eMotion, which will display the Connection window. Select the eBee connection profile, choose the corresponding FTDI port and click 'OK~ 

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

indicating the current state of the drone. 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 'GPS: Waiting for signals .. :. During this time the status LED on the drone will 

pulse blue. 

Once your drone has set its position using GPS signals, an icon of the drone will 

appear at its location on the map. If the drone's location is not on the map you can 

click the·~ button from the Toolbar to centre the map on the drone. The drone's 

status on eMotion will be displayed as 'Idle, Ready to take-off' and the status LED 

will become solid green. 

37 
Quick start guide 

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

tab from the Sidebar, clicking on 'Load flight plan from file .. : and selecting your 

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

the same process outlined in section 'Planning and simulating a flight' on page 20. 

38 
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: Jhe point from which the drone is launched, automatically set to the location calculated from GPS signals by the drone when 

it is launched. This location defines the altitude 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. 

• Startwaypoint: The first pointthatthe drone flies towards when launched 

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

• Home waypoint: The safe point for the drone to circle in case of emergency, as well as its landing position at the end of a flight for both Linear 

and Circular landings. 

39 
Quick start guide 

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

Home waypoint to ensure your drone 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 it will keep 

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

the take-off transition altitude', at which point it will start flying towards the Start 

waypoint. 

By default, the Start waypoint is set to a distance of 80 m West of the initial position of the drone and an altitudeof75 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 Area'. 

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

in case of an 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 altitude 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 Homewaypoint 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 drone 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 drone will fly towards the Home waypoint, 

circle the waypoint (at 75 m/ATO by default) to measure the direction of the wind 

7 By default the take-off transition altitude is set to 20m. In difficult launch conditions you can set 

both the take-off heading and the take-off transition altitude in the Setup Phase tab, as described 

in section 'Setup Phase tab' on page 102. 8 see section 'Waypoints and theJr properties' on page 58 for a more detailed explanation on waypoints and how to modify them 

40 
Executing a flight 

at the landing location and choose an approach direction as much against the direction of the wind as possible. It will then fly downwind in the opposite direction 

ofthe approach direction, turn 180°and begin descending in the approach direc- . 

tion until it lands on the ground underneath the centre of the Home waypoint. 

The approach angle is around 20° and the drone will reverse its thrust if needed 

to maintain a suitable airspeed during this phase. 

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

can also perform a Circular landing around the Home waypoint. When initiating 

a Circular landing around the Home waypoint the drone 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 drone uses its ground sensor to 

measure the height above the ground, if the ground is well textured and there is 

enough light. When it reaches an altitude of 25 m above the ground the drone 

will level out, estimate the direction ofthe wind and resume its descent so as to 

touch down against the wind while remaining on the circle defined by the Home 

waypoint. 

41 
Quick start guide 

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

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

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

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

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

this diameter' . 

•. ··iii% Note: •ln··•~"~~·.~;~~r~B9-\'Iindfi~.~~~!~~~$t.ti~~~~nemaydrif't~~~n··· •······· .·.· ,·.• •• ,.·furth~r th"'~ ~q·ljla\'layfrom,tiJ~g~~t~.r~\~~~·.~ome·waypoint\lltJ~~ •..• 

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mor~cl~ar~[lce in the do111n111i~1,l;~lr~ction. · · · · ·· · ' 

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

Home Waypoint procedure is triggered during flight" the drone 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 altitude it will then fly towards the Home waypoint. 

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

care; it should be at least 20m 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 preventthe drone from getting lost. Alternatively, 

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

section Waypoints and their properties' on page 58 for more information on alti-

~ see section 'Setup Phase tab' on page 102 10 either automatically due to an In-flight warning or manually using eMotion 

42 
Executing a flight 

tude transition behaviours and how to modify them. 

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. 

{:) ~ (c~~fi~n: Make sur~t<j\i<~ep the pr()~~~l~t~t~airee of all()fo$\f~~tid~f ,, :;;;~1'::~ll;J-i_Tes durinfi(-~:~.t:1~:4nch prQ¢~9PJ:~;;i;};:;::::· · .··:·J~':!;!:~i ~~g"i'/-. 

status LED: green 

solid 

Not horizontal! 

/-

status LED: I blu,' ~ \PU _, se 

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 drone with both 

hands, one hand on the front of each wing as shown in the figure. Hold the drone 

horizontally with the nose pointed against the wind and level wings. 

43 
Quick start guide 

Step 2: Switch the motor on 

status LED: 

I 

green 

so!ld 

shake 3x 

I 

motor startup begin 

/-

status LED: t blue' 

,pulse _ I ... 

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. 

;1;.A ~~[t~lo/ciudo n&!\i~ecl to 

V .i)t~.~fiytoffthe!llg{&r,just 

"•(«£~~~ the mot~r::~i!'stop. 

44 
Caution: always orient the l!Bee 

against the wind for take-off! 

Step 3: Launch the eBee 

Executing a fiight 

--- status LED: f Pb~~:e ~ l '-" 

motor ready for take-off 

, /9;e~~\ status LED. \blink: l · .... · 

place nose up 10° 

green status LED: ~olid 

l 

step forward and release 

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

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

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

Launch the drone 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 drone tries to maintain its initial direction, or follow the directional take-off heading you set, by keeping its wings level with full thrust until 

reaching the take-off transition altitude, by default 20 mn At this point, it will 

switch into waypoint navigation mode and fiy towards the Start waypoint. Once 

it reaches the Start waypoint location and attitude the drone will circle around the 

waypoint 1-2 times to estimate the wind and calibrate its sensors before starting 

the mapping mission". 

11 see section 'Flight Parameters tab' on page 123 to change this parameter 12 The eBee may also be programmed to wait at the Startwaypointfor a command before starting its 

mapping mission. See section 'Setup Phase tab' on page 102 for more information. 

45 
Quick start guide 

Status Panel 

Control Bar 

2.5 In-flight monitoring and control 

You can monitor and control your drone while in-flight through eMotion using the 

Map Area and the Flight Monitoring tab in the Sidebar. 

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

drone executes its flight. As mall arrow and info box show the speed and direction 

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

the drone displays basic flight information including battery charge, flight time 

and attitude, both above the take-off location (ATO) and above mean sea-level 

(AMSL). This same information is reproduced in the Flight Monitoring tab, along 

with other useful flight data. 

46 
Executing a flight 

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. 

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

commands to your drone as well as to acknowledge warning and failure messages 

if they occur. During a fully autonomous flight the eBee will 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 drone to 

the Home or Start waypoints with the 'GO TO HOME WPT' or 'GO TO START WPT' 

buttons, respectively. Alternatively, you can direct your drone to any location by 

right-clicking in the Map Area and using the contextual menu. We recommend 

you use the simulator to learn the effects of the buttons on the drone. Detailed 

descriptions of the buttons and their effects on the drone are described in section 

'Control Bar' on page 95. 

47 
Quick start guide 

2.6 Landing 

After finishing a mapping mission the drone will, by default", return to the Home 

waypoint and automatically initiate a landing sequence. During a linear landing. 

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

'Linear landing' on page 72. In case of a Circular landing the drone will land in a 

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

on page 39. 

Disconnect the battery from the drone 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 50) 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 drone 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 drone's ability to 

fly is severely compromised, such as a loss of GPS signals 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 drone will immediately perform an emergency 

landing. 

13 see section 'Setup Phase tab' on page 102 for information on changing the default behaviours of 

the drone 

48 
Executing a flight 

N~t~11.i!i~i~porf~~t'M¥~eptra~Rtif:~~e l~c~ti<}l1~t~r~~;~ne·~uring aC~i(iS~If~i.lureu11ti.l}n~rnome~Ji~F7":E".esthe g(~~Jl~~\\sm~sition~ coo(9i~~tes.can ·aio•i~(~nding itaf(~~l'.lar(ls. ·.lnstr!JSfi~q~·ll.n now. to 

find ail~itdr<>ne can\~e·found .in .Se~tion 'losing an~lJd.~atii)g .your 

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,.,,";/,' ,.,,. 

49 
Quick start guide 

3 Processing image data 

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~. '\3ge.~ .and m~B!~~t~Jrom YQ.~~~~~e,~pd. create•''?~~·~~~W~P;ging .• prod" · · · i'~;·~~~~irectly inth~efield to gatig;{.t\j~;quality ofthej()J~g~s't~at.you 

···!J~s~~r~d, "'~;:.ft;s y·· 

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 on board in 

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

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

required for assigning location information (geotags) to the images taken by the 

drone. The file is also required and must be sent to sense Fly ltd in case an issue 

occurred during the flight14• A similar eMotion Flight Log file is created within 

eMotion during a flight and serves as a backup in case the Drone Flight log file 

cannot be recovered. 

eMotion 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. Alternatively, click on 

the !iii button in the Toolbar and select 'Flight Data Manager ... : 

14 see section 'Reporting a problem with your eBee' on page 168 

50 
Follow these steps to import data from the drone: 

Processing image data 

select Flight 

Data Manager 

click OK 

• 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. 

The flight's trajectory will appear in the Map Area. 

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

51 
Quick start guide 

52 

• 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 I;;;J icon. Connect the battery to the drone 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: 

Alternatively, transfer the images from the camera by lifting it out of its 

compartment just enough to connect a USB cable to 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. 

• 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. 

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

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

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

create: 

- Only uncheck the first checkbox if you are sure you do not need to 

geo-tag your images. Geotagging images is necessary to create geoinfo, 

KML and Postflight Terra 3D files. 

- Check the checkbox and choose a file format if you wish to export a 

geoinfo file. This file contains latitude, longitude, altitude (AMSL and 

WGS 84), heading, pitch and roll values for each image captured. 

- Only uncheck the checkbox if you do not wantto create a Postflight 

Terra 3D project. 

- Only uncheck the checkbox if you do not want to create a KML file 

containing the 3D flight trajectory. 

• Step 7: You may now disconnectthe drone. Ejectthe SO-card drive and the 

drone drive before removing the SO-card and the USB cable, respectively. 

Disconnect the battery and USB cable from the drone. Insert the SO-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 for further processing. 

3.2 In-field image quality check 

Postflight Terra 3D software", 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 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 window. The position of 

your images will appear as red dots in the Map Area of Postflight Terra 30. 

15 powered by Pix4D; see section 'hlstalling eMotion, Postflight Terra 30, and the ground modem 

drivers' on page 20for installation Instructions 

53 
Quick start guide 

Project 

Summary 

Layers 

~c'c',''"" Cc",c',5c'!i>1'l Local 

~~~~~~~-i~Il=l~~~:~~~~~~J ~ Processing panel 

Map Area Step 1: select 1. Initial Processing, 

Rapid Check Step 2: click 'Start' 

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 0 icon in 

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 DSM generation' checkbox. Click 'Start' to 

begin rapid processing. 

Postflight Terra 30 will 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 decide whether further imaging flights are required while you are still in the field. The quality report will be 

displayed in a new window (click the GO icon in the Tool bar if it does not appear). 

54 
Processing image data 

3.3 Creating advanced mapping products 

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

generate geo-referenced high-resolution 2D orthomosaics, 3D point clouds, triangle models and DSMs or export to common third-party photogrammetry software such as Bingo, Orima or lnpho. Ground Control Points (GCP) can be added to 

increase the geo-reference accuracy. Postflight Terra 3D also includes a mosaic and 

a rayCioud editor, giving you more control on the quality of your final mapping 

products, as well as measurement tools. 

The resulting orthomosaic and DSM may then be imported as custom background 

map and elevation data layers in eMotion". This data can be used for advanced 

flight planning in complex or uneven terrain. 

16 see section 'foolbar' on page 90 for more information on importing layers into eMotion 

ss 

Part II 

Advanced functionalities 
Advanced functionalities 

4 Understanding aerial mapping with the eBee 

4.1 Waypoints and their properties 

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

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

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

is stored in the drone autopilot and can be remotely edited using eMotion. 

---~~-~fl.~'!:'fl:~s--..._"":--!..__~to next __ _ waypQ;nt- ~-- .J...- ;;..- Direct" ' ton 1 

: Altitude: 

:Above Take-off location (m/ATO) 

'OR 

: Above Mean Sea Level (m/AMSL) 

' 

Position (GPS coordinates) 

In eMotion every waypoint is defined by the following parameters: 

58 

• 10: 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 I D. 
Understanding aerial mapping with the eBee 

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

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

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

or navigated toward (indicated by> <around the waypoint's I D). Only one 

waypoint is marked Current at a time. 

o Change altitude: This parameter defines the way the drone transitions to 

the altitude of the current waypoint. 

- During transit: The drone will fly in the direction ofthe current waypoint while simultaneously changing altitude by climbing or descending in a linear fashion. If the required climb or descent rate is beyond physical limits, the drone 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 drone will first climb or descend at its current 

position until it reaches the altitude of the currentwaypoint, and then 

fly in the direction ofthewaypoint at its altitude. This is typically used 

for 3D mapping. 

- Keep highest: The drone will first determine whether its current altitude or the current waypoint's altitude is highest. If the drone's 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 current 

way point's altitude is highest, the drone 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. 

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

way point is considered 'reached' only when the drone starts circling about 

it at the waypoint's altitude. 

59 
Advanced functionalities 

• Altitude reference: The reference point of the Altitude value. When setto 

m/ATO, the Altitude value is an Above Take-off (ATO) altitude. When set to 

m/AMSL, the Altitude value is a Above Mean Sea Level (AMSL). The altitudes 

of Setup phase waypoints (Start and Home) are always set to m/ATO. 

• Turn direction: The direction with which the drone circles around the waypoint (clockwise or counter-clockwise). 

• Radius: The distance at which the drone circles around the waypoint. 

• Auto-next: Indicates whether the drone 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 mode". 

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

• Position {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 drone around and in 

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

drone's current position is dark, becoming lighter the further it is fromthe current 

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

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 flightto 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) 

18 see section 'Camera tab' on page 118 

60 
Understanding aerial mapping with the eBee 

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

and highlight the selected waypoint. 

Future 

fiight path 

Current status 

Flight path 

altitude 

Inactive 

fiight path 

Selected 

Traversed fiight path 

Current 

waypoint 

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

mouse using the following actions: 

o 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 'Ait' button while dragging to disable the snapping feature. 

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

o Radius: Modify the radius by left-clicking on the waypoint's perimeter and 

dragging it. 

o 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. 

61 
Advanced functionalities 

• Create newwaypoint: Right-clickanywhere 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 drone is in flight to make this the current destination waypoint. 

- Auto-next: Toggle the Auto-next parameter ofthe waypoint. 

- Reverse turn direction: Toggle the Turn direCtion parameter of the · 

waypoint. 

- Change altitude: Set the transition behaviour of the drone when 

flying towards the selected waypoint. 

- Remove waypoint: Remove the selected waypoint. 

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

list. If the message is not acknowledged by the drone (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 drone's autopilot. 

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 ofthe drone. For many cases the rectangular-shaped mission 

62 
Understanding aerial mapping with the eBee 

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

as described in section 'fhe mission phase of a flight' on page 24. 

For more complex areas eMotion has the option of using polygona~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. 

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

vertex and reposition it. 

o Right-click on vertex and select 'Remove vertex' to remove a vertex. Alternatively, hold down the 'Ctrl' button and left-click on a vertex to remove 

it. 

o 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 Earth 1M. Simply click on the Ct icon in 

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

KML file that contains the desired polygon. 

4.3 3D mission planning using elevation data 

eMotion 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 resuking ground resolution but also increases mission safety 

63 
Advanced functionalities 

(particularly in uneven terrain) by keeping a more even height between the drone 

and the ground. 

You can display elevation data by clicking on the@ button in the Toolbar. eMotion's default Improved SRTM elevation data will be downloaded as tiles from 

senseFiy's servers and overlaid above the map as a colourmap". You can adjust 

the scale and opacity of the colourmap by using the associated buttons in the 

bottom-right corner of the Map Area. 

Auto-adjust colormap l I Elevation colourmap I r Change opacity 

·~~:~~-- ~0 &>--270 >360 :~ ~ _ --,~ _R.ii'-fc ··' 

Activate the 3D mission planning featu.re by selecting the 'Use elevation data to 

set absolute waypoint altitudes' parameter in the 'Mission Planning' tab. 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 

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

then be used off-line. 

64 
Understanding aerial mapping with the eBee 

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

connects the two. 

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 'Keep highest For all other mission waypoints the 'Change altitude' parameter is set to 'Before transit' so that the drone 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 altitude 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. 

One way to increase the resolution and accuracy of the elevation data is to fly a 

first mission at high altitude and then create a dataset using Postflight Terra 30. 

You can then automatically import the data into eMotion by selecting 'Send DSM 

to eMotion' from the 'Process' menu within Postflight Terra 30. The dataset can 

then be enabled using the ~ menu in the Toolbar. eMotion will use this custom 

dataset (wherever it is available) to set waypoint altitudes instead of its default 

Improved SRTM elevation data. 

More advanced controls of imported datasets are available in the 'Elevation data' 

65 
Advanced functionalities 

panel of the Preferences pane of the liil menu. From this panel you can add, 

remove, activate/deactivate or reorder overlays. eMotion uses the top-most elevation data layer to calculate altitude for each waypoint and flight line, with 

eMotion's default Improved SRTM elevation dataset always considered the bottom layer. 

M""~" 

MuH;d"'""' 

Custom elevation 

data 

4.4 Flight visualization in Google EarthTM 

eMotion includes an interface with Google Earth7

M to help with flight plan verification and visualization, particularly in uneven terrain. Clicking on the@ button 

in the Tool bar will open Google Earth7

M and zoom to the current position of the 

drone. The current position of drone, its planned trajectory, the working area circle and all waypoints currently uploaded to the drone (including Take-Off, Start 

and Home) are displayed within Google Earth7M. Any changes to waypoints or 

flight parameters within eMotion are updated accordingly within Google Earth7

M 

The interface with Google Earth7

M is particularly useful to check the drone's trajectory with respect to obstacles in the area20• The flight plan is projected onto the 

20 While checking flight plans in Goo!Jie EarthTM is a good safety practice, sensefly Ltd provides no 

66 
Understanding aerial mapping with the eBee 

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

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

entire flight and follow the drone within Goog/e EarthrM. 

guarantee regarding the accuracy and completeness of the qoogle EarthTM terrain model 

67 
Advanced functionalities 

4.5 Autonomous controller and modes of flight 

Autonomous operation modes 

after a few seconds 

on ground 

if Linear 

landing 

selected 

Manual and emergency modes 

if 'Wait on Start 

automatically after 

2 complete circles 

if'Restart mission 

after mission' 

is enabled 

During a typical flight the autonomous controller on the eBee will switch between 

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

from the Control Bar21 • 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 drone will enter 

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

21 see seaion 'Control Bar' on page 95 for details on the Control Bar 

68 
Understanding aerial mapping with the eBee 

three times initiates the take-off procedure" and changes to the Take-off 

mode. 

• After take-off the drone climbs with level wings", gaining altitude until it 

reaches the take-offtransition altitude, by default 20 m24 above the take-off 

location. At this point the drone heads for the Start waypoint and changes 

to Circle Start Waypoint mode. 

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

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

wind the drone 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 drone flies between all enabled mission 

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

mission waypoint the drone 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. 

22 as described in section 'TakeMoff on page 43 23 or in a given direction when using the Directional take-off feature described in section 'Setup Phase 

tab' on page 102 24 see section 'Flight Parameters tab' on page 123 for details on changing this altitude 

69 
Advanced functionalities 

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

drone will either: 

- begin a Linear landing procedure (as described in section 'Linear landing' on page 72) 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. 

- 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. 

- circles the Home waypoint and remains in Circle Home Waypointmode 

until a command is sent. 

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

landed, the drone changes to Idle mode. 

o Turning on the remote control will cause the drone to enter either Assisted 

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

previous mode. 

o Clicking the 'HOLD POSITION' button in the Control Bar at any time will 

cause the drone to start circling its current position and change to Hold 

Position mode until it receives a new command from the Control Bar. Alternatively, right-clicking in the Map Area and selecting 'Hold here' will direct 

the drone towards the selected position and then circle around that position in Hold Position mode. This mode is also enabled automatically after 

certain In-flight warning or Critical failure conditions''. 

o Clicking the 'LAND NOW' button in the Control Bar three times in quick succession will cause the drone to initiate a Circular landing procedure at its 

25 see section 'Manual control of the eBee' on page 127 for information on the vari<;ms manual control 

modes 26 see section 'Troubleshooting' on page 145 for a full list of In-flight warning and Critical failure conditions and the subsequent reactions of the drone 

70 
Understanding aerial mapping with the eBee 

current location with its motor disabled and change to Emergency Landing mode. 

71 
Advanced functionalities 

4.6 linear landing 

A typical Linear landing follows these steps: 

72 

1. TheeBeeflies towards the Homewaypoint (defined by the user within eMotion; default altitude is 75 m above the landing altitude). 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 drone circles the waypoint and 

descends to a fixed altitude of 75 m above the landing altitude. 

3. The drone circles to estimate the wind speed and direction. An approach direction is then calculated asclosetotheupwind direction as possible within 

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

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

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

5. The drone 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 drone detects a height of around 20m to the ground it begins to 

level out its descent. 

7. When the drone detects a height of around 3m to the ground it performs 

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

8. The drone then glides for the final few metres in a deep stall until it lands. 
Understanding aerial mapping with the eBee 

Linear landing procedure, seen from the side 

1. Aproach Home 

4. Fly in calculated direction 

SOm SOm 60m 

Home 

! 75m above 

:landing altitude 

10m 

Linear landing procedure, seen from above within eMotion 2 

73 
Advanced functionalities 

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: 

74 

• If the Linear landing location is not at the same altitude as the Take-off location you must adjust the Landing altitude parameter in the 'Setup Phase' 

tab, as the drone uses this altitude to level out and slow down before landing (Steps 6-8). Enable the 'Land at a different altitude than take-off' checkbox and set the altitude as an absolute value in AMSL. 

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

ground is flat and at the same altitude as the Linear landing location for 

a distance of at least 100m from the Linear landing location within every 

approach sector. ltis 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. 
Understanding aerial mapping with the eBee 

• 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 page 73. 

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. 

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

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

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

in as many directions as possible to allow the drone 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 warning" will 

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

• The ground sensor must have sufficient light and texture to accurately detect the height above 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 ap27 see section 'In-flight warnings' on page 151 

7S 
Advanced functionalities 

proach sectors. Do not define approach sectors over low-texture surfaces 

such as large bodies of water, snow or sand. 

• During a Linear landing the drone 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 20% an In-flight warning will 

appear" in eMotion. 

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 drone to plan 

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

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

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

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

76 
Understanding aerial mapping with the eBee 

detedi~~~V~~r« an estiffiat~.~l~~~ GPS and pr.e~~~{ 

there i 

If the Linear landing process is aborted (by clicking on the 'ABORT LANDING' button in the Control Bar) before completion the drone 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 drone will turn towards the 

Home waypoint and continue climbing until it reaches an altitude of75 m/ATO.It 

then continues circling until it receives a further command. 

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 condition~ To enable multi77 
Advanced functionalities 

drone operation eMotion provides the following: 

• 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 Home waypoint) synchronised between all connected drones. 

• Missions that require more than one flight can be automatically split and 

uploaded individually among all connected drones. 

• A new Control Bar appears at the bottom of the Map Area. Commands sent 

using the buttons in this Control Bar, such as 'START MISSION' or 'GO LAND; 

are sent to all the drones currently connected to your computer. 

• Collision avoidance is provided by eMotion". This is done by automatically 

changing the altitude of the Start and Home waypoints for each drone in order to separate them. Also, the drones are automatically put on hold when 

there is a collision risk during the mission. 

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 

with its name, battery level and status and can be selected. The rest ofthe 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 

altitude of all drones with respect to the selected drone. Since this is a relative 

altitude, a value close to 0 m means that a drone is at the same altitude as the 

currently selected drone. Right-clicking on a drone's tab in the Multi-drone Panel 

allows you to disconnect the drone or change its colour. 

29 if the option is selected in the Multi-drones preference pane 

78 
Understanding aerial mapping with the eBee 

selected drone [ : 

second drone connected [ · 

to this computer 

drone shared through [ 

network 

Multi-drone panel Sidebar 

One advantage of flying multiple drone drones at once is to cover more area in less 

time. eMotion can 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 1 07). 

2. Select 'Upload to all' from the drop-down list of the 'Upload button: 

79 
Advanced functionalities 

Clicking on the 0 icon in the Multi-drone panel allows you to either connect a 

new drone or to bring up the Multi-drones preferences pane. 

J Multi-drone 

coordination 

eMotion provides Multi-drone coordination options to synchronise various waypoints and parameters among connected drones: 

80 

• Take-off: Synchronising the take-off applies specifically to Directional takeoff heading and transition altitude. 

• Start waypoint: When the Start waypoint is synchronised, eMotion will 

use the same location and altitude fort he Startwaypoint 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 

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 will us the same Home waypoint 
Understanding aerial mapping with the eBee 

for all connected drones. A stack will also be created to avoid collisions 

between multiple drones circling the Home way point. 

• 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 altitude, Security action parameters, 

etc. 

• Mission planning: This option will share the same Mission Area among all 

connected drones. 

• Simulator: When checked, repositioning a simulated drone on the map 

will reposition all simulated drones at the same time. 

In addition to the altitude separation on the Start and Home waypoints described 

above, eMotion provides two traffic control 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 will 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 95) 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. 

81 
Advanced functionalities 

In more advanced scenarios you may wish to share the position and even the control of a drone across a local area network. eMotion provides the following Network sharing options: 

82 

• Allow other computers to see my drones: All computers that are running eMotion and are connected to the same network will be able to display the position, status and other parameters of the drones connected to 

your computer. 

• Allow other computers to control my drones: All drones currently connected to your computer are not only displayed, but can be fully controlled 

by other computers running eMotion on the same network. 

• See all drones on my local network: Check this box to display the position and other parameters of drones connect to other computers on the 

same network. 

• Apply multi-drone coordination to local network: Check this box to 

synchronise all the selected parameters in the Multi-drone coordination 

preferences across all drones that are connected to the same network (provided that they have checked the 'Allow other computers to control my 

drones' option). 
Understanding aerial mapping with the eBee 

• Share simulators on my local network: lfthis box is checked, all Network 

sharing options apply to both real and simulated drones connected to your 

computer. In unchecked, they only apply to real drones. 

4.8 Individual photo targets and oblique imagery 

In some cases it may be interesting to take oblique photographs of objects, for 

example to provide a nice image for documentation or to increase the quality 

of 3D models that contain vertical facades and surfaces. eMotion includes a tool 

for defining photo targets with a specific distance, heading and pitch angle. The 

drone can then orient itself and capture the image using a patent-pending pitchdown manoeuvre. 

Capturing an oblique image can be done easily by following these steps: 

1. Add a new photo target by clicking on the+ button in the Camera tab. Use 

the cross-hairs to place the photo target on the location of interest in the 

Map Area. You may also right-dick anywhere in the Map Area and select 

'Add photo target here' from the contextual menu. The photo target will 

appear as a circle in the Map Area with an estimated image footprint, a 

manoeuvre zone and a status panel with estimated altitudes before and 

after the image is taken. 

resize to change 

ground resolution 

estimated { 

footprint 

rotate to change 

heading 

manoeuvre zone 

'---phc•to target altitude 

--· ph,oto target 

move in the arrow direction 

to change pitch/persepctlve 

:...__ estiir nat•edaltltudes 

before/after photo 

83 
Advanced functionalities 

2. Select the desired heading and pitch angles of the image by rotating the 

image footprint and moving the photo target arrow, respectively. The estimated image footprint can help you choose the required angles. You can 

also set the angles manually in the 'Photo targets' section of the Camera 

tab. 

3. Define the desired ground resolution at the photo target within the Camera tab. You can also adjust the ground resolution by resizing the photo 

footprint in the Map Area. 

4. Define the altitude of the photo target, if it is not the same as the take-off 

altitude. You may use elevation data to define this altitude by enabling the 

'Use elevation data to set absolute photo target altitudes' checkbox. 

Repeat the above steps to define multiple photo targets. After launching your 

drone, click on the 'Begin sequence' button in the Camera tab at any time to begin taking the images. The eBee will fly to the location of the first photo location, 

measure the wind above the location, and perform a dive (pitching down) manoeuvre to take the oblique photo. It will perform this for all photo targets until 

it has completed the entire sequence. 

Taking a series of oblique images ofthe same photo target at regular heading and 

pitch intervals allows you to create a higher quality 3D model of a photo target. 

You can use the 'New photo target increment' to define a desired increment angle. 

Clicking on the+ button will then add a new photo target at the same location 

as the previous target but with an incremented pitch and heading value. 

A more detailed description of all the available options for taking images of individual photo targets can be found in section 'Camera tab' on page 118. 

84 
Understanding aerial mapping with the eBee 

4.9 Emergency Manoeuvres 

Despite careful planning, unexpected situations might place people, property, 

animals or your drone in danger, for example: 

• Unexpected intrusions into your eBee's airspace by low-flying aircraft or 

other UAVs. 

• Flight planning errors. 

• Unexpected intrusions into the landing zone. 

• Birds approaching or attacking your drone. 

• Unexpected changes in wind conditions. 

As a precautionary measure to be used only when absolutely necessary, the eBee 

has been programmed with a series of emergency manoeuvres: 

• Landnow 

The drone immediately initiates a circular landing around a 30 m radius 

waypoint at its current location. 

• Abort landing 

The drone aborts its landing, climbs up to a safe altitude and circles waiting 

for a command. See section 'Linear landing' on page 72 for more details. 

• Roll 

The drone performs a roll along a linear flight path, then resumes its mission. 

• Fast climb 

The drone suddenly climbs with full thrust approximately 40 m then gradually descends (at approximately -4 m/s) back to its initial altitude. 

• Fast descent 

The drone enters a spinning dive. It then pulls out if the dive, resulting in 

between 15 and 30 m of lost altitude, and climbs gradually back up to its 

initial altitude. 

85 
Advanced functionalities 

Activating Emergency Manoeuvres 

The land now and abort landing buttons are always available on the control bar. 

To activate the roll, fast climb and descent features: 

1. Choose Preferences from the iii File menu. 

2. Choose the User interface pane. 

3. In the Advanced buttons panel, check the manoeuvres you wantto activate 

and click OK. 

Buttons that trigger the manoeuvres are added to the Control Bar: 

land nowb~fi6ij\;i 

86 
Understanding aerial mapping with the eBee 

When to use the Emergency Manoeuvres 

You might need to use an emergency manoeuvre in these situations: 

Presence of birds 

Birds approach your drone out of curiosity, or they consider it a threat and attack 

it. 

• To try and escape an isolated incident, consider using the fast climb or descent manoeuvres. 

• To try and startle the birds and dissuade them from approaching your drone, 

consider using the roll manoeuvre. 

• In the even of a sustained attack, or a situation that may put the birds at 

risk, land your drone. 

Flight planning oversights 

You have moved the home waypoint on uneven terrain, but you have not corrected the landing altitude to compensate for the change in ground level under 

the new home waypoint. 

You think there is a risk of a hard landing for some other reason. 

Unexpected wind or a flight planning oversight means that your drone will land 

on water or in some other unsuitable place. 

Consider aborting the landing, correcting the error, and landing again. 

87 
Advanced functionalities 

Unexpected intrusions into airspace 

Your drone is about to collide with another aircraft or UAV. Consider a fast climb 

or descent. 

Unexpected intrusions into landing zone 

A person or vehicle moves into your landing zone during landing approach. Consider aborting the landing. 

88 
eMotion in-depth guide 

5 eMotion in-depth guide 

Flight Parameters tab -----, 

Camera tab ----, 

Mission Waypoints tab -----, 

Mission Planning tab 

Setup Phase tab 

Flight Monitoring tab 

89 
Advanced functionalities 

The main eMotion interface is composed of a Map Area, a Toolbar and a Sidebar". 

The Map Area displays the current location of the eBee, a Status Panel with important information on the drone's current status, and a Control Bar used to send 

commands to the drone (section 'Control Bar' on page 95). 

The Toolbar above the Map Area includes the iii! 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 93) 

5.1 Toolbar 

Google Earth display ll ~~ Show/hide footprints 

Custom map source l ~ Clear all footprints 

Map source Zoom 

I I I I 

{!iill~""''"~\'1"" ·~)j[~¥~ i !<a> \~'i¥f;~I1Bi ~ .• · ~~ /·.········ ••[;1.1 

L File Follow drone position _J I I I 

Center on drone 

Center on coordinate 

Fullscreen--------------J 

You can access the File menu by clicking on the iii! button intheToolbar. From this 

menu you can connect to or disconnect from a drone, access the Flight Data Manager, change eMotion preferences or import custom maps. Clicking the 'i icon 

will launch Google Earth'M and display the currentflighttrajectories of drones connected to eMotion, as described in detail in section 'Flight visualization in GoogleEarth'M' 

on page 66. 

30 for an overview of the eMotion interface see section 'The eMotion interface' on page 21 

90 
eMotion in-depth guide 

You can select the background map source from the drop-down list in the Tool bar, 

and adjust its zoom level using the If> and J?l buttons. eMotion can use many 

sources of commercially available and custom mapping information. Tiles from 

map sources with the icon @ are downloaded by eMotion from the Internet as 

required and locally cached on the hard drive. Due to regulatory restrictions, map 

sources with the icon iii~> cannot be saved locally and are not recommended for 

use in the field. 

If you anticipate the use of eMotion in conditions where connecting to Internet is 

impossible, you can preload the map data by selecting 'Download maps .. : from 

the Iii File menu. Follow the instructions in the dialog box to select the zone of 

interest, map tile source and start downloading. 

eMotion can also import and display custom layers which may include KML files, 

custom map tiles and elevation data. To import a KML file, select 'Import KML..: 

from the Iii File menu and select your KML file. The resulting layer will now be 

available in the Tool bar by clicking on the* icon, and can be clicked to display or 

hide it. eMotion can display lines, polygons, paths and points saved in KML format. 

Custom map tiles can also be added as a layer in eMotion. These tile sets must be 

TMS-compatible sets of files. Select 'Import custom map .. : from the Iii File menu 

and select the folder that contains the tile set. The tile set will then appear in the 

list of layers in the Toolbar, accessible by clicking the * button. 

fl.. ''_' ... f_!_._l_:_( Note: if~~ilu us,eC&i5ltt/inht f~r,?~~~(see. se~t~~~:;~rocessing{i~~Ft~ ag~-9~t~'Wn pag~J?,9)i•ypu caw~.~~e.fute TM~is~~g~tible; .eAJRYRn~N •. ·;lJ&f~f- co~~~~ple·_tile ~-~,(~f ~ach·,gmJ~Stln ·thi.~ 'fc~X~~~M~~-n ·~r~~!~~~M(~<· '.l .. _ •.•. _. ·.·_·, __ '_,_._;_•_.\ ow~(\l~Ribackgrg))~gusingt~,ri%~ee. Gen~r~.t~~~~tileset•b~-s~!~~t;,c.· · ing)'j:\~t)erate .Goqgle .Maps til is and, KMl' frori\'lthe·~Process',rn~n·u· 

wit6i'f,Yfi.lf.stfligh~[fif,q ~o, 'ij~~;,:. i<'Cil{[~v;~ · -,~{I(c~ 

Whenever the eBee takes a picture, eMotion records the location and orientation 

of the drone and computes the approximate span of the photo on the ground (or 

91 
Advanced functionalities 

'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 imd new photos continue to be recorded, but noth" 

ing is displayed in the Map Area. Footprints for all drones remain in the memory 

of eMotion, even when a drone is disconnected or eMotion is shut down. Clicking 

on the .. button removes all footprint polygons from the Map Area the memory 

of eMotion. New picture footprints will be created for subsequent pictures that 

are taken. 

The Tool bar also contains buttons for centering the Map Area on the current position of the drone(,;' button), on a searchable location or coordinate(·~· button) 

or to continually follow the position of the drone while it is in flight (®button). 

Finally you can view eMotion in full-screen mode by clicking the~ button. 

92 
eMotion in-depth guide 

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 is designed to help you test the various 

features of the drone and to better prepare a mapping mission before performing it in the field. Several simulated drones can be connected at the same time, 

allowing you to test multi-drone functionalities . 

fast-forward -----., 

play---, 

pause 

.-------- re-position take-off location 

0 ---initiate take-off 

instant recharge of battery 

The Simulator bar appears at the bottom ofthe Sidebar of eMotion when you connect to a simulated drone. The simulated drone 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 

way point to 80 m West 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 Tool bar and the various tabs of the Sidebar in eMotion 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 drone. Don't be afraid to push the 

boundaries! Aborting a flight or causing an emergency landing in the simulator 

will better prepare you for unexpected circumstances while in the field. 

93 
Advanced functionalities 

Pause 

Play 

Fast forward 

Re-position 

take-off location 

Initiate take-off 

Table 1: Simulator bar buttons 

Clicking the pause button will pause the simulation 

and thus stop the drone while in flight. This can be 

useful when you wish to change parameters or waypoints while the drone 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' 

function to better simulate real flight conditions. 

Clicking the play button returns the simulation to actual speed from the pause or fast-forward conditions. 

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. 

Clicking this button and then clicking on a location 

in the Map Area simulates the action of connecting the battery to the drone in a new location. The 

drone is returned to the ground at the new location 

and runs through its pre-flight checks before entering Idle mode. 

Clicking this button simulates a take-off procedure, 

including the motor power-up sequence and the 

hand launch". 

31 see section 'Take~off on page 43 for a description ofthe take-off procedure 

94 
eMotion in-depth guide 

Instant recharge of Clicking this button will instantly recharge the batbattery tery of the drone. Note: This is a simulated action 

that is not possible with the real eBee while it is 

in flight. 

Wind speed and These fields are used to input a simulated wind speed 

direction and direction. A random wind speed and direction is 

set when eMotion connects to a simulated drone. 

5.3 Control Bar 

Command buttons 

The Control Bar includes buttons for sending commands to the drone and for acknowledging warnings while it is in flight. Certain buttons can only be used during specific flight modes". 

The Command buttons allows the operator to directly control the drone while it 

is in flight. The various buttons are described in table 2 on the next page. 

32 see section 'Autonomous controller and modes of flight' on page 68 for more information on flight 

modes 

95 
Advanced functionalities 

Table 2: Control Bar Buttons 

WARNING33 Active For yellow In-flight warnings, button text 

warning 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 No active Fly towards the first active waypoint in the 

MISSION Security action waypoint list and start the mission from the 

beginning. 

RESUME Not in Perform Return to the last position reached during 

MISSION Mission mode the mission and continue the flight plan. 

GOTO No active Fly towards the Start waypoint, circle and 

STARTWPT Security action wait for next command. 

GOTO Anytime Fly towards the Home waypoint, circle and 

HOMEWPT wait for next command. 

GOLANO Anytime Fly towards the Home waypoint and initiate 

landing procedure. 

HOLD No active Create a virtual waypoint at the current locaPOSITION Security action tion and altitude, circle around this point and 

wait for next command. 

33 see section 'Troubleshooting' on page 145 for a full description of ln~flight wamings and Critical 

fa~ures that may occur 

96 
eMotion in-depth guide 

LAND NOW Anytime Initiate a Circular landing around a 30 m raClick3x dius waypoint at the current location. Must 

be clicked 3 times in quick succession to 

be engaged. 

ABORT During Cir- Circular or Linear landing: abort current 

LANDING cular Land- landing procedure, return to the altitude of 

ing, Linear the Home waypoint, circle the Home wayLanding, or point and wait for next command. 

Emergency Emergency landing: (only available if there 

Landing mode is no active Critical failure) abort current 

(if no active landing procedure, return to the location 

Critical failure) where the Emergency landing was triggered, 

circle and wait for next command. 

97 
Advanced functionalities 

5.4 Flight Monitoring tab 

Drone status 

Autonomy 

Flight data 

Instruments 

Identification 

Payload information 

The Flight Monitoring tab can be used to monitor the e8eeduring 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: 

98 

• Drone Status: The status of the plane keeps you informed on what the 

drone is currently doing. This can include mission actions such as Taking 

photo' or 'Going to waypoint' as well as warning or failure messages such 
eMotion in-depth guide 

as 'Out of working area' or 'High wind'". 

• 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 V". 

This section also displays the total time in flight, the straight-line distance 

to the Home waypoint, the estimated time required to return to the Home 

waypoint (based on estimated wind strength) and the quality of the radio 

data link between the ground modem and the drone. The strength and 

direction of the wind estimated by the drone is displayed with an arrow. 

• Flight data: This section includes additional information that may be useful during the flight, including ground speed and height, altitude Above 

Mean Sea Level (AMSL) and the absolute position detected by the GPS onboard the eBee. 

34 see section 'Troubleshooting' on page 145 35 see section 'Proper battery care' on page 142 

99 
Advanced functionalities 

current air speed 

desired air speed 

current heading in degrees 

n 

attitude with respect 

to artificial horizon 

current altitude over 

take-off location 

desired altitude over 

''' -~take-off location 

o 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 drone's current altitude over take-off location, as 

well as the desired altitude over the take-off location, in metres. The bar at 

the top displays the current heading of the drone". 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 flight". 

• Payload information: This'section displays the payload currently selected 

and the number of photos that has been taken since take-off". 

36 this feature is only accurate when in flight. 31 see section 'Importing images and flight data' on page 50 

3i see section 'Camera tab' on page 1 18 for instructions on changing the payload type 

100 
eMotion in-depth guide 

• Advanced Instruments: This section displays the current internal temperature of the drone, the number of GPS signals detected and the estimated 

accuracy of the the position. 

101 
Advanced functionalities 

5.5 Setup Phase tab 

Take-off parameters [ 

~·-{ After mission and [ 

take-off actions 

Home waypoint C 

Landing 

Setup phase reset C : 

Flight plan actions [ lili'l'coc'cfbc~~~~~~,c;iii); 

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: 

• Take-off parameters: You can predefine a take-off heading and transition 

102 
'"'i 

eMotion in-depth guide 

altitude. To enable this feature, expand the 'Take-off parameters' box and 

check the 'Activate directional take-off' check box. A new arrow is now displayed on the map. This arrow defines the take-off heading, the drone will 

try to stay on the track defined by the arrow. 

desired takeoff 

direction 

You can now grab the arrow on the map in order to modify the take-off 

heading. Furthermore you can also pre-set the take-off direction and the 

take-off transition altitude in the Setup Phase tab. 

Default value: Unchecked, Heading: 0°, Transition altitude: 20m/ATO 

[,0 c.,u.il~~~,~~~tir\g the .take-~~1~~1Jgm~~~l!itiJde toolowrl1a)':c~Y~# •• 

th~drB~,eJp,perforrn a.c~~~9#'Qf;\~Jf~qtion·.tpoea.rlyancj")f:XI~$Mil:· ip~'f;.,,~I]:W~ttingtheta.~~13ftJ[~Q~i~icl.n.a.lti.\~de'too·hi.!lh,fTiil~:~~us~~i; 

.·,;w~~~:;9~~:t0, prift si~.~~~&~.~,~~r,:f~~~'\lff if tllere.i~,~~~~~,s~:~.!n,~i~·;§l; 

• Start waypoint: Here you set the position, change altitude parameter, altitude above take-off (m/ATO), turn direction and radius of the Start way-

. point. You can set the location by clicking the Q button and clicking on the 

desired location in the Map Area. 

103 
Advanced functionalities 

104 

Default values: Change altitude: During transit, Altitude: 75 m/ATO, Turn 

direction: anticlockwise, Radius: 30m, Location: 80 m West of the position 

calculated from satellite signals on start-up 

• After take-off: You can either command the drone to start the mission 

phase immediately after reaching the Start waypoint or to wait for a command from eMotion. This second option is useful if you want to modify the 

flight plan while the drone Is already in flight, or if you want to resume an 

incomplete mission. 

Default value: Start mission 

• After mission: Use this panel to select the action you wish the drone 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 (in m/ATO or m/ AMSL if 'Land at a different altitude than take-off' 

is selected), turn direction and radius of the Home waypoint. You can set 

the location by clicking the 0 button and clicking on the desired location 

in the Map Area. 

Default values: Change altitude: Keep highest, Altitude: 75 m/ATO, Turn 

direction: anticlockwise, Radius: 30 m, Location: position calculated from 

GPS signals 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 72 for details how to correctly select 

the Home waypoint and approach sectors. 

Default value: Linear landing, Approach sectors: single sector with a Heading of 0°and Span of 20° 
eMotion in-depth guide 

o Landing location altitude: You can also configure the altitude of the landing location if it is different from the Take-off altitude. Expand the 'Landing 

location altitude' panel and select an altitude in m/AMSL or in m/ATO.It is 

also possible to predefine the landing altitude based on elevation data by 

clicking on the 'Set absolute landing altitude based on elevation data' button. This button will pre-set the altitude each time it is clicked (i.e. if the 

landing position is changed, the altitude is not automatically pre-set based 

on the Improved SRTM model, the user has to press the button each time 

that the landing position is changed). 

Default value: Landing location altitude: 0 m/ATO 

o 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. Clicking the 'Reset 

all waypoints and photo targets' will remove all the waypoints and photo 

targets in the currently loaded in the drone. 

o Flight plan actions: A complete flight plan includes all the Setup phase 

(Start and Home waypoints, Take-off and Landing parameters, etc.), Mission phase (waypoints), Camera (camera model, photo targets, etc.) and 

Flight (working area radius and ceiling, Security actions, etc.) parameters. 

- Reset flight plan resets the current flight plan to default parameters39. 

- Load flight plan from file ___ and Save flight plan to file-.. load and 

save the current flight plan (both setup and mission phases) to a XML 

file for later reuse. 

- Click Save flight plan in drone to save the current flight plan to the 

eBee's on-board memory. Once a flight plan is saved in the drone's 

memory, it will become the default flight plan the next time the drone 

is started and will appear in eMotion upon connection. The drone also 

keeps track of its last waypoint during a flight. If you have saved the 

flight plan to the drone in this way, it can resume an incomplete mission from the point it was interrupted. You can then, for example, 

~ this action is only available when the drone is not in flight 

105 
Advanced functionalities 

106 

land mid-mission to change the drone's battery or import images using the Flight Data Manager, then take off again and the drone will 

complete the mission from the point it left off. 
eMotion in-depth guide 

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 24. 

mission 

area 

rotate, 

resize, 

displace 

generated 

flight 

lines 

107 
Advanced functionalities 

Mapping and 

mission parameters 

Resulting flight characteristics 

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: 

108 

• 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 complex features such as forests. 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 (due to higher altitude). 

• Easy terrain (default): This preset is meantforsimpleterrainsuch as quarries or agricultural areas where high-resolution images can be taken with 
eMotion in-depth guide 

relatively low image overlap. 

o 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 24) 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 altitude: a higher resolution (few cm/px) requires a lower altitude, while a 

lower resolution (many cm/px) requires a higher one. 

Default value: 4.0 cm/px 

• Camera: The camera payload that is currently selected40. Make sure the 

correct camera model is set in the flight planner to correctly calculate the 

required flight line spacing and distance between photos. 

• Desired altitude: The target altitude value is the desired altitude above 

the ground at which the drone will take images. It is automatically calculated based on the Ground resolution and the characteristics of the onboard camera. 

40 see section 'Camera tab' on page 118 for details on changing the camera type 

109 
Advanced functionalities 

110 

• Use elevation data to set absolute waypoint altitudes: Checking this 

box will enable the flight planner to adjustthe 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 

page63. 

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 % 

• Longitudinal overlap: The percentage of overlap between the ground 

coverage of pictures taken consecutively in the same flight line. 

Default value: 70% 

• Generate perpendicular flight lines: Checking this box creates a second 

pass over the desired area perpendicular to the first pass. This option will 

significantly increase the overall image overlap and therefore improve the 

resulting map quality in Postflight Terra 3D. It is particularly useful for difficult terrain at the cost of doubling the required flight time. 

Default value: disabled 

• Reverse flight direction: By default, the flight planner will design a flight 

in which the drone begins a mission at the farthest waypoint and finishes 
eMotion in-depth guide 

closer to the Home waypoint. Checking this box reverses the order of the 

planned mission waypoints. Be cautious, however, to ensure that there is 

enough reserve battery to return to the Home waypoint at the end of the 

mission. 

Default value: disabled 

• Save parameters as default: Clicking this button will save the current parameters of the Mission planning tab as the default ones in eMotion. 

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 value for 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 estimate' button will copy the wind speed currently estimated by the drone 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 min 

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 

111 
Advanced functionalities 

flights required this button becomes a drop-down list, and you can upload each 

flight individually. 

Clicking the 'More' button reveals several more options: 

112 

• 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, orto save 

and restore a large mapping mission that requires multiple flights. Note 

that this saves only the mission area shape and location along with the associated mission and image parameters, not the actual list of waypoints 

that is then generated or the camera payload model used to calculate the 

mission plan. 

• Load last used mission area: Clicking will load the last mission area that 

was successfully uploaded to an eBee autopilot, whether it was 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 (produced in Goog/e EarthTM for example). 

• Load mission area from map object: Use this option to load a polygonal 

mission area from a previously-imported map object (see section 'Tool bar' 

on page 90). 

• Reset mission area: Clicking will resetthe mission area to the default rectangular size and reposition it in the centre of the Map Area It will also reset 
eMotion in-depth guide 

all mapping and mission parameters to their last saved default values41 • 

o 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: 

o Numberofflights: The resulting number of flights _that must be performed 

to cover the chosen mission area. If the mission afea cannot be mapped in 

a single flight, eMotion 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. 

o Flight time: This is the estimated flight time for each of the flights. 

o Total flight distance: The total distance that will be flown during a// of the 

flights. 

o Total ground coverage: The total area that will be mapped during all of 

the flights. 

o 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. 

41 Default values for mapping and mission parameters are set by clicking the 'Save parameters as de~ 

fau\t'button. 

113 
Advanced functionalities 

114 

• Mean flight lines altitude above elevation data: Mean altitude difference between all flight lines and the ground altitude, based on the topmost elevation data layer (3D flight planning only). 

• Max flight lines altitude above elevation data: Maximum altitude difference between a flight line and the ground altitude, based on the topmost elevation data layer (3D flight planning only). 

• Min flight lines altitude above elevation data: Minimum altitude difference between a flight line and the ground altitude, based on the top-most 

elevation data layer (3D flight planning only). 

• Distance between photos: The required distance between each consecutive photo taken in the same flight line, calculated using the Longitudinal 

overlap, Ground resolution and Camera model parameters. The wind also 

has an influence as the ground speed increases with back wind. 

• Single image coverage: The estimated ground area covered by a single 
eMotion in-depth guide 

image, based on the Altitude over take-off location parameter (assuming 

flat terrain). 

• Number of waypoints: The total number of way points to cover the mission area. 

• Elevation data sources: The elevation data sources being used to calculate the altitudes of the waypoints. This can be either the default 'Improved 

SRTM' within eMotion or imported custom data sets, depending on which 

one is activated and is at the top of the list in the 'Elevation data' Preference 

pane. 

The flight characteristics are updated automatically as you modify the mission 

area in the Map Area or the parameters in the first panel. 

11S 
Advanced functionalities 

5.7 Mission Waypoints tab 

Selected mission 

waypoint 

parameters 

The Mission Waypoints tab contains a list of all mission waypoints currently on 

the drone 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 58. Changes 

made to the selected waypoint are sent to the drone immediately after selecting 

an item in the popup menu or upon hitting the 'Enter' key in the text fields. You 

can reposition the way point by clicking the 0 button and then clicking at the desired position in the Map Area. You can make the selected waypoint the current 

waypoint by clicking the C) button. 

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eMotion in-depth guide 

You can add new waypoints by clicking the+ button or by right-clicking on the 

Map Area and selecting 'Add waypoint here: Clicking the 0 button will remove 

all mission waypoints from the drone. 

117 
Advanced functionalities 

5.8 Camera tab 

Photo targets 

Individual photos 

The camera tab is an advanced tab that can be used to precisely control the functioning of the camera. It also contains controls for taking oblique imagery. It is 

split into several sections: 'Camera model~ 'Photo targets~ 'Camera control~ and 

'Camera parameters for mapping: 

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eMotion in-depth guide 

The 'Camera model' section is used to define the camera or payload currently connected to the eBee. The list contains all payloads currently supported on the eBee. 

The 'Photo targets' section allows you to program a set of photo targets that the 

drone will capture with an oblique angle. You can define a photo target location, 

distance to the object and the heading and pitch of the photograph. The drone 

will then automatically calculate a flight plan in order to capture the photo with 

· the desired parameters. 

• Photo sequence control: Clicking the 'Start sequence' button will send 

the drone to the first photo target location and subsequently take images 

of all the photo targets currently in the 'Photo targets' list. Clicking the 'Stop 

sequence' will send the drone back to the Home waypoint. 

• Photo targets: This panel contains the list of photo targets to be taken in 

a sequence. Clicking the + button will add a new photo target. You can 

set the location by using the cross-hairs and clicking in the Map Area. By 

default, the location of a new photo target is the same as the previous one 

in the list. Clicking the 0 will remove all photo targets from the sequence 

list. Each photo target has the following properties: 

- Change altitude: The way the drone transitions to the altitude of 

the current photo target. This parameter is set to 'Keep highest' for 

all photo targets and cannot be modified. 

- Minimum altitude after photo: This is the calculated minimum a~ 

titude the drone will reach at the end of a photo capture manoeuvre, 

based on the desired ground resolution. 

- Ground resolution: The desired ground resolution in the centre of 

the image that will be pointed at the photo target position. 

- Distance: The calculated straight-line distance between the drone 

and the photo target, and the defined pitch angle. For a given distance, as the pitch angle increases, the distance to the ground decreases. 

- Heading: The heading angle with respect to North of the photo target 

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Advanced functionalities 

- Pitch: The pitch angle with respect to vertical of the photo target. 

- Altitude reference: The altitude reference of the photo target altitude, either ATO or AMSL. 

- Target altitude: The altitude of the photo target. 

- Position (Coordinate): The precise latitude and longitude of the centre of the waypoint. 

• New photo target increment: This panel makes it easier to make a series of oblique photos ofthe same target with a regular angle increment in 

order to aid reconstruction of a 3D model. Every new Photo target that is 

added using the+ button will be placed at the same location as the previous one, but with an increment in heading and pitch angles defined by the 

'Heading increment' and 'Pitch increment' parameters, respectively. 

Default value: Heading increment: oo, Pitch increment: 0° 

• Automatically reset target altitude based on elevation data: Check 

this box- to use elevation data to set the absolute photo target altitudes. 

If this box is unchecked, photo targets are presumed to be at the same altitude as the take-off location. 

Default value: disabled 

The 'Camera control' section has the following functions: 

120 

• Take photo now: Clicking this button will send a command to the drone 

to take a single picture at its current location. This command can be sent 

during the mission phase of a flight plan. 

• Continuous photo sequence: These radio buttons define how the drone 

is taking images. When the default option 'Auto' is selected the drone will 

start and stop continuous photo shooting based on the actions associated 
eMotion in-depth guide 

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 for mapping' 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. Note, however, that a higher pitch angle will cause the drone 

to slow down every time it takes an image, losing altitude and decreasing 

flight time and longitudinal overlap. 

Decrease the pitch angle down to oo 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 drone to lose altitude with 

each image taken, requiring it to return to the target altitude before taking 

another image, once again decreasing both flight time and longitudinal 

overlap between images. 

Default value: 7° 

• Distance between photos: Check the 'Use manual parameters' box to 

manually set the distance between photos in the direction of flight. This 

option may be used to override the automatic settings based on altitude 

and longitudinal overlap. 

Default value: Unchecked, Distance between photos: Automatic 

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Advanced functionalities 

Clicking the !It button will provide further options: 

122 

o Save parameters as default in drone: Saves the currently-set camera parameters to the eBee's autopilot's memory. 

o Restore factory parameters: Returns the parameters to their default values and automatically send them to the drone's autopilot. 
eMotion in-depth guide 

5.9 Flight Parameters tab 

Flight parameters 

General [ 

information 

The Flight Parameters tab includes some advanced functions that govern the overall behaviour of the drone while in flight. It is separated into two sections: 'Flight 

parameters' and 'General 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 drone to return to the Home waypoint. 

Default value: 500 m 

• Working area ceiling: This is the maximum altitude above the take-off 

location at which the drone can fly. Flying above this altitude will create a 

warning and cause the drone to return to the Home waypoint. 

Default value: 300m/ ATO 

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Advanced functionalities 

o Manual control mode: Selects between Full Manual control and Assisted 

Manual control when the remote control is turned on42• 

Default value: Full Manual control 

o Security actions: The next checkboxes are used to disable certain Security 

actions43. 

o Ignore RC signals: Checking this option will result in the drone ignoring 

any signals coming from a remote control (RC) transmitter on the ground. 

Default value: unchecked 

o 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 drone 

will continue to estimate the wind strength and direction and the In-flight 

warning will continue to appear. 

Default value: checked 

o 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 

signal coverage Un-checking this box will disable the Security action, however the In-flight warning will continue to appear. 

Default value: checked 

42 see section 'Manual control of the eBee' on page 127 for more information 43 see section 'In-flight warnings' on page 151 for more information on Security actions related to 

specific In-flight warnings 

124 
eMotion in-depth guide 

• Return to Home in case of camera malfunction: Checking this box will 

enable the Security action (return to Horne 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 and the drone (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 drone continuing on its flight path 

even if it does not re-connect with eMotion. 

Default value: unchecked 

• Climb in case of detected ground proximity ( <30 m): The eBee features a ground sensor that continuously checks the presence ofthe ground. 

If this box is checked and the ground sensor detects a height above the 

ground of less than 30 rn, the drone will climb to a safe height of 60 rn before continuing the mission. 

Default value: checked 

• Use ground sensor for landing: The eBee uses its ground sensor together 

with its estimate of the wind speed during its landing manoeuvre to calculate the ideal rnornent to perform a final brake and enter deep stall. If this 

box is unchecked the drone will ignore the ground sensor during its approach and will assume that the landing location is precisely at the same 

altitude as indicated in eMotion. This will result in a landing precision that 

is decreased and dependent on the strength of the wind. 

Default value: checked 

125 
Advanced functionalities 

Clicking the 'More' list will provide further options: 

• 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 drone's autopilot. 

The 'General information' section displays information specific to your eBee. This 

includes the current firmware and bootloader versions loaded into the autopilot, 

the serial numbers of the airframe and the autopilot, the total number of flights 

performed by drone and the total time spent in the air. 

Clicking 'View flight database .. : will bring up a window that presents a summary 

of all the flights performed by the drone using this computer. 

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Manual control of the eBee 

6 Manual control of the eBee 

6.1 Enabling manual control 

By default, the e8eeflies autonomously and does not need the provided remote 

control to be operated. However, by using the remote control, it is possible to 

override the drone'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 drone. In 

Assisted Manual mode the sticks of the remote control are used to set the speed, 

turn rate and climb or sink rate. 

Turning on the remote control will cause the drone to change to either Assisted 

Manual or Full Manual mode, depending on the 'Enable assisted manual control' 

setting in the Flight Parameters tab45 of eMotion. Turning off the remote control 

will cause the drone to return to the last autonomous operation mode it was in 

45 see section 'Flight Parameters tab' on page 123 for more details on this setting 

127 
Advanced functionalities 

before Manual mode was enabled. 

Manual control of the eBee can be achieved at any time ifthe drone is within range 

of the remote46• 

on: manual 

off: auto 

FM: Full Manual 

AM: Assisted Manual 

FM: elevator 

AM: climb/sink rate 

FM: ailerons 

AM: turn rate 

right stick 

46 see section 'Drone specifications' on page 171 for the rang·e 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 thatthe eBee is setto Full Manual mode47 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 drone detects the 

signal from the remote control it will change to one of the manual modes. 

4. Move the right stick on the remote control to verify proper reception by the 

drone and correct servo direction. 

5. Turn off the remote control fortake-off. 

For more information on using the remote control, refer to the original user manual, available from the Knowledge Base within my.senseFiy48• 

47 see section 'Enabling manual control' on page 127 48 http://my.sensetly.com 

129 
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 drone 

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 drone is in the air. If you wish to 

take-off in Full Manual mode, however, you must use the following steps: 

130 

1. Prepare the drone for flight as described in section 'Preparing the eBee for 

flight' on page 30 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. 

3. Firmly grasp the eBee horizontally with level wings using both hands, one 

hand on the front of each wing. Shake the drone back and forth 3 times 

longitudinally (within approx. 3 seconds). The status LED will pulse blue 

while the drone'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 drone). 
Manual control of the eBee 

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 drone 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. 

In this mode the left stick is used to set the desired speed of the eBee. Setting the 

left stick between 10% and 100% sets a desired speed between 10.5 and 20 m/s. · 

Setting the stick below 10% turns off the motor, allowing the drone to slowly descend in a glide. The drone may even engage reverse thrust to limit its speed 

during descent. 

The right stick is used to set the direction of flight of the eBee. Moving the stick 

131 
Advanced functionalities 

left or right will set a left or right roll angle of up to 45° Is, respectively. Moving 

the stick down will set a climb rate of up to 3.5 m/s. Moving the stick up will set 

a sink rate of up to 3.5 m/s. Releasing the right stick at any point will return the 

drone to a straight flight path at a constant altitude. 

It is not possible to take-off in Assisted Manual mode. You may only switch to 

Assisted Manual mode after completing the standardtake-off procedure49• 

To perform a manual landing we recommend the following procedure: 

1. The drone should always perform a linear landings into the wind. Face the 

downwind direction and confirm thatthere 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 drone to an altitude of around 50 m from the landing altitude by 

moving the right stick up or down. 

3. Ry downwind until the drone is around 100m awayfromthe landing location. 

4. Turn the drone 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 drone closer to the ground by controlling the sink rate with the 

right stick. Keep the drone descending until it is around 5-10 m from the 

ground. 

49 as described in section 1"ake~off on page 43 

132 
Manual control of the eBee 

7. Once the drone is around 5-10 mfrom the landing location, cut motor power 

using the left stick and allow the drone to glide down to the ground. 

133 

Part Ill 

Maintenance, Repair and 

Troubleshooting 
Maintenance, Repair and Troubleshooting 

7 Maintenance and repair of the eBee 

7.1 Updating the eBee software 

Occasionally, sense Fly 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 will check for new versions during start-up" and will display a message 

with update instructions if a new version is available. We recommend, however, 

that you check my.senseFiy52 regularly for updates to ensure you have the latest 

version ofthe software. 

To upgrade eMotion or Postflight Terra 3D to the latest version, download the installer from my.senseFiy and follow the standard install procedure (see section 'Installing eMotion, Postflight Terra 3D, and the ground modem drivers' on page 20). 

It is not necessary to uninstall previous version of eMotion before installing the 

new one. 

Every version of eMotion is packaged with an accompanying firmware revision 

which must be installed on the drone before it can be used. To upgrade the firmware 

51 provided that there is an internet connection 52 http:f/my.sensefly.com 

136 
Maintenance and repair of the eBee 

of the eBee follow these steps: 

1. Connect the battery to the drone. 

2. Connect the USB cable between the computer on which you installed eMotion and the autopilot of the eBee as shown in the figure. The connector is 

beside the camera connector and is marked with a 1;1 icon. The status LED 

will turn white as soon as you connect the cable. 

3. Launch eMotion". 

4. In eMotion, dick the Iii icon and select 'Updater eBee .. :. 

5. Click 'Update' to begin the updating process. Waituntil the process is complete, which is indicated by the text 'File downloaded successfully'. 

53 you can also update without launching eMotion using the separate Updater eBee program in the 

Windows Start or Apps menu 

137 
Maintenance, Repair and Troubleshooting 

Click Update 

Wait for update 

to complete 

6. Disconnect the USB cable and the battery. 

File downloaded 

successfully 

It is important that both the drone and eMotion 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 you have installed, use the 'About eMotion .. : 

item in the 'Window' menu. The eBee firmware version can be seen in the Flight 

Parameters tab once connected (see section 'Flight Parameters tab' on page 1 23). 

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 drone either in its transport 

case or on a flat surface at room temperature. 

138 
Maintenance and repair of the eBee 

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 drone in good operating condition. 

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 drone from flying correctly 

and thus it is important to ensure their proper functioning. 

To check the actuators, follow these steps: 

servo connection 

'-----f-7---'<;,.----- mechanisms 

'-"11?:-----"\;,------ motor 

1. The motor must be clean and spin smoothly without friction to function 

139 
Maintenance, Repair and Troubleshooting 

correctly. Ensure thatthere 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 

the motor off'. Place the eBee at the edge of a flat surface and keep the 

area around the propeller clear. 

~~· .. •.·•.

1 

.•. '.~ .•., .. i.;.c·: .......... ;•.•t ...•. ; ·.·fi!EFBII!I ... ., /:;''.)_f;J'f_ ' . ·.·:::;.,:(;fi};:;> ··,·,•.\·;·~··.·;·,;• 

3. Switch the drone on by connecting the battery. 

4. Connect to eMotion. Ensure that 'Manual control mode' is set to 'Full Manual control' and that the 'Ignore RC signals' setting is not checked". 

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 stm. When travelling from one end to the 

other, fast or slow, the ailerons must smoothly follow without twitching. 

7. Hold down the drone 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 168 for advice. 

54 see section 'Manual control of the eBee' on page 127 for details on using the remote control 

ss see section 'Flight Parameters tab' on page 123 for more details on these settings 

140 
Maintenance and repair of the eBee 

Check 2: Inertial sensors 

The inertial sensors are used by the autopilot to compute the attitude (i.e. its orientation in space) ofthe drone. The attitude is displayed by the artificial horizon 

in the Flight Monitoring tab of eMotion. To check the inertial sensors, follow these 

steps: 

1. Switch the eBee on by connecting the battery and connect to eMotion. 

2. Put the drone on a flat surface (typically an office floor) and check that the 

artificial horizon is level. 

3. Take the drone 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 drone 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 168 for advice. 

Check 3: Barometric pressure sensor 

The barometric pressure sensor is used to measure the altitude from the take-off 

location. To check it, follow these steps: 

i. Switch the eBee on by connecting the battery and connect to eMotion. 

2. Move the drone from yourfeetto above your head (about 2m altitude variation). 

3. Check the altitude on the vertical bar right of the artificial horizon or in the 

Status Panel next to the drone icon on the map). 

The displayed altitude should follow the drone motion, i.e. if the drone is raised 

by 2m, the altitude reading should increase by about 2m. When the drone is not 

moving, the altitude reading may slowly drift by up to ±10m. 

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: 

141 
Maintenance, Repair and Troubleshooting 

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. 

2. Switch the drone on by connecting the battery and connect to eMotion. 

3. Gently blow into the front opening of the pitot tube from a distance of 

around 5 em. The airflow direction should match the natural flow experienced in flight. 

4. Check the air speed displayed on the vertical bar left ofthe 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 airspeed indicated in 

the 'Flight Monitoring' tab of eMotion 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. 

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 drone in for repair to. 

7.5 Proper battery care 

Proper care of your eBee's battery is important to prevent damage to your drone 

and to maximize flight time. With a fully charged battery, the drone will fly for 

142 
Maintenance and repair of the eBee 

about 45 minutes. Frequent altitude changes, presence of wind, use of old batteries and/or frequent photo acquisition may significantly reduce the flight endurance. Batteries perform better at medium or high air temperature and it is 

normal to observe shorterflighttimes in cold weather. 

The eBee is powered by a Lithium Polymer (LiPo) battery composed ofthree 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 drone 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 either by 

flashing the status LED red, or by the LED staying off. This means that the battery 

is over-discharged and should be discarded. 

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 drone. Avoid 

leaving the battery in direct sunlight. 

143 
Maintenance, Repair and Troubleshooting 

144 
Troubleshooting 

8 Troubleshooting 

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, whereas others require more specific action from the user. As 

long as the drone is connected to eMotion, 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 

Error messages are divided into four categories: Pre-flight errors, Take-off vetoes, 

In-flight warnings and Critical failures. 

145 
Maintenance, Repair and Troubleshooting 

8.1 Pre-flight errors 

As soon as the battery is connected to the drone 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 30. 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. 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 136. 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 168. 

Incorrect firmware 

detected 

Battery too low for 

take-off 

Drone flight log 

memory full 

Table 3: Pre-flight errors 

There is an error with the current version of the 

firmware in the eBee's autopilot 

User action: Re-load the correct firmware". 

The battery level is too low to perform a take-off. 

User action: Re-connect a fully-charged battery. 

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 50. 

56 see section 'Updating the eBee software' on page 136 

146 
Troubleshooting 

Pitot malfunction A high ~irs peed was detected while on the ground. 

User action: Be sure to protect the drone from the 

wind and re-connect the battery. If the problem persists, perform Check 4 in section 'Full airframe and 

sensor inspection' on page 139. 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 There is an error with the drone's magnetic field senmalfunction sor. 

User action: Re-connect the battery. If the problem 

persists, contact your eBee reseller. 

EEPROM There is an error with the memory chip of the drone's 

malfunction autopilot. 

User action: Re-connect the battery. If the problem 

persists, contact your eBee reseller. 

Barometer There is an error with the drone's barometer. 

malfunction User action: Be sure to place the drone 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 139. If this 

does not solve the problem contact your eBee reseller. 

147 
Maintenance, Repair and Troubleshooting 

De-calibrated The orientation sensors were not calibrated correctly. 

INS or Attitude User action: Be sure to place the drone on a flat 

malfunction 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 139. If this 

does not solve the problem contact your eBee reseller. 

Ground sensor There is an error with the drone's ground sensor. 

malfunction User action: Ensure that the ground sensor on the 

bottom of the drone is clear of debris and is not damaged, then re-connect the battery. If the problem 

persists, perform Check4 in section 'Full airframe and 

sensor inspection' on page 139. If this does not solve 

the problem contact your eBee reseller . 

. 

Invalid flight There is an error with the firmware in the drone's aucontroller gains topilot. 

User action: Re-connect the battery. If the problem 

persists, contact your eBee reseller. 

148 
Troubleshooting 

8.2 Take-off vetoes 

After successfully completing pre-flight checks the status LED becomes a solid 

green to indicate that the drone is ready for take-off. At this point the eBee continues to monitor its sensors and battery level. If at any point the drone detects 

a condition that prevents it from beginning the automatic take-off procedure it 

displays a Take-off veto in eMotion 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 drone is ready for take-off. 

Table 4 on the next page presents all the Take-off vetoes 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 168. 

149 
Maintenance, Repair and Troubleshooting 

Drone not 

horizontal (roll or 

pitch) 

Motor is blocked 

Battery too low for 

take-off 

Wings not 

detected 

USB cable 

detected 

150 

Table 4: Take-off vetos 

The eBee must be held horizontally with level wings 

to initiate take-off. 

User action: Hold the drone horizontally. 

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. 

The drone requires a fully-charged battery for the 

take-off procedure. 

User action: Change the battery. 

The drone'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 30. 

The eBee has detected a USB cable connected to the 

drone's autopilot. 

User action: Remove the USB cable before take-off. 
Troubleshooting 

8.3 In-flight warnings 

While it is in flight the eBee can generate two types of errors: warnings and failures. 

In-flight warnings occur when there is an event that requires user attention but 

does not compromise the drone's ability to continue flying. 

When an In-flight warning is activated the warning will appear in yellow in eMotion and cause the 'WARNING' button in the Control Barto change to 'ACK WARNING; turn yellow and activate. The drone 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 drone 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 123 for 

instructions on disabling warnings and Security actions. 

151 
Maintenance, Repair and Troubleshooting 

Failure occurred: 

(failure 

description) 

Low battery 

Table 5: In-flight warnings 

This warning ensures that the user is aware that a 

Critical failure has occurred even if it is no longer active57. 

Security action: The eBee flies towards the Horne 

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. 

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 

drone battery before performing another flight. 

57 see section 'Critical failure~' on page 163 for a description of possible Critical failures 

152 
Troubleshooting 

Drone flight log There is an error saving data to the on-board memmalfunction ory 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 drone 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 1m porting images and flight data' 

on page 50 and re-format the memory card. 

Flight controller The flight controller has encountered an unexpected 

malfunction state, such as an incorrect waypoint type. 

Security action: The drone 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 drone. If the problem persists, contact your eBee 

reseller. 

Camera sync There is a problem with the wiring of the on-board 

malfunction camera. 

Security action: If required parameter set in the 

Flight Parameters tab, the drone 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 drone. Reset the camera settings as described 

in section 'Resetting default camera settings' on 

page 166. 

153 
Maintenance, Repair and Troubleshooting 

Camera power The camera is no longer responding, most likely bemalfunction cause it is no longer powered. 

Security action: If required parameter set in the 

Flight Parameters tab, the drone 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 thecable connection between the camera and the drone 

and charge all the batteries before perfonning another flight. 

Barometer The barometer used to sense the current altitude is 

malfunction malfunctioning. 

Security action: The drone flies towards the Home 

waypoint at an altitude defined by the Home waypoint's Change altitude parameter (by defaul~ set 

to 'Highest') using altitude calculated from GPS signals 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 139. 

154 
Troubleshooting 

Motor The motor is drawing too little or too much current. 

malfunction 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 drone attempts to re-start the 

motor. If the first attempt fails a Failure: Motor malfunction Critical failure is announced". 

User action: Land as soon as possible and perform 

Check 1 in section 'Full airframe and sensor inspection' on page 139. 

Battery The sensor used to measure the battery voltage and 

malfunction current is registering invalid values, indicating that 

the sensor is de-calibrated or damaged. 

Security action: The drone 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 drone. If the problem persists, contact your eBee 

reseller. 

. 

58 see section 'Critical failures' on page 163 

155 
Maintenance, Repair and Troubleshooting 

Airspeed The differential pressure sensor used to measure airmalfunction speed is registering invalid values. This may be due 

to a damaged sensor or to a clogged pitot probe. 

Security action: The drone 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 drone can land 

against the direction of the wind. Land as soon as 

possible and perform Check4 in section 'Full airframe 

and sensor inspection' on page 139. 

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 drone 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 drone to descend closer to the 

ground and out of any cloud cover. 

156 
Troubleshooting 

Overspeed Detected airspeed is unusually high, possibly due to 

a loss of control. 

Security action: The drone applies a 50% reverse 

thrust to try to slow down. 

User action: Keep track of the drone's position in 

case it is unable to slow back down to a regular airspeed. 

Ground sensor The ground sensor used to detect the proximity of 

malfunction the ground is malfunctioning. 

Security action: The drone continues normal flight. 

User action: Land as soon as possible and perform 

Check 5 in section 'Full airframe and sensor inspection' on page 139. 

Wings detection The sensor used to detect the presence of the wings 

malfunction malfunctioning. 

Security action: The drone 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 30. 

157 
Maintenance, Repair and Troubleshooting 

Temperature out The temperature sensor on the drone is registering 

of working levels 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 drone 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 -1 ooc, disconnect the battery and wait until the temperature 

changes to within these limits. 

Above working The drone has passed the verticid boundary of the 

area ceiling working area, defined by the working area ceiling. 

This may occur if waypoint altitudes are set close to 

or outside the working area or due to strong wind. 

Security action: The drone 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 altitude of all waypoints to 

less than the working area ceiling. 

158 
Troubleshooting 

Out of working The drone has passed the lateral boundary of the 

area radius working area, defined by the working area radius. 

This may occur ifwaypoints are set close to or outside 

of the working area or due to strong wind. 

Security action: The drone flies towards the Home 

waypoint at an altitude defined by the Home waypoint's Change altitude parameter (by default, set to 

'Highest1. 

User action: Limit the planned flight path within the 

working area boundaries. 

Far outside of The drone has passed far outside ofthe working area. 

working area This may be caused by very high winds or due to mechanica! failure. 

Security action: The drone tries to orient itself in the 

direction ofthe Homewaypoint 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 drone 

during landing. If the drone lands outside of view follow the instructions in section 'Losing and locating 

your eBee in the field' on page 167. 

159 
Maintenance, Repair and Troubleshooting 

PoorGPS GPS signal coverage is low. This may be due to mouncoverage* tains or tall buildings blocking satellite signals. lfcoverage degrades any more a Critical failure will be activated and an emergency landing will be initiated". 

Security action (if enabled): The drone flies towards the Home waypoint at an altitude defined by 

the Home waypoint's Change altitude parameter (by 

default, set to 'Highest1. 

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 and wait 

for better conditions for satellite signal reception. AIternatively, move away from objects that may disturb 

satellite signals such as mountains or cellular antennas. 

Data uplink lost'' This warning occurs if the eBee does not receive any 

(if enabled) data from eMotion for more than 30 s. This can be 

due to a large distance between drone and ground 

station, a problem with the USB ground modem, antenna positioning or interference .. 

Security action (if enabled): The drone flies towards the Home way point 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 166. 

59 see section 'Critical failures' on page 163 

160 
Troubleshooting 

Ground proximity The ground sensor on the drone has detected a 

detected'* ground height above the ground of less than 30 m 

(if enabled) 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 conditions60• 

Security action (if enabled): The drone circles the 

current position while climbing to an altitude of 60 m 

above the detected ground height. Once this altitude 

is reached the drone continues towards the next waypoint but sets the waypoint's target altitude at 60 m 

above the last detected ground height. 

User action: Ensure that there are no obstacles such 

as hills or buildings higher than the waypoints of your 

flight plan. 

Ground proximity The ground sensor on the eBee was unable to detect 

not detected the proximity of the ground during a Linear landing 

landing precision procedure. This may be due to an obstruction in the 

decreased** sensor, low ambient light or low contrast in the environment 61. 

Security action: The drone continues the Linear 

landing procedure but will initiate its final brake at 

an estimated altitude of 20m instead of 3 m (assuming the Linear landing location is at the same altitude 

at the Take-off location), resulting in decreased precision in the landing location. 

User action: Be ready for the drone to overshoot 

its planning Linear landing location by preparing a 

larger obstacle-free zone around the location. 

60 see section 'Linear landing' on page 72 61 see section 'Linear landing' on page 72 

161 
Maintenance, Repair and Troubleshooting 

Back wind, There are no approach sectors available against the 

landing precision direction of the wind. The eBee has calculated a lindecreased*** ear landing approach direction in the direction ofthe 

(in blue) 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. 

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 'Highes\1. 

User action: Land as soon as possible and wait for 

better flight conditions. 

Cannot maintain The eBee cannot maintain the altitude that is comaltitude manded by the flight controller. This may be due to a 

damaged motor, airframe or ailerons or a strong vertical wind. 

Security action: The drone 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 29. If the problem occurs in low-wind conditions perform Check 2 

in section 'Full airframe and sensor inspection' on 

page 139. 

162 
Pitch or Roll 

instability 

Troubleshooting 

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 drone continues normal flight 

while trying to stabilize the pitch as much as possible. 

User action: lfthe condition persists during a flight, 

land and wait for the wind to decrease, as explained 

in section 'Weather check' on page 29. If the problem occurs in low-wind conditions perform Check 2 

in section 'Full airframe and sensor inspection' on 

page 139. 

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. 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 drone 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 drone. In some cases it may be possible to manually 

control the drone using the remote control". If such a critical failure occurs that 

results in an Emergency landing we recommend that you keep track of the drone's 

62 see section 'Manual control oftheeBee' on page 127 

163 
Maintenance, Repair and Troubleshooting 

last known position in the air and in eMotion if possible and follow the instructions 

in section 'Losing and locating your eBee in the field' on page 167. 

Failure: loss of GPS 

signals 

Failure: empty 

battery 

Failure: INS 

malfunction 

164 

Table 6: Critical failures 

Your e8ee can no longer calculate its position, making it impossible for it to know where it is and thus to 

navigate. 

Emergency action: The drone turns off its motor, 

sets a bank angle and glides in a large circle towards 

the ground. If there is a strong wind the drone may 

be pushed far from its current position. If satellite signals are re-acquired the drone will abort the landing 

procedure and go to the Home waypoint. 

The battery is completely empty. 

Emergency action: The drone turns off its motor 

and glides towards the ground in the direction ofthe 

Home waypoint. This error is always preceded by a 

Low battery In-flight warning. 

There is a failure with the orientation sensors which 

makes it impossible for the drone to stabilise itself 

and thus initiate a gliding emergency landing. 

Emergency action: The drone turns off its motor 

and fully deflects its ailerons which resutts in an uncontrolled descent with limited impact energy (deep 

stall or spin). 
Troubleshooting 

Failure: motor The motor is not working even after an attempted 

malfunction re-start commanded by a Motor malfunction ln-fiight 

warning. 

Emergency action: The drone 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 drone cancels 

the landing and fiies towards the Home waypoint at 

an altitude defined by the Home waypoint's Change 

altitude parameter (by default, set to 'Highest'). 

Failure: CPU Over- The autopilot processor is overloaded and can no 

load longer control fiight. The drone turns off its motor 

and fully defiects its ailerons which results in an uncontrolled descent with limited impact energy (deep 

stall or spin). 

16S 
Maintenance, Repair and Troubleshooting 

8.5 Resetting default camera settings 

.In case of unwanted configuration changes, the camera can be re-configured to 

a suitable state. Please refer to your camera user manual for the procedure. You 

can find camera manuals in our Knowledge Base within my.senseFiy" 

8.6 Improving radio signal communication 

You may occasionally lose the data connection between eMotion and your eBee 

while in the field. Whether there is a loss in uplink or downlink communication, 

the drone 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 drone stops receiving messages from eMotion (uplink direction) for more 

. than 30 s you will see a 'Data uplink lost' In-flight warning appear in eMotion. If for 

safety reasons you would like the eBee to automatically return to the Home waypoint when this warning appears, select the corresponding option in the Flight 

Parameters tab". 

If there are no more messages received by eMotion from the drone (downlink direction), a 'Data downlink lost' message will appear in eMotion. If there is still an 

active uplink connection you may still command your drone 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: 

1. Place the USB ground 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 ground 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 ground modem. This includes all 

63 http://my.sensefly.com 64 see section 'Flight Parameters tab' on page 123 for more details 

166 
Troubleshooting 

Wifi and Bluetooth devices such as the ground station computer or mobile 

phones. 

The strength of the connection between the drone and eMotion is indicated in 

the Flight Monitoring tab". The three LEDs next to the antenna on the ground 

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 drone 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! If it is simply out of communication range the drone should reconnect automatically as it returns to 

the Home waypoint after completing its mission. 

2. Note the last known location of the drone in eMotion by printing the screen 

or writing down the location displayed in the Flight Monitoring tab. 

3. Mqve towards this last known direction with the computer running eMotion 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 drone and have not yet 

found it, turn on the remote control. 

5. Try moving both the control sticks around. If the drone 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 drone was 

pushed by the wind while still in the air. 

65 see section 'Flight Monitoring tab' on page 98 

167 
Maintenance, Repair and Troubleshooting 

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, begin by checking section 

'Troubleshooting' on page 145 to see if there is a solution to the particular 

message. 

2. Check our Knowledge Base, part of my.senseFiy", 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 w~h your inquiry: 

• The serial number of your drone, 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 problem". 

• 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. 

• Photos or video of the eBee airframe, if required. 

66 http://my.sensefly.com 67 see section 'Importing images and flight data' on page 50 for information on retrieving this file from 

the eBee 

168 
Part IV 

Specifications 
Specifications 

1 Software requirements 

eMotion has the following minimum software requirements: 

Operating system 

Hardware 

Screen 

Microsoft Windows 7 /8 

1.6 GHz processor 

2GB RAM 

500MB free storage space 

recommended resolution: 1920 x 1080 

visible outdoors 

Postflight Terra 3D has the following minimum software requirements: 

Operating system 

Hardware 

Screen 

170 

Microsoft Windows 7/8, 64-bit only 

1.6 GHz processor (2 GHz Intel i5/i7/Xeon recommended) 

4GB RAM (16GB recommended for large projects) 

10 GB free storage space (1 TB recommended for large 

projects) 

min. resolution: 1024x768 
Drone specifications 

2 Drone specifications 

Size Wingspan: 96 em 

Wing area: 0.25 m2 

Weight without camera and battery approx. 0.42 kg (0.93 lbs) 

Nominal take-off weight (approx.) eBee: 0.67 kg (1.48 lbs) 

eBee Ag: 0.71 kg (1.56lbs) 

(with standard camera & battery) 

Maximum take-off weight 0.75 kg (1.6Sibs) 

Material EPP foam, carbon structure & composite parts 

Battery 3-cell Lithium-Polymer (0.14 kg) 

Nominal endurance (flight time)" eBee: 50 minutes 

eBee Ag: 45 minutes 

(with standard camera) 

Propulsion Electric brush less motor 

Nominal static thrust: 0.63 kgf (6.2 N) 

Nominal cruise speed 40..90 km/h (11-25 m/s or 25-56 mph) 

Wind resistance up to 45 km/h (12 m/s} 

Max. single flight coverage" eBee: 12 km2 (4.6 mi2) 

eBee Ag: 1 0 km2 (3.9 mi2) 

(on a single battery charge) 

68 can vary greatly depending on external factors such as wind, altitude change and temperature. 69 calculated based on the following test conditions: GSD of 30 em (11.8 in) per pixel, no wind, moderate air temp. (18 C/64.4 F), new fully-charged battery, flight altitude of 1,000 m (3,280 ft) above 

ground & take off at approx. sea level from centre of coverage area. 

171 
Specifications 

Communication devices Ground modem: 

• Frequency: 2.4 GHz 

• Range": approx. 3 km 

o Certification: FCC Part 15.247, IC RSS210, CE 

Remote control: 

• Frequency: 2.4 GHz 

• Range: approx. 1 km 

o Certification: CE, FCC 

Navigation Up to 50 waypoints 

GSD (per pixel) eBee: Down to 1.5 em (0.6 in) 

eBee Ag: Down to 2 em (0.8 in) 

Absolute horizontal eBee (with GCPs): Down to 3 em (1.2 in) 

accuracy eBee (no GCPs): 1 to 5 m (3.3 to 16.4 ft) 

eBee Ag (with GCPs): Down to 4 em (1.6 in) 

eBee Ag (no GCPs): 1 to 5 m (3.3 to 16.4 ft) 

Absolute vertical eBee (with GCPs): Down to 5 em (2.0 in) 

accuracy eBee (no GCPs): 2 to 5 m (6.6 to 16.4 ft) 

eBee Ag (with GCPs): Down to 7 em (2.8 in) 

eBee Ag (no GCPs): 2 to 5 m (6.6 to 16.4 ft) 

Relativeorthomosald 1-3 times GSD 

30 model accuracy 

Carry case dimensions 55 x45 x 25 em (21.6x 17.7 x 9.8 in) 

70 can vary greatly depending on external factors such as cruise altitude, presence of obstacles and 

radio-frequency interference. 

172 
Glossary 

AMSL Above Mean Sea Level 

Your eBee's altitude can be shown and set in eMotion using ATO or AMSL. 

Your drone uses the EGM96 mean sea level standard for navigation. 

ATO Above the Take-off Altitude 

Your eBee's altitude can be shown and set in eMotion using ATO or AMSL. 

Altitudes in ATO are relative to the place your eBee started its motor just 

before take-off. 

DSM Digital Surface Model 

A 3D digital representation of a surface. 

FTDI Future Technology Devices International 

A Scottish semiconductor device company specialising in Universal Serial 

Bus (USB) technology. FTDI cables allow serial connections through a USB 

cable. eMotion uses FTDI technology to connect to the ground modem. 

You can often connect a computer to a GNSS base station using FTDI. 

geo-reference A data point associated with a specific location on the earth's surface. 

GSD Ground Sampling Distance 

The distance measured on the ground between pixel centres in an image 

or DSM. The smallertheGSD, the higher the spatial resolution ofthe image. 

For example, a GSD of 5 em means that one pixel in the image represents 

5 em on the ground. 

mosaic A single map or terrain model created from several map sections that 

have been placed side-by-side and merged together. 

orthomosaic A single, corrected image constructed either from several images 

taken from different angles, or from several orthophotos. Distortions due 
to different camera positions, ground curvature and relief are corrected for 

so that the image displays accurately in the given map projection. 

photogrammetry A technique in which measurements taken from photographs 

are used to reconstruct a 3D surface or a series of points in space. 

point cloud A set of data points within a coordinate system. 

rayCioud A feature unique to Postflight Terra 3D that combines the 3D point cloud 

with the original images. Multi ray matching with the rayCioud extends the 

stereo view triangulation and increases the accuracy of 3D point estimates 

while providing a full understanding of 3D results. 

triangle model An approximate representation of a surface, constructed from 

connected triangles.