DIEFFENBAUCH & HRITZ, LLC. PETITION FOR EXEMPTION 

# 2015 14 CFR 

### part 21


# Appendix 

# J senseFiy eBee RTK Extended User Manual

# -------- senseFiy Extended User Manual eBee RTK Revision 6 IJune 2015 Copyright© 2010-2015 senseFly Ltd



# \.,..-'v-- 

# senseFiy

a

### Parrot companyI j 

### GENERAL INFORMATION
READ THIS USER MANUAL CAREFULLY BEFORE USING ASENSEFLY LTD PRODUCT. senseFly Ltd products are intendedfor professional useonly. 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 LAWOFTHE COUNTRYWHEREYOU OPERATETHE PRODUCT 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 PROHIBITTHE USE OF UNMANNED AIRCRAFT AT ALL OR IN SPECIFIC AREAS. Privacy Recording and circulating an image of an individual may constitute an infringement oftheir image and privacy for which you can be liable. Askfor authorization before taking pictures ofan individual, particularly ifyou wantto 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 ofan individual. Checkthat your use ofthe cameras on board senseFly Ltd products comply with the legal provision on privacy in the country where you operate your product. Limited Warranty SenseFly Ltd warrants thatthe product will be free from defects in material and workmanship for aperiod oftwelve (12) months from the date ofdelivery. SenseFiy 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 senseFiy Ltd's sole option, eitherto repair orto replace the defective product with another product or aproduct with similar specifications, at no charge, orto reimburse the purchase price ofthe product, or ifrepair or replacement is not possible, issue a credit note; provided however, that the defect has been confirmed by senseFiy Ltd and that the defective product is returned to senseFly Ltd in accordance with the support and repair form together with all required 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 bythird party otherthan senseFly Ltd, damage dueto manual operation, damage dueto take-offor landing location with obstacles, damage dueto low altitudeflight, damage due to loss ofdata radio connection, damage due to strong wind, rain or humidity, or other causes forwhich senseFiy 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 ofliability TO THE EXTENT PERMITIED BY APPLICABLE LAW, IN NO EVENTWILL 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 NOTIFIED 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 NEGLIGENCE 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. 

### Disposal ofthis product at the end ofits life '0" At the end ofthis product's life, please do not dispose ofthis product in your general household waste. 

### A Instead, in orderto prevent possible harm to the environment or human health from uncontrolled waste disposal, please dispose ofthis product separately in accordance with your local laws and regulation. For

- more information on the separate collection systems for waste electrical and electronic equipment that are available for consumers, nearyour home, free ofcharge, 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 arecycling scheme. 

### Copyrights senseFiy Ltd reserves the right to make changes to specifications and product descriptions contained in this document at any time without notice. Please consult www.sensefly.com for the latest release. Copyright© 2015 senseFly Ltd. All rights reserved. REPRODUCTION, USE OR DISCLOSURE OF ALL OR IN PART OF THIS MANUALTO THIRD PARTIES WITHOUT THE PRIOR WRITTEN 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 Ifyou have questions about any ofyour senseFly products, pleasevisit my.senseFiy* whereyou'll find:
• Our Knowledge Base. • Aform for contacting support.

* my.sensefly.com

# ) Welcome to your 

# eBee RTK Congratulations on your purchase ofthe eBee RTK, a complex and powerful yet intuitive autonomous mapping system. We take great careto develop and design the best possible hardware and softwaretoolsfor quick, high-quality and easy-touse 2D and 3D aerial mapping.

The eBee RTKis afully autonomous survey-grade mapping drone (UAV, RPAS or UAS). It is capable of in-flight processing of RTK corrections from most leading brands ofGNSS/RTK base stations via its supplied 

### eMotion flight control software and ground modem. The built-in high-performance GNSS receiverin the eBeeRTK can process GPS and GLONASS L 1and L2 signals. The RTK coordinate correction data it receives via its ground modem enables precise navigation and the storage ofimage metadata with RTK-Ievel positional accuracy, without the need for Ground Control Points (GCPs).

# 0 Note: 

### This manual refersto version 2.4ofeMotion

### andversion 3.3 and above ofPostflight Terra 3D 

### software. The eBee RTK

### requires eMotion 

### 2.4. Ifyou installed eMotion 

### before purchasing yourdrone, checkthe version and upgrade ifnecessary. You can consultthe Release Notes for changes included in more recentversions ofthe software.

## Package contents

eBee RTK battery packs spare propeller
GNSS antenna, remote control, cables and propeller

attachment bands
ground modem

EPP glue

wing eBee central body wing user manual

eBee RTK battery charger
eBee RTK battery charger power adapter

camera charger

camera' ! J The standard eBee RTKpackage contains the following items:
• 1 x carrying case with foam protection • 1 x eBee RTKcentral body with built-in autopilot • 1 x pair ofdetachable 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 for radio data link (including USB cable) • 1 x2.4 GHz remote control (including 3AA batteries) • 1 xstill camera (including memory card, battery and charger) • 1 x USB cable for interfacing with camera and on-board autopilot • 1x EPP glue • 1 x eBee RTK 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 ofa missing item, please contact your eBee RTK reseller immediately. Caution: The built-in GNSS receiver in the eBee RTKmakes it heavier than the standard eBee. You must therefore only fly your eBee RTK with the camera provided. senseFiy Ltd cannot be held responsible for any loss or damage caused by flying an eBee RTKwith adifferent camera installed.

## \ / 

# 0 0 Note: 

### Some of the operating modes of the eBee RTK 

### require a GNSS/RTK base station or access to a subscription-based Ntrip stream. These are not provided in the eBee RTK

### package. Note: 

### Camera user manuals are also available to download from our Knowledge Base, part ofmy.senseFiy*.

* http:/ /my.sensefly.com

### Hardwarefeatures

ground sensor

# «~ II U @I ,I i**~** camera lens hole 

### ill 

# U \ 11 

# n ) Bottomtaceot

# ~w~; the central body**~ =--~~~=-**  The eBee RTKis an autonomous flying drone comprised ofthe following components:
• Central body: This is the core ofthe eBeeRTKand includes all the electronics, actuators and communications hardware on-board the drone. • Wing: The two wings ofthe eBee RTKare detachable for storage and replacement. Each wing has two wing struts and two clips to hold it in place within the central body.• Winglets: These structures add aerodynamic stabilityto the drone while it is in flight. • Ailerons: Used to control the eBee RTKwhile in flight. • Servo connection mechanism: The ailerons are connected to the servomotors within the central body ofthedronethroughthis connection mechanism. • Propeller: Used to generate thrust while it is in flight. Caution: When attached to the motor the propeller spins at high speeds and can be potentiallydangerous ifitcomes into contactwith exposed skin. Be suretoalways keepyourhands clearofthe propeller when the battery is attached to the eBee RTK.

• Battery compartment: The eBee RTKis powered by a LiPo (Lithium Polymer) battery stored within the battery compartment. Caution: Proper care ofyour battery is essential. Please read section 'Properbattery care'on page 165 before using yourdroneforthefirst time.

• GNSS/RTK Antenna: The advanced GNSS antenna, capable ofcapturing

several GNSS signals, is used for navigation and to increase geo-tagging precision.
• Camera compartment: The eBee RTKfeatures abuilt-in camerafor taking aerial images stored within the camera compartment. • Data Link Antenna: Used bythe drone to communicate with the eAtlotion software through the USB ground modem. • Pitot probe: This is the sensor used by the eBee RTKto detect airspeed,

wind and altitude. It must be kept clean and clear ofobstructions to function properly.• Status LED: This coloured LED displays the current state ofthe eBee RTK.It is housed underneath the pitot probe and thus illuminates the entiretransparent probe in various colours depending on the drone's state. • Ground sensor: The ground sensor, composed of a high-speed optical

sensor and lens assembly, is used to detectthe proximity ofthe ground.

### Softwarefeatures The eBee RTKpackage allows you to download and use eMotion* and Postflight Terra 30 *t at no extra cost. 

# eMotion 2

eMotion is the integrated software package that allows you to interact with your eBee RTK. Its easy-to-use interface allows you to plan a mapping flight intuitively from the comfortofyour office ordirectly in thefield. Oncethedrone is launched, you can use eMotion'swireless connection with your eBee RTKto trackits position, monitorthe progress ofyour mapping flight and send commands ifdesired.**~** 

# I 

# Terra

Once your eBee RTKreturns after an aerial mapping flight it is the turn ofPostflight Terra 30to process the captured images fully automatically. Postflight Terra 30 is afull-featured mapping solution: withjust afew mouse clicks it can create highquality geo-referenced 20 and 30orthomosaics and digital elevation/surface models (OEM/OSM).While you are still in thefield PostflightTerra 30analyses the qualityofthe captured images and generates an easyto understand report, letting you know immediately ifthe data you captured meets your mapping requirements.

* Software access terms and conditions apply t PostflightTerra 3D cannot be used to process swinglet CAM images

### Contents
Quick start guide 1 Planning and simulating aflight 1.1 Installing eMotion, Postflight Terra 30, and the ground modem drivers
........ 1.2 The eMotion interface 

### .. 1.3 Creating a newflight plan 1.4 The mission phase ofaflight
. 1.5 Simulating your flight
... 1.6 Getting ready for a mission 2 Setting up RTK 2.1 Base station compatibility
. . . . . . . 2.2 Setting up your GNSS/RTK base station 

### 23 24 24 25 29 30 32 33 35 35 35 2.3 Setting up reference points for your GNSS/RTK base station 37 2.4 Setting up virtual reference broadcasters 38 3 Using RTK 40 3.1 Using a local base station
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 3.2 Using your eBee RTKwith avirtual reference broadcaster
. 43 3.3 Using your eBee RTK in standalone mode 4 Executing aflight 4.1 Weather check 43 45 45

## -" )

4.2 Preparing the eBee RTKforflight
. 46 4.3 The setup phase ofaflight
. 55 4.4 Take-off
........... 59 4.5 In-flight monitoring and control
. 62 4.6 Landing
......... 64 4.7 Potential in-flight errors 64 5 Processing image data 66 5.1 High precision geotagging with the eBee RTK
. 66 5.2 Obtaining your images and flight data .... 66 5.3 Howto import images and data from the drone 69 5.4 In-field image quality check
...... 74 5.5 Creating advanced mapping products 76 5.6 Transforming coordinates 

### ....... 76 

### II Advanced functionalities 

### 79 6 Understanding aerial mapping with the eBee RTK 80 6.1 Waypoints and their properties 80 6.2 Advanced polygonal mission area 85 6.3 30 mission planning using elevation data
. 86 6.4 Flight visualization in Goog/e EarthTM
... 88 6.5 Autonomous controller and modes offlight
. 90 6.6 Linear landing .............. 94 6.7 Flying multiple drones at the same time 100 6.8 Individual photo targets and oblique imagery 105. \.

6.9 Emergency Manoeuvres 107 7 eMotion in-depth guide 112 7.1 Toolbar 

### .. . ..... 113 7.2 Simulator
. 

### ...... 116 7.3 Control Bar 

### ....... 118 7.4 Flight Monitoring tab 121 7.5 Setup Phase tab 

### ... • ••• 0 • 125 7.6 Mission Planning tab
. ...... 130 7.7 Mission Waypoints tab
.. •••• 0 ••• 139 7.8 Camera tab
...... 

### ........ 141 7.9 Flight Parameters tab 

### ............ 146 8 Manual control ofthe eBee RTK 150 8.1 Enabling manual control
.. . . . . . . . . ...... 150 8.2 Pre-flighttesting ofthe remote control 

### .. . . . . . . 152 8.3 Full Manual mode
.... 

### . ........ 153 8.4 Assisted Manual mode
.. 

### ........... 154

### Ill Maintenance, Repair and Troubleshooting 9 Maintenance and repair ofthe eBee RTK 9.1 Updating the eBee RTK's software and firmware
. 9.2 How to update the eBee RTK's firmware 9.3 Cleaning and storage
. . . . . . .. 9.4 Full airframe and sensor inspection 9.5 Repairing the eBee RTKairframe
. . 9.6 Re-attaching the GNSS/RTK Antenna 9.7 Proper battery care . 10 Troubleshooting 10.1 Pre-flight errors . 10.2 Take-offvetoes
. 10.3 In-flight warnings 10.4 Critical failures
.. 10.5 Resetting default camera settings 10.6 Improving radio signal communication 10.7 Losing and locating your eBee RTK in thefield
. 10.8 Reporting a problem with your eBee RTK
. . . 

### IV Specifications 1 Software requirements 2 Drone specifications 

### 157 158 158 159 160 160 164 164 165 168 169 172 174 188 191 191 192 193 

### 195 196 1973 On-board GNSS/RTK receiver 199\ )

\ j 

### Part I 

# Quick start guide
The first part ofthis document introduces you to the eBee RTKand 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 aflight: 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 aflight' on the next page describes howto usetheMission Planningfeatureto quickly generate aflight 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 45 you will learn how to prepare your drone for flight, connect itto eMotion, and to monitor it in flight while it gathers images. Though the eBee RTKcan complete a flight fully autonomously from take-offto landing, you can also modify its flight plan at any point during flight. 3. Processing imagedata: The last step in aproject is converting the images taken byyoureBee RTKinto usable products such as precise geo-referenced orthomosaics or30terrain models. section 'Processing image data'on page 66 leads you through the process oftransferring images from the drone to a computer, checking ifthe image quality suits your needs while still in the field and producing advanced 20 and 30 maps.Quick start guide 

## 1 Planning and simulating aflight

1.1 Goal ofthis section: This section introduces the eMotion software used to interface with the eBee RTK. It describes the steps required to plan, simulate, and save a simple mapping flight. Amore detailed description ofeMotionand its advancedfunctions is presented in section 'eMotion in-depth guide' on page 112. Installing 

### eMotion, PostflightTerra3D, andtheground modem drivers You can download the latestversion of eMotion and Postflight Terra 30at: http://my.sensefly.com We recommend thatyou download and install Goog/e EarthTM to take full advantage ofthe 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 PostflightTerra 30softwarewill be available in the 'Start'menu. Driversforthe USB ground station ground modem will automatically be installed along with eMotion. In case aproblem arises after connecting the ground modem to the computerfor thefirst time you can find the drivers in one ofthe following directories (depending on your version ofWindows): C:\Program Files\senseFly\eMotion 2\usb_driver\ C:\Program Files (x86)\senseFly\eMotion 2\usb_driver\ See section 'Updating the eBee RTK's software and firmware' on page 158 ifyou have any difficulty with software installation.
24', /

Planning and simulating aflight 

### 1.2 The eMotion 

### interface Thanks tothe powerful tools available within eMotion, designing amappingflight for your eBee RTKis 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 clickOK. • To fly a drone, connect your ground modem to your computer and select Drone. Ifyou have more than one USB device connected to your PC (for example, you have a ground modem and GNSS base station), 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 clickOK. We recommend thatyou 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~** symbol. Asmall Status Panel floats be25\ )

Quick start guide

26 Flight Parameters tab ------, Camera tab -----, Mission Waypoints tab -----,

Mission Planning tab Setup Phase tab Flight Monitoring tab

.. 0 'J_

- 

## __ ..._,.,,**··~··** ... Sidebar Status Panel

sidethe symbol, indicating importantstatus information includingthe eBee RTK's currentaltitude (both AbovetheTake-offAltitude, marked as ATO, and Above Mean Sea Level, marked as AMSL), battery level, flighttime, 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 awaypoint orthe drone symbol).

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

### \ I I

Planning and simulating aflight
eBee RTKwhile it is in flight, such as starting the mission phase or holding position. It is also used to display and acknowledge warnings that may occur either before or during aflight. • Toolbar: TheToolbarcontains buttonsto controlthe layers, sources or map information and otherdisplay options related totheMap Area. eMotioncan use many sources ofmapping information. You can also choose your RTK source from the pulldown menu and click ·•"' to Set Up RTK. • Sidebar: The Sidebar is split into several tabs, each with a particularfunction. The Flight Monitoring tab is used for monitoring the drone while in flight. The Setup Phase tab controls the take-offand landing portions of a flight plan (referred to as the 'setup phase') whereas the Mission Planning tab defines the image acquisition portion ofthe flight plan (referred to as the 'mission phase'). The last three tabs are used for advanced waypoint planning and parametersetting. You can hidethe Sidebarbyclicking on its left edge. The Sidebar also contains controls for the simulatorwhen connected to a simulated drone. Your 

### eBee RTK's operating modes Your eBee RTKcan operate in several different modes: Local Base, Precisely Known Coordinates Create DSMs and orthomosaicswith high absolute coordinate accuracyusing your precisely measured base station position as a GCP. Useful when a survey has alreadybeen done and reference points are already marked out. No post-processing is needed to achieve RTK-Ievel geo-tag accuracy.
• Place your base station on a known reference point. • In eMotion, selectthe base station, setthe reference point and base station

height. • eMotion streams correction data to the drone through the ground modem.
27

# ) Quick start guide
Local Base, Unknown or Imprecise Coordinates Create DSMs and orthomosaics with geo-tagging relative to an approximate base station position, then post-process GNSS data to reach high absolute coordinate accuracy. Useful for green-field surveying when no GCPs have been set, when in-field time is limited or it is impractical to survey beforehand.
• Position your base station in a convenient location. • Have eMotion obtain, or set your base station's approximate position. • eMotion streams correction data to the drone through the ground modem. • Your base station's position will be corrected to ahigh level ofabsolute accuracy in post-processing, by eMotion, using raw GNSS/RTK base station and reference station files, orby an external post-processing service ofyour choosing. See section 'Obtaining your images and flight data' on page 66 for details.
Virtual Reference Station Create DSMs and orthomosaics using reference station networks to achieve very high precision absolute geo-tags. Used when you want to benefit from the high absolute precision achievablefrom sophisticated Ntrip networks, orwhen surveying equipment is unavailable or inconvenient.
• Configure your drone 's eMotion software to receive VRS/Ntrip correction

data (Internet connection and VRS/Ntrip subscription required). • Correction data is streamed to the drone via its eMotion flight control software and ground modem.
Standalone Use to create maps and DSMs when high relative precision is enough or when RTK corrections are unnecessary or unavailable. Take only the eBee RTK, ground modem and computer and come backwith high-quality DSMs and orthomosaics.
28

### \)

Planning and simulating aflight

• You can operate the eBee RTKwithout RTK corrections. In this standalone

mode you can still expect a higher level of absolute coordinate accuracy than a senseFly drone equipped with a standard GPS antenna. See section 'On-board GNSS/RTK receiver' on page 199 for details. 

# 0 Note: Ifyou select one ofthe modes that requires a real or virtual base station, and a connection to that base station is unavailable, a take-offveto will be displayed in eMotion and the status LED on your drone will start pulsing blue. Section 'Take-offvetoes' on page 172 describes the possible messages and the user action that should be taken to remove them.



### 1.3 Creating a newflight plan Every mapping flight requires a flight plan, which is a path defined by a set of waypoints, or points in 30 space, and a set ofactions that can be performed at or in between waypoints, such as taking images, proceeding to the next waypoint or landing. Aflight plan is shown in the Map Area using circles to represent waypoints, lines to representtheflight path and arrows to showthe direction offlight. The large circle with athick border illustrates the working area boundaries within which the eBee RTKwill always remain. See section 'Waypoints and their properties' on page 80 for more information on waypoints and the various symbols presented in the Map Area. Acomplete flight plan for an eBee RTKis 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-offand landing. This phase is usually planned directly in thefield and is explained in detail in section 'The setup phase ofaflight' on page 55.
29Quick start guide 

### 1.4 The mission phase ofaflight The easiestwayto create amappingflightforthe systematiccoverage ofan area is to use the automatic mission planning feature ofeMotion. By simply positioning a rectangle around thearea you would like to cover, eMotion will generate amission plan optimised for the ground resolution thatyou desire.



# 0 Step 5: check in Google Earth Step 1: open tab and select correct camera
Step3: choose params

--- · ·· · Step4:

.. - :J ·;::_:::- :... upload**'--,~- ~** 

Note: For more complex terrain and missions, eMotion has the ability to set polygonal mission areas ofany size and shape, and to automatically adjustwaypoint altitudes based on elevation data. These powerful features are described in more detail in section 'Advanced polygonal mission area' on page 85 and section '3D mission planning using elevation data' on page 86, respectively. Follow these steps to automatically setup waypoints for a mapping mission:

30 1. Select the Mission Planning tab from the Sidebar. Agrey 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. Amission plan, including the required waypoints, is automatically calculated and displayed to preview the mission plan that will be created.Planning and simulating aflight
2. Adjust the location, size, and shape ofthe mission area. The area can be relocated bydragging the gray zone. Thefour square handles on the edges ofthe 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. Adjustthe mapping and mission parameters in the Mission Planning tabto suityourterrain and quality requirements1• As afirst step, 

### eMotion provides two predefined set ofparameters; 'Easy terrain' are the default parameters designed for simplerterrain, such as mines oragriculture, whereas 'Difficult terrain' is designed for complex areas, such as forests, and provides higher image overlap at the cost ofa 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. Checkthe resulting flight characteristics in the tab. Once you are satisfied, upload the mission plan to the simulated drone by clicking the 'Upload' button.

5. Clickthe@button in theToolbarto open theflight plan in 

### Goog/eEarthTM2• 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 

### Goog!e EarthTM.

1 see section 'Mission Planning tab' on page 130 for acomplete description ofavailable parameters 2 see section 'Flight visualization in Google EarthTM' on page 88
31)

' / Quick start guide
Caution: eMotion as well as the automatic mission planning tool are not aware of any obstacles that may exist in the area. In addition, when not using elevation data, the mission planning tool assumes thatthe mission area is flat and atthe same altitudethan thetake-off location. Itis also notaware ofanylegal restriction (such as minimum or maximum altitude) that may exist in your region. The resulting flight plan should be carefully reviewed in orderto avoid any collision with uneven terrain ortall objects such as buildings, and to comply with local regulations. The final step after you have prepared aflight plan is to save it to afile that you can load into the eBee RTKwhen you are in the field. Select the Setup Phase tab from the Sidebar, clickon 'Saveflight plan to file
..:, choose afilename and location and click 'Save: 

### 1.5 Simulating yourflight Simulating your flight gives you an idea ofthe 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-flightwaypointediting and camera control. without putting your eBee RTKat risk3• When eMotion is connected to a simulated drone an extra set ofbuttons appear in the Sidebar: fast-forward --------, .------ re-position take-offlocation play 

# I I initiate take-off pause**~** 

## r- instant recharge ofbattery S!Jn!Jiilf!"'

--

H 0 

# - Wind: T 2.0mfs .a.. T**318~** .a. You can set the take-off location ofthe eBee RTK by clicking on the 0 icon and placing the point on the map. This simulates the action ofswitching on the real
3 see section 'Simulator' on page 116for a complete description ofthe simulator
32Planning and simulating aflight
drone and letting it acquire GPS/GLONASS signals. You can testyourflight plan by clicking the**~** icon, simulating atake-offmanoeuvre. The eBee RTKwill then go through its flight plan in the same way it would in the field. You can pause, play or speed up the simulation by clicking the corresponding buttons in the Toolbar. You can monitorthe state ofthe drone while in flight using the Flight Monitoring tab and the Status Panel4

. You may also monitortheflight in 30 in Google EarthTM by clicking on the@button in the Toolbar.



### 1.6 Caution: The simulator is atool designed to aid with flight planning and to familiarise you with the advanced functions ofyour eBee RTK. The simulated physics, however, are basic and do not always accurately reflect the true behaviour ofthe drone in flight. In particular, estimates ofbattery level and reactions to wind are difficultto simulate with high accuracy. You should in no case depend on behaviours seen with a simulated drone to be reproduced exactly in real flight. Getting readyfor a mission Before leaving for the field to perform a flight, be sure to fully charge all your eBeeRTKbatteries5• When delivered, the eBeeRTKbatterymay notbefully charged.
powercable LiPo Balance ---.Charger balance LEDs eBee battery pack (notto scale) To charge an eBee RTKbattery pack, connect ittothe batterychargeras 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 ofeach ofthe 3 cells contained in the battery pack to ensures optimal performance and battery life. 4 see section 'In-flight monitoring and control' on page 62 5 Consultyour payload user manual to know ifthe payload battery is necessary for theflight
33Quick start guide
Ifany ofthe 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 batterycare' on page 165for more information on maintaining yourdrone's batteries. Ifyou plan on performing aflight away from an Internet connection it is useful to preload map tiles by selecting 'Download maps..: from the liiil File menu. More details on howtotake advantage ofthe various map sources available in 

### eMotion can be found in section Toolbar' on page 113.

34Setting up RTK 

### 2 Setting up RTK 2.1 Base station compatibility With built-in supportfor the standard RTCM RTK data transmission protocols, the eBee RTKwith eMotion can be expected to receive and process corrections from a wide range of base stations. senseFiy has tested a series of RTCM-compliant base stations from leading brands, checked for non-standard features that might cause incompatibility, and has thus validated them for use with the eBee RTKand eMotion. Some base station manufacturers also make available proprietary data transmission protocols, and senseFiy has used these to develop additional base-eMotion automation features for some ofthese bases. Please referto thefollowing Knowledge Base article for a list ofbase stations that senseFiy has validated, and which base-eMotion automation features you should expect: https:/Isensefly.zendesk.com/entries/1 05423496-1s-my-Base-Station-Com patiblewith-the-eBee-RTK-and-eMotion

# 0

2.2 Note: This list will change as senseFiy enhances eMotion, so please refer to this list regularly, especially ifpurchasing a base station, or if considering using one with your eBee RTKfor thefirst time. 

### Setting up your GNSS/RTK base station To enable high-precision navigation and gee-tagging, connect eMotionto an RTKcapable base station (not provided in the eBee RTK package). Corrections will be sent through the ground modem, and precise geo-tags will be automatically stored alongside your photos in the automatically generated flight logs. You can set up several base stations in eMotion. Once in the field you can then quickly change base station using the Choose RTK Source menu on the eMotion toolbar.
35) Quick start guide Step 1 Connect your base station to the computer on which you installed eMotionfollowing yourbase station manufacturer's instructions. Thewayyou connectdepends on yourbase station make and model. eMotion will accept, for example, serial and USB connections. Step 2 Click ;;<; RTK Setup on the eMotion toolbar. Step 3 In the Local Bases tab, click Add Base. Step4 Enterthe Base Name. Step 5 Choose your base station's manufacturer. Step 6 From theConnectionType menu, choosetheway in which you have connected your base station to your computer. Step 7 From the next menu (USB or Serial, depending on the Connection Type you chose), choose the linkto your base station. Step 8 Ifyou are using aserial connection, launch your base station's configuration tool and use itto check:

• that the serial port configuration (Baud Rate and Stop Bits) shown in eMotion matches the configuration that your computer is using to connectto the base station. • whetheryourbase station requires hardwareflow control. Ifitdoes,

checkthe Hardware Flow Control checkbox in eMotion. Step 9 Click OKto add the base station.



# 0

36 Note: Ifyou have several eBee RTKs connected to eMotion using several USB ground modems, they alltake correction datafrom the same GNSS/RTK base station.

# )

2.3 

# 0 Setting up RTK Setting up reference points for your GNSS/RTK base station
Note: All coordinates in eMotion are displayed in decimal in the global WGS 84 reference frame. This is the reference frame used by GPS satellites. eMotionassumesthatany coordinateyou enteris intheWGS 84 referenceframe. Ifyou are using alocal or national geoid (MSL) orgeodetic coordinate system,you mustconvertcoordinates into WGS 84 before entering them into eMotion. Thewayyou dothis depends on the geoid andthetools availabletoyou. Online ordownloadable conversion tools may be available from your base station's manufacturer or anational geodetic society. Note that the eBee RTK internal GNSS receiver transforms the GLONASS ellipsoid (PZ-90) into WGS 84. You can set up several reference points in eMotion. Once in the field you can then quickly change base station position using the Choose RTK Source menu. Step 8 Click 

## * RTK Setup on the eMotion toolbar. Step 9 In the 

### 0 Reference Points panel, click Add Point. Step 10 Enterthe name ofthe reference point. Step 11 Enter the decimal Latitude, Longitude and Ellipsoid Height ofthe reference point and clickOK. 

# 0 Note: To 

### remove a base station or reference pointfrom the list, click 

### 0 for the item you wantto 

### remove
37

### Quick start guide 

# 0

2.4



# 0 0 Note: 

### Ifyou have access to reference stationfiles, it is notessential to have the precise coordinates ofyour base station. Your eBeeRTK

### logs its position relative to the base station with a high degree of precision (using RTK corrections). Once your flight is complete, eMotion 

### can calculate your base station's precise position using the raw data stored on your base and reference stations. It can then apply a correction to your drone's position to obtain precise absolute geo-tags for your images. eMotion 

### accepts reference station files in RINEX format. See section 'Obtaining your images and flight data' on page 66 for instructions. 

### Setting up virtual reference broadcasters Note: eMotion 

### also allows you to configure a series ofconnections to Ntrip streams from public or subscription-based broadcasters and set up virtual reference stations (VRSs). Note: 

### Apre-configured set ofNtrip broadcasters is available for use in eMotion, 

### and you can configure a connection to your own broadcaster. Before using a subscription-based Ntrip stream, or an Ntrip stream that requires registration, you must first register or subscribe through the stream provider, for example, on theirwebsite orby contactingthem directly. You cannotregisterorsubscribe using eMotion. Step 1 

### Find a suitable Ntrip broadcaster and register or subscribe if necessary before adding the VRS to eMotion. Step 2 

### Click "" RTK Setup on the eMotion

### too!bar. Step 3 

### In the**~** 

### Virtual Reference tab, click Add Virtual Reference. Step 4 

### To use a pre-configured stream, choose the broadcaster's server domain from the Servermenu. To set up acustom stream, enterthe broadcaster's domain in the Server menu.
38Setting up RTK Step 5 Enterthe port number on which the broadcaster is streaming. This is often port2101 (set bydefault), however, the casterdevice may be streaming on a different port. Checkwith the broadcasterto confirm. Step 6 Ifyou are connecting to a stream that requires registration or subscription, enteryour user name and password. 

# 0 Note: As you enter the broadcaster's domain, the streaming port, youruserID and password, eMotionwilltry and connecttothe server. As long as these details are incorrectorincompleteyou will see an error message on the dialog. The list ofremote streams only appears when you have entered enough correct details to successfully connectto the broadcaster. Step 7 Scroll through the list ofstreams. Clickon a stream to view its details. Step 8 Click 

# +. The stream will be added to the list in the Choose RTK Source menu on the toolbar. Ifyou entered a user name and password, these are stored in eMotion and will be submitted tothe broadcasterwhen you connect. 

# 0 Note: To remove avirtual reference, click 

### 0 for the item you want to remove.

39

### \

Quick start guide 

## 3 Using RTK Choosethe source ofyourRTKcorrections using the menu on the eMotiontoolbar. The message RTK Source Not Defined appears until you either choose a source or choose to fly standalone. SetUpRTK**~** Choose RTK Source 

## l 

# I RTKStatus
Gps "" 

# --""
The status ofyour RTK corrections, directly from your base station, or indirectly from areference station network, is displayed on the toolbar:

Notsufficient eMotion was not sent the data it needs (position and correction vector) Timeout eMotion was getting position and correction data, but is no longer OK All is well; eMotion is getting position and correction data as expected 

### 3.1 Using a local basestation Step 1 Connect your base station to the computer on which you installed eMotion following your base station manufacturer's instructions. Step 2 Choose your base station from the Choose RTKSource menu on thetoolbar. The Set Base Position dialog will appear.

40Ifyour Base Station's Position is Known:

Referencestationinformation: Reference moon name: Position mode {!J**~known** raft-renee poltd.: ;:_' Above unknown point Base position (WGS84)

Reference point**~'** 

# _, Elllproidh"<lht Hlt!ght: reference:**Antenna~:** Uoffset: L2offset: 634.664m

.., 55,7mm

...,. 56.8mm

Step 3 Choose Above known reference point. Using RTK

Step 4 Select the reference point. See section 'Setting up reference points for your GNSS/RTK base station' on page 37. Step 5 Set the Height reference ofthe point:
• Ground marker • Phase centre • Bottom ofantenna mount For example, ifthe point's Ellipsoid height refers to the bottom ofyour antenna's mount, choose Bottom ofantenna mount.

41\. )

Quick start guide Step 6 If necessary, choose your Antenna model to set the offsets, or choose Custom and set the offsets yourself. Ifyou have chosen aHeight reference thatis notthe phase centre ofyour antenna, you will need to set the offsets. For example, ifthe reference point's Ellipsoid height refers to the bottom of your antenna's mount, you will set the offset distances between the antenna bottom and the phase centres. 

### eMotion contains a database of antennas and their offsets. Choose your antenna from the list, adjust the offset ifnecessary, or choose Custom and setthe offsets yourself. Step 7 ClickFinish. A base station icon ( )appears on yourmap atthe reference point coordinates. Ifyour Base Station's Position is Unknown or Imprecise:

42 Base position (WGS34) Youmustaskyourbage to set tr:scurrentpOSitloo**lalrtu~:** Longitude: El!ipsoldh'i!igltt; Helgtltreference: Set positi011 now Y46,57774970"

• 634,664-m

FlmshUsing RTK Step 3 Choose Above unknown point. Step 4 Click Set Position Now to take approximate coordinates from the connected base station. Step 5 Click Finish. Abase station icon ( ) appears on your map at the base station's reported coordinates. 

# 0 0 Note: The absolute precision ofthe coordinates obtained from your base station will be greatly improved in post processing. Note: Ifthe base-eMotion automation features thatallow eMotionto communicate with the base are unavailable, the Set Base Position dialog still appears, butyou cannotuse itto setbase position. You must setthe base's position manually using its own positioning function.


### 3.2 Using your 

### eBee RTKwith a virtual reference broadcaster Step 1 From the eMotion Choose RTK Source menu, selectthe VRS/Ntrip service you want to connectto for yourflight. Step 2 If a VRS is created, a base station icon ( ) appears on your map at its coordinates. 

### 3.3 Using your 

### eBee RTKin standalone mode If you do not need high-precision absolute image geo-tags, or RTK corrections from a GNSS/RTK base station or Ntrip broadcaster are not available, you can fly your eBee RTK in standalone mode.
• From the eMotion Choose RTK Source, choose Standalone.

43

# )

I J Quick start guide
Now that you have chosen your RTK source, or chosen to fly standalone, you can plan your mission and launch your real or simulated drone. See section 'Creating a new flight plan' on page 29 to get started).

44

### \.

\ ) Executing aflight 

## 4 Executing aflight



# 0

4.1 Goal ofthis section: This section describes how to prepare your eBee RTKfor flight, launch, monitor and control from the air, and initiate an autonomous landing. Note: We recommend that you perform your first flight in a large obstacle-free area and limit the length ofthe mission in orderto familiarise yourselfwith the eBee RTKin flight.
Weather check Before each flight, you should be aware ofthe weather conditions. The eBee RTK is a small drone that cannotfly in heavy rain or strong wind conditions. Icing conditions must also be avoided. In case ofdoubt, make sure to check aweather bulletin including wind estimations in theflight area. Notethatwind is often stronger at higheraltitudes and thatthewind perceived atthe surface is not always agood reference to estimate the wind atflight altitude. Cloud velocity ortall tree movements can help you to estimate the wind speed once you are out in thefield. Weatherforecasts may use various units to measure wind speed. As a reference, 1m/s 

## =3.6 km/h 

## =2.24 mph 

## = 1.94 kts(nm/h).
45Quick start guide



### 4.2 Caution: The eBee RTKshould not be launched ifthewind speed exceeds 12 m/s (43.2 km/h, 26.8 mph, 23.3 kts). Caution: The eBee RTKis not designed to fly in temperatures above 35° C. Avoid exposing the drone to high temperature for prolonged periods oftime. In particular, leaving the drone exposed to the sun or in acar should be avoided. 

### Preparing the 

### eBee RTKforflight The eBeeRTK's simple design means itcan gofrom the boxto being readyforflight in minutes. We recommend that you perform the following 6steps before every flight to ensure thatthe platform is best prepared for flight.

46

# 0 Note: Remove the red warning sticker from the motor before your first flight.

6

Central body top view Central body bottom view 3

Wing- detached

## )

) Executing aflight Step 1: Perform a general inspection Visually inspectthe drone for damage orwear using the following steps: 1. Checkthe foam central body and wings for cracks or other damage. 2. Verifythatthe pitot probe is properly attached to the airframe and thatthe holes in the probe are free ofobstructions. 3. Verify that the ground sensor is free ofobstructions and that the sensor's lens is clean. 4. Verify thatthe 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 ordamaged in any way. Caution: It is vital to carefully inspect the wing struts and tubes within the Central Body before everyflight, as they may cause acrash ifthey are damaged in any way. This is particularly important ifthe wings were found separated from the Central Body after a previous flight. 6. Verifythatthe powercables within the battery compartmentare well insulated and not damaged. 

# 0 Note: Ageneral inspection should be performed before everyflight. It is also good practice to perform afull airframe check regularly to keep your eBeeRTKin good shape. See section 'Full airframe and sensor inspection' on page 160 for more details.

47

### Quick start guide

# ~ propeller@ attachment 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 ofaging.



# 0

48 Caution: 

### Failureto usetwo rubberbands may resultin the loss ofthe propeller in flight! Note: 

### Afterextensive use,the rubberbands may develop cracks. This is normal and is caused bytheageing oftherubbermaterial. Formaximum security, inspectthe rubber bands regularly and discard them ifthey show cracks. 1 0spare rubber bands are included in the package.\ )

) Executing aflight
insert camera into

compartment

Step 3: Install the camera plug in camera connectorto camera plug


# /**~** 

### 0 iiJ 1;1

close camera compartment lid

Install the camera into the payload bay6within the eBee RTKand closethe camera compartment lid. Ifthe camera connector is not already connected, plug it into the connectorwith the

### iiiicon on the eBee RTK. Caution:The eBeeRTKhas notbeen designed toflyvvithoutthecamera. Attempting to fly withoutthe camera may renderthe drone unstable, which may eventually lead to acrash.

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

User Manual ofthe camera or other payload for proper installation instructions.
49Quick start guide
Caution: Connect only compatible senseFiy cameras to the drone's camera port. Nevertry to connect anything else.

ensure servo connection mechanism is aligned and engaged

Step 4: Attach thewings 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.
50Executing aflight
Caution: Flying with damaged wing struts or abadly engaged servo connection mechanism may cause erratic flight and ultimately a crash. Be sure to properly inspect and attach the wings before flight.

connect battery and insert into compartment close battery compartment

Startup process: connect battery

- disconnect battery 

# l - t status LED: 1'blue'
_ preflight checks**-~ailed** \puls;_l .··red'\ 

# l - status LED: \ ••

### ~~~~) ready for startup green status LED: solid Step 5: Install and connectthe battery Lay the eBee RTKhorizontally on the ground outside in the vicinity ofthe takeofflocation, 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, insertthe battery into its compartment and close the compartment lid.
51

### \ 

### ) Quick start guide 

# 0 Caution: Take care to keep the propeller area clear, in case it suddenly starts spinning. Note: Only connect the battery cables to the drone when you are ready for start-up. Do not leave the battery connected for extended periods oftime when the drone is on the ground, as this may dischargethebatteries and cause irreparabledamage. When connected and not in flight, the eBee RTKwill briefly move its ailerons up and down every minute as a reminderthat it is switched on. As soon as the battery is connected the eBee RTKwill perform an automatic selfcheck ofits sensors and acquire GPS/GLONASS signals. Be sure not to move the drone during these tests. It is importantthat the drone is not inclined more than 10 degrees in order to start up properly. Pre-flight checks may last from a few seconds to several minutes in the case ofpoorGPS/GLONASS signal reception. As these satellite signals are required forthe checks to complete, be sureto place the eBee RTKoutside with aclearview ofthe sky. During the pre-flight checks the status LED will pulse blue. Once the pre-flight checks are completethe eBee RTKwill flip its ailerons up and down and the status LED will turn solid green to indicate itis ready. You may already connectthedrone to eMotion (Step 6) before pre-flight checks are complete to get a better idea of the status ofthe checks.



# 0

52 Note: If there was any problem during the pre-flight checks performed bythedronethis will be indicated by aPre-flighterrorin eMotion as well as abythe status LED blinking red. See section 'Pre-flight errors' on page 169for a description ofpossible Pre-flight errors and how to handle them./

Executing aflight

Dm/ATO l74m.<<Am 

# QW

Om/ATo- riJD 0:00 174nVAMSt

Idle IDDO:OO RunnJncprt-fli&btchfdcs Idle**~** Rudytataboff 

# .I
when p?sition / \ 

# "'"'"" I \ 

# u select eBee RTK

click OK selectFTDI port Step 6: Connect to eMotion Startby connecting the USB ground modem to your computer. Then launch eMotion, which will display the Connection window. Select the eBee RTKconnection profile, choose the corresponding FTDI port and click 'OK:



# 0 Note: Every eBee RTKis paired with the ground modem it is delivered with, and will only workwith that particular modem. The name ofthe FTDI port corresponding to the ground modem is labelled as 'eBeeRTK-SERIAL; where SERIAL is the serial number ofthe drone it is paired with. When aconnection is established eMotion will display amap and the Status Panel indicating the current state ofthe drone. Ifthe eBee RTKhas not yet detected its location the Status Panel will appear in the top right corner ofthe Map Area with the text 'GPS/GLOf\JASS: Waiting for signals
..:. During this time the status LED on the drone will pulse blue. Once your drone has set its position using GPS/GLONASS signals, an icon ofthe drone will appear at its location on the map. Ifthe drone's location is not on the rnap you can clickthe.,.;.. buttonfrom theToolbarto centrethe map on the drone. The drone's status on eMotionwill be displayed as 'Idle, Ready to take-off' and the status LED will become solid green.
53Quick start guide
You can now load aflight 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 thefield, following the same process outlined in section 'Planning and simulating aflight' on page24.

54

### )



# ) Executing aflight 

### 4.3 The setup phase ofaflight The setup phase ofaflight includes the waypoints and actions related tothetakeoffand landing ofthe eBee RTKand includes the following locations:

• Take-offlocation: The pointfrom which the drone is launched, automatically setto the location calculatedfrom GPS/GLONASS signals bythe drone when it is launched. This location defines the altitude of0m/ATO (Oft/ATO) where IATO stands for above take-off; the altitudes ofall otherwaypoints, when defined in m/ATO, are referenced to the altitude ofthis location.
• Startwaypoint: Thefirst pointthatthe droneflies towards when launched

(once it reaches the take-offtransition altitude).
• Home waypoint: The safe point for the drone to circle in case ofemergency, as well as its landing position at the end ofaflight for both Linear and Circular landings.

D D

D

location



### , 

### , , Start

# /~"}/.:;;-¢:<?)""' take-off waypoinf " transition altitude reached Approach sector

obstaclefree zones wind direction

55Quick start guide
It is importantto carefully selectthetake-offlocation, the Startwaypoint and the Home waypointto ensure your drone remains at a safe distance from obstacles. The eBee RTK should always be launched against the wind. Select a take-offlocation clear ofobstacles (buildings, rocks, power lines, hills, trees, etc.) within a distance ofat least40 m(131 ft) in the upwind direction. Immediately aftertakeoffit will keep its wings level and climb in the general direction it was launched until it reaches the take-offtransition altitude7
, at which point it will start flying towards the Start waypoint. By default,theStartwaypoint is setto adistance of80 m(262ft) West ofthe initial position ofthe drone and an altitude of75 m/ATO (246ft/ATO).It is good practice to move the Start waypoint close to and upwind from the take-offlocation to allow a smooth transition between take-offand waypoint-directed flight. You can move waypoints by clicking on them and dragging them within the Map Area8• The Homewaypointis used both as the landing location and as asafety position in case ofan In-flightwarning. The eBeeRTKcan perform either aLinearoraCircular 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 locationthatis atthe same altitudeasthetake-offlocation and is clearofobstacles in a 10m (33ft) radius. Choose one or several approach sectors that are free of obstacles for at least 60 m (197ft) from the Home waypoint centre. You can drag the approach sector around the Home waypoint and change its width directly in the Map Area or from within the Setup Phase tab. Make the approach sector(s) as wide as possible to maximize the chance thatthe drone can subsequently land against the direction ofthe 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 dronewillfly towardsthe Homewaypoint, circle the waypoint (at 75 m/ATO (246 ft/ATO) by default) to measure the direction
7 By default the take-offtransition altitude is set to 20m (66ft). In difficult launch conditions you

can set both the take-off heading and the take-offtransition altitude in the Setup Phase tab, as described in section 'Setup Phase tab' on page 125. 8 see section 'Waypoints and their properties' on page 80 for a more detailed explanation on waypoints and how to modify them
56) Executing aflight
of the wind 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 direction until it lands on the ground underneath the centre ofthe Home waypoint. The approach angle is around 20° and the drone will reverse its thrust if needed to maintain asuitable airspeed during this phase.



# 0 Note: There are a number of requirements that must be fulfilled to ensure a successful Linear landing. Section 'Linear landing' on page 94 describes in more detail the Linear landing process and how to properly define approach sectors in more complex terrain. In particular, in the case of strong-wind conditions, low light or lowcontrast terrain, the precision of the final landing location around the Home waypoint is reduced. Therefore, it is saferto plan for more clearance, especially along the possible landing axes. 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, ifthe ground is well textured and there is enough light. When it reaches an altitude of 25 m (82 ft) 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. Caution: The ground sensor can only provide usable feedback in daylightconditions aboveflatterrainthatcontains enoughvisual texture. Ifthese conditions are not met during a circular landing, the drone cannot ensure atouchdown against the direction ofthewind. Landing in the direction ofthe wind in strong-wind conditions may result in a high landing speed and damage tothe eBee RTK.

57Quick start guide
To prepare a Circular landing, place the Home waypoint in a location that has no obstacles within a radius of 50 m (164ft) (or 20 m (66ft) 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 ofthe Home waypoint is 30 m (98ft). In high-wind conditions it is recommended to increase this diameter9•



# 0 Caution: The radius ofthe Home waypoint, and thus of a Circular landing, can be reducedto 20m (66ft) butshould only bedonein low wind conditions (less than 3m/s (6 nm/h)). Reducing the radius ofthe Home waypoint below 30m (98ft) in moderate- orhigh-wind conditions can result in damage to the drone when it contacts the ground during a landing. As indicative values, the Home waypoint radius should be setto 30 m(98ft) for wind speeds below 5m/s (1 0nm/h), 40 m (131 ft) for wind speeds between 5-8 m/s (10-16 nm/h), and to 50 m (164ft) for wind speeds above 8m/s (16 nm/h). Note: In case of strong-wind conditions, the drone may drift even furtherthan 50 m(164ft) awayfrom the centeroftheHomewaypoint when performing a Circular landing. Therefore, it is safer to plan for even more clearance in the downwind direction. By default, the Home waypoint is set to an altitude of75 m/ATO (246 ft/ATO).In case aGo to Home Waypoint procedure is triggered during flight10the 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 ofthe Home waypoint should be selected with care; it should be at least 20 m (66ft) higher than the surrounding obstacles to avoid the risk of a crash, but should not be set too high to reduce the effect of potentially high winds and altitude and to prevent the drone from getting lost.
' see section 'Setup Phase tab' on page 125 10 either automatically dueto an In-flight warning or manually using eMotion
58i / Executing aflight Alternatively, you can change the altitude transition behaviour within the Setup Phase tab. See section 'Waypoints and their properties' on page 80 for more information on altitude transition behaviours and how to modify them.


### 4.4 Take-off Once you've planned your mission and the eBee RTKstatus LED is solid green you can launch it using the procedure on the following pages. Caution: Make sureto keepthe propellerareafree ofall obstructions at all times during the launch procedure.

status LED: green solid Step 1: Orient horizontallyand against thewind Not horizontal!



## ,.- / blue\ status LED: \pulse 1 

### _.,
Orient yourself against the direction ofthe wind, and confirm that the take-off direction in front ofyou is free of obstacles. Firmly grasp the drone with both hands, one hand on thefront ofeach wing as shown in thefigure. Hold the drone horizontally with the nose pointed against the wind and level wings.
59)

Quick start guide 

# 0

/ / Note: Ifthe drone detects acondition that prevents correct take-off aTake-offveto will be displayed in eMotion and the status LED will start pulsing blue. Section Take-offvetoes' on page 172 describes the possible Take-offveto messages and the user action that should be taken to remove them. For example, ifthe drone is not oriented horizontally the status LED will start pulsing blue until you re-orient it horizontally, at which pointthe status LED turns solid green again. Caution: It is imperative to launch the drone directly against the wind, otherwise itwill be unable to gain enough speed during takeoff and likely crash. Likewise, launching the drone in high winds abovethespecified safewind speed of12 m/s (23 nm/h) is dangerous and can result in acrash.

# ~ake3x status LED: green solid
shake 3x
motor startup begin



# --- status LED: I blue" ,pulse I



### _, Step2: Switch the motor on Shake the eBee RTKback and forth 3times longitudinally (within approx. 3 seconds) to begin the motor power-up sequence. The status LED will pulse blue until the motor is atfull povver and ready for take-off.



# 0

60 Note: You do not need to hurryto launch the drone. In caseyou want to shutoffthe motor,justrepeatthe backandforth actionthreetimes and the motor will stop.)

Caution: always orient the eBee againstthe wind for take-off! Step 3: Launch the eBee RTK Executing aflight



### ,- 1 blue\ status LED: Is 1 

# l**\P~** _;. motor ready for take-off**:9;;~~**

### .. status LED: \,blink) 

# l ··---· place nose up 1 

## oo status LED: green solid step forward and release
Oncethe motoris atfull powerthe status LED will blinkgreen. Orientatethedrone with approximately 10degrees nose up and levelwings. When the angle is correct the status LED will turn solid green, indicating thatthe drone is ready for take-off. Launch the drone with agentle push by walking 1-2 stepsforward while releasing it with both hands in a purely forward motion. Aftertake-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-offtransition altitude, by default 20m (66 ft) 11 • At this point, it will switch into waypoint navigation mode and fly towards the Start waypoint. Once itreachesthe Startwaypointlocation and altitudethe dronewill circle around the waypoint 1-2times to estimatethe wind and calibrate its sensors before starting the mapping mission 12•

11 see section 'Flight Parameters tab' on page 146to change this parameter 12 The eBee RTKmay also be programmed to wait attheStart waypointfor acommand before starting

its mapping mission. See section 'Setup Phase tab' on page 125 for more information.
61Quick start guide
Control Bar

'\ ' : 

# '----·- Wind speed and direction



### 4.5 In-flight monitoring and control FlightMonitoringTab 

## I I

_,_ ....... IJID.,..IIU'l**~** .,-::;... 

## -;- / .,-:. f----'------,------,---- Estimated

--- Picture

..,.,.... ,Footprint

·-==:- --: ]GNSS 

# ! -· = :.. · Status

•**"~-:** .. " ::! -

--- ...**....-,~>** ...

You can monitorand control your dronewhile in-flightthrough eMotion using the Map Area and the Flight Monitoring tab in the Sidebar. The Map Area displays the current position ofyour drone, updated live as the drone executes its flight Asmall arrow and infobox show the speed and direction ofthe wind as measured by the eBee RTK. The Status Panel that follows the position ofthe drone displays basic flight information including battery charge, flight time and altitude, both above the take-offlocation (ATO) and above mean sea-level (AMSL). This same information is reproduced in the Flight Monitoring tab, along with other useful flight data You can find GNSS status, level of accuracy, GNSS signal strength and the number ofvisible satellites in the Advanced instruments section at the bottom ofthis paneL
62

# 0 Executing aflight
Note: All waypoints, image locations and flight paths displayed in eMotion are a reflection ofthe data contained within the drone autopilot. If at any point the connection between eMotion and the drone is lost, the drone will by default continue its planned flight, including the imaging mission and the selected automatic landing, fully autonomously. If you would like the drone to return to the Home waypoint instead of continuing its mission when it detects a loss ofconnection you may set the appropriate parameter in the Flight Parameters tab, as described in section 'Flight Parameters tab' on page 146. During the Mission phase ofthe flight the eBee RTKwill automatically take pictures at pre-defined moments based on the parameters thatwere defined during mission planning. The estimated area captured on the ground is displayed in the form ofacontinuously-updating polygon in the Map Area.



# 0 Note: The eBee RTK will not take a picture unless it is in the correct location and altitude. Some reasons for nottaking an image are strong head wind, large off-trackdistance orincorrect altitude. Acorresponding message is displayed in the Status Panel ifapicture is not taken. Atthetop ofthe Map Area istheControl Bar, which can be used atanytimeto send commandsto yourdrone as well as to acknowledge warning andfailure messages ifthey occur. During afully autonomous flight the eBee RTKwill control its flight autonomouslyfrom take-offto landing and you do not need to use any ofthecontrol 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 ofthe buttons on the drone. Detailed descriptions ofthe buttons and theireffects on the drone are described in section 'Control Bar' on page 118.

63j Quick start guide 

### 4.6 Landing Afterfinishing a mapping mission the drone will, by default13
, return to the Home waypoint and automatically initiate a landing sequence. During aLinear landing, the drone will land in a straight line according to the process described in section 'Linear landing' on page 94. In case ofa Circular landing the drone will land in a circle according to the process described in section The setup phase of aflight' on page 55. Disconnect the batteryfrom the drone before picking it up. We recommend you immediately import the images and flight data after each flight (see section 'Obtaining yourimages and flight data' on page 66) before puttingthe eBee RTKback in its casefor storage. When disconnecting thewings, be sureto pull gently in the axis ofthewing strutsto preventdamageto thewing struts. Checkthewing struts for any damage before putting them into the storage case. Remove the propeller ifyou don't plan on using the eBee RTKfor an extended period oftime.



### 4.7 Potential in-flight errors The drone can encountertwo types oferror messages whileflying: In-flightwarnings and Critical failures. In-flight warnings typically indicate a dangerous situation such as alow battery or strong winds and typically result in aSecurity action such as areturn to the Homewaypoint. In-flightwarnings appearin blue oryellow in the Flight Monitoring tab. Critical failures occuronlywhen the drone's abilityto fly is severely compromised, such as a loss ofGPS/GLONASS signals or an empty battery. The situation will be displayed in red in the Status section ofthe Flight Monitoring tab. When acritical failure arises, the drone will immediately perform an emergency landing.

13 see section 'Setup Phase tab' on page 125 for information on changing the default behaviours of

the drone
64

# 0 Executing aflight
Caution: We recommend that you familiarise yourselfwith the possible in-flighterrors to have abetter understanding ofwhat happens ifthey occur in the field. Afull list ofpossible In-flight warnings and Critical failures and the drone's reaction to them is described in section 'In-flight warnings' on page 174 and section 'Critical failures' on page 188. Note: Itis importantto keeptrackofthe location ofthe drone during aCritical failure until the momentitreaches theground. Its position's coordinates can aid in finding it afterwards. Instructions on how to find a lost drone can be found in section 'Losing and locating your eBee RTKin the field' on page 192.

65Quick start guide 

### 5 Processing image data

5.1 Goal ofthis section: In this section you will learn how to obtain the images and flight data thatyour eBee RTKcaptured. You'll also learn to create basic mapping products directly in thefield so that you can immediately gauge the quality ofthe images you gathered. 

### High precision geotaggingwith the eBee RTK Both your eBee RTKand eMotion work exclusively in the WGS 84 reference frame: • Images taken by your eBee RTK are geotagged with the precise position

ofthe drone when the image was taken. Geotags derived from GPS and GLONASS signals are recorded in the WGS 84 coordinate system. • Throughout eMotion, coordinates are displayed using the global WGS 84

reference frame. When you enter coordinates in eMotion, as latitude, longitude and elevation, they are assumed to be in WGS 84. In order to create mapping products (for example, DSMs, orthomosaics) in Postflight Terra 30that have their correct absolute positions with respect to your coordinate system, you must carry out acoordinate transformation: • Latitude and longitude are converted to x,y coordinates in your coordinate

system. • Elevation (height above ellipsoid) is converted to absolute zcoordinate by

applying avertical displacement constant, the Geoid-Ellipsoid Separation. 

### 5.2 Obtaining your images and flight data After completing aflight, use eMotion to obtain and treatthe raw images and log files, readying them for processing with Postflight Terra 30.
66Processing image data
You will: 1. Choose whetheryou wantto complete the whole process orjust part ofit 2. Tell eMotion which flight you wantto treat 3. Create a project folder into which eMotion will import the files after treatment 4. Tell eMotion where to lookfor the images and log files 5. Checkthatthe images and logs itfound are the ones you want 6. Tell eMotion which RTK correction ties to use 7. Choose thetype ofoutput you want 8. Import and treatthe files During its flight, the eBee RTKrecords flight data in a special Drone Flight Log file, stored on-board. In it, the drone logs important information such as sensor data, control inputs and its location. This file is needed to assign location information (geotags) to the images captured by the drone. Asimilar file, the eMotism Flight Log, is also created by eMotion during aflight. This serves as abackup in case the Drone Flight Log file cannot be recovered.



# 0 Note: Ifthere is an issuewith your eBee RTK, the Drone Flight Log will be needed for technical support14• Ifyou are using a GNSS/RTK base station, you may also need to import files from the base station and reference stations. eMotionfeatures aFlight Data Managerto help you obtain and consolidate all the data generated during a mapping mission.
14 see section 'Reporting a problem with your eBee RTK' on page 193
67Quick start guide Importing and processing RTK data The way that eMotion processes RTK correction data depends on the way you set up yourflight. Ifyou used a local base station and entered its position into eMotion, as your eBee RTKwas flying, eMotion was sending RTK corrections from the base station to the drone through the ground modem. Your drone was logging the precise coordinates ofeach image ittook. Ifyou used a local base station and didn't have its precise position, you have an extra post-flight processing step to do. eMotion will calculate the precise absolute position of your base station using the raw logs from your base station and the raw navigation and observation logs from your reference station. The precisely-measured position of your eBee RTK relative to your base station will then be corrected using this calculated absolute base station position to obtain high-precision absolute geo-tagsfor your images. Ifyou used avirtual reference, your Ntrip stream provider will have automatically provided eMotionwith precisevirtual base station coordinates orlinked eMotionto afixed reference station. As your eBeeRTKwas flying, eMotionwas sending RTKcorrections, gathered from the Ntrip broadcast, to your drone and your drone was logging the precise coordinates ofeach image ittook. Ifyou flew your eBee RTK in standalone mode, you do not have any RTK corrections; all the flight data you need is stored on-board your drone.

HowTo launch the Flight Data Manager

68 • Select the Flight Data Manager in the Connect dialog when you launch eMotion.) /

Processing image data**·~** 

# = select Flight

.....,._,_**-------~--** Data Manager click OK

• Click Qil on theToolbar and choose 'Flight Data Manager...:


### 5.3 Howto import images and data from the drone
• Step 1 a- Select aflight Iftheflight was monitored from the computeronto which you are importing drone images and data, it will have been logged in the flight database on that computer. Selectthe date thattheflight took place. Alist offlights (including number ofimagestaken) monitored using the computeron that date appears in the pull-down menu below the calendar. Choose the one you wish to treat. The flight's trajectory will appear in the Map Area.
• Step 1 b - Create a project folder

Choose afolder name that uniquely identifies yourflight (e.g. the date, the name ofthe area, etc.).
69)



## \ ) Quick start guide

70 • Step 2- Prepareforthe import First, let eMotion read the Drone Flight Log: 1. Connect the supplied USB cable to the eBee RTK's autopilot, marked 

### Q. 2. Connect the battery to the drone ifit is not already connected. 3. The status LED will shine white and a new storage drive will appear on your computer. Then get the images ready:

- Removethe SO card from the camera, insert it intothe SO card reader ofyour computer and choose to import from the SO card from the pull-down menu.

- Alternatively, transfer the images from the camera. Lift it out of its compartmentjust enough to connect a USB cable to it and power it on. Copy all the images into a temporary folder on your computer. Choose to import from afolder in the pull-down menu and choose thattemporaryfolder.\. )

Processing image data

• Step 3- Checkflight logs

Confirm that the Drone and eMotion Flight Logs found by the Flight Data Manager are correct. You may select logs manually ifthey are not correctly detected. • Step 4- Check images

Confirmthattheimages correspondingto yourflightwerefound and matched to the Drone Flight Log correctly. • Step 5 -Import RTK correction files 

# 0 Note: You will only see this step ifyou used a local base station.
Ifyour base station was positioned over a known point Choose The base station was placed on a known point and click Next.



# 0 0 Note: Ifyou need to, you can carry out post processing and use corrected coordinates from the base station instead of the measured point that you selected before the flight. Choose Post process base station position. Note: Ifrequired, you can adjustthe coordinates ofthe point manually. Choose Enterthe true position ofthe base station. Ifyour basestation's position was unknown You must correctthe coordinates obtained from the base station. You can do this in the following ways:
• eMotionhas automatically logged, in RTCMformat, the correction data that it passed from your base station to your drone. The path to this RTK Log is entered for you in the eMotion correction log field. You can use the RTKLIB algorithms built in to eMotion to process this data.
71)



# l ./ Quick start guide

72 • You can process the RINEX-format correctionfile from your base station using eMotion's built-in RTKLIB algorithms. Note that eMotion can also process Topeon TPS-formatfiles. • You can process your base station logs outside eMotion using another software tool, then enter the results into eMotion. eMotion will geo-tag your images using these results. 

# 0 

# 0 Note: eMotion logs the RTCM stream from the moment you choose the RTK source. Your base station, however, logs the stream from the moment it is switched on. The occupation time ifyou use your base station's logs ratherthan eMotion's logs maytherefore be longer, giving you better post processing results. Note: Check your base station manufacturer's documentation to make sure that your occupation time is sufficient for the base line length and manufacturer model you are working with
. 1. Ifyou wish to post process using eMotion, choose Post process base station position and go to step 2. Ifyou have processed base station logs outside eMotion, choose Enter the true position ofthe base station, enterthe coordinates and click Next. 2. To use the correction data that eMotion has logged, leave eMotion correction log (RTCM) as the inputfile format. Ifyou wish to process your base station's logs using eMotion, choose your base station log's format (Rinex orTopeon TPS) from the Input file format pulldown menu then on the next line (Base Rinex or Base Topcon), enter the path to your base station logs, or click Browse to locate the file. 3. Enterthe path to your reference station RINEX observation and navigation files, or click Browse to locate the files. eMotionwill read the reference stationfiles and tryfind outwhich reference station antenna you used.

# J Processing image data
4. Ifyou need to, choose a reference station antenna from the pulldown, or change the one that eMotion proposes. 5. Ifyou need to, modifythe reference station antenna offsets. Once complete, click Nextto continue. eMotionwill carry out postprocessing ofthe raw rapid static surveyGNSS data you provided and show the result on the next screen. The degree ofsuccess depends on a number offactors including occupation time and base line length. eMotion will display one ofthefollowing messages below the result: OK: Precise position obtained The raw GNSS data could be processed and the base line length and cumulative occupation time were sufficientto obtain aprecise base position. Warning: Position may remain imprecise Although the raw GNSS data could be processed, the combination of base line length and cumulated occupation time may not have been enough to obtain a precise base position. Failed: Position is incorrect Although valid raw GNSS data was provided, it was unsuitable and the calculated base position is incorrect. The reference data may have fallen outside the time frame ofyour mission or come from an unsuitable reference station. Error eMotion could not process the raw GNSS files. They may be corrupted or in aformatthat eMotion cannot process, orthere has been an error.
• Step 6 - Select outputs

Choose the actions to execute and outputs to create:

- Only uncheck the first checkbox if you are sure you do not need to geo-tag yourimages. Geotagging images is necessaryto create geoinfo, KML and Postflight Terra 30files.
73)

Quick start guide

- Checkthe checkbox and choose afile format ifyou 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 ifyou do not want to create a Postflight Terra 30project.

- Only uncheck the checkbox ifyou do not want to create a KML file containing the 3D flight trajectory.
• Step 7- Execute the import and processing

Click Nextto execute the import and processing you have set up. • Step 8- Finish off and tidy up

You may now disconnectthe drone. Use your computer's Ejectfunction to eject the SD card and the drive created for the drone before removing the SD card and unplugging the USB cable. 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 are ready to open the KML file in Goog/e EarthTM orthe project in Postflight Terra 30for further processing. 

### 5.4 In-field image quality check PostflightTerra 30software15
, available as afree download with the eBeeRTKpackage, can be used to rapidly create aQuality Report directly in thefield. The Quality Report that is automatically generated as well as the orthomosaic provide immediate feedback on the quality ofthe images gathered during your mission. You can open aprojectfor processing in Postflight Terra 30directlyfrom the Flight Data Manager after importing your data by clicking the 'Open project in Terra' button. You will now see the main Postflight Terra 30 window. The position of your images will appear as red dots in the Map Area ofPostflight Terra 30.
15 powered by Pix4D; see section 'Installing eMotion, Postflight Terra 30, and the ground modem

drivers' on page 24for installation instructions
74

### ) /

Processing image data
Automatic Reconstruction**c=~I-~-~-------~-~~~~~~~~~=~J~** Step 1: select 1. Initial Processing, Rapid Check Step 2: click 'Start' Toolbar Project Summary

Layers
Local Processing panel

To create aQuality Reportwhile in the field bring up the local processing panel by selecting 'Local processing' from the 'Process' menu or by clicking the icon in the Toolbar. Select only the 'Initial project processing' checkbox and the 'Rapid' button. Ifyou 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 ofthe images taken during your last mission. You may use this information to decide whetherfurther imaging flights are required while you are still in the field. The quality report will be displayed in a new window (clickthe icon in theToolbar ifit does not appear).
75.. 

# ) Quick start guide 

### 5.5 Creating advanced mapping products Beyond Quality Reports and low-resolution orthomosaics, Postflight Terra 30 can generate geo-referenced high-resolution 20 orthomosaics, 30 point clouds, triangle models and OSMs or exportto common third-party photogrammetry software such as Bingo, Orima orlnpho. PostflightTerra 30also includes amosaic and a rayCioud editor, giving you more control on the quality ofyour final mapping products, as well as measurementtools. The resulting orthomosaicand OSM maythen be imported as custom background map and elevation data layers in eMotion 16• This data can be used for advanced flight planning in complex or uneven terrain.



### 5.6 Note: You need to either enable tile set generation OR choose Generate Google Maps Tiles and KMLfrom the Process menu before you can push the tileset into eMotion by choosing Send Map to eMotion from the Process menu. Alternatively, this data can be imported into eMotion; choose Import custom map from eMotion's liil File menu. Note: The best way to learn how to use the various features ofPostflight Terra 3Disto lookatthecomprehensive online Knowledge Base within my.senseFiy17 

### Transforming coordinates First, set up the latitude/longitudeto x/ytransformation... Ifyou are using aestablished coordinate system: Step 1 ChooseSelectOutputCoordinateSystemfrom the PostflightTerra 30Project
16 see section 'Toolbar' on page 113 for more information on importing layers into eMotion 17 http://my.sensefly.com
76\ 

## ) Processing image data

menu. Step 2 Ifyou know the coordinate system name, click From List and choose the one you want. Ifyou know the EPSG code ofyour coordinate system, click From EPSG and choose the code you want. Ifyou have the .prj coordinate system syntax file, click From .prj, browse to the location ofyourfile, selectthe file and click Open. Step 3 Click OK on the Select Output Coordinate System dialog. Step4 Postflight Terra 30will create mapping products in the established coordinate system you chose.
To use a custom local coordinate system: Step 1 Step2 Step3 Step4 StepS Obtain or create a coordinate system syntaxfile (with extension .prj). See Knowledge Base article number 73776018 for help with .prj file creation. ChooseSelectOutputCoordinate Systemfrom the PostflightTerra 30Project menu. Click From .prj, browse to the location ofyour .prj file, selectthefile and clickOpen. In the Select Output Coordinate System dialog, click OK. Postflight Terra 30 will create mapping products in your custom coordinate system. Next, convert height above ellipsoid toaltitude (z)... Step 1 Choose Image Properties Editorfrom the PostflightTerra 30Projectmenu. Step 2 In the Image Coordinate System section, enter the Geoid Height Above the Ellipsoid and click OK.

77

### \ I



# ) Quick start guide Step 3 Postflight Terra 30will create mapping products with avertical displacementto match your coordinate system's altitude.

78

## Part II 

# Advanced functionalitiesAdvanced functionalities 

## 6 Understanding aerial mappingwiththe

## eBeeRTK

6.1 Goal ofthissection: Aerial mapping using the eBee RTKis designed to be simple and fully automatic, requiring very little inputfrom the user. Understanding the basics of aerial navigation, however, can help you map more complex terrain and yield higher quality results. This section explains the basics ofwaypoint-based navigation and the control strategies used by the drone forflight. Waypoints and their properties The eBee RTK 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 ofwaypoints is stored in the drone autopilot and can be remotely edited using eMotion. 

### +'I?'!dills J**~-** I ':,_...__.., Direct· -I- 

### ton 1 : Altitude: : Above Take-off location (m/ATO) I OR I 1 Above Mean Sea Level (m/AMSL) T Position (GPS coordinates) In eMotion every waypoint is defined by the following parameters: • ID: Every mission waypoint has a unique ID, beginning at 1. The eBee RTK
80Understanding aerial mapping with the eBee RTK

can store up to 50 mission waypoints. Setup phase waypoints (Start and Home) do not have an I D.
• Active: Indicates whether the waypoint is active or not. Deactivating a

waypoint by clicking the checkbox beside its ID will remove itfrom the currentflight plan. Setup phase waypoints (Start and Home) cannot be deactivated.
• Current: Astatus that indicates ifthe waypoint is currently being circled

or navigated toward (indicated by>< around the waypoint's I D). Only one waypoint is marked Current at atime.
• Change altitude: This parameter defines the way the drone transitions to

the altitude ofthe currentwaypoint.

- Duringtransit: The drone will fly in the direction ofthe currentwaypointwhile simultaneouslychanging altitude byclimbing ordescending 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 itreachesthe altitude ofthe currentwaypoint, andthen fly in the direction ofthe waypointatits altitude. This istypically used for 3D mapping.

- Keep highest: The drone will first determine whether its current altitude orthe currentwaypoint's altitude is highest. lfthe drone's current altitude is highest, it will first fly towards the waypoint and then descentto the waypoint's altitude in acircularfashion. Ifthe current waypoint'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 theterrain in mountainous landscapes and, in particular, forthe Home waypointwhen the mission altitude is below the take-offlocation.
81Advanced functionalities

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

waypoint is considered 'reached' only when the drone starts circling about it at the waypoint's altitude.
• Altitude reference: The reference pointofthe Altitude value. When setto

m/ATO, the Altitude value is an 

### Above Take-off(ATO) altitude. When setto 

### ml AMSL,the Altitudevalue is a

### Above Mean Sea Level (AMSL).The altitudes ofSetup phase waypoints (Start and Home) are always setto m/ATO.
• Turn direction: The direction with which the drone circles around thewaypoint (clockwise or counter-clockwise).
• Radius: The distance at which the drone circles around the waypoint. 

# 0 Note: The eBee RTKhas a limited turning radius. Setting this parameter lowerthan 20 m (66ft) may cause the drone to significantly deviate from its desired flight path.

• 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 mode18• Setup phase parameters (Start and Home) do not have associated Actions.
• Position (coordinates): The precise latitude and longitude ofthe centre ofthe waypoint. Waypoints are represented in the Map Area as circles with their actual radius and an arrow to indicate their direction. The flight path ofthe drone around and in between waypoints is drawn as a line ofvarying opacity; the path ahead ofthe drone's current position is dark, becoming lighterthefurther it isfrom the current position in the flight plan. The path already traversed is a uniform light colour.
18 see section 'Camera tab' on page 141
82Understanding aerial mapping with the eBee RTK
Ifa waypoint's Auto-next parameter is disabled, the path directly after it will be dashed, indicating that acommand must be sentfor the flight to continue. Clicking a waypoint in the Map Area will display its characteristics (waypoint ID for mission waypoints or name for setup waypoints, altitude, radius and action) and will select itfor modification. It will also activate the Mission Waypoints tab and highlight the selected waypoint. Future flight path Flight path altitude 

# I Inactive Selected fl;ght P'th

### w'~**"'.!!"'""''"•••••••••••••••~l-10fit/ATO-••••••••••••••••••o•**,-- j s 

### I

, llOm/ATO: /i "HfMit/AT€1**~~)**
llOm/ATO 506m/MSL

# /~~.::~:._" ( !I!I!I!I'Jo 2:17**~~----__;._.,** 

# •

t·,·-j-' L_-_,:m/ATO
Current status Traversed flight path You can modify the waypoint's parameters directly in the Map Area using your mouse using the following actions: • Position: Change the position by left-clicking on the waypoint and dragging it around on the map. By defaultthe waypoint snaps to a position inline with the currentflight lines before and afterthe waypoint. Hold down the 'Ait' button while dragging to disable the snapping feature. • Turn direction: Hold down the 'Shift' button while left-clicking on awaypointto toggle its turn direction. • Radius: Modifythe radius by left-clicking on thewaypoint's perimeter and

dragging it.
83

### ' \

Advanced functionalities

• 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 thewaypoint, respectively.
• Create newwaypoint: Right-clickanywhere intheMapAreathatdoes not

contain asymbol 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: Selectwhile 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 ofthe

waypoint.

- Change altitude: Set the transition behaviour ofthe 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 on-board waypoint list. Ifthe message is not acknowledged by the drone (for example due to atemporary loss ofcommunication link), the waypoint will move backto its previous position on the map to accurately reflect the current waypoint list status within the drone's autopilot.



# 0

84 Note: Modification offlight plan parameters can cause the drone to react in unexpected ways. In particular, the drone may have trouble following its flight path when the radius is set very low or ifthere is high wind. We highly encourageyou to test your entire flight plan using the simulatorto getfamiliarwith thedrone's behaviours before going out into the field.Understanding aerial mapping with the eBee RTK 

### 6.2 Advanced polygonal mission area The mission area defines the area of interest where the eBee RTKwill take photos. It appears as agrey rectangle when you selectthe 'Mission planning' tab and to calculate the flight plan ofthe drone. For many cases the rectangular-shaped mission area provides the simplest way to quickly create aflight plan. It can be modified as described in section 'The mission phase ofaflight' on page 30. For more complex areas eMotion has the option ofusing polygonal-shaped missions areas. Begin by converting a rectangular area into a polygonal area by setting the 'Mission area'typeto 'Polygonal' in the 'Mission planning'tab or by rightclicking on the area and selecting 'Convertto polygon: Apolygonal mission area is set slightly differentlythan arectangular mission area:
• The edges ofthe rectangle now become vertices ofthe polygon. Left-click

on avertex to drag and reposition the vertex.
• Left-click and drag anywhere on the edge ofthe polygon to create a new

vertex and reposition it.
• Right-click on vertex and select 'Remove vertex' to remove avertex. Alternatively, hold down the 'Ctrl' button and left-click on a vertex to remove it.
• Left-click and drag on the dark-grey area within the polygon to reposition

the entire polygon.
• Left-click and drag the circle on the corner ofthe light-grey rectangle surrounding the polygon to rotate the direction ofthe resulting flight lines. You may also set a polygonal mission area directly from a KML file containing a polygon, such as those created by Google EarthTM. Simply click on the

## 0 icon in the 'Mission planning' tab, select 'Load mission area from KML file' and choose a KML file that contains the desired polygon.
85Advanced functionalities 

### 6.3 30mission 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 ofa mapping mission. This not only improves the resulting ground resolution but also increases mission safety (particularly in uneven terrain) by keeping amore 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 colourmap19• You can adjust the scale and opacity ofthe colourmap by using the associated buttons in the bottom-right corner ofthe Map Area. Auto-adjust colormap Elevation colourmap 

## I Change opacity 

## l I I

__ 90 1BO 2:70 360

# 8_ & I I I iJ I I I J -JS**~-''**

# ~···L 

# . Caution: eMotion's default Improved SRTM elevation data uses a 3 arc-second (approx. 90 m(295ft) resolution) digital elevation model derived from the SRTM (Shuttle RadarTopography Mission) dataset version 2.1 combinedwith otherdata sources (ASTERGDEM, SRTM30, cartographic data, etc.). This data covers nearly all emerged land except the territories below 56° Slatitude and the territory ofthe Russian Federation above 60° Nlatitude. This data may contain inaccuracies of several meters, and does not contain data on obstacles such as buildings ortrees. We highly recommendthatyou checkyour flight plan thoroughly in Google EarthTM and ensure sufficient clearance between the flight plan and the ground. SenseFiy Ltd provides no guarantee regarding the accuracy ofthe elevation data and it is the operator's sole responsibilitytoensure asafeflighttrajectory and altitude.

19 eMotion must be connected to the internet_ Once downloaded, elevation tiles are cached and can

then be used off-line_
86Understanding aerial mapping with the eBee RTK
Activate the 30 mission planning feature by selecting the 'Use elevation data to setabsolutewaypointaltitudes' parameterin 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 underthe currentwaypoint, the previous waypoint and the flight line that connects the two. 2. This maximum value is increased bythe target altitudevalue, and the result is set as the altitude ofthe current waypoint. The altitude ofevery 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 setto 'Before transit' so thatthe drone climbs or descends to the altitude ofthe next waypoint (and thus the nextflight line) before transiting and taking pictures. It is important to understand that even ifeach flight line can have a different altitude, the altitude is constant along a given flight line. Ifthe terrain altitude is uneven along aflight line, the resulting imagery will have varying ground resolution and overlap. When the mission planner computesthe altitudes offlight lines it tries to ensure that the required amount ofoverlap is achieved, possibly leading to a lower ground resolution in some areas. During flight planning the range ofground resolution computed by the mission planner is displayed. For optimal results, it is best to set the orientation ofthe flight lines as parallel as possible to the terrain's contour lines. One way to increase the resolution and accuracy ofthe 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.
87

### \ 

### ) Advanced functionalities 

# 0 Note: It is recommended to visually compare imported elevation datasets with the default Improved SRTM elevation layer ofeMotion in order to detect possible mismatches. This comparison should be done with acolourmap opacity value of 1 00%. More advanced controls ofimported datasets are available in the 'Elevation data' panel ofthe Preferences pane ofthe tiiil 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.

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### 6.4 Flight visualization in Google EarthTM eMotion includes an interface with Goog/e EarthTM to help with flight plan verification and visualization, particularly in uneven terrain. Clicking on

**the~** button in the Toolbar will open Goog/e EarthTM and zoom to the current position ofthe drone. The current position ofdrone, its planned trajectory, the working area circle and all waypoints currently uploaded to the drone (including Take-Off, Start
88

# ) Understanding aerial mapping with the eBee RTK
and Home) are displayed within Google EarthTM. Any changes to waypoints or flight parameters within eMotion are updated accordingly within Google EarthTM. The interface with Goog/e EarthTM is particularly useful to checkthe drone's trajectory with respect to obstacles in the area20

. The flight plan is projected onto the ground in a darker colour, giving you an idea ofthe distance between the flight path and the ground. Ifyou connect to a simulated drone you can simulate the entire flight and follow the drone within Goog/e EarthTM.



# 0 Note: To use this feature Goog/e EarthTM has to be installed on the ground station PC, as described in section 'Installing eMotion, Postflight Terra 30, and the ground modem drivers' on page 24. We recommend to use the latestversion ofthe Google EarthTM software. Caution: Aflight trajectory visualized in Google EarthTM represents the plannedtrajectory. The realflighttrajectorycan be differentfrom the planned due to flight conditions such as strong wind. Caution: The terrain data within Google EarthTM, including hills and buildings, may contain significanterrors. When planning flights over uneven terrain be sure to keep sufficientdistance between theflight plan and the terrain.

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

guarantee regarding the accuracy and completeness ofthe Google EarthTM terrain model. 89

# )

) Advanced functionalities 

### 6.5 Autonomous controller and modes offlight Autonomous operation modes
and release

Manual and emergency modes if'Wait on Start

automatically after 2complete circles

after mission'

is enabled

During atypical flight the autonomous controller on the eBee RTKwill switch between various modes depending on its flight plan and the commands that it receives from the Control Bar1• The controller changes between modes during a typical mission as shown in the figure above, and as described in more detail in thefollowing list:
• After being switched on and running pre-flight checks the drone will enter Idle mode until it is ready to be launched. Shakingthe drone backandforth
21 see section 'Control Bar' on page 118 for details on the Control Bar
90Understanding aerial mapping with the eBee RTK
three times initiates the take-offprocedure22 and changes to the Take-off mode. • After take-offthe drone climbs with level wings23
, gaining altitude until it

reaches the take-offtransition altitude, by default 20m (66 ft) 24 above the take-offlocation. Atthis pointthe drone heads for the Start waypoint and changes to Circle StartWaypoint mode. • Once it reaches the Start waypoint, the drone circles the waypoint several

timesto estimatethe strength ofthewind. Once itcalculatesthe estimated wind the drone either:

- heads towards thefirst mission waypoint, if'Start mission' is selected in the 'After take-off' panel ofthe 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 aflight plan is finalized). • While in Perform Mission modethe droneflies between all enabled mission

waypoints, taking images ofthe ground below. Once it reaches the final mission waypointthe drone either:

- heads towards the Home waypoint, if 'Land' or 'Go to Home waypoint' is selected in the 'After mission' panel ofthe Setup Phase tab, and changes to Circle Home Waypoint mode.

- heads towards the Startwaypoint, if'Go to Startwaypoint' is selected in the 'After mission' panel ofthe Setup Phase tab, and changes to Circle StartWaypoint mode.

- heads towards the first mission waypoint, if 'Restart mission' is selected in the 'Aftermission' panel ofthe Setup Phasetab, and remains in Perform Mission mode. 21 as described in section 'Take-off' on page 59 23 or in agiven direction when using the Directionaltake-offfeature described in section 'Setup Phase

tab' on page 125 24 see section 'Flight Parameters tab' on page 146for details on changing this altitude
91\ /

Advanced functionalities

• Once it reaches the Home waypoint (if in Circle HomeWaypoint mode) the drone will either:

- begin a Linear landing procedure (as described in section 'Linear landing' on page 94) 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 ofthe 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 ofthe Setup Phase tab.

- circlesthe Home waypointand remains in Circle HomeWaypoint mode until a command is sent. • Aftercompleting a landing procedure and detectingthat it has successfully landed, the drone changes to Idle mode.

• Turning on the remote control will cause the droneto enter either Assisted Manual or Full Manual mode, depending on the setting in the Flight Parameters tab2s. Turning offthe remote control will return the drone to its previous mode.
• 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 newcommand 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 conditions26• • Clicking the 'LAND NOW' button in the Control Barthreetimes in quicksuccession will cause the drone to initiate a Circular landing procedure at its
25 see section 'Manual control ofthe eBee RTK' on page 150 for information on the various manual

control modes 26 see section 'Troubleshooting' on page 168 for afull list of In-flightwarning and Critical failure conditions and the subsequent reactions ofthe drone 92Understanding aerial mapping with the eBee RTK

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

93Advanced functionalities 

### 6.6 Linear landing Atypical Linear landing follows these steps:

94 1. The eBee RTKflies towards the Home waypoint (defined bythe userwithin eMotion; defaultaltitude is 75 m(246ft) abovethe landing altitude). The altitude change behaviour between the current location and the Home waypoint depends on the 'Altitude change' parameter ofthe Home waypoint. By default, it is defined as 'Keep highest; which means that the drone will fly atthe highest altitude between its current altitude and the Home waypoint's altitude, climbing in a spiral first ifneeded. 2. Once the Home waypoint is reached the drone circles the waypoint and descends to afixed altitude of75 m(246ft) above the landing altitude. 3. Thedrone circlesto estimatethewind speed and direction. An approach direction isthen calculated as closeto theupwind direction as possiblewithin the allowable approach sectors (defined bythe user within eMotion). 4. The drone flies downwind against the approach direction. Afterflying for a sufficient distance itturns around to align itselfwith the approach direction. 5. The drone glides down in the approach direction at acontrolled speed and descent angle of approximately 20°, braking by spinning its propeller in reverse ifnecessary. 6. When the drone detects a height of around 20 m (66ft) to the ground it begins to level out its descent. 7. When the drone detects a height of around 3 m (10ft) to the ground it performs afinal 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 RTK Linear landing procedure, seen from the side



### '**Lan~ing** location below'Home waypoint 7. Final brake :

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at 3m 8. Deep stall

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Linear landing procedure, seen from above within 

### eMotion2

95Advanced functionalities
The Linear landing process uses an optical-based sensor to detect the proximity ofthe ground. Anumber ofconditions on the environment and the positions of the Home waypoint and approach sectors must be met in order for the ground sensorto function correctly and ensure the accuracy ofthe Linear landing:

96 • Ifthe Linear landing location is not at the same altitude as the Take-offlocation you must adjustthe 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). Enablethe 'Land atadifferent altitudethan take-off' checkbox and setthe altitude as an absolute value in AMSL. 

# 0 Note: When 'Land at adifferent altitude than take-off' is enabledthe Home waypoint's altitude will be converted to AMSL instead ofATO (by default 75 m(246ft) above the landing location). Caution: Incorrectly setting the altitude ofthe Linear landing location will decrease the accuracy ofthe Linear landing and may result in damage to the eBee RTK.

• ALinear landing can only be performed overflat terrain. Ensure that the ground is flat and at the same altitude as the Linear landing location for a distance ofat least 100 m (328ft) from the Linear landing location within everyapproach sector. It is also recommended to haveflatterrain in the opposite direction ofeveryapproach sectorin case aLinearlanding is aborted in its final stages. Caution: Attempting a Linear landing on sloped terrain, the top of a roof or the edge of a cliff or any other terrain that is not flat will likely result in false detection ofthe height above the ground during the approach and may result in damagetothe eBee RTK.ln particular, landing downhill may cause a large overshoot and should always be avoided.)

Understanding aerial mapping with the eBee RTK

• Ensure thatthere are no obstacles within 60 m (197ft) ofthe Linear landing location within all approach sectors and within a radius of 10m (33ft) around the Linear landing location. Ifthere are some obstacles in the distance, ensure that the top ofthe obstacles is at no more than a 15°angle from the point 60 m (197ft) from the Linear landing location, as indicated in thefigure on page 95. It is also recommended to not have any obstacles in the opposite direction ofall approach sectors, in case the Linear landing is aborted before completion. Caution: It is notrecommended to perform Linearlandings between tall obstacles, as they may disturb the GPS/GLONASS signals your eBee RTKneeds to be able to navigate.

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

landing accuracy, the eBeeRTKshould onlyperform aLinearlanding against the direction ofthe 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 ofthe wind. Ifall ofthe available approach sectors are in the direction ofthe wind an In-flightwarning27 will appear in eMotion when the drone calculates its trajectory (Step 3). Caution: Ifthedrone performs aLinearlanding inthedirection ofthe wind during strongwind conditions orwith certain In-flightwarnings or Critical failures it may not be able to slow enough during its descent. It will likely overshoot the Home waypoint location and land at a high speed, potentially resulting in damage.

• The ground sensor must have sufficient light and texture to accurately detect the height above the ground. Ensure that the ground sensor lens is clearofdirt 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 174 97Advanced functionalities proach sectors. Do not define approach sectors over low-texture surfaces such as large bodies ofwater, 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). Ifthe Linear landing option is active and the battery descends below 20% an In-flightwarning will**appea~ 8**  in 

### eMotion. To enable Linear landing select 'Linear landing' from the 'Setup Phase' tab. Asingle approach sector appears around the Home waypoint. Rotate and resize the approach sectorto definethe directions around the Homewaypointthat are completely clear ofobstacles. You can add additional approach sectors from within the 'Setup Phase'tab. These approach sectorswill be used bythe droneto plan its landing path while taking into account the wind. Defining multiple possible approach sectors can increasethe chancethatthedrone selects afavourable landing againstthe direction ofthe wind. Be surethatthere are also no obstacles in a 10m (33ft) radius circle around the Home waypoint, as the Linear landing process may be effected by wind or positioning imprecision ofthe on-board GNSS receiver.



### J

28 see section 'In-flight warnings' on page 174
98I / 

# 0 Understanding aerial mapping with the eBee RTK
Note: The eBee RTK's ground sensor can typically begin detecting ground proximity at a distance of40 m (131 ft). Ifthe drone reaches an estimate altitude of20m/ ATO (66ft/ATO)- as estimated using the on-board GNSS receiver and pressure sensor - without a signal on its ground sensor it assumes there is a malfunction with the ground sensor. This may be due to insufficient light or contrast in the environment, dirt on the sensor's lens assembly or a Linear landing location at a different altitude than the Take-offLocation. In this case the drone performsthe braking and stall manoeuvre at an altitude of 20m (66ft) instead of3 m(1Oft). This increasedtime whilestalledcan greatly reducethe accuracy ofthefinal landing position and damage to the drone. Ifthe 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 of40 m/ATO (131 ft/ATO) is reached the drone will turn towards the Home waypoint and continue climbing until it reaches an altitude of 75 m/ATO (246 ft/ATO).It then continues circling until it receives afurther command. Caution: Do not abort a Linear landing ifthere are obstacles in the approach direction behind the Home location, as the drone will continue flying in a straight line after an abort sequence while it gains altitude and may collide with those obstacles. Caution: It is not recommended to abort a Linear landing when the battery is low, as the drone may not have enough powerto attempt a second landing.

99Advanced functionalities 

### 6.7 Flying multiple drones atthe sametime Operating multiple drones atthe same time enables the coverage oflarger areas in a shorter amount oftime. This can be useful when the mission time must be kept short, for example because ofvarying lighting conditions. To enable multidrone operation eMotion provides thefollowing:
• When more than one drone is connected at a time, a dedicated interface

called the Multi-drone panel is displayed to monitoreach drone and switch between them. • Anumberofsettingsare offeredto keep relevantflight configurations (such asthe Startand Homewaypoint) synchronised between all connected drones. • Missions that require more than one flight can be automatically split and

uploaded individually among all connected drones. • Anew Control Bar appears atthe bottom ofthe Map Area. Commands sent

using the buttons in this Control Bar, such as 'START MISSION' or 'GO LAND; are sentto all the drones currently connected to your computer. • Collision avoidance is provided by eMotion29• This is done by automatically

changingthe altitudeoftheStartand Home waypointsforeach drone in orderto separatethem. 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 nextto the Sidebar. Each drone is displayed with its name, battery level and status and can be selected. The rest oftheSidebar and its various tabs are associated to the currently selected drone, as indicated by the colour ofthe frame. The multi-drone interface also displays the relative altitude ofall drones with respect to the selected drone. Since this is a relative altitude, a value close to 0 m (0 ft) means that a drone is at the same altitude as the currently selected drone. Right-clicking on adrone's tab in the Multi-drone Panel allows you to disconnect the drone or change its colour. " ifthe option is selected in the Multi-drones preference pane
100selected drone second drone connected to this computer drone shared through network Understanding aerial mapping with the eBee RTK

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Sidebar One advantage offlying multiple 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 ofthe connected drone selected). Make sure that the number offlights required matches the number ofconnected drones. Ifneeded, the 'Max flight time' option can be lowered to force the mission plannerto splitthe mission in several flights (see section 'Mission Planning tab' on page 130). 2. Select 'Upload to all' from the drop-down list ofthe 'Upload button: 

# 0 Note: You can onlysplitamission between drones ofthe same model and that are using the same camera.

101Advanced functionalities Clicking on the 

### 0 icon in the Multi-drone panel allows you to either connect a new drone orto bring up the Multi-drones preferences pane.
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### eMotion provides Multi-drone coordination options to synchronise various waypoints and parameters among connected drones:

102 • Take-off: Synchronisingthetake-offapplies specificallyto Directional takeoffheading and transition altitude. • Start waypoint: When the Start waypoint is synchronised, 

### eMotion will

usethe same location and altitudeforthe Startwaypointofeach connected drone. Every modification to the Start waypoint ofone drone is thus transferred to all other drones. To prevent collisions between drones, 

### eMotion will automaticallycreate astackby incrementing the altitude ofeach drone that is currently circling the Start waypoints to ensure a 15 m (49ft) separation. The base altitude ofthe Start waypoint, which is the altitude ofthe 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 waypointUnderstanding aerial mapping with the eBee RTK
for all connected drones. Astack will also be created to avoid collisions between multiple drones circling the Home waypoint.
Caution: As eMotion defines the Start and Home waypoints in ATO. It is therefore criticalfor all dronestotake offfromtheexact same locationto achieve altitude separation and collision avoidance over these two waypoints.

• 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-offtransition 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 atthe 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, avisual and audible warning will be

emitted iftwo drones are on atrajectory potentially leading to a collision in less than 7seconds.
• Collision avoidance: When enabled, eMotion will constantly monitorthe

trajectory ofthe connected drones and automatically put one drone in a temporary hold pattern (similar to the HOLD POSITION function, see section 'Control Bar' on page 118) until it is safe to resume the flight. Priority is given to drones with the lowest battery level, engaged in a landing procedure orwith an active errororwarning.
103Advanced functionalities
Caution: All collision avoidance mechanisms are implemented by 

### eMotion on the ground computer. The drones' autopilot do not communicate between themselves and do not have knowledge ofeach other's positions. Itisthereforecriticalto keep all dronesconnected to eMotion at all times and remain well inside communication range. 

# 0 Note: While 

### eMotion strives to avoid all collisions, the operator is ultimately responsible to ensure flight safety. In particular, situations involving more that two drones in converging trajectories may not always be handled automatically in afully safe manner. It is recommended to use slightly different altitudesfor each drone when flying more than two drones at atime to limitthe risk ofcollision. In more advanced scenariosyou maywish to sharethe position and even the control ofa drone across a local area network. 

### eMotion provides the following Network sharing options:

104 • 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 ofthe drones connected to your computer. • Allow other computers to control my drones: All drones currently connected to your computer are not only displayed, butcan 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 ofdrones 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 RTK

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

sharing options applyto both real and simulated drones connectedto your computer. In unchecked, they only apply to real drones. 

### 6.8 Individual phototargets and oblique imagery In some cases it may be interesting to take oblique photographs ofobjects, for example to provide a nice image for documentation or to increase the quality of 30 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 itselfand capture the image using apatent-pending pitchdown manoeuvre. Capturing an oblique image can be done easily by following these steps: 1. Add anew phototarget by clicking on the+button in the Cameratab. Use the cross-hairs to place the photo target on the location ofinterest in the Map Area. You may also right-click 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 afterthe image is taken. resize to change ground resolution
estimated { footprint

rotate to change heading manoeuvre zone photo target altitude >'f--- photo target move in the arrow direction to change pitch/persepctive estimated altitudes before/after photo
105

### \ )

Advanced functionalities
2. Select the desired heading and pitch angles ofthe 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 ofthe 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. Caution: Be sureto define aground resolution thatis high enoughto allow the drone to recoverfrom its pitch manoeuvre by paying close attention to the 'Minimum altitude after photo' parameter. We recommend that you do not define parameters that result in an 'Minimum altitude afterphoto' ofless than 30m (98ft), in particularwhen selecting a high pitch angle. 4. Define the altitude ofthe photo target, ifit is notthe 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, clickon the 'Begin sequence' button in the Cameratab atanytimeto begin taking the images. The eBee RTKwill fly to the location ofthefirst 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 ofoblique images ofthe same photo target at regularheading and pitch intervals allows you to create a higher quality 3D model ofa photo target. You can usethe 'New phototargetincrement'to define adesired incrementangle. 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. Amore detailed description ofall the available options for taking images ofindividual photo targets can be found in section 'Camera tab' on page 141.
106Understanding aerial mapping with the eBee RTK 

### 6.9 Emergency Manoeuvres Despite careful planning, unexpected situations might place people, property, animals or your drone in danger, for example:

• Unexpected intrusions into your eBee RTK'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 aprecautionary measure to be used onlywhen absolutely necessary, theeBeeRTK has been programmed with a series ofemergency manoeuvres:
• Land now

The drone immediately initiates a circular landing around a 30 m (98 ft) radius waypoint at its current location. • Abort landing

The drone aborts its landing, climbs upto asafe altitude and circles waiting for a command. See section 'Linear landing' on page 94 for more details.
• Roll

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

The drone suddenlyclimbs withfullthrust approximately40 m (131ft)then gradually descends (at approximately 4 m/s (780ft/min) back to its initial altitude.
107Advanced functionalities

• Fast descent

The drone enters a spinning dive. It then pulls out ifthe dive, resulting in between 15 and 30 m (98ft) oflost altitude, and climbs gradually back up to its initial altitude.
Activating Emergency Manoeuvres The land now and abort landing buttons are always available on the control bar. To activate the roll, fast climb and descentfeatures: 1. Choose Preferences from the liii1 File menu. 2. Choose the User interface pane.
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3. In the Advanced buttons panel, checkthe manoeuvres you wantto activate and click OK. Buttons that triggerthe manoeuvres are added to the Control Bar:


# -

108 ABORT LANDING ROLL FAST CUMB

# 0 Understanding aerial mapping with the eBee RTK

Note: Totriggerthe 'land now' manoeuvre, clickthe land now button 3times in quick succession (within halfa second). Alanding can only be aborted in the absence ofcritical failure.

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 ofcuriosity, orthey consider it athreat and attack it.
• To try and escape an isolated incident, consider using thefast climb or descent manoeuvres. • Totryand startlethebirds and dissuadethemfrom approaching yourdrone,

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. 

# 0 Note: Consult with your local authority or wildlife conservation association before flying in sensitive areas. Avoid flying near known nesting sites, especially when young are present in spring or early summer. Ratherthan disturb the birds, considerflying at a different time ofyear or adapting yourflight plan to minimise your impact on wildlife. 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.

109Advanced functionalities
You thinkthere is a risk ofa hard landing for some other reason. Unexpected wind or aflight 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. Unexpected intrusions into airspace Your drone is about to collide with another aircraft or UAV. Consider afast climb or descent. Unexpected intrusions into landing zone Aperson orvehicle moves into your landing zone during landing approach. Consider aborting the landing.

110 Caution: You cannottrigger an emergency manoeuvre ifit will: • cause your drone to leave the working area. • make your drone fly below 30 m (98ft) and cause a ground proximity warning. • interrupt an emergency landing that was caused by a critical

failure.

Caution: To avoid a collision, do not carry out a fast climb or fast descent ifthis would riskflying close to trees orother obstacles. Caution: Some ofthese manoeuvres will cause a loss in altitude. To avoid crashing your drone, do not carry out several emergency manoeuvres in quick succession. Allow your drone to stabilise its flight and altitude after each manoeuvre.Understanding aerial mapping with the eBee RTK
Caution: While your drone is carrying out an emergency manoeuvre it cannot capture high-quality images and some images may be missing atthe end ofthe mission. In addition,these manoeuvres use up battery power, shortening the available flight time. If, after activating a manoeuvre 3times, the issue has not be resolved, consider landing and waiting (for example, until birds have left the area) before restarting or resuming your mission.

111

### Advanced functionalities 

### 7 eMotion 

### in-depth guide

112 Goal ofthissection: eMotion

### is apowerful tool designed specifically to workwith your senseFiy mini-drones. This section includes acomprehensiveguideto allthefunctionalities in eMotion

### to helpyou plan, simulate and monitoryour next mapping flight.
Flight Parameters tab -----. Camera tab ----. Mission Waypoints tab ----,

Mission Planning tab Setup Phase tab Flight Monitoring tab

"':
... 0 ::! - ,,.,..,.,,,... ...... .,. •'! Sidebar Status Panel

### --\ )



# ) eMotion in-depth guide
The main eMotion interface is composed ofaMap Area, aToolbar and aSidebar30

. The Map Area displays the current location ofthe eBee RTK, 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 118). TheToolbar abovethe Map Area includes the 1iil File menu, controlsfor selecting the sourceofmap data,the display ofpicturefootprints and various othercontrols (section 'Toolbar'). The Sidebar is separated into six individual tabs that are used during different phases ofplanning and monitoring a flight. The Sidebar tabs can be hidden at any time by clicking on the left-hand edge ofthe Sidebar. Each tab is described in detail in the following chapter. The Sidebar also contains controls for the Simulator (section 'Simulator' on page 116) 

### 7.1 Toolbar

RTK Status Map source



### ______ _!____

- _I

### -~Q ---- Custom map source___ 

## __,I 

# I I I Google Earth display------'· Follow drone position-------' Centeron drone--------'· Center on coordinate 

### ----------1 [ L__I 

# _j Zoom Full Screen Clear all footprints Show/hide footprints

30 for an overview ofthe eMotion interface see section 'The eMotion interface' on page 25
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\ 

## ) Advanced functionalities
You can access the File menu byclicking on the iiibutton in theToolbar. Fromthis menu you can connectto ordisconnectfrom adrone, access the Flight Data Manager, change eMotion preferences or import custom maps. Clicking the**~** icon will launch Goog/eEarthTM and displaythecurrentflighttrajectories ofdrones connected to eMotion, as described in detail in section 'Flightvisualization in Goog/eEarthTM' on page 88. You can access RTK setup and choose your RTKcorrection sourcefrom the Choose RTK Source menu. You can selectthe background map sourcefrom thedrop-down listin theToolbar, and adjust its zoom level using the 

### fo and 

## F> buttons. eMotion can use many sources ofcommercially 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 • cannot be saved locally and are not recommended for use in the field. Ifyou anticipate the use ofeMotion 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 Toolbar by clicking on**the~** icon, and can be clicked to display or hide it. eMotion can display lines, polygons, paths and points saved in KMLformat.



# 0 Note: KMLfiles, including associated icons orimages includedwithin them, are not copied to the eMotion directory and will no longer appear in eMotion ifthe original KMLfiles are deleted. Custom map tiles can also be added as a layer in eMotion. These tile sets must be TMS-compatible sets offiles. Select 'Importcustom map..: from the iii File menu and selectthe folder that contains the tile set. The tile setwill then appear in the list oflayers in theToolbar, accessible by clicking**the~** button.

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# 0 eMotion in-depth guide
Note: If you use Postflight Terra 30 (see section 'Processing image data' on page 66), you can generate TMS-compatible, eMotioncompatible tile sets for each project. In this way, you can create your own map background using the eBee RTK. Generate the tile set by selecting 'Generate Google Maps tiles and KML' from the 'Process' menu within Postflight Terra 30. Wheneverthe eBee RTKtakes apicture, eMotion records the location and orientation ofthedrone and computesthe approximate span ofthephoto on the ground (or 'footprint'). All the footprints taken by adrone are added to ashaded polygon outlined with the drone's colour and displayed in the Map Area. This polygon represents an estimate ofthe area that has been photographed by the drone.

The footprints can be shown or hidden using the 

## 't button. When hidden, the footprints are keptin memory and new photos continueto be recorded, butnothing is displayed in the Map Area. Footprints for all drones remain in the memory ofeMotion, even when adrone is disconnected or eMotion is shutdown. 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.



# 0 Note: Clearing or hiding the footprints has no influence on what is logged by eMotion and on-board the drone during theflight, such as the information required to geotag the images afterthe flight.
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# -, )

Advanced functionalities 

# 0 Note: The footprints displayed on the map are only an approximate estimation ofthe actual ground coverage ofthe corresponding image. Cross-wind may introduce errors in the orientation ofthe displayed footprint compared to the actual coverage, whereas inaccurate elevation data may result inaccuratefootprint size. The Toolbar also contains buttons for centering the Map Area on the current position ofthe drone (•.;• button), on a searchable location orcoordinate(+button) or to continually follow the position ofthe drone while it is in flight(@ button). Finally you can view eMotion in full-screen mode by clicking**the~** button. 

### 7.2 Simulator Familiarising yourselfwith your eBee RTKand 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 testthe various features ofthe 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 --------.1**,...~------** re-position take-offlocation play .------- initiate take-off pause**~** 

## r- instant recharge ofbattery Simul<ii:Gt:

II 

# ...**Wind~** Y 2.0m/s A .,.... 318° .&. wind speed ------' wind direction 

### ------....1 The Simulatorbarappears atthe bottom ofthe SidebarofeMotionwhen you connect to a simulated drone. The simulated drone will go through the same preflight checks as a real eBee RTK, after which it will update the Home to its current position (typically the last position that was used within the simulator) and the
116\. )

eMotion in-depth guide
Start waypointto 80 m(262ft) West ofthe Home waypoint. The various buttons available in the Simulatorbar are described in table 1
. Feel free to modify the wind speed, waypoint positions and other parameters in the Toolbar and the various tabs ofthe Sidebar in eMotion to see their effect on the eBee RTKwhile it is in flight. Also be sure to explore the effects ofthe various buttons in the Control Bar on the behaviour ofyour drone. Don't be afraid to push the boundaries! Aborting aflight or causing an emergency landing in the simulatorwill better prepare you for unexpected circumstances while in thefield.

Pause

Play
Fastforward 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 RTK. 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 speedfrom the pause orfast-forward conditions. Clicking this button increases the speed ofthe simulation to 4x actual speed. This allows you to shorten the time required to simulate a complete mission.

117) Advanced functionalities
Re-position take-offlocation

Initiate take-off

Instantrecharge of battery

Wind speed and direction



### 7.3 Control Bar

START 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 launch31

. Clicking this button will instantly recharge the battery ofthe drone. Note: This is a simulated action that is not possible with the real eBee RTKwhile it is in flight. Thesefields are used to inputasimulated wind speed and direction. Arandom wind speed and direction is setwhen eMotion connects to a simulated drone.

RESUME MlSS!ON Command buttons

GOTO START'W'PT GOTO HOME'.'u'PT GO LAND HOW POSmON

# - ABORT LANDING 

# L Warning indicator EB-Ql-Q08

31 see section 'Take-off' on page 59 for a description ofthetake-offprocedure
118eMotion in-depth guide
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 modes32• The Command buttons allows the operator to directly control the drone while it is in flight. The various buttons are described in table 2.

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 theflight plan. GOTO No active Fly towards the Start waypoint, circle and STARTWPT Security action waitfor next command. GOTO Anytime Fly towards the Home waypoint, circle and HOMEWPT waitfor next command.

32 see section 'Autonomous controller and modes offlight' on page 90 for more information on flight

modes 33 see section Troubleshooting' on page 168 for a full description of In-flight warnings and Critical

failures that may occur
119Advanced functionalities

GO LAND Anytime Fly towards the Home waypoint and initiate landing procedure. HOLD No active Create avirtual waypoint atthe current locaPOSITION Security action tion and altitude, circle aroundthis pointand waitfor next command. LAND NOW Anytime Initiate a Circular landing around a 30 m Click 3x (98 ft) radius waypoint at the current location. Must be clicked 3times in quick suecession 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 waitfor next command. Emergency Emergency landing: (only available ifthere Landing mode is no active Critical failure) abort current (if no active landing procedure, return to the location Critical failure) wherethe Emergency landing was triggered, circle and waitfor next command.

120\ J

eMotion in-depth guide 

### 7.4 Flight Monitoring tab

The Flight Monitoring tab can be used to monitorthe eBee RTKduring a mapping mission and is the default tab that is displayed when you click anywhere on the map area that does not have asymbol. The tab is split into thefollowing sections:

• Drone Status: The status ofthe 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

121

# ) Advanced functionalities

as 'Out ofworking area' or 'High wind.34

. 

# 0 Note: The most important status and warning messages are reproduced in the Status Panel in the Map Area, and thus remain visible even when the Sidebaris hidden.

• Autonomy: The battery level displays the current charge and voltage of

the battery. As the battery's charge level decreases, the voltage decreases as well. Afully charged battery has a voltage of 12.6 Vand is fully discharged when it reaches about 9 V 35

. 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 ofthe radio data link between the ground modem and the drone. The strength and direction ofthe wind estimated by the drone is displayed with an arrow. Caution: Lithium polymer batteries are chemical devices whose performance depends on a number ofparameters, including temperature, lifetime, number ofcycles, mechanical integrity, etc. Estimating the remaining capacity of a battery can thus be tricky and the displayed value may occasionally be inaccurate. It is the operator's responsibility to monitor batteryvoltage and flight time in addition to the battery level to make sure that endurance is sufficient to complete the mission.

• Flight data: This section includes additional information that may be useful during the flight, including ground speed and height, altitude Above Mean Sea Level (AMSL) and the absolute position detected by the GNSS receiver on-board the eBee RTK.

34 see section 'Troubleshooting' on page 168 35 see section 'Proper battery care' on page 165
122

### -\

eMotion in-depth guide 

# 0 Note: The ground sensor height indicates the height above the ground detected by the ground sensor. The sensor can typically detect distances below 60 m(197ft), depending on available light and surface contrast.
current heading in degrees 

## n II II I I[51 q t( I A1RSP0 33 0 3 AIJTIUDE

mfs
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-**-~­** ,-:-':!11 current air speed [ lo.o 

# 8**~**

# J current altitude over**~** take-off location -4!1 desired air speed [ o.o attitude with respect to artificial horizon 0 

# J desired altitude over take-off location

• Instruments: This display mimics the classical primary flight display used in manned aircraft. The column on the left displays the current air speed ofthe eBee RTKas well as the desired air speed, in metres per second. The column on the right displays the drone's current altitude over take-offlocation, as well as the desired altitude overthe take-offlocation, in metres. The bar at the top displays the current heading ofthe drone36• North is indicated as 0°, East as 90°, South as 180°and West as 270°. • Identification: This displays the serial number ofyour eBee RTK and the number ofthe Drone Flight log for the current flight. This number can be used as a reference when importing flight data after aflighe7

. • Payload information: This section displays the payload currently selected and the number ofphotos that has been taken since take-off8• 36 this feature is only accurate when in flight 37 see section 'Obtaining your images and flight data' on page 66 38 see section 'Camera tab' on page 141 for instructions on changing the payload type
123\)

Advanced functionalities

124 • Advanced Instruments: This section displaysthe current internal temperature ofthe drone, the number ofGPS/GLONASS signals detected and the estimated accuracy ofthe the position.

### 1 ) 

### 7.5 Setup Phase tab

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Setup phase reset

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The Setup Phase tab is used to define the setup phase ofaflight plan. This phase includes the definition ofthe Home and Start waypoints and the actions to be taken before and after the mission phase ofthe flight plan. The Setup Phase tab is divided into thefollowing sections:
• Take-off parameters: You can predefine atake-offheading and transition
125

### \ ) Advanced functionalities

126 altitude. To enable this feature, expand the Take-offparameters' box and checkthe 'Activate directional take-off' check box. Anew arrow is now displayed on the map. This arrow defines the take-offheading, 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-offdirection and the take-offtransition altitude in the Setup Phase tab. Default value: Unchecked, Heading: 0°, Transition altitude: 20 m/ATO (66ft/ATO) Caution: Setting the take-offtransition altitude too low may cause the drone to perform a change ofdirection too early and may result in acrash. Setting thetake-offtransition altitude too high may cause the drone to drift sideways aftertake-offifthere is too much wind.

• Start waypoint: Here you set the position, change altitude parameter, altitude above take-off(m/ATO), turn direction and radius ofthe Start waypoint. You can setthe location by clicking the 0 button and clicking on the desired location in the Map Area.eMotion in-depth guide
Defaultvalues: Change altitude: Duringtransit, Altitude: 75 m/ATO (246ft/ATO), Turn direction: anticlockwise, Radius: 30m (98ft), Location: 80 m (262ft) West ofthe 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 orto waitfor a command from eMotion. This second option is useful ifyou wantto modify the flight plan while the drone is already in flight, or ifyou want to resume an incomplete mission. Defaultvalue: 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 RTKcan either automatically go to the Home waypoint and land, go to the Home or Start waypoint and waitfor a command orto restart the mission phase. Defaultvalue: 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 ofthe Home waypoint. You can set the location by clicking the Q button and clicking on the desired location in the Map Area. Defaultvalues: Change altitude: Keep highest, Altitude: 75 m/ATO (246ft/ATO), Turn direction: anticlockwise, Radius: 30m (98ft), Location: position calculated from GPS/GLONASS signals on start-up • Landing: With this panel you can choose between a Circular landing or a Linear landing on the Home waypoint. Ifyou select 'Linear landing' the panel expands to show options on approach sectors. You can define up to four approach sectors, each ofwhich 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 94 for details how to correctly select the Home waypoint and approach sectors. Defaultvalue: Linearlanding, Approach sectors: single sectorwith aHeading of0°and Span of20°
127Advanced functionalities

• Landing location altitude: You can also configurethe altitude ofthe landing location ifit is differentfrom theTake-offaltitude. 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. ifthe 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 thatthe landing position is changed). Defaultvalue: Landing location altitude: 0m/ATO (0 ft/ ATO) • Setup phase reset: Pressing the 'Reset all setup phase parameters' will reset the Home and Start waypoints to the take-offlocation and reset the rest ofthe 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. • Flight plan actions: Acomplete flight plan includes all the Setup phase (Start and Home waypoints, Take-offand 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 tofile... load and savethe currentflight plan (both setup and mission phases) to aXML file for later reuse.

- Click Save flight plan in droneto save the currentflight plan to the eBeeRTK's on-board memory. Once aflight plan is saved inthedrone's memory, itwill becomethedefaultflight plan the nexttimethedrone is started and will appearin eivlotionupon connection. The drone aiso keeps track ofits last waypoint during aflight. Ifyou 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,
39 this action is only available when the drone is not in flight
128

# 0 0 0 eMotion 

### in-depth guide
land mid-mission to change the drone's battery or import images using the Flight Data Manager, then take offagain and the drone will complete the mission from the point it left off. Note: 

### To resume an incomplete mission, in the StartWaypoint panel on the Flight Setup tab, setthe Aftertake-offaction to Wait on start waypoint. Launch your drone, then when it reaches the Start waypoint, let it circle the waypoint once, then click RESUME MISSION on the Control Bar. Note: 

### The drone will not resume a saved mission atthe point it was interrupted ifanychanges have been madetothe missionwaypoints, or ifthe saved mission would cause the drone to leave the working area. Note: 

### It is not necessary to save aflight to the autopilot in order to fly! This is an advanced option meantto reducethe preparationtime required when the same flight is performed many times and allow interrupted missions to resume.

129

## )
/ Advanced functionalities 

### 7.6 Mission Planning tab The Mission Planning tab is used to automatically define asetofwaypoints based on a mission area and a set ofimage 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 ofaflight' on page 30.



# 0 0

130 mission area

rotate, resize, displace / . generated flight lines

Note: The quality ofthe output orthomosaic is usually lower on the outer edges ofthe area that is photographed, as there is less overlap between images. The area photographed is thus always calculated to be biggerthan the mission area selected so as to ensure maximum image overlap within the mission area itself. Note: Ifthere is no flight plan overlaid on the mission area rectangle then the mission is too large and cannot be flown by the eBee RTK. This can be for two reasons: either the distance between two waypoints is too long for the drone to cover in a single flight, orthe waypoints are too far from theTake-offand landing locations.\ '

Mapping and mission parameters

Resulting flight characteristics eMotion in-depth guide

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The Mission Planning tab is divided in several panels. The first panel, Mapping and mission parameters, contains the parameters that define the requirements ofaparticular mission:
• Difficult terrain: Clicking this button will fill in preset values to the rest

ofthe parameters. The Difficult terrain preset is meant for imaging terrain with complexfeatures such asforests. High image overlap is recommended to increase the amount offeatures that can be matched between images, though atthe cost oflower image resolution (due to higher altitude). • Easyterrain (default): This presetis meantfor simpleterrain such as quarries or agricultural areas where high-resolution images can be taken with
131Advanced functionalities relatively low image overlap. 

# 0 Note: The preset values are recommended settings that have demonstrated good results when images are then used in Postflight Terra 30to create orthomosaics. Do not hesitate, however, to modify these parameters to suit the particularities ofthe terrain you are mapping orthe local regulations and airspace constraints.

• Mission area: You can select either a rectangular mission area for simple

terrain (as described in section The mission phase ofaflight' on page 30) or apolygonal mission areafor more complexterrain (as described in section 'Advanced polygonal mission area' on page 85). Default value: Rectangular

• Ground resolution: Thetargetground resolutionto be achieved, expressed in centimetres per pixel (1 cm/px = 0.4 in/px). This parameter is directly linkedto theflight altitude: ahigherresolution (few cm/px) requires alower altitude, while a lower resolution (many cm/px) requires a higher one. Default value: 4.0 cm/px (1.6 in/px)

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

correct camera model is set in the flight plannerto 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 ofthe onboard camera.

40 see section 'Camera tab' on page 141 for details on changing the camera type
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# 0 eMotion in-depth guide

Note: eBee RTKhas a minimum distance between images that depends on wind strength and direction. The maximum longitudinal overlap depends on this minimum distance as well as the calculated altitude and the camera model. Ifthe calculated altitude is too low the drone may not be ableto achievethe required longitudinal overlap. This will be indicated by a A icon. Flying at an altitude ofless than 40 m(131 ft) is potentially dangerous and will be indicated by a Oicon.

• Use elevation data to set absolute waypoint altitudes: Checking this boxwill enabletheflight plannerto adjustthe absolute altitudes ofall mission waypoints based on elevation data. This advanced planning mode is described in detail in section '3D mission planning using elevation data' on page 86. Defaultvalue: disabled • Lateral overlap: The percentage ofoverlap between the ground coverage ofpictures from adjacent flight lines. For most mapping purposes, a minimum of50% is usually required. Higher coverage values may increase the mapping quality butwill increase the flight duration. Default value: 60 % • Longitudinal overlap: The percentage of overlap between the ground

coverage ofpictures taken consecutively in the sameflight line. Default value: 70 % • Generate perpendicularflight 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 30. It is particularly useful for difficultterrain atthe cost ofdoubling the required flight time. Defaultvalue: disabled • Reverse flight direction: By default, theflight plannerwill design aflight in which the drone begins a mission at the farthest waypoint and finishes
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# ) Advanced functionalities
closer to the Home waypoint. Checking this box reverses the order ofthe planned mission waypoints. Be cautious, however, to ensure that there is enough reserve battery to return to the Home waypoint at the end ofthe mission. Default value: disabled • Save parametersas default: Clicking this button will save the current parameters ofthe 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 ofthefirst waypoint used to implementthe mapping mission, as organized in theWaypoint list in the Mission Waypoints tab. This option is useful when including morethan one mission area into asingleflight. Thedefaultvalueforanew mission is 1. When planning for a second area to be covered in the same flight, the 'After previous' button setsthe starting waypoint afterthewaypoints used forthe previous area. Defaultvalue: 1 • Wind estimate: The estimated wind speed and direction. Incorrectly setting the windspeed affects the estimated flight time ofthe eBee RTKand 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: 0m/s (0 nm/h) • Maxflight time: This parameter sets the maximum estimated flight time

for asingle flight. Ifthe flight plannerestimates a longerflight time for the currently-selected Mission area it will split the mission into two or more flights. Defaultvalue: 40 min Thethird panel, Mission plan actions, includes the 'Upload' button which is used to upload the resulting mission waypoints to the autopilot. Ifthere are multiple
134)

eMotion in-depth guide flights required this button becomes a drop-down list, and you can upload each flight individually. Caution: Clicking 'Upload' will directly modify the waypoints required fortheflight plan in the eBee RTK.Ifthe drone isflying towards or around one ofthese waypoints, its navigation will be affected to reflectthe new waypoint parameters. Clicking the 'More' button reveals several more options:
• Load mission area...: Click to load a previously-saved mission area and parameters from an Auto Flight Planner (.afp) file. • Save mission area...: Clickto 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 thatthis saves onlythe mission area shape and location along with the associated mission and image parameters, not the actual list ofwaypoints 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 RTKautopilot, 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 areafrom KMLfile: Use this option to load apolygonal mission area directlyfrom a KMLfile (produced in Goog/e EarthTMfor example). • Load mission area from map object: Use this option to load apolygona! mission area from a previously-imported map object (see section 'Toolbar' on page 113). • Reset mission area: Clicking will resetthe mission area to the default rectangular size and reposition it in the centre ofthe Map Area. Itwill also reset
135Advanced functionalities
all mapping and mission parameters to their last saved default values41 •
• Restore factory settings: Clickto restore all the parameters ofthis tab to

their default settings. The last panel ofthis tab displays the characteristics oftheflight(s) resulting from the selected image parameters:

• Numberofflights: The resulting numberofflightsthatmustbe performed

to coverthe chosen mission area. Ifthe mission area 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 aflight is calculated assuming afully charged battery and an accurate wind estimate.

• Flight time: This is the estimated flight time for 

### each ofthe flights.

• Total flight distance: Thetotal distance thatwill beflown during allofthe

flights.

• Total ground coverage: The total area that will be mapped during allof

the flights.

• Number offlight lines: The total number offlight lines in the mission phase ofthe flight plan, not including flight lines to and from theTake-off or landing locations. The second number represents the flight lines perpendicularto 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 default' button.
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# 0 eMotion in-depth guide

Note: Ifthe flight line spacing is low enough to cause your drone to overshoot the beginning of aflight line, eMotion will automatically switch to an alternating flight line pattern. Your drone will fly along every other flight line, then return to fill in the gaps. Ifthe spacing becomes too small even for an alternateflight lines, a will appear beside this parameterto indicate the warning. You can remove this warning by decreasing the Lateral overlap orthe Ground resolution.

• 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 (30 flight planning only).
• Maxflight lines altitude above elevation data: Maximum altitude difference between aflight line and the ground altitude, based on the topmost elevation data layer (30 flight planning only).
• Minflight lines altitudeaboveelevation data: Minimum altitude difference between aflight line and the ground altitude, based on the top-most elevation data layer (30 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 backwind. 

# 0 Note: The eBee RTKhas a minimum distance between photos that depends on the wind speed and direction. Ifthe calculated distance that is too shortwill be indicated with a

### 0 icon. This is not critical for the flight, but it may reduce the longitudinal overlap ofthe images. Consider reducing the ground resolution (fly higher) to achieve the selected longitudinal overlap, or reduce the longitude overlap itself to remove this notice.

• Single image coverage: The estimated ground area covered by a single
137Advanced functionalities image, based on the Altitude over take-offlocation parameter (assuming flat terrain).
• Number ofwaypoints: The total number ofwaypoints to cover the mission area. • Elevation data sources: The elevation data sources being used to calculatethe altitudes ofthewaypoints. This can be eitherthe default 'Improved SRTM' within 

### eMotion or imported custom data sets, depending on which one is activated and is atthetopofthe list in the 'Elevation data' Preference pane. The flight characteristics are updated automatically as you modify the mission area in the Map Area orthe parameters in thefirst panel.

138

### 7.7 Mission Waypoints tab

Selected mission waypoint parameters

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The Mission Waypoints tab contains a list of all mission waypoints currently on the drone autopilot. It can be used forfiner control ofindividual waypoints in the current mission. The list ofwaypoints 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 80. Changes made to the selected waypoint are sentto the drone immediately after selecting an item in the popup menu or upon hitting the 'Enter' key in the text fields. You can reposition thewaypoint by clicking the Q button and then clicking atthe desired position in the Map Area. You can make the selected waypoint the current waypoint by clicking the C) button.
139

# )

Advanced functionalities
Caution: Any change to the waypoints or their parameters are directly sentto the drone and maytherefore impactitsflightbehaviour. We recommend thatyou take greatcare before modifying waypoints while the drone is in flight. You can add new waypoints by clicking the

# + button or by right-clicking on the Map Area and selecting 'Add waypoint here: Clicking the 

### 0 button will remove all mission waypoints from the drone.



# 0

140 Note: All modifications made to the waypoint list will be lost when the drone is switched off, unless the list is explicitly saved into the autopilot using the 'Saveflight plan in drone' button in the Setup Phase tab (see Section 'Setup Phase tab' on page 125).

### 7.8 Camera tab

Camera model [

Individual photos

Camera control [
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# J Photo sequence control

Photo targets 

# J Newphoto target increment

The camera tab is an advanced tab that can be used to precisely control thefunctioning ofthe 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:

141I /



# ) Advanced functionalities
The 'Camera model' section is used to definethe camera orpayload currently connected to the eBee RTK. The list contains all payloads currently supported on the eBeeRTK. The 'Photo targets' section allows you to program a set ofphoto targets thatthe drone will capture with an oblique angle. You can define aphoto target location, distance to the object and the heading and pitch ofthe photograph. The drone will then automatically calculate aflight plan in order to capture the photo with the desired parameters.

142 • Photo sequence control: Clicking the 'Start sequence' button will send the drone to the first photo target location and subsequentlytake images ofall the phototargets currentlyin the 'Phototargets'list. Clicking the 'Stop sequence'will send the drone backto the Home waypoint. • Photo targets: This panel contains the list ofphoto 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 ofa 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 altitude the drone will reach atthe end ofaphoto capture manoeuvre, based on the desired ground resolution.

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

the image that will be pointed atthe 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 respectto North ofthe photo target.-\

eMotion in-depth guide

- Pitch: The pitch angle with respectto vertical ofthe photo target.

- Altitude reference: The altitude reference ofthe photo target altitude, eitherATO or AMSL.

- Target altitude: The altitude ofthe photo target.

- Position (Coordinate): The precise latitudeand longitudeofthe centre ofthe waypoint. • New photo target increment: This panel makes it easier to make a series ofoblique photos ofthe same target with a regular angle increment in order to aid reconstruction ofa 3D model. Every new Photo target that is added using the+button will be placed atthe same location as the previous one, butwith an increment in heading and pitch angles defined bythe 'Heading increment' and 'Pitch increment' parameters, respectively. Default value: Heading increment: 0°, 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. Ifthis box is unchecked, photo targets are presumed to be atthe same altitude as the take-offlocation. Defaultvalue: disabled The 'Camera control' section has thefollowing functions:
• 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 ofaflight plan. 

# 0 Note: The 'Take photo now' button has no effectduring Take-off, Circular landing, Linear landing and Emergency landing modes.

• 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
143

# ) Advanced functionalities
with mission waypoints. Selecting 'On' overrides waypoint actions and enables continuous shooting. Conversely, selecting 'Off' will override waypoint actions and disable continuous shooting. Defaultvalue: 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 RTKtakes images at a default estimated

pitch angle of7° 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 suityour 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 ittakes an image, losing altitude and decreasing flight time and longitudinal overlap. Decrease the pitch angle down to 0° can capture more vertical images of the ground ifmapping precision at low altitudes is ofutmost importance. However, decreasing this angle will cause the drone to lose altitude with each image taken, requiring itto return to thetarget altitude before taking another image, once again decreasing both flight time and longitudinal overlap between images. Defaultvalue: 7° • Distance between photos: Check the 'Use manual parameters' box to manually set the distance between photos in the direction offlight. This option may be used to override the automatic settings based on altitude and longitudinal overlap. Default value: Unchecked, Distance between photos: Automatic 

# 0 Note: Depending on the altitude and the wind the desired distance between images may not always be achievable. The minimum distance with no wind and at sea level is around 35-40 m (115-131 ft).

144eMotion in-depth guide Clicking the 

### 0 button will provide further options:
• Save parameters as default in drone: Saves the currently-setcamera parameters to the eBee RTK's autopilot's memory. • Restore factory parameters: Returns the parameters to their default values and automatically send them to the drone's autopilot.

145Advanced functionalities 

### 7.9 Flight Parameters tab



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The FlightParameterstabincludes some advancedfunctionsthatgovern theoverall behaviour ofthe drone while in flight. It is separated into two sections: 'Flight parameters' and 'General**information~** The 'Flight parameters' section includes thefollowing items:

146 • Working area radius: This is the radius ofthe working area around the take-offlocation. Flying outside ofthis area will create awarning and cause the drone to return to the Home waypoint. Default value: 500 m(1640 ft) • 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: 300 m/ATO (984ft/ATO)eMotion in-depth guide

• Manual control mode: Selects between Full Manual control and Assisted Manual control when the remote control is turned on42• Default value: Full Manual control • Securityactions: The nextcheckboxes are used to disable certain Security actions43• • 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 Caution: In certain regions it is illegal to disable the remote control connection between the drone and the operator on the ground. Please check the laws in your region before enabling this option.
• Return to Home in case ofstrong wind: Checking this boxwill enablethe 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 Caution: The eBee RTK is not designed to fly in winds above 12 m/s (23 nm/h). Flying in high-wind conditions increases the chances ofa crash that may damage the drone and is done at your own risk.
• Return to Home in case of poor GPS/GLONASS coverage: Checking this box will enable the Security action (return to Home waypoint) related to poor GPS/GLONASS signal coverage. Un-checking this box will disable the Security action, howeverthe In-flight warning will continue to appear. Default value: checked 42 see section 'Manual control ofthe eBee RTK'on page 150for more information 43 see section 'In-flight warnings' on page 174 for more information on Security actions related to

specific In-flight warnings
147Advanced functionalities

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

enable the Security action (return to Home waypoint) related to a camera malfunction. Un-checking this box will disable the Security action, however the In-flight warning will continue to appear. Default value: checked • Return to Home after 30s in case of link loss: Checking this box will enable In-flightwarnings and Security actions related to a loss ofthe 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. Defaultvalue: unchecked • Climb in case ofdetected ground proximity (<30m): The eBee RTKfeatures aground sensorthatcontinuously checks the presence ofthe ground. If this box is checked and the ground sensor detects a height above the ground of less than 30 m (98ft), the drone will climb to a safe height of 60 m (197ft) before continuing the mission. Default value: checked • Use ground sensor for landing: The eBee RTK uses its ground sensor together with its estimate ofthe wind speed during its landing manoeuvre to calculate the ideal momentto perform afinal brake and enter deep stall. Ifthis box is unchecked the drone will ignore the ground sensor during its approach and will assume thatthe landing location is precisely atthe same altitude as indicated in eMotion. This will result in a landing precision that is decreased and dependent on the strength ofthe wind. Default value: checked 

# 0 Note: Un-checkingthisfeature is only recommendedwhen performing a linear landing in uneven terrain where the height measured by the ground sensor during approach would imply an undesired approach slope correction.

148I /

eMotion in-depth guide Clicking the 'More' list will provide further options:
• Save parameters as default in drone: Saves the currently-set flight parameters to the eBee RTK'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 RTK. This includes the current firmware and bootloader versions loaded into the autopilot, the serial numbers ofthe airframe and the autopilot, the total number of flights performed by drone and the total time spent in the air.



# 0 Note: The flight counter is incremented everytime thetake-offprocedure is initiated by shaking the eBee RTKback and forth 3 times, even iftake-offis subsequently aborted. Clicking 'View flight database
..: will bring up awindow that presents asummary ofall the flights performed by the drone using this computer.

149Advanced functionalities 

## 8 Manual control ofthe eBee RTK
Goal ofthis section: This section describes how to use the remote control to manually control the drone, either in Full Manual or Assisted Manual modes. Caution: Operation ofthe eBee RTKin either Assisted or Full Manual mode requires the skills of an experienced RC aircraft pilot. SenseFiy Ltd cannot be held responsiblefor damage caused by manual control ofthe drone. Any damaged caused by manual control of the drone will void the warranty. 

### 8.1 Enabling manual control By default, the eBee RTKflies 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 oftwo available manual modes: Full Manual or Assisted Manual. In Full Manual mode the sticks ofthe remote control directly set the motor power and the angle ofthe ailerons ofthe drone. In Assisted Manual mode the sticks ofthe remote control are used to set the speed, turn rate and climb or sink rate.



# 0 Note: Ensure thatthe 'Ignore RC signals' option in the Flight Parameters tab is unchecked44, otherwise the drone will ignore the commands fromthe remote control and remain in autonomousoperation mode. Turning on the remote controi 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 tab4sof

### eMotion. Turning offthe remote control will cause the drone to return to the last autonomous operation mode it was in
45 see section 'Flight Parameterstab' on page 146 for more details on this setting
150

### Manual control ofthe eBee RTK


### before Manual mode was enabled. Caution: 

### We recommend that you only turn the remote control on when it is held by a pilot ready to take manual control ofthe drone, and thatyou turn itoffwhen putting the remote control down. Manual control ofthe eBee RTK

### can be achieved at anytime ifthe drone is within range ofthe remote46

.
on: manual off: auto

FM: Full Manual AM: Assisted Manual right stick

Caution: 

### The remote control is preconfigured for use with the eBeeRTK.In 

### particular,thetrim dials, usedto finely adjustthe position ofthe drone's ailerons, are calibrated to ensure optimal flight characteristics and should not be adjusted. Changing the remote control's configuration, including the trim settings, may compromisethe flight characteristics ofthe drone. If, for any reason, the preset settings should be lost, contact your eBee RTK

### reseller.

46 see section 'Drone specifications' on page 197for the range ofthe remote control
151\

Advanced functionalities 

### 8.2 Pre-flighttesting ofthe remote control Ifyou plan to use the remote control during aflight we recommend thatyou first test it on the ground. Ensure that the eBee RTKis set to Full Manual mode47 and follow these steps: 1. Checkthatthe left stickon the remote control is in the low position to preventthe propellerfrom spinning. 2. Turn on the remote control. 3. Turn on the eBeeRTKbyconnectingthe battery. Oncethe drone detectsthe signal from the remote control itwill change to one ofthe manual modes.
Caution: The motor ofthe eBee RTKis now controlled bythe remote control and will begin spinning ifthe left stick is pushed up. Always keep the area around the propellerclearofobstacles and body parts to prevent injury. 4. Move the right stickon the remote control toverify properreception bythe drone and correct servo direction. 5. Turn offthe remote control for take-off. 

# 0 Note: Ifthe remote control is switched on while it is performing preflight checks the ailerons will not move when the checks are completed and the GPS/GLONASS signals are acquired. For more information on using the remote control, referto the original user manual, available from the Knowledge Base within my.senseFI/8

. 47 see section 'Enabling manual control' on page 150 48 http://my.sensefly.com
152Manual control ofthe eBee RTK 

### 8.3 Full Manual mode Full Manual mode allows you to have direct control over the eBee RTK's actuators, overriding all control from the on-board autopilot. The left stick controls the thrust. For safety reasons, the left stick should remain atthe lowest position at all times, except during flight. The right stick controls the elevator and the ailerons in the same way as atypical aircraft control stick (or thejoystickwith aflight simulator). Note that the drone uses its ailerons to fulfil the functions ofboth 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 astandard take-offprocedure in autonomous mode and only switch to Full Manual mode when the drone is in the air. Ifyou wish to take-offin Full Manual mode, however, you must use thefollowing steps: 1. Prepare the drone for flight as described in section 'Preparing the eBee RTK for flight' on page 46 while keeping the remote control turned offand the left stick at its lowest position. 2. Turn on the remote control. You now have manual control over the main thrust motor and the servo-motors. Caution: The motor ofthe drone is now controlled by the remote control and will begin spinning ifthe left stick is pushed up. Always keep the area around the propellerclear ofobstacles and body parts to prevent injury. 3. Firmly grasp the eBee RTKhorizontally with level wings using both hands, one hand on thefront ofeach wing. Shake the drone backandforth 3times 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).
153Advanced functionalities
Caution: Taking off without performing the motor power-up sequence will result in the eBee RTKstaying in Idle mode during the entire flight and is not recommended. The drone will no longer be able to enter automatic mode while in flight and must land using manual control. 4. The eBee RTK is now ready for manual take-off. Orient yourself into the wind, and confirm thatthetake-offdirection in front ofyou isfree ofobstacles. We recommend that you take offat 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. 

### 8.4 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 ofthe eBee RTK. Caution: Though it may be easierto fly the eBee RTKmanually when in Assisted Manual mode it remains dangerous and should be used with care. In particular,the pilotmuststill be aware ofobstaclesinthe area, the altitude ofthe ground, the inversion ofcontrol commands when the drone is flying towards the pilot and the distance between the drone and the pilot. We recommend that you only try Assisted Manual mode when in alarge open space with no obstacles and low wind. In this mode the left stick is used to set the desired speed ofthe eBee RTK. Setting the left stickbetween 10% and 100% sets a desired speed between 10.5 and 20 m/s (20.4 and 39 nm/h). Setting the stickbelow 10%turns offthe motor, allowing the drone to slowly descend in a glide. The drone may even engage reverse thrustto limit its speed during descent. The right stickis used to setthe direction offlight ofthe eBeeRTK. Moving the stick
154-**~/** Manual control ofthe eBee RTK
left or right will set a left or right roll angle ofup to 45°

### Is, respectively. Moving the stickdown will set aclimb rate ofup to 3.5 

### m!s (690ft/min). Moving the stick up will set asink rate ofup to 3.5 m/s (690ft/min). Releasing the right stick at any pointwill return the drone to a straightflight path at aconstant altitude. It is not possible to take-off in Assisted Manual mode. You may only switch to Assisted Manual mode after completing the standard take-offprocedure49• Caution: There is no clear indication during the take-offprocedure that the eBee RTKwill change to Assisted Manual mode rather than Circle Start Waypoint mode after the take-offtransition altitude is reached50• Forthis reason we recommend thatyou do notturn onthe remote control unless you are ready to manually control the drone right aftertake-off. 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 confirmthatthere are no obstacles in an area ofat least 100m (328ft) downwind and awidth of20 m(66ft) in eitherdirection from downwind. 2. Set the drone to an altitude ofaround 50 m (164ft) from the landing altitude by moving the right stick up or down. 3. Fly downwind until the drone is around 100m (328ft) awayfrom the landing location. 4. Turn the drone upwind and towards the landing location by moving the right stick left or right. 5. Setthe speed to a low value by moving the left stickdown to around 25% ofits maximum va!ue. 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 (16-33 ft) from the ground.
49 as described in section 'Take-off' on page 59
155i /

Advanced functionalities

156 7. Once the drone is around 5-10 m (16-33 ft) from the landing location, cut motor power using the left stick and allow the drone to glide down to the ground.)



## Part Ill 

# Maintenance, Repair and TroubleshootingMaintenance, Repair and Troubleshooting 

## 9 Maintenance and repair ofthe 

## eBee RTK

9.1 Goal ofthis section: This section describes how to update accompanying software and on-board firmware, keep your drone in good working condition and perform small repairs such as cracks in the airframe.


### Updating the 

### eBee RTK's software and firmware Occasionally, senseFiy Ltd releases asoftware upgradeforthe eBee RTKto provide additional features to our users orto correct potential issues. As ofversion 2.0.2, eMotion will checkfor new versions during start-up51 and will display a message with update instructions ifa new version is available. We recommend, however, that you check my.senseFiy52 regularly for updates to ensure you have the latest version ofthe software. Caution: We are constantly working to improve the performance of our products and we are dedicated to providing our customers with the newest software as soon as it becomes available. Since the highest level offlight safety can only be achieved with the latest software release, senseFly Ltd can only offerwarranty servicefor productsthat have been properly updated. To upgrade eMotion or Postflight Terra 30to the latest version, download the installerfrom my.senseFiy and follow the standard install procedure (see section 'Installing eMotion, Postflight Terra 30, and the ground modem drivers' on page 24). It is not necessary to uninstall previous version of eMotion before installing the new one.

51 provided thatthere is an internet connection 52 http:! /my.sensefly.com
158Maintenance and repair ofthe eBee RTK 

### 9.2 Howto update the 

### eBee RTK's firmware Every version of eMotion is packaged with an accompanying firmware revision which must be installed on the drone before it can be used. 1. Connect the batteryto the drone. 2. Connectthe USB cable betweenthe computeron which you installed eMotion and the autopilotofthe eBeeRTKas shown in thefigure. The connector is beside the camera connector and is marked with a 

### Q icon. The status LED will turn white as soon as you connectthe cable. 3. Launch eMotion53 •
connect USB cable to autopilot

4. In eMotion, clickthe iii icon and select 'Updater eBee RTK
...

**~** 5. Click 'Update'to begin the updating process. Wait until 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 RTK program in

the Windows Start or Apps menu
159Maintenance, Repair and Troubleshooting 

# 0 Note: You may need to install adriverthefirsttimeyou upgradeyour firmware. Thedriverwill be installed automatically butmay causethe firmware update to fail. Ifthis isthe case, retrythe update process by clicking 'Update' again, without disconnecting the battery or cable from the drone orclosing the 'Updater eBee RTK'program. 6. Disconnectthe USB cable and the battery. It is important that both the drone and eMotion have the same software version for them to work properlytogether. Make sure thatyou keep both up-to-date. To checkwhich version ofeMotionyou have installed, usethe 'AbouteMotion
..: item in the 'Window' menu. The eBee RTKfirmware version can be seen in the Flight Parameters tab once connected (see section 'Flight Parameters tab'on page 146). 

### 9.3 Cleaning and storage Use adamp cloth to wipe offdirtfrom the eBee RTK.In orderto avoid structural deformation ofthewing, it is recommended to storethe drone eitherin its transport case or on aflat surface at room temperature.



### 9.4 Caution: Never bring the eBee RTKinto direct contactwith water, as this may damage the electronics within the drone airframe. 

### Full airframe and sensor inspection Beyond the general airframe inspection that is performed before everyflight, we recommend that you perform afull airframe and sensor inspection regularly to keep your drone in good operating condition.

160 Caution: The autopilot, sensors and actuators within the Central Body of the eBee RTK are specially calibrated and should only be modified by your eBee RTKreseller. Opening the Central Body ofthe eBee RTKwill void the warranty.I J

Maintenance and repair ofthe eBee RTK
The inspection includes the following checks: Check 1: Motor and Servos The eBee RTKuses abrushless DC motorto 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 importantto ensure their properfunctioning.

To checkthe actuators, follow these steps: 1. The motor must be clean and spin smoothly without friction to function correctly. Ensure thatthere is no sand orotherobstructions within the motor. Ifthere is something blocking the motorfrom spinning smoothly blow some airthrough the motorto dislodge the obstruction. 2. Make sure the left stick ofthe remote control is all the way down to keep the motor off 54• Place the eBee RTKat the edge ofaflat surface and keep the area around the propeller clear.

54 see section 'Manual control ofthe eBee RTK' on page 150for details on using the remote control
161Maintenance, Repair and Troubleshooting
Caution: The propelleron the eBeeRTKspins at high speeds and can cause deep cuts if it comes into contact with exposed skin. Always weargloves and glasses when any workis done requiring the battery to be connected to the drone. 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 thatthe 'Ignore RC signals' setting is not checkedss. 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 muststay still. Whentravelling from one end to the other, fast or slow, the ailerons must smoothlyfollow withouttwitching. 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 ofdoubt, take ashortvideo and follow the instructions in section 'Reporting aproblem with your eBee RTK'on page 193 for advice. Check 2: Inertial sensors The inertial sensors are used by the autopilotto compute the attitude (i.e. its orientation in space) ofthe drone. The attitude is displayed by the artificial horizon in the Flight Monitoring tab ofeMotion. To checkthe inertial sensors, follow these steps: 1. Switch the eBee RTKon by connecting the battery and connectto eMotion.
55 see section 'Flight Parameters tab' on page 146 for more details on these settings
162Maintenance and repair ofthe eBee RTK
2. Put the drone on aflat surface (typically an office floor) and checkthat the artificial horizon is level. 3. Takethe drone with yourhand and put itin differentorientation. Make sure thatthe artificial horizon displays the corresponding orientation. The artificial horizon should follow smoothly the motion ofthe eBee RTK and it should not driftwhen the drone is not moving. In case ofdoubt,take ashortvideo and follow the instructions in section 'Reporting aproblem with your eBeeRTK'on page 193 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: 1. Switch the eBee RTKon by connecting the battery and connectto eMotion. 2. Movethe dronefrom yourfeetto aboveyourhead (about 2m (7ft) altitude variation). 3. Checkthe altitude on the vertical bar right ofthe artificial horizon or in the Status Panel nextto the drone icon on the map). The displayed altitude should follow the drone motion, i.e. ifthe drone is raised by 2 m (7ft), the altitude reading should increase by about 2 m (7ft). When the drone is not moving, the altitude reading may slowly drift by up to ±10m (±33ft). Check4: Air speed sensor The air speed sensor is connected to the pitot probe by a pair oftubes. To check it, follow these steps: 1. Visually check the pitot probe. Make sure that it is properly fixed to the airframe and thatboth tubes are properly attached and not damaged). The holes in the probe mustbe clearand free ofdirtorothersmall obstructions. 2. Switch the drone on by connecting the battery and connect to eMotion.

163- "'\

Maintenance, Repair and Troubleshooting
3. Gently blow into the front opening of the pitot tube from a distance of around 5 em (2 in). The airflow direction should match the natural flow experienced in flight. 4. Checkthe airspeed displayed onthevertical barleftofthe artificial horizon. At rest, the displayed air speed should be close to zero (it may drift up to about 2 m/s (4 nm/h)). When blowing in the pitot probe there should be an air speed indicated in the 'Flight Monitoring' tab ofeMotion that should easily reach values above 8m/s (16 nm/h). Check 5: Ground sensor The ground sensor is composed ofa high-speed optical sensor and alens assembly. The lens assembly must be clean and unobstructed for the sensor to work correctly. 

### 9.5 Repairing the 

### eBee RTKairframe Small repairs of cracks in the airframe can be done using contact glue such as UHU® POR glue. Take care to use only contactglues that are specifically designed for Expanded Polypropylene (EPP). If you have doubts about the extent ofthe damage, always contactyour eBee RTKresellerto verify ifthe damage can be easily repaired by yourselfor ifyou need to send your drone in for repairto. Caution: Neverfly your eBee RTKifit has cracks in the airframe.


### 9.6 Re-attaching the GNSS/RTK Antenna
senseFly supplies eBee RTKwith its GNSS antenna attached and strongly recommends that you do nottry and detach the antenna.

164 Caution: Only remove the antenna if absolutely necessary or if instructed to by senseFly support oryour reseller.\ Maintenance and repair ofthe eBee RTK
Ifyou do need to remove the antenna, when re-attaching it:
• Make surethe screwthreads on the antenna and on your eBee RTKare both

undamaged and free ofliquid, grit, dust and dirt. • Screw the GNSS antenna gently and carefully onto its connector. Take care

notto cross the screw thread. • Tighten the antenna firmly but with finger force only. Do not overtighten. • Once screwed on correctly, the initials RTK will be in line with the word

eBee.



# 0 Note: Your drone will raise atake-offveto and refuse to start its motor ifthe antenna is not attached. The Section 'Take-offvetoes' on page 172 describes the possible messages and the user action that should be taken to remove them. 

### 9.7 Proper battery care Proper care ofyour eBee RTK's battery is important to prevent damage to your drone and to maximize flight time. With afully charged battery, the drone will fly
165- 

## ' 

## ) Maintenance, Repair and Troubleshooting
for about 40 minutes. Frequent altitude changes, presence ofwind, 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 shorterflight times in cold weather. The eBee RTKis powered by a Lithium Polymer (LiPo) battery composed ofthree cells connected in series. Asingle 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 of9 Vand afully-charged battery voltage of 12.6 V. Awell-balanced and healthy battery should have all three cells at a voltage very close to each other and between 3and 4.2 V. The charger delivered with your drone automatically checks for healthy voltages of all three cells and only attempts charging ifthey are within limits. Ifthe cells are out of balance, the charger will take care of balancing them. Ifthe charger detects avoltage outside ofthe allowable range it will indicate an error either by flashing the status LED red, or by the LED staying off. This means thatthe battery is over-discharged and should be discarded. Caution: The batteries delivered with your drone are designed to be charged with the charger delivered with your eBee RTK. senseFly Ltd cannot be held responsible for any consequences resulting from using a different charger. In particular, using acharger improperly configured or designed for othertypes ofbatteries may lead the battery packto be permanently damaged orto catch on fire. LiPo batteries do not exhibit any memory effect. We recommend that you always fully charge them after use even when they are only partially discharged. When not using the battery store it in the carrying case provided with your drone. Avoid leaving the battery in direct sunlight.

166I j 

### Maintenance and repair ofthe eBee RTK
Caution: 

### Ifany ofthe cells ofyourbatterypackare overlydischarged the battery may be irreversiblydamaged and becomes dangerous to charge. Ifthe battery grows beyond its regular size or if any ofthe cells are punctured it is also likelydamaged and should be discarded. Forcefully charging a damaged battery may lead it to take fire. Do not attemptto charge an over-discharged or damaged battery. Dispose ofthe batterysafely.

167Maintenance, Repair and Troubleshooting 

## 10 

## Troubleshooting
Goal of this section: This section describes the various error messages that may be displayed during start-up orwhile the eBee RTKis in flight and provides some tips on solving the simplest problems. In the case ofamore serious problem,this section describes howto prepare the required data on the problem and report itto your eBee RTK reseller. The eBeeRTKcan generate several types oferror messages depending on itsflight mode. Some ofthese messages are minor and simply need to be acknowledged through eMotion, whereas others require more specific action from the user. As long asthedrone is connectedto eMotion, errormessages will appearin the Status Panel inthe Map Area, as well as in the Drone Status panel ofthe FlightMonitoring tab.
ACK WARNING Status Panel I 

# !] Drone ;I Status ' !I

Error messages are divided into four categories: Pre-flight errors, Take-offvetoes, In-flight warnings and Critical failures.

168)

Troubleshooting 

### 10.1 Pre-flight errors As soon as the battery is connected to the drone it performs a series ofpre-flight checks to thoroughlytest its on-board systems. The start-up process is described in detail in section 'Preparing the eBee RTKforflight' on page 46. Ifan erroroccurs during these pre-flightchecksthe status LED will blinkred and adescription ofthe errorwill 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. Ifthe problem is related to the firmware in the on-board autopilot, try re-loading the firmware using instructions in section 'Updating the eBeeRTK's software and firmware' on page 158. Ifan errorpersists after reconnectingthe battery severaltimes we recommend you reportthe problem by following the instructions in section 'Reporting aproblem with your eBee RTK'on page 193.

Incorrectfirmware 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 RTK's autopilot. User action: Re-load the correctfirmware 56• The battery level is too low to perform atake-off. User action: Re-connect afully-charged battery. The memory card used to store the Droneflight log is fu!l. User action: Empty the memory card by following the instructions in section 'Obtaining your images and flight data' on page 66.

56 see section 'Updating the eBee RTK's software and firmware' on page 158
169Maintenance, Repair and Troubleshooting

Pitot malfunction Ahigh airspeed was detected while on the ground. User action: Be sure to protect the drone from the wind and re-connectthe battery. Ifthe problem persists, perform Check 4 in section 'Full airframe and sensor inspection' on page 160. Ifthis does not solve the problem contactyour eBee RTKreseller. High current A too high current was detected, which may be caused by an internal problem. User action: Re-connectthe battery. Ifthe problem occurs twice, contact your eBee RTKreseller. Magnetometer There is an errorwith the drone's magnetic field senmalfunction sor. User action: Re-connectthe battery. Ifthe problem persists, contactyour eBee RTKreseller. EEPROM There is an errorwith the memory chip ofthe drone's malfunction autopilot. User action: Re-connect the battery. Ifthe problem persists, contactyour eBee RTKreseller. Barometer There is an errorwith 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 Check3in section 'Full airframe and sensor inspection' on page 160. If this does not solve the problem contactyour eBee RTKreseller.

170De-calibrated INS or Attitude malfunction

Ground sensor malfunction

Invalid flight controller gains Troubleshooting

The orientation sensors were notcalibrated correctly. 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 Check2in section 'Full airframe and sensor inspection' on page 160. If this does not solvethe problem contactyour eBee RTKreseller. There is an errorwith the drone's ground sensor. User action: Ensure that the ground sensor on the bottom ofthe drone is clearofdebris and is not damaged, then re-connect the battery. If the problem persists, perform Check4in section 'Full airframe and sensor inspection' on page 160. Ifthis does not solve the problem contact your eBee RTKreseller. There is an errorwith the firmware in the drone's autopilot. User action: Re-connect the battery. Ifthe problem persists, contact your eBee RTKreseller.

171Maintenance, Repair and Troubleshooting 

### 10.2 Take-offvetoes 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 RTK continuesto monitorits sensors and battery level. Ifatany pointthedronedetects a condition that prevents it from beginning the automatic take-offprocedure it displays a Take-offveto in eMotion and the status LED changes to a blue pulse. Once the Take-offveto is cleared the status LED returns to a solid green colourto indicate thatthe drone is ready for take-off. Table 4on thefollowing page presents all theTake-offvetoes that may occur and possible actions to remove the veto. Ifa 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 RTK'on page 193.

172Drone not horizontal (roll or pitch) Motor is blocked
Battery too low for take-off Wings not detected

USB cable detected RTK source not defined Troubleshooting

Table 4: Take-offvetos The eBee RTK must be held horizontally with level wings to initiate take-off. User action: Hold the drone horizontally. Excessive currentwas detected from the motor. User action: Check that the propeller is mounted correctly and thatthe motor is freely turning and try the take-offprocedure again. The drone requires a fully-charged battery for the take-offprocedure. User action: Change the battery. The drone's wings are not attached correctly or the wing struts are damaged. Useraction: Ensure thatthe wings are fully inserted into the main body and that the wing struts are not damaged, as described in section 'Preparing the eBee RTKfor flight' on page 46. The eBee RTKhas detected a USB cable connected to the drone's autopilot. User action: Remove the USB cable before take-off. You have chosen aflight mode thatrequires RTK correction data, but none is available. Useraction: Checkthatyour GNSS/RTK base station is powered on and connected to the computer that is running eMotion. Checkthatyou have selectedthecorrectbase station connection type and parameters in eMotion. Checkthatyou have set up and, ifnecessary, logged in to yourVRS stream.

173Maintenance, Repair and Troubleshooting 

### 10.3 In-flight warnings While it is in flight the eBee RTKcan generate two types of errors: warnings and failures. In-flightwarnings occur when there is an event that requires user attention but does not compromise the drone's abilityto 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-flightwarning. 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-flightwarnings and required User actions can be found in table 5 on the next 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 146 for instructions on disabling warnings and Security actions.

174 Caution: The Security action for most In-flightwarnings is tofly back to the Home waypoint (if Circular landing is selected) or the Home waypoint (iflinearlanding is selected). As soon as this Security action is triggered the drone will fly in the direction ofthe selected landing waypoint while climbing or descending to the waypoint's altitude. It is thus importantto ensure that there are no obstacles above the altitude ofthe selected landingwaypointwithinthe entireflight area to prevent a collision resulting from this Security action.Failure occurred: (failure description)

Low battery Troubleshooting
Table 5: In-flightwarnings

This warning ensures that the user is aware that a Critical failure has occurred even ifit is no longer active57. Security action: The eBee RTK flies towards the Home waypoint at an altitude defined by the Home waypoint's Change altitude parameter (by default, setto 'Highest'). User action: Ensure that the failure condition is no longer present before acknowledging the error and continuing normal operation. The remaining batterylevel istoo lowto continuethe flight plan. Security action: The eBee RTK 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. Useraction: Land as soon as possible. Re-chargethe drone battery before performing anotherflight.

57 see section 'Critical failures' on page 188 for adescription ofpossible Critical failures
175Maintenance, Repair and Troubleshooting

Drone flight log malfunction

Flight controller malfunction

Camera sync malfunction

176 There is an error saving data to the on-board memory card which will prevent the images from being geo-tagged. Images may still be geo-tagged using the eMotion Flight Log file but may be less precise. Security action: The drone continues normal flight. User action: Land as soon as possible. Once on the ground, connecttothe on-board memory card as described in section 'Obtaining your images and flight data' on page 66 and re-formatthe memory card. The flight controller has encountered an unexpected state, such as an incorrectwaypointtype. Security action: The drone flies towards the Home waypoint at an altitude defined by the Home waypoint's Change altitude parameter (by default, setto 'Highest'). User action: Land as soon as possible and re-start the drone. If the problem persists, contact your eBee RTKreseller. There is a problem with the wiring ofthe on-board 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 withouttaking 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 191.Camera power malfunction

Barometer malfunction Troubleshooting

The camera is no longer responding, most likely because 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 withouttaking further images. User action: Land as soon as possible. Checkthecable connection between the camera and the drone and charge all the batteries before performing anotherflight. The barometer used to sense the current altitude is malfunctioning. 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') using altitude calculated from GPS/GLONASS 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 160.

177Maintenance, Repair and Troubleshooting

Motor malfunction

Battery malfunction The motor is drawing too little or too much current. This may be caused by damaged wires orconnectors leading to the motororby sand orotherdebris within the motor. Security action: The drone attempts to re-start the motor. Ifthe first attempt fails a Failure: Motor malfunction Critical failure is announced58

. User action: Land as soon as possible and perform Check 1 in section 'Full airframe and sensor inspection' on page 160. The sensor used to measure the battery voltage and current is registering invalid values, indicating that the sensor is de-calibrated or damaged. Security action: The 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 RTKreseller.

56 see section 'Critical failures' on page 188
178)

Troubleshooting
Airspeed The differential pressure sensor used to measure airmalfunction speed is registering invalid values. This may be due to a damaged sensor orto 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 ofcontrolled speed, potentially resulting in low or high flight speeds depending on wind. Once itreaches 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 ofthe wind. Land as soon as possible and perform Check4 in section 'Full airframe and sensor inspection' on page 160. 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: Ifthe 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 ofany cloud cover.

179Maintenance, Repair and Troubleshooting

Overspeed Detected airspeed is unusually high, possibly due to a loss ofcontrol. Security action: The drone applies a 50% reverse thrustto 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. Securityaction: 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 160. Wings detection The sensor used to detectthe presence ofthe wings malfunction malfunctioning. Securityaction: The drone continues normal flight. User action: Land as soon as possible and inspect thewing struts as described in section 'Preparing the eBee RTKfor flight' on page 46.

180Troubleshooting
Temperature out The temperature sensor on the drone is registering ofworking 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 0°(, disconnect the battery and wait until the temperature changesto within these limits. Above working The drone has passed the vertical boundary of the area ceiling working area, defined by the working area ceiling. This may occur ifwaypoint altitudes are set close to or outside the working area ordue 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 offits 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.

181Maintenance, Repair and Troubleshooting

Out ofworking The drone has passed the lateral boundary of the area radius working area, defined by the working area radius. This may occur ifwaypoints are setcloseto oroutside ofthe 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'). Useraction: Limitthe plannedflight path within the working area boundaries. Faroutside of The drone has passedfar outside oftheworking area. working area This may be caused by very high winds ordueto mechanicaIfailure. Securityaction: The dronetries to orient itselfin the direction ofthe Homewaypointand begins descending immediately until it lands on the ground or returns within the working area. User action: Keep track ofthe location ofthe drone during landing. Ifthe drone lands outside ofviewfollow the instructions in section 'Losing and locating your eBee RTKin thefield' on page 192.

182Poor GPS/GLONASS coverage* Troubleshooting

GPS/GLONASS signal coverage is low. This may be due to mountains or tall buildings blocking satellite signals. Ifcoverage degrades any more aCritical failure will be activated and an emergency landing will be initiateds9• 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, setto 'Highest'). User action: Ifthis occurs once or twice, click 'ACK WARNING' and continue normalflight. lfthis warning appears more often, land as soon as possibleandwait for betterconditionsfor satellite signal reception. Alternatively, move awayfrom objectsthatmay disturb satellite signals such as mountains or cellular antennas.

59 see section 'Critical failures' on page 188
183Maintenance, Repair and Troubleshooting

Data uplink lost** (ifenabled)

184 This warning occurs ifthe eBee RTKdoes not receive any datafrom eMotionfor morethan 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. Having lost RTK corrections during this period,yourdrone will geotag images with less accurate, interpolated values until the connection returns. 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, setto Highest). User action: Try to improve radio signal quality by following the instructions in section 'Improving radio signal communication' on page 191./ Ground proximity detected** (ifenabled) Troubleshooting

The ground sensor on the drone has detected a ground height above the ground of less than 30 m (98 ft) during normal flight. Note: this feature should not be depended on for avoiding obstacles, as the ground sensor mayfail to detect obstacles in certain environmental conditions60• Security action (ifenabled): The drone circles the current position while climbing to an altitude of60 m (197 ft) 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(197ft) above the last detected ground height. Useraction: Ensure thatthere are no obstacles such as hills orbuildings higherthanthewaypoints ofyour flight plan.

60 see section 'Linear landing' on page 94
185\. /

Maintenance, Repair and Troubleshooting

Ground proximity The ground sensoron the eBee RTKwas unable to denot detected teetthe proximityofthe ground during aLinearlandlanding precision ing procedure. This may be due to an obstruction in decreased** the sensor, low ambient light or low contrast in the environment61

. Security action: The drone continues the Linear landing procedure but will initiate its final brake at an estimated altitude of20 m (66ft) instead of 3 m (10ft) (assuming the Linear landing location is atthe 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. Backwind, There are no approach sectors available against the landing precision direction ofthe wind. The eBee RTKhas calculated a decreased*** Linear landing approach direction in the direction of (in blue) the wind. Security action: The eBee RTK continues normal flight. Useraction: Add a new approach sector againstthe direction ofthe wind, if possible, abort the landing andtry landing again. Ifnot, be readyforthe eBeeRTK to overshoot its planning Linear landing location by preparing a larger obstacle-free zone around the location.

61 see section 'Linear landing' on page 94
186\ I

Troubleshooting
Strong wind* The wind is too strong for the eBee RTKto navigate safely. Security action (if enabled): The eBee RTKflies towards the Home waypoint at an altitude defined by the Home waypoint's Change altitude parameter (by default, setto 'Highest'). User action: Land as soon as possible and wait for betterflight conditions. Cannot maintain The eBee RTK cannot maintain the altitude that is altitude commanded bytheflight controller. This may be due to adamaged motor, airframe or ailerons or a strong vertical wind. Security action: The drone continues normal flight. User action: Ifthe condition persists during aflight, land and waitfor the wind to decrease, as explained in section 'Weather check' on page 45. Ifthe problem occurs in low-wind conditions perform Check 2 in section 'Full airframe and sensor inspection' on page 160.

187Maintenance, Repair and Troubleshooting

Pitch or Roll instability The orientation sensors on the eBee RTKdetected 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 whiletrying to stabilizethe pitch as much as possible. User action: Ifthe condition persists during aflight, land and waitfor the wind to decrease, as explained in section 'Weather check' on page 45. Ifthe problem occurs in low-wind conditions perform Check 2 in section 'Full airframe and sensor inspection' on page 160.



### 10.4 Critical failures Acritical 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 RTK, 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 next page describes the critical failures that may occur and what action is taken bythe drone. In some cases it may be possible to manually control the drone using the remote control62• Ifsuch a critical failure occurs that results in an Emergency landing we recommend that you keep track ofthe drone's last

62 see section 'Manual control ofthe eBee RTK'on page 150
188Troubleshooting
known position in the air and in eMotion ifpossible and follow the instructions in section 'Losing and locating your eBee RTKin the field' on page 192.

Failure: loss of GPS/GLONASS signals

Failure: empty battery

Failure: INS malfunction Table 6: Critical failures

Your eBee RTK 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. Ifthere is a strong wind the drone may be pushedfarfrom its currentposition. Ifsatellite 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 afailure with the orientation sensors which makes it impossible for the drone to stabilise itself and thus initiate agliding emergency landing. Emergency action: The drone turns off its motor and fully deflects its ailerons which results in an uncontrolled descent with limited impact energy (deep stall or spin).

189)

Maintenance, Repair and Troubleshooting

Failure: motor The motor is not working even after an attempted malfunction re-startcommanded by aMotormalfunction In-flight warning. Emergencyaction: The drone orients itselfin the direction ofthe Homewaypointand glides towardsthe ground while continuouslytrying to re-startthe motor. If motor re-start is successful the drone cancels the landing and flies towards the Home waypoint at an altitude defined by the Home waypoint's Change altitude parameter (by default, setto 'Highest'). Failure: CPU Over- The autopilot processor is overloaded and can no load longer control flight. The drone turns off its motor and fully deflects its ailerons which results in an uncontrolled descent with limited impact energy (deep stall or spin).

190

### \ ) Troubleshooting 

### 10.5 Resetting default camera settings In case ofunwanted 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.senseFiy63 

### 10.6 Improving radio signal communication You may occasionally losethedata connection between eMotionandyour eBeeRTK 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 itflies closerto the base station or changes direction. Ifthe 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. Iffor safety reasons you would like the eBee RTKto automatically return to the Home waypoint when this warning appears, select the corresponding option in the Flight Parameters tab64

. Ifthere are no more messages received by eMotion from the drone (downlinkdirection), a 'Data downlink lost' message will appear in eMotion. lfthere is still an active uplinkconnection you may still command yourdroneto returntothe 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 thefollowing tips to improve the range ofyour connection in thefield: 1. Place the USB ground modem as high as possible (for example, on top of a car, ladder or nearby building). Aheight of at least 2 m (7ft) is recommended. 2. Ensure thatthe USB ground modem's antenna is pointing straight up.

63 http:/ /my.sensefly.com 64 see section 'Flight Parameterstab' on page 146 for more details
191Maintenance, Repair and Troubleshooting
3. Disable any 2.4 GHz-based communication devices (or put them into 'Airplane mode') in the vicinity ofthe USB ground modem. This includes all Wifi and Bluetooth devices such as the ground station computeror mobile phones. The strength ofthe connection between the drone and eMotion is indicated in the Flight Monitoring tab65• The three LEDs next to the antenna on the ground modem also indicate the strength ofthe connection. The connection is strongest when all three LEDs are a solid red, and weakest when a single LED is blinking. 

### 10.7 Losing and locating your 

### eBee RTKin thefield We recommend that you write your address and phone number on your eBeeRTK (by putting your business card on top ofthe camera for example) in case it gets lost and subsequently found by a third party. In case you lose your drone in the field forwhateverreason, whetherfrom aloss ofcommunications, aCriticalfailure or an accidental collision, use the following steps to try to recover it: 1. Do not disconnectthe connection in eMotion! Ifit is simply out ofcommunication range the drone should reconnect automatically as it returns to the Home waypoint after completing its mission. 2. Notethe last known location ofthe drone in eMotion by printing the screen orwriting down the location displayed in the Flight Monitoring tab. 3. Move towards this last known direction with the computer running eMotion in the hope ofregaining aconnection. Be sure to take the remote control with you as well. 4. Ifyou have reached the last known location ofyour drone and have not yet found it, turn on the remote control. 5. Try moving both the control sticks around. Ifthe drone is within range it may start making noise with its main motor or 

### servo motors.
65 see section 'Flight Monitoring tab' on page 121
192)

Troubleshooting
6. Try moving downwind from the last known location in case the drone was pushed bythe wind while still in the air. 

### 10.8 Reporting a problem with your 

### eBee RTK Ifthere is a problem with your eBee RTK, whether it is a software malfunction, damaged airframe or any other problem, we recommend the following actions: 1. Ifthere is an error message displayed in eMotion, begin by checking section 'Troubleshooting' on page 168 to see ifthere is a solution to the particular message. 2. Check our Knowledge Base, part of my.senseFiy66
, to see ifthere is a solution to your problem. 3. Ifyou have still not found a solution, contact your eBee RTKreseller. Please include the following information with your inquiry:



# 0 • The serial number of your drone, in the format EB-XX-XXX. You can find this number inside the battery enclosure. Please include this serial number in the subject line ofyour message. • A short description ofthe problem. • The Drone Flight Log tile (.bbx) oftheflight that had a problem 67

. • The eMotion Flight Log (.efl) tile ofthe flight that had a problem. You can find this tile in the eMotion/logs/ directorywhich is created in My Documents on Windows. • Photos or video ofthe eBee RTKairframe, if required. Note: In order to provide support, senseFiy may request the flight log tiles for inspection.

66 http://my.sensefly.com 67 see section 'Obtaining your images and flight data'on page 66 for information on retrieving this file

from the eBee RTK
193

## Part IV 

# SpecificationsSpecifications 

## 1 Software requirements eMotion has the following minimum software requirements:

Operatingsystem Hardware
Screen MicrosoftWindows 7 I 8 1.6 GHz processor 2GB RAM 500 MB free storage space recommended resolution: 1920x 1080 visible outdoors Postflight Terra 30 has thefollowing minimum software requirements:

Operatingsystem Hardware

Screen

196 MicrosoftWindows 7 I 8, 64-bit only 1.6 GHz processor (2 GHz Intel i5li7 

### IXeon 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 (38 in) Wing area: 0.25 m2 (2.7 sq ft) Weight withoutcamera andbattery approx. 0.46 kg (1.01 lbs)

Nominaltake-offweight(approx.) 0.72 kg (1.591bs) (with standard camera & battery) Maximum take-offweight 0.75 kg (1.65 lbs) Material EPP foam, carbon structure & composite parts Battery 3-cell Lithium-Polymer (0.14 kg) Nominalendurance (flight time)68 40 minutes (with standard camera) Propulsion Electric brushless motor Nominal static thrust: 0.63 kgf (6.2 N) Nominalcruisespeed 40-90 km/h (11-25 m/s, 25-56 mph, 21- 49 nm/h) Windresistance up to 45 km/h (12 m/s, 23 nm/h) Max. single flightcoverage69 8 km 2 (3 sq mi) (on asingle battery charge)

68 can varygreatly depending on external factors such as wind, altitude change and temperature. 69 calculated based on the following test conditions: GSD of30 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 offat approx. sea level from centre ofcoverage area.
197)

Specifications
Communication devices Ground modem: • Frequency: 2.4 GHz • Range70 : approx. 3 kmUp to 3 km (1.9 miles) • Certification: FCC Part 15.247, IC RSS21 0, CE Remote control: • Frequency: 2.4 GHz • Range: approx. 1km • Certification: CE, FCC Navigation Up to 50 waypoints GSD (perpixel) Down to 5 em (2.0 in) Absolute horizontal Down to 3 em (1.2 in) accuracy (no GCPs required) Absolute vertical Down to 5 em (2.0 in) accuracy (no GCPs required) Relative orthomosaic! 1-3 times GSD

30 modelaccuracy Carrycase dimensions 55 x45 x25 em (21.6 x 17.7 x9.8 in)

70 can vary greatly depending on external factors such as cruise altitude, presence of obstacles and

radio-frequency interference.
198

# ) On-board GNSS/RTK receiver 

### 3 On-board GNSS/RTK receiver Numberof channels 226 Signaltracked GPS: L 1, L2 GLONASS: L 1, L2 On-boardRTKcorrection 20 Hz Upstream correction 1Hz RTKdata transmission protocols RTCM-3.x, RTCM-2.x Acquisition time Hot start: <1 0 s Warm start: <35 s Cold start: <60 s Reacquisition: <1 s

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## Glossary AMSL Above Mean Sea Level Your eBee RTK'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-offAltitude Your eBee RTK's altitude can be shown and set in eMotion using ATO or AMSL. Altitudes in ATO are relative to the place your eBee RTKstarted its motorjust before take-off. DSM Digital Surface Model A3D digital representation ofa surface. FTDI Future Technology Devices International AScottish 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 acomputerto aGNSS base station using FTDI. GCP Ground Control Point Alocation or object on the ground that has precisely know coordinates. GCPs are used to improve the precision ofDSMs created from photogrammetric analysis ofa series ofimages. geo-reference Adata pointassociated with aspecific location on the earth's surface. GNSS Global Navigation Satellite System Anetwork ofsatellites thattransmit signals that GNSS receivers can use to calculate their position on the Earth. GPS (Global Positioning System) and GLONASS are examples ofGNSS systems. GSD Ground Sampling Distance The distance measured on the ground between pixel centres in an imageor DSM.The smallerthe GSD, the higherthe spatial resolution ofthe image. For example, a GSD of5em means that one pixel in the image represents 5em on the ground. mosaic Asingle map or terrain model created from several map sections that have been placed side-by-side and merged together. 

### MSL Mean Sea Level the average level ofthe surface ofthe Earth's oceans; aclose approximation ofthe surface in gravitational equilibrium. Ntrip NetworkTransport ofRTCM data over IP Aprotocol used to transport RTK correction data over the Internet. RTK receivers feed RTK corrections to Ntrip servers or casters. These then encapsulate the data inside TCP packets and stream it across the Internet. orthomosaic Asingle, corrected image constructed eitherfrom several images taken from different angles, orfrom several orthophotos. Distortions due to different camera positions, ground curvature and reliefare corrected for so thatthe image displays accurately in the given map projection. photogrammetry A technique inwhich measurementstakenfrom photographs are used to reconstruct a 3D surface or a series ofpoints in space. point cloud Aset ofdata points within a coordinate system. rayCioud A feature uniqueto PostflightTerra 3Dthatcombinesthe3D pointcloud with theoriginal images. Multi ray matching with the rayCioud extends the stereo view triangulation and increases the accuracy of3D point estimates while providing afull understanding of3D results. RINEX Receiver Independent Exchange Format Adata format used for storing and exchanging satellite navigation system data.RPAS Remotely Piloted Aircraft System Aterm used for drones or UAVs, the software and technology they use to navigate. RTCM Radio Technical Commission for Maritime Services An international organisationthatstandardisestransmission protocolsthat allow for RTK positioning, for example, RTCM 2.x and RTCM 3.x. They also publish the Ntrip standard. RTK Real Time Kinematics Atechnique used to enhance the accuracy ofcoordinates calculated from GNSS signals. triangle model An approximate representation of a surface, constructed from connected triangles. UAS Unmanned Aircraft System Aterm used for drones or RPASs, the software and technology they use to navigate. UAV Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Anotherterm for drone. VRS Virtual Reference Station Areference stationthatdoes not existon the ground, but instead is created by combining correction data (delivered over Ntrip) from several real reference stations. VRS RTK corrections relative to this virtual reference station can then be made as ifit were a real reference station.