Planning and simulating a flight Toolbar Flight Parameters tab Camera tab Mission Waypoints tab Mission Planning tab Setup Phase tab Flight Monitoring tab Control Bar Status Panel Map Area Sidebar current altitude (both Above the Take-off Altitude, marked as ATO, and Above Mean Sea Level, marked as AMSL), battery level, flight time, and status. The Status Panel can be hidden by clicking on the drone.
Quick start guide It is also used to display and acknowledge warnings that may occur either before or during a flight. • Toolbar: The Toolbar contains buttons to control the layers, sources or map information and other display options related to the Map Area. eMotion can use many sources of mapping information. • Sidebar: The Sidebar is split into several tabs, each with a particular function. The Flight Monitoring tab is used for monitoring the drone while in flight.
Planning and simulating a flight 1.4 The mission phase of a flight The easiest way to create a mapping flight for the systematic coverage of an area is to use the automatic mission planning feature of eMotion. By simply positioning a rectangle around the area you would like to cover, eMotion will generate a mission plan optimised for the ground resolution that you desire.
Quick start guide 2. Adjust the location, size, and shape of the mission area. The area can be relocated by dragging the gray zone. The four square handles on the edges of the area can be used to resize it and the round handles on the corners of the area can be used to rotate it. As you adjust the area the mission plan preview is continuously updated. 3. Adjust the mapping and mission parameters in the Mission Planning tab to suit your terrain and quality requirements².
Planning and simulating a flight 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 that the mission area is flat and at the same altitude than the take-off location. It is also not aware of any legal restriction (such as minimum or maximum altitude) that may exist in your region.
Quick start guide and letting it acquire GPS signals. You can test your flight plan by clicking the icon, simulating a take-off manoeuvre. The eBee will then go through its flight plan in the same way it would in the field. You can pause, play or speed up the simulation by clicking the corresponding buttons in the Toolbar. You can monitor the state of the drone while in flight using the Flight Monitoring tab and the Status Panel⁵.
Planning and simulating a flight If any of the cells is unbalanced, its associated LED will flash red during charging until it is re-balanced. Charging can take up to an hour, depending on the charge level of the battery and the required cell balancing work. See the eBee Extended User Manual for more information on maintaining your drone’s batteries. If you plan on performing a flight away from an Internet connection it is useful to File menu. More preload map tiles by selecting ‘Download maps...
Quick start guide 2 Executing a flight Goal of this section: This section describes how to prepare your eBee for flight, launch, monitor and control from the air, and initiate an autonomous landing. Note: We recommend that you perform your first flight in a large obstacle-free area and limit the length of the mission in order to familiarise yourself with the eBee in flight. 2.1 Weather check Before each flight, you should be aware of the weather conditions.
Executing a flight Caution: The eBee should not be launched if the wind speed exceeds 12 m/s (in other units: 43.2 km/h, 26.8 mph, 23.3 kts). Caution: The eBee is not designed to fly in temperatures above 35◦ C. Avoid exposing the drone to high temperature for prolonged periods of time. In particular, leaving the drone exposed to the sun or in a car should be avoided. 2.2 Preparing the eBee for flight The eBee’s simple design means it can go from the box to being ready for flight in minutes.
Quick start guide Step 1: Perform a general inspection Visually inspect the drone for damage or wear using the following steps: 1. Check the foam central body and wings for cracks or other damage. 2. Verify that the pitot probe is properly attached to the airframe and that the holes in the probe are free of obstructions. 3. Verify that the ground sensor is free of obstructions and that the sensor’s lens is clean. 4. Verify that the wing struts are not split or damaged in any way. 5.
Executing a flight motor motor propeller 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 of aging.
Quick start guide insert camera into compartment plug in camera connector to camera plug close camera compartment lid Step 3: Install the camera Install the camera into the payload bay⁷ within the eBee and close the camera compartment lid. If the camera connector is not already connected, plug it into the connector with the icon on the eBee. Caution: The eBee has not been designed to fly without the camera.
Executing a flight insert wing struts into central body ensure servo connection mechanism is aligned and engaged Step 4: Attach the wings Attach the wings to the central body by inserting the wing struts into the receptacles in the central body. Ensure that the ailerons are properly aligned with the servo connection mechanism before pushing the wings fully into the central body.
Quick start guide connect battery and insert into compartment close battery compartment connect battery Startup process: status LED: blue pulse disconnect battery preflight checks failed status LED: red blink ready for startup status LED: green solid Step 5: Install and connect the battery Lay the eBee horizontally on the ground outside in the vicinity of the take-off location, with the top face up. To install the battery, begin by connecting the power cables to the battery.
Executing a flight 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 of time when the drone is on the ground, as this may discharge the batteries and cause irreparable damage. When connected and not in flight, the eBee will briefly move its ailerons up and down every minute as a reminder that it is switched on.
Quick start guide / eBee Ag Step 6: Connect to eMotion Start by connecting the USB ground modem to your computer. Then launch eMotion, which will display the Connection window. Select the eBee connection profile, choose the corresponding FTDI port and click ‘OK’. Note: Every eBee is paired with the ground modem it is delivered with, and will only work with that particular modem.
Executing a flight You can now load a flight plan you prepared earlier by selecting the Setup Phase tab from the Sidebar, clicking on ‘Load flight plan from file...’ and selecting your flight plan file. Alternatively, you can plan the entire mission in the field, following the same process outlined in section ‘Planning and simulating a flight’ on page 19.
Quick start guide 2.3 The setup phase of a flight The setup phase of a flight includes the waypoints and actions related to the takeoff and landing of the eBee and includes the following locations: • Take-off location: The point from which the drone is launched, automatically set to the location calculated from GPS signals by the drone when it is launched.
Executing a flight It is important to carefully select the take-off location, the Start waypoint and the Home waypoint to ensure your drone remains at a safe distance from obstacles. The eBee should always be launched against the wind. Select a take-off location clear of obstacles (buildings, rocks, power lines, hills, trees, etc.) within a distance of at least 40 m in the upwind direction.
Quick start guide 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 of the approach direction, turn 180◦ and begin descending in the approach direction until it lands on the ground underneath the centre of the Home waypoint. The approach angle is around 20° and the drone will reverse its thrust if needed to maintain a suitable airspeed during this phase.
Executing a flight To prepare a Circular landing, place the Home waypoint in a location that has no obstacles within a radius of 50 m (or 20 m more than the Home waypoint radius) to give the drone enough space to land. Ensure that the entire landing area is flat to allow the ground sensor to function properly. By default, the radius of the Home waypoint is 30 m. In high-wind conditions it is recommended to increase this diameter¹⁰.
Quick start guide haviours and how to modify them. 2.4 Take-off Once you’ve planned your mission and the eBee status LED is solid green you can launch it using the procedure on the following pages. Caution: Make sure to keep the propeller area free of all obstructions at all times during the launch procedure.
Executing a flight Note: If the drone detects a condition that prevents correct take-off a Take-off veto will be displayed in eMotion and the status LED will start pulsing blue. The eBee Extended User Manual describes the possible Take-off veto messages and the user action that should be taken to remove them. For example, if the drone is not oriented horizontally the status LED will start pulsing blue until you re-orient it horizontally, at which point the status LED turns solid green again.
Quick start guide status LED: blue pulse 10° motor ready for take-off status LED: da ng green blink place nose up 10° e r zo n e Caution: always orient the eBee against the wind for take-off! status LED: green solid step forward and release Step 3: Launch the eBee Once the motor is at full power the status LED will blink green. Orient the drone with approximately 10 degrees nose up and level wings.
Executing a flight Control Bar Status Panel Flight Monitoring Tab Estimated Picture Footprint Wind speed and direction 2.5 In-flight monitoring and control You can monitor and control your drone while in-flight through eMotion using the Map Area and the Flight Monitoring tab in the Sidebar. The Map Area displays the current position of your drone, updated live as the drone executes its flight. A small arrow and infobox show the speed and direction of the wind as measured by the eBee.
Quick start guide Note: All waypoints, image locations and flight paths displayed in eMotion are a reflection of the 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.
Executing a flight 2.6 Landing After finishing a mapping mission the drone will, by default¹⁴, return to the Home waypoint and automatically initiate a landing sequence. During a Linear landing, the drone will land in a straight line according to the process described in the eBee Extended User Manual. In case of a Circular landing the drone will land in a circle according to the process described in the eBee Extended User Manual. Disconnect the battery from the drone before picking it up.
Quick start guide Note: It is important to keep track of the location of the drone during a Critical failure until the moment it reaches the ground. Its position’s coordinates can aid in finding it afterwards. Instructions on how to find a lost drone can be found in the eBee Extended User Manual.
Processing image data 3 Processing image data Goal of this section: In this section you will learn how to import images and flight data from your eBee and create basic mapping products directly in the field to gauge the quality of the images that you gathered. 3.1 Importing images and flight data The next step to creating mapping products, after completing a flight, is to import the raw images and log files to a computer. The eBee records flight data onboard in a special Drone Flight Log file.
Quick start guide select Flight Data Manager click OK Follow these steps to import data from the drone: • Step 1 - Select a flight: If the flight was monitored from the computer you are using to import images then the flight is saved within the local database. Select the date that the flight took place. A list of flights (including number of images taken) from that date will appear in the combo box, select the one you wish to import.
Processing image data connect USB cable to autopilot • Step 3 - Prepare data for import: To import the Drone Flight Log, connect the supplied USB cable to the eBee’s autopilot, marked with a icon. Connect the battery to the drone if it is not already connected. The status LED will become white and a new storage drive will appear on your computer. To import images, remove the SD card from the camera, insert it into the SD card reader of your computer and select ‘Import from SD-card reader’.
Quick start guide • Step 6 - Select outputs: Choose the output actions to execute and files to create. Geotagging images is necessary to create geoinfo, KML and Postflight Terra 3D files. • Step 7: You may now disconnect the drone. Eject the SD-card drive and the drone drive before removing the SD-card and the USB cable, respectively. Disconnect the battery and USB cable from the drone. Insert the SD-card back into the camera, put it back properly into its compartment and ensure that it is turned off.
