Central New York Engineering Expo

November 12th, 2018

Session Agenda

FAA Regulations

sUAS Workflow

Flight Planning

Data Acquisition

Post Processing

Deliverable

Applications

Photogrammetry

LiDAR

Thermal Inspections

FAA Commercial Regulations

Pilot must be FAA CFR. Part 107 certified

Max weight of 55lbs. (including payload)

Must operate within visual line of sight (VLOS)

Maximum altitude of 400 feet above ground level

(AGL)

May not fly over people whom are not participating

in the operation

Daylight-only operations (Unless waiver holder)

Needed in any UAS activity that regards

“Furtherance of a business” in Anyway.

WORKFLOW

Flight Planning

Data Acquisition

Post Processing

Deliverable

Flight Planning

1. Airspace clearance

2. How much land area will be covered (KMZ/L file)

3. Flight obstacles (cell towers, construction

equipment, cranes, etc.)

4. Determine launch and landing locations (line of sight

and tree clearance)

5. Day of flight weather/winds

Data Acquisition – Sensor Selection

Data collection tools

The sensor that is deployed depends on the

desired deliverable

Determine type of UAV required for the sensor

Determine what type of mission and specific

logistics involved

Common Sensors

Optical Zoom Camera

RGB Camera (DSLR)

Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR)

NDVI Camera (natural density vegetation index)

Hyperspectral Camera

Thermal Imager

Applications

Photogrammetry

LiDAR

Thermal Inspections

Photogrammetry

Manned Aircraft vs. UAV -

Photogrammetry

Manned Aircraft UAV

Flying Height >2,000 feet <400 feet

Mapping Area >200 acres <200 acres

Weather clear overcast (shadowing)

GSD 8 cm 1 cm (max resolution)

Resolution coarse fine

Cost dependent on size dependent on size

Photogrammetry

Planning Considerations:

Use of data

Terrain (e.g. flat, sloping, undulating)

Vegetative cover (i.e. leaf-on, leaf-off, tall grass)

Ground sampling distance (pixel size/resolution)

Lighting conditions (dependent on sun angles)

Photogrammetry

Photogrammetry

Photogrammetry

Photogrammetry

Photogrammetry

Photogrammetry

Photogrammetry Deliverables

Orthomosaic

RGB point cloud

Digital surface models (DSM)

Digital terrain models (DTM)

Planimetrics

LiDARLiDAR = Light Detection and Ranging

LiDAR Basics:

Each time the laser is pulsed:

Laser generates an optical pulse

Pulse is reflected off an object and

returns to the system receiver

High-speed counter measures the

time of flight from the start pulse to

the return pulse

Time measurement is converted to a

distance (the distance to the target

and the position of the aircraft is then

used to determine the elevation and

location)

Multiple returns can be measured for

each pulse

Up to 200,000+ pulses/second

Everything that can be seen from the

aircraft is measured

Aerial LiDAR System Components

Aircraft (manned or unmanned)

Scanning laser emitter-receiver unit

Differentially-corrected GPS

Inertial measurement unit (IMU) – roll, pitch and yaw adjustments in

3D space

Manned Aircraft vs. UAV - LiDAR

Manned Aircraft UAV

Flying Height >5,000 feet <300 feet

Mapping Area >1,000 acres <1,000 acres

Weather no precipitation no precipitation

Point Density <3 ppm2 >50 ppm2

Vegetation leaf-off leaf-on

Cost dependent on size dependent on size

LiDAR

Planning Considerations:

Use of data

Terrain (e.g. flat, sloping, undulating)

Vegetative cover (i.e. leaf-on or leaf-off)

Point density (points per square meter)

LiDAR

LiDAR

Photogrammetry vs. LiDAR

Photogrammetry LiDAR

Acquisition method is typically a function of the project objective

LiDAR Photogrammetry

Investment More expensive Less expensive

Planimetric Information No Yes

Vegetation Penetration Yes No

Leaf-On vs. Leaf-Off

Cross section of LIDAR data through a single deciduous tree (A) and

coniferous tree (B) including bare-earth returns. The green dots represent

leaf-on returns and the brown dots represent leaf-off returns

(A) (B)

LiDAR Post Processing

LAS file: An ASPRS open format to store LiDAR point data

records. LAS Files contain GPS, IMU, and laser pulse range

data to produce X, Y, and Z point data

LAS was designed as a data exchange format between

different systems and software more than anything else

(.img, .tif, .grd, .xyx, .tin)

LAS files are versatile because of the deliverables that can

be derived

LiDAR Deliverables

Deliverables:

Point Clouds

Digital elevation models (DEM)

Digital Terrain Models (bald-earth

elevation data)

Triangulated Irregular Networks

(TINs)

Breaklines

Data Validation

Accuracy: quantified in relative and global (absolute) accuracy

Relative accuracy: accuracy of the point cloud relative to itself

Global accuracy: accuracy of the point cloud in relation to known points

tied to horizontal and vertical datums (introduction of ground control

points).

Strong relative accuracy would indicate individual points in a point cloud

are in the correct position relative to other points in the point cloud (i.e.

point cloud measurements correspond with actual measurements).

Ground Control Points (GCP’s) are required to reference the point cloud

to horizontal and vertical datums.

Ground Control Points (GCP’s) are required to reference the point cloud

to horizontal and vertical datums.

Applications

Topographic and Planimetric Surveying and Mapping

Construction Monitoring

As-Built Surveying and Mapping

Applications

Visual Inspections

Applications

Volumetrics

Applications

Solar Farm Thermal Maintenance Inspections

Applications

Thermal Roof Inspections

Assessment of Learning

Question 1:

Under FAA Part 107, what is the maximum

allowable weight of the sUAS (including

sensor)?

Assessment of Learning

Question 1:

Under FAA Part 107, what is the maximum

allowable weight of the sUAS (including

sensor)?

Answer: 55 pounds

Assessment of Learning

Question 2: What is the maximum altitude

a UAS can fly at under Part 107?

Assessment of Learning

Question 2: What is the maximum altitude

a UAS can fly at under Part 107?

Answer: 400ft. AGL

Assessment of Learning

Question 3: Photogrammetry vs. LiDAR,

which one are lighting conditions more of a

factor.

Assessment of Learning

Question 3: Photogrammetry vs. LiDAR,

which one are lighting conditions more of a

factor.

Answer: Photogrammetry

Assessment of Learning

Question 4: Why is ground sampling

distance important?

Assessment of Learning

Question 4: Why is ground sampling

distance important?

Answer: Accuracy and resolution.

Assessment of Learning

Question 5: Which sensor is capable of

vegetation penetration? LiDAR or

Photogrammetry?

Assessment of Learning

Question 5: Which sensor is capable of

vegetation penetration? LiDAR or

Photogrammetry?

Answer: LiDAR.