Drones - earthlab/earth-lab-operations GitHub Wiki

Current Earth Lab Drones

  • DJI M600 (6-rotor) ID: FA3EMKTK9N
    • Use Cases
      • heavy payload flights, e.g., kernel camera. Can support lidar and imaging spectroscopy if needed down the road
    • Vendor for troubleshooting: DJI support
    • Flight Planning: Map Pilot Pro (iOS, currently on iPad)
  • DJI M300 RTK (4-rotor) ID: FA37PNRWLH
    • Use Cases
      • heavy payload flights, currently equipped with MicaSense Dual Camera system
      • can support lidar and hyperspectral, and thermal, if needed down the road
    • Vendor for troubleshooting: DJI support
      • download DJI Assistant 2 for Matrice Enterprise
    • Flight Planning: DJI Pilot, currently Android, on smart controller. UgCS is also another option for flight planning.
    • flight execution
      • once micasense is powered on via M300, connect to its wifi at http://192.168.10.254/ to ensure everything is working properly
      • trigger mode on micasense web interface is currently set to Overlap. Set height to same as in DJI pilot for flight plan (ensure units are the same!). Height tolerance, I have set to 10m. DJI Pilot should be set to 'timed interval' photo mode.
    • Data Processing
  • DJI Phantom 4 Pro (4-rotor) ID: FA3KNPAXCR
    • Use Cases
      • high-res natural color orthomosaic and structure
    • Vendor for troubleshooting: DJI support
    • Flight Planning: Map Pilot Pro (iOS, currently on iPad)
  • DJI Mavic 3 Enterprise Multispectral ID: FA3LX4TR3C

Current Earth Lab Payloads

MicaSense RedEdge 10-band camera

Here's the MicaSense Rededge workflow that the company has published.

The calibration panel for the MicaSense camera may be cleaned according to this information from the manufacturer.

Processing of MicaSense RedEdge 10-band imagery requires a .csv file for the reflectance panel, which is here: RP06-2104096-OB.csv.

Earth Lab 'How-To-Drone' / Checklist Document

This document contains extensive pilot resources and checklists for UAS activities.

Earth Lab Drone Equipment Inventory

To check a drone out please look here for who has it (if it is checked out) and always include the owner when discussing transferring the drone from one keeper to another.

Data Processing

We are set up to use CU Research Computing scalable compute Viz Cluster with a GUI for Structure from Motion. Please talk to the Analytics Hub Staff to figure out how to gain access. We now use floating Metashape licenses purchased in collaboration with the Geography department that are used for John Adler's drone class. You can learn about how to process drone data here. Note that a typical workflow using Agisoft Metashape (current node-locked licenses) is:

  1. load cameras, deselect any cameras that are not relevant to processing
    • if a multispectral camera, have a folder containing images for each band. Select high contrast band as main camera, typically green band.
  2. Align Cameras, generates sparse point cloud
  3. Remove points obviously bad points from sparse point cloud
  4. Create Dense Point Cloud
  5. Remove obvious bad points from Dense Point Cloud
  6. Create DEM from Dense Point Cloud
  7. Create orthomosaic
  8. Export products needed (e.g., Dense Point Cloud, DEM, orthomosaic)

Data Management

Flight logs for the M300 can be found by following these instructions. Note that the .txt files you get are encrypted, and will need to be uploaded to a website such as AirData.com to reveal useful information. From AirData.com you can download .csv and .kml files for the flight.

Extracting Image Metadata

To extract image metadata, Exiftool by Phil Harvey is a great option. Instructions for using it are here.

Once you've downloaded Exiftool, you'll just need a single line of command line script:

<exiftool.exe location> -r -n -all -csv <image folder location*.JPG>

For example:

C:\Users\tyler\Documents\DroneFiles\exiftool.exe -r -n -all -csv C:\Users\tyler\Documents\DroneFiles\test\t1*.JPG C:\Users\tyler\Documents\DroneFiles\metadata.csv

Drone Maintenance, Repair, and Firmware Updates

All drone maintenance and firmware updates should now be recorded in Alaris Pro rather than on the Drone Maintenance Log.

Firmware Updates

The drones should regularly be updated. For the M300, turn on the drone and connect the controller. Turn it on, enter the DJI Pilot App, and click in the top right corner where it shows what device you are connected to. At the left hand side you will see 'Firmware' it will either say 'Latest,' or, if not, you need to click it to update to the latest version. This same process is used for the DJI Intelligent Battery Case.

The Phantom 4 Pro should be updated by connecting it to a computer with DJI Assistant intalled.

Maintenance & Repairs

The drone maintenance log can be found here.

Drones can be sent in to DJI, either with a specific issue (repair) or for general maintenance.

For maintenance service, visit this page and click "Maintenance Application." For repair service, visit this page and click "Repair Application Submission."

Resources for learning how to work with drones and drone-derived data

Fundamentals of Capturing and Processing Drone Imagery and Data, edited by Amy E. Frazier & Kunwar K. Singh

CU Boulder has purchased digital access to a textbook on drone-related subjects (published 2021). The book can be accessed and downloaded at this link, and should include access to sample data for processing. In order to access the textbook you will be required to enter your CU Boulder credentials.

Earth Lab drone repository

Earth Lab drone repository

Suggested Drone Data Management

Drone Data Management Figure

Drone Certifications

Pilots

OPTION 1

The CU course. In MyCUInfo, launch skillsoft and search for: "UCB: UAS Initial Pilot Training".

OPTION 2

Part 107 Certification.

  • The initial exam is $150 (last checked Sept 2021), but the re-certification exams (certification expires every 2 years) are online and free.
  • Some advantages to being able to fly under the Part 107 rules:
  • No need for a visual observer (though always nice to have one!)
  • No need to wait until a spot in the CU course opens up
  • It’s a transferable credential outside of CU Boulder
  • There are no reporting requirements for your flight logs (though maybe still a good idea)
  • No need to file NOTAMs (though still a good idea to look at the interactive map on 1800wxbrief.com to see what other operations might be nearby)
  • You can fly aircrafts that aren’t owned by CU Boulder

For ecology operations, we aren’t usually taking advantage of any of the specialized COAs that CU Boulder has with the FAA, so Part 107 grants you essentially the same privileges as the CU Boulder course (at least I haven’t found any situation where flying under the CU Boulder COA is more permissive than flying under Part 107). If the CU Boulder course is not available, one can also study with the Drone Pilot Ground School. See more about submitting for COAs under Piloting Instructions.

Visual Observer Training

In MyCUInfo, launch skillsoft and on the left click on "Instructor led training", then in the mid-top right click "search for sessions" then type in "pilot" then it will come up.

On-Campus Flight Training

Flying anywhere on CU Boulder campus (besides CU South) requires an additional training session. This training takes approximately 15 minutes, and can be set up by emailing any member of the CU Boulder Flight Operations team.

Currency

Note that you are required to have 3 landings in the last 90 days to remain "current" in the CU system. Currency is needed for EACH aircraft type (e.g. Type 1, Type 2), but landings with a higher aircraft type will count for currency for a lower type. For example if you are current on the Matrice (Type 2) then you are also current on the Phantom 4 Pro (Type 1), but vice versa is not true.

Piloting Instructions & COAs

Pilots who are certified for FAA Part 107 can fly the equipment by themselves or whenever they wish, but need to have contacted the Director of Flight Operations with your Remote Pilot Certificate credentials to be put on the CU Boulder list of approved Part 107 pilots. Pilots who are certified via CU's Certificate of Authorization need to complete CU's flight school. Sign up here for course offerings

Here is a list of the differences between flying under CU COAs vs Part 107 (provided by CU Flight Ops):

  • Part 107 operators have to be added to an approved list before they can fly for CU purposes. You'll have to send us your insurance, qualifications (specifically highlighting your FAA drone operator's number), and all the registration numbers of the drones you will fly as a Part 107 operator 48 hours before your first flight so we can add you to it.
  • Part 107 operators can not fly any drones belonging or leased to the University.
  • Any Safety Action Reports will have to be submitted to the NTSB as well as the DO.
  • Part 107 operators are not required to have VOs and they do not have to submit NOTAMs.

Drone Purchasing Information

Purchasing can be done as needed under $10000 with a procurement card. Larger invoices must be formally approved by CIRES. When drone is acquired, it needs to be registered with FAA for $5, and registration number attached to drone body. Register here

Agisoft Metashape

Setting up Agisoft Metashpe on CURC resources should be done with the assistance of CURC staff. In order to run any Python scripts for Metashape, the user will need access to the location of the Metashape installation.

Floating licenses

Earth Lab currently uses floating licenses for Metashape. Ask the Analytics Hub for the .lic license activation file.

Instructions for floating license activation

Node-locked licenses

Earth Lab used to have node-locked licenses.

Information from Agisoft on issues with node-locked licensing:

  • Please note that during the license activation of node-locked license an additional so-called "rehostable" directory is created. It is used later to validate the available license and stores the system parameters, that why it is important to deactivate the license before applying any major changes to the system, such as OS upgrade/re-install or hardware components replacement.
  • The default location of the "rehostable" directory differs depending on the OS used:
  • on Windows - C:/ProgramData/Reprise/agisoft/photoscan-pro/
  • on Linux - /var/tmp/agisoft/photoscan-pro/
  • on macOS - /Library/Application Support/Reprise/agisoft/photoscan-pro/
  • The error message "No rehostable root dir " indicates that the rehostable directory was removed from your machine for some reason. This could happen if you have some background rule in the system that clears the contents of the corresponding folder.
  • It is possible to alter the default location by setting up AGISOFT_REHOST_PATH environment variable prior to the license activation. Use only safe location that wouldn't be cleared by any background services, as any modification of the "rehostable" directory contents including its removal will lead to the license invalidation.
  • During the activation and application utilization, please make sure that current user has access rights to the rehostable directory and folder where from Metashape Pro is started (the license file will be written to that folder).
  • Please note that the deactivation is necessary before re-installing or installing new OS or changing hardware components, since these parameters may be used by the activation process to lock the license to the certain system. Also the license should be deactivated in order to be transferred to another computer. To deactivate the license please use the corresponding button in the Help Menu -> Activate Product dialog.

OpenSSL allows for users to view a basemap in Agisoft Metashape. Metashape needs a specific version of libsssl to load the basemap (1.0.x). Andy at CURC has currently loaded the required version into "/projects/tymc5571/software/extralibs/usr/lib64" and Metashape is pulling it from that location.

Flight Permissions processes for different jurisdictions

United States Forest Service lands

Boulder County Open Space

Flights at Boulder County Open Space areas require a drone permit application. When you fill out the application, submit it with CU Boulder Earth Lab as the Organization, and the pilot as the Contact. Also note that, although the website shows that the county requires insurance, that requirement is WAIVED for educational institutions.

Permits take approximately two weeks for staff to review.

A Boulder County Parks & Open Space Research Permit may also be required for flight operations over OSMP lands. The guidance we have received from Boulder County is that if ALL research for a project is to take place on Boulder County lands (i.e. research specific to the location), then a research permit is required. If it is not (e.g. flight over Boulder County lands is part of a larger, CO-wide study), then a research permit is not needed.

Mountain Research Station

To fly UAS at the MRS, fill out the Research Application Form by May 1st at the latest for the summer field season, and at least 1 month before initiating your research for winter research.