Measure Ground Control

What is Measure Ground Control?

Measure Ground Control is an immensely powerful SSoT (Single Source of Truth) application that allows the user to have an all-encompassed platform for UAS operations. The application has everything a flight crew would need to plan, execute, and analyze various missions. It includes a map, allowing the user to view locations and understand airspace restrictions. It also includes a settings menu that allows the pilot to adjust any settings without having to switch between applications (In our case we were flying a DJI Mavic 2 Pro which normally uses the DJI GO 4 app). Lastly, it features an extensive flight planning function that gives users full control over creating flight plans that can be fully automated. For this lab, we did a deep dive into the software to get a better understanding of all of its functions which will be explained in detail below.

The Airspace Map

Flight planning is one of the most important aspects of UAS operations and should be done with extreme care and detail. The airspace map in MGC is a very powerful tool to use when planning flights because it gives the user everything they would need in one location (SSoT). For this lab, we looked at a few locations with varying conditions to get a better idea of what type of information we can gain from the airspace map.

Martell Forest, West of Purdue, is a location that is very close to a Class D airspace. This is because of the Purdue airport being close by. After searching Martell Forest in the search bar, we can see that, while it is close, it is not inside of the Class D airspace. Therefore, we would not need prior LAANC authorization to fly there as long as our mission does not enter the airspace. (Figure.1) The airspace can be determined by the yellow line to the East of the forest.

(Figure.1 Martell Forest)

Something to note in Figure.1 is the yellow triangle in the bottom right corner. Clicking this will open a menu that shows all of the current airspace warnings within the frame of the current map. For this case, Martell Forest is not inside of the Class D airspace but we can still see it inside the frame of the map so it will let us know there. (Figure.2) 

(Figure.2 Airspace Warning Menu)

The next area we looked at was the Purdue Wildlife area which is farther West and more North of Purdue's campus. (Figure.3) This puts the area far outside of the Class D airspace and gave us no warnings when looking at the area. Again, like Martell Forest, we would not need LAANC authorization for flying here. 

(Figure.3 PWA)

The third area that we looked at was McCormick Woods. This location was right inside of airspace which gave us some warnings. (Figure.4)  Firstly, there is a ceiling of 200 feet that we can fly at due to the nearby airport and larger aircraft flying. This is a rule that the team must adhere to when conducting the operation. 

(Figure.4 McCormick Woods)

Secondly, on the right side of the screen, there is a large green button that says "Request Flight Authorization." This is because we would be flying inside of a Class D airspace and would need prior authorization to conduct the mission. Clicking this button will take you to the AirMap Application. (Figure.5) While Measure Ground Control is an SSoT for most things, LAANC authorization is not included. However, the process is fairly seamless. Below is an example of how the AirMap authorization process works. The user will select the location and draw out the flight plan. Once submitted, the flight plan and mission conditions will be reviewed and be approved or denied.

(Figure.5 Creating a Flight Plan in AirMap)

The last couple things that I wanted to cover are a few quality of life functions that help keep everything inside of Measure Ground Control. The airspace map also allows the user to view the weather conditions in the location that is currently in view. By clicking the weather icon next to the airspace warnings icon, a menu will be opened that shows the user the current weather conditions. (Figure.6) Also seen in the video is a menu that acts as a legend for the various shapes and colors of airspaces. 

(Figure.6 Weather Menu & Legend)

Settings

The settings menu inside of Measure Ground Control is another helpful tool for mission planning and ensuring that MGC stays as an SSoT. Being able to adjust the UAS platform and sensor settings within one application helps to streamline the process of an operation. We can set everything in one place and prevent having to switch to multiple different applications to change or set settings. For example, in this case, we did not have to switch over to DJI GO 4 to change the max altitude settings or max distance settings.

The ability to do this relates heavily to the safety and efficiency of checklists. Before every flight, going over the checklist and ensuring everything is good to fly is a crucial component of planning. Having all of the settings like IMU, gimbal, and compass calibration in one place helps to streamline the process of checklists. Below (Figures.7,8, & 9) showcase the applications settings menu for calibration.

(Figure.7 IMU Calibration)

(Figure.8 Compass Calibration)

(Figure.9 Gimbal Calibration)

Fly

The fly menu in Measure Ground Control is for the purposes of manual flights. Normally, the user would have to use DJI GO 4 to be able to take off and perform a manual flight but everything the pilot would need is included here. On top of this, all of the manual camera controls are easily accessible. All of the settings for the sensor such as ISO, shutter speed, and exposure can all be adjusted here by clicking on the camera settings icon at the right of the screen. The imagery menu can also be used to adjust the storage location for images.

Flight Plans

The most intricate tool for UAS operations is the flight planning menu. The flight plan gives the crew ultimate control over the exact mission that they wish to fly. There are options for grid and waypoint flights, each with its own respective functionalities. For this lab, we were tasked with creating multiple grid flight plans with various aircraft and sensors to identify some of the key aspects and functions that we could use for mission planning. Each mission has 80% side lap and 80% front lap unless otherwise stated.

Mission 1 - Mavic 2 Pro at 60 meters (Figure.10)

Time: 44:20

Images: 596

(Figure.10 Mavic 2 Pro at 60 meters)

Mission 2 - Mavic 2 Pro at 80 meters (Figure.11)

Time: 30:46

Images: 407

(Figure.11 Mavic 2 Pro at 80 meters)

Mission 3 - Mavic 2 Pro at 122 meters (Figure.12)

Time: 11:32

Images: 140

(Figure.12 Mavic 2 Pro at 122 meters)

The biggest thing to note about these 3 flights is the difference that the altitude makes in relation to time and the number of images. For 122 meters there are only 140 images while at 60 meters there 596 images. This is due to the sensor being able to collect more in the image than if it was closer to the ground. This is important to keep in mind because on certain sensors the quality could diminish if your altitude is too high so choosing a lower altitude may be more beneficial. On top of this the altitude also greatly affects the amount of time that the mission will take. This is an important decision to make in mission planning to ensure a good balance of efficiency and quality.

The next 3 missions made were all with a similar aircraft but instead of only changing the altitude, we also changed the focal length of the lens. The focal length of the lens is an important factor in the quality of the imagery collected. In this case, the flight with the Zenmuse was at the same altitude, 60 meters, but the first flight (Figure.13) had a 16mm lens while the second flight (Figure.14) had a 24mm lens. 

Mission 4 - Zenmuse X7 with 16mm lense at 60 meters

Time: 48:53

Images: 659

(Figure.13 Zenmuse X7 with 16mm lense at 60 meters)

Mission 5 - Zenmuse X7 with 24mm lense at 60 meters

Time: 1:43:34

Images: 1443

(Figure.14 Zenmuse X7 with 24mm lense at 60 meters)

As shown above, the number of images for the 24mm lens is vastly greater (over double) than the 16mm lens. This is because, while it may seem counterintuitive that 24 is greater than 16, the larger the focal length, the less will be captured in the image. This is similar to how altitude affects the number of images taken. However, in this example, the altitude remains unchanged at 60 meters. Below (Figure.15) is an example of the differences in focal lengths and can serve as a good reference for future planning. Understanding these concepts is important for mission planning and, again, finding a good balance between quality and efficiency. 

(Figure.15 Focal Length Chart)

The last mission that we created using the waypoint flight plan instead of the grid gave us some interesting but very intuitive control over each point in the flight. For this mission, we were tasked with creating 6 waypoints in the same location as above but with various specifications for each point. These will be explained in the captions below.

Waypoint 1 - 60 meters

(Figure.16 Waypoint 1)

Waypoint 2 - increase speed to 15 mph going from point 1 to 2

(Figure.17 Waypoint 2)

Waypoint 3 - Start recording video at waypoint 3

(Figure. 18 Waypoint 3)

Waypoint 4 - Stop recording video and climb to 80 meters at waypoint 4

(FIgure.19 Waypoint 4 - increasing altitude to 80 meters)

(Figure.20 Waypoint 4 - Stoping video)

Waypoint 5 - Rotate Drone 90 degrees

(Figure.21 Waypoint 5)

Waypoint 6 - Capture 360-degree panorama photo and then return to home

(Figure.22 Waypoint 6 - RTH)

(Figure.23 Waypoint 6 - Capture panorama)

Reflection 

From this lab, I have learned the sheer capabilities that Measure Ground Control has for mission planning. Ensuring that an operation for UAS is completely and efficiently planned out is crucial for the success of the mission. With the help of Measure Ground Control, many of the functions and tools that a crew would need are in a single location

Understanding your mission and what needs to be collected is important to know before going out to fly. For example, if a crew went out and flew a mission without thinking about the altitude of the aircraft and returned to the office to process the data only to realize that the quality of the images is poor there will have to be a redo of the mission. This could be avoided by knowing your sensors and how altitude will affect them. As seen above, the type of sensor and the altitude can greatly impact the results and the operation itself. 

By putting all of these tools and knowledge together, a UAS crew can ensure that they are being as efficient as possible by understanding the limits of their equipment. In an industry that is dependent on the quality and efficiency of the work completed, these concepts are immensely impactful.