GPS World

Tag: aerial imaging

  • CES: Hobbico Demonstrates Drone System for Aerial Photos

    The Hobbico ORA, a new drone system for aerial photographers, is being demonstrated at the 2015 International CES, running January 6-9 in Las Vegas. The camera-equipped drone displays captured aerial images on a seven-inch touchscreen integrated into the transceiver. With a 370-mm diameter and an onboard 1080p HD camera, the ORA also delivers high-quality images, reliability and long range through its recording method and choice of radio frequencies.

    Designed for taking aerial views of action sports, outdoor weddings, real estate, vacation vistas and more, the ORA delivers out-of-the-box aerial photo and video capture with no need for radio-control piloting experience. All images are recorded on an SD card built into the drone, providing higher resolution than systems that use the transceiver for data capture, Hobbico said. Use of the 5.8-GHz radio band instead of the typical 2.-4GHz or Wi-Fi ensures a robust connection and a 500-meter flight control and video signal range.

    The seven-inch first-person view touchscreen built into the ORA transceiver displays what the UAV’s onboard camera sees in real time, eliminating the need to use a cell phone, tablet or other third-party device to view captured images. Users can frame scenes exactly as they want them filmed by remotely controlling the camera gimbal. One-, two- and three-axis gimbal options are available, each designed also to accept GoPro cameras.

    The transceiver has an integrated Android device for programming ORA functions through the touchscreen. A separate OLED telemetry screen displays flight data such as GPS coordinates, altitude and battery power status.

    Other highlights include:

    • 30 minutes of flight time per battery charge
    • Built-in GPS programming that puts flight routes, speed and altitude on auto-pilot
    • Support for 32 separate GPS waypoints to execute complex flight patterns
    • The ability to hold a steady altitude and position via GPS to film desired scenes
    • The option to save coordinates and fly the identical path again any number of times.

    Selecting “Return to Home” brings the ORA back to its pilot with a single command. An “Actual Direction” option prevents control reversal confusion during manual flight — when activated, the quad always moves in the same direction as the control sticks. Additional failsafe systems watch for dangers such as low-battery power and automatically bring the ORA and camera home for safe landing.

    The Hobbico ORA is scheduled for early 2015 release at an MSRP of $1,500-$2,000 depending on the battery, gimbal and camera configuration. The package will include the drone, 10-channel touchscreen transceiver, gimbal, batteries and charger.

    The drone is on display at CES Booth #25214 in the Unmanned Systems Marketplace at the Las Vegas Convention Center’s South Hall 2.

  • Icaros to Unveil Versatile Nadir/Oblique Aerial Mapping System at InterGeo

    Icaros, Inc., a provider of aerial remote sensing and 3D visualization solutions, will unveil the IDM 1000 digital oblique mapping system next week at the 2014 InterGeo Conference in Germany. The versatile Icaros Digital Mapper (IDM) 1000 combines a high-accuracy photogrammetric nadir camera with four high-quality oblique sensors in a modular airborne imaging package.

    “Icaros developed the IDM 1000 for mapping organizations that want to maximize their investment in an aerial sensor system,” said Tom Bosanko, CEO of Icaros. “The IDM 1000 can be configured to meet the geospatial application needs of traditional photogrammetric imaging as well as 3D oblique mapping, all in one flexible system.”

    Icaros will display the IDM 1000 in booth #A4.009 Hall 4.1 at the InterGeo Conference and Trade Fair being held in Berlin October 7-9.

    The modular IDM 1000 package is built around the IDM 200 nadir camera with a new mount supporting up to four 45-degree oblique sensors. The standard IDM 1000 configuration includes an 80-megapixel (MP) nadir natural-color (RGB) sensor, four 36-MP oblique RGB sensors, modular mount, embedded GPS/INS, flight planning and management system, and the Icaros Photogrammetric Suite (IPS) of software tools.

    “Clients have the option of purchasing the IDM 1000 as a complete solution,” said Bosanko. “Or they can buy and operate the IDM 200 as a stand-alone unit and add the oblique cameras and mount later as their mapping offerings expand to include 3D modeling and oblique visualization.”

    The IDM camera family offers eight sensor-design alternatives, including near infrared and thermal infrared imaging. Each IDM camera delivers sub-pixel accuracy, high-dynamic range and true-color pixel collection. Depending on altitude, the pixel GSD ranges from 1 cm to 100 cm in nadir or oblique operations. The IDM 1000 can be flown on rotor or fixed wing aircraft and modified for flight on some UAVs.

    Aerial oblique imagery is used extensively in tax appraisal and assessment, and its applications are expanding rapidly into facility management, infrastructure monitoring, building energy audits, public safety and other GIS markets that benefit from creation of accurate 3D models and elevation data sets. The IDM 1000 is considered ideal to serve in the energy, utility, oil & gas, mining, urban development, security and defense markets.

    “The IDM 1000 package includes all of the software needed to process nadir and oblique imagery and perform advanced photogrammetric measurements,” said Bosanko. “The new Icaros Measurement Tool (IMT) is included.”

    The IMT is a universal oblique measurement tool. It enables customers working within Esri’s GIS environment to view and measure structures in oblique aerial imagery captured by any commercial oblique sensor system, including those from Pictometry, Vexcel/Microsoft, IGI, Leica, and Midas. IMT works equally well measuring images captured by oblique sensors mounted on unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).

    As GIS users continue the move to 3D, oblique imagery will be critical for constructing accurate image-based realistic 3D models. IMT enables users to manipulate and view oblique imagery while leveraging other geospatial data layers within their GIS environment. This capability allows users to navigate multi-image scenes in three dimensions while zooming and panning.

    The IMT software will also be demonstrated in the Icaros booth at InterGEO.

     

  • Trimble Launches New Airborne LiDAR Systems

    Trimble's AX60i aerial imaging system.
    Trimble’s AX60i aerial imaging system.

    Trimble is adding to its airborne LiDAR portfolio with the Trimble AX60i and AX80. Both are highly capable, versatile systems that meet the demands of aerial survey operators for corridor and wide area mapping projects, Trimble said.

    The new airborne systems, together with flight planning and analysis software tools, have been designed to provide rapid and efficient point cloud capture as well as high-resolution images and proven workflows with high productivity. The systems can be installed on either fixed wing or rotary aircraft.

    Designed for low-altitude corridor mapping applications, the Trimble AX60i is an entry-level LiDAR system built on the same versatile platform as the high-altitude AX60 system, Trimble said. The platform allows AX60i users to upgrade to an AX60 in the future. The AX60i can be operated up to 5,000 feet above ground level (AGL) while offering a 400-kHz laser pulse repetition rate (PRR) with a single-channel, downward-looking laser.

    The Trimble AX80 is a dual-channel LiDAR system that can be operated up to 15,500 feet AGL and is designed for the most demanding survey applications from high-altitude wide area mapping to detailed low-altitude corridor mapping. The AX80 offers an 800-kHz PRR with revolutionary forward- and backward-looking capability to enhance point density on the ground and improve image resolution. This two-dimensional oblique view offers unparalleled scanning of vertical facades of structures.

    Trimble's AX80 aerial imaging system.
    Trimble’s AX80 aerial imaging system.

    An optional, fully-calibrated 80-Megapixel camera with forward motion compensation can be added to the AX60i and AX80 systems. The camera is integrated into the sensor head package and harmonized with the laser sub-system so that it does not need re-calibration each time the system is fitted to an aircraft.

    These systems are optimized for precision applications, providing a uniform distribution of laser points across the entire field-of-view to widen the usable swath width. Operators can reduce track overlap or duplication, or fly at higher altitudes to achieve a given resolution. Together with a high-precision positioning system, integral power supplies and an in-flight monitoring tool, the Trimble AX60i and AX80 can allow operators to lower the complexity of airborne LIDAR surveys while increasing the quality of the output.

    “The Trimble AX60i and AX80 systems extend our portfolio of aerial imaging solutions to meet a variety of mapping applications,” said Phil Sawarynski, business area director of Imaging Solutions for Trimble’s Geospatial Division. “They have been designed as true end-to-end solutions and are delivered with Trimble flight planning software and Trimble Inpho analysis software. Because everything is supplied by Trimble, operators can have confidence that the complete solution works together properly, and that the flight planning and post-mission analysis suites will enable them to provide a high-quality service to their customers.”