SENSEFLY EBEE Drone User Manual 1

SENSEFLY Drone 1

Contents

User Manual 1

User ManualeBee and eBee AgRevision 13 / November 2014Copyright © 2010-2014 senseFly Ltd
GENERAL INFORMATIONREAD THIS USER MANUAL CAREFULLY BEFORE USING A SENSEFLY LTD PRODUCT.senseFly Ltd products are intended for professional use only.Applicable RegulationssenseFly Ltd products are subject to Civil Aviation regulations. Regulations may vary depending on the countrywhere you intend to operate your product.ANY USE OF SENSEFLY LTD PRODUCTS IN BREACH OF THE LAW OF THE COUNTRY WHERE YOU OPERATE THE PRODUCTIS UNDER YOUR SOLE RESPONSIBILITY.INFORM YOURSELF BEFORE USING THE PRODUCT. SOME COUNTRIES MAY HAVE LAWS THAT LIMIT THE USE OF UN-MANNED AIRCRAFT TO ‘LINE-OF-SIGHT’ OPERATIONS AND/OR PROHIBIT THE USE OF UNMANNED AIRCRAFT AT ALLOR IN SPECIFIC AREAS.PrivacyRecording and circulating an image of an individual may constitute an infringement of their image and privacy forwhich you can be liable. Ask for authorization before taking pictures of an individual, particularly if you want to keepyour recordings and/or circulate images on the Web or any other medium. Do not circulate degrading images orones that could undermine the reputation or dignity of an individual. Check that your use of the cameras on boardsenseFly Ltd products comply with the legal provision on privacy in the country where you operate your product.Limited WarrantySenseFly Ltd warrants that the product will be free from defects in material and workmanship for a period of twelve(12) months from the date of delivery. SenseFly Ltd further warrants that the product will perform substantially inaccordance with its specification. During the warranty period senseFly Ltd’s sole liability shall be at senseFly Ltd’ssole option, either to repair or to replace the defective product with another product or a product with similar spec-ifications, at no charge, or to reimburse the purchase price of the product, or if repair or replacement is not possible,issue a credit note; provided however, that the defect has been confirmed by senseFly Ltd and that the defectiveproduct is returned to senseFly Ltd in accordance with the support and repair form together with all required flightlogfiles.Warranty does not apply, without limitation, in case: a) the products are not stored and used according to theirspecifications, b) the products are damaged due to carelessness, negligence, or wrong use by the user, and c) fordefects due to normal wear and tear including, but not limited to, deterioration to the airframe after first flight,normal degradation, misuse, moisture or liquids, proximity or exposure to heat, accidents, excessive strain, abuse,neglect, misapplication, repairs or modifications made by third party other than senseFly Ltd, damage due to manualoperation, damage due to take-off or landing location with obstacles, damage due to low altitude flight, damage dueto loss of data radio connection, damage due to strong wind, rain or humidity, or other causes for which senseFly Ltdhas no control.
THE FOREGOING WARRANTIES ARE IN LIEU OF ALL WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING WITH-OUT LIMITATION ANY IMPLIED WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND OFANY OTHER OBLIGATION ON THE PART OF SENSEFLY LTD.Limitation of liabilityTO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, IN NO EVENT WILL SENSEFLY LTD BE LIABLE FOR ANY LOSS OF REV-ENUE, LOSS OF PROFIT, LOSS OF DATA, OR INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IFSENSEFLY LTD HAS BEEN NOTIFIED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES, AND WHETHER THIS LIABILITY ARISESFROM A CLAIM BASED ON CONTRACT, WARRANTY, TORT OR OTHERWISE, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF GROSS NEGLI-GENCE AND DEATH.YOU SHALL AT ALL TIMES OPERATE THE PRODUCT IN AREAS OR UNDER CIRCUMSTANCES SO AS TO GUARANTY SE-CURITY AND SAFETY OF PEOPLE, PROPERTY AND ANIMALS.FCC and iC Compliance statement :This device complies with part 15 of the FCC Rules and Industry Canada License-exempt RSS standard(s).Operation is subject to the following two conditions:1. This device may not cause harmful interference, and2. This device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired opera-tion. Changes or modifications not expressly approved by the party responsible for compliance could voidthe user’s authority to operate the equipment.This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a class B digital device, pursuant to part15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide a reasonable protection against harmful interference in aresidential installation. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installedand uses in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However,there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmfulinterference to radio or television reception, wich can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the useris encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:1. Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna2. Increase the separation between the equipment and the receiver3. Connect the equipment into a an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected4. Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.
This Class B digital apparatus complies with Canadian ICES-003.This equipment complies with FCC’s radiation exposure limits set forth for an uncontrolled environment under thefollowing conditions:1. This equipment should be installed and operated such that a minimum separation distance of 20cm ismaintained between the radiator (antenna) and user’s/nearby person’s body at all times.2. This transmitter must not be co-located or operating in conjunction with any other antenna or transmitter.Disposal of this product at the end of its lifeAt the end of this product’s life, please do not dispose of this product in your general household waste.Instead, in order to prevent possible harm to the environment or human health from uncontrolled wastedisposal, please dispose of this product separately in accordance with your local laws and regulation. Formore information on the separate collection systems for waste electrical and electronic equipment thatare available for consumers, near your home, free of charge, please contact your local municipal authority.You can also contact senseFly Ltd or the reseller from which you purchased your drone who may provide recyclingservices or be part of a recycling scheme.CopyrightssenseFly Ltd reserves the right to make changes to specifications and product descriptions contained in this docu-ment at any time without notice. Please consult www.sensefly.com for the latest release.Copyright © 2014 senseFly Ltd. All rights reserved. REPRODUCTION, USE OR DISCLOSURE OF ALL OR IN PART OF THISMANUAL TO THIRD PARTIES WITHOUT THE PRIOR WRITTEN PERMISSION OF SENSEFLY LTD IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED.
AddresssenseFly LtdRoute de Gen`eve 381033 Cheseaux-LausanneSwitzerlandWebsite: http://www.sensefly.comTechnical supportIf you have questions about any of your senseFly products:•Try our Knowledge Base. You can find it within my.senseFly (http://my.sensefly.com).•Send an email to support@sensefly.com.
Welcome to your eBeeCongratulations on your purchase of the eBee, a complex and powerful yet intu-itive autonomous mapping system. We take great care to develop and design thebest possible hardware and software tools for quick, high-quality and easy-to-use2D and 3D aerial mapping.Note: This manual refers to the version 2.4 of eMotion and version 3.2of Postflight Terra 3D software. Check the software version includedin your package and consult the Release Notes for potential changesincluded in more recent versions of the software.
The standard eBee package contains the following items: • 1x carrying case with foam protection • 1x eBee central body with built-in autopilot • 1x pair of detachable wings • 1x spare propeller • 10x spare propeller attachment rubber bands • 2x Lithium-Polymer battery packs • 1x Lithium-Polymer battery charger (including cables) • 1x 2.4GHz USB ground modem (FCC ID: 2AC2VGMEBEE) for radio data link (including USB cable) • 1x 2.4 GHz remote control (including including 3 AA batteries) • 1x still camera (including memory card, battery and charger) • 1x USB cable for interfacing with camera and on-board autopilot • 1x EPP glue • 1x eBee User Manual • 1x camera User Manual Depending on your order, your package may also include other items, such as additional payloads. Please verify upon delivery that your package is complete. In case of a missing item, please contact your eBee reseller immediately. Note: Camera user manuals are also available to download from our Knowledge Base, part of my.senseFly. http://my.sensefly.com
Hardware featuresTop face of the eBeebattery compartmentaileronwingletpropellerrvo connectionmechanismdata link antennatot probe, status LEDwingra compartmentcentral bodyBottom face of the central bodygroundsensorcamera lens holeDetachablewingwingstrutssepicameThe eBee is an autonomous flying drone comprised of the following components:•Central body: This is the core of the eBee and includes all the electronics,actuators and communications hardware on-board the drone.•Wing: The two wings of the eBee are detachable for storage and replace-ment. Each wing has two wing struts and two clips to hold it in place withinthe central body.
•Winglets: These structures add aerodynamic stability to the drone while itis in flight.•Ailerons: Used to control the eBee while in flight.•Servo connection mechanism: The ailerons are connected to the servo-motors within the central body of the drone through this connection mech-anism.•Propeller: Used to generate thrust while it is in flight.Caution: When attached to the motor the propeller spins at highspeeds and can be potentially dangerous if it comes into contact withexposed skin. Be sure to always keep your hands clear of the propellerwhen the battery is attached to the eBee.•Battery compartment: The eBee is powered by a LiPo (Lithium Polymer)battery stored within the battery compartment.Caution: Proper care of your battery is essential. Please read the eBeeExtended User Manual before using your drone for the first time.•Camera compartment: TheeBee features a built-in camera for taking aerialimages stored within the camera compartment.•Data Link Antenna: Used by the drone to communicate with the eMotionsoftware through the USB ground modem.•Pitot probe: This is the sensor used by the eBee to detect airspeed, windand altitude. It must be kept clean and clear of obstructions to functionproperly.•Status LED: This coloured LED displays the current state of the eBee. It ishoused underneath the pitot probe and thus illuminates the entire trans-parent probe in various colours depending on the drone’s state.
•Ground sensor: The ground sensor, composed of a high-speed opticalsensor and lens assembly, is used to detect the proximity of the ground.
Software featuresThe eBee package allows you to download and use eMotion∗andPostflight Terra 3D ∗† at no extra cost.eMotion is the integrated software package that allows you to interact with youreBee. Its easy-to-use interface allows you to plan a mapping flight intuitively fromthe comfort of your office or directly in the field. Once the drone is launched, youcan use eMotion’s wireless connection with your eBee to track its position, monitorthe progress of your mapping flight and send commands if desired.Once your eBee returns after an aerial mapping flight it is the turn of PostflightTerra 3D to process the captured images fully automatically. Postflight Terra 3D isa full-featured mapping solution: with just a few mouse clicks it can create high-quality geo-referenced 2D and 3D orthomosaics and digital elevation/surface mod-els (DEM/DSM). While you are still in the field Postflight Terra 3D analyses the qual-ity of the captured images and generates an easy to understand report, letting youknow immediately if the data you captured meets your mapping requirements.∗Software access terms and conditions apply†Postflight Terra 3D works with eBee images only
ContentsI Quick start guide 171 Planning and simulating a flight 191.1 Installing eMotion,Postflight Terra 3D, and the ground modemdrivers ............................... 191.2 The eMotion interface ....................... 201.3 Creating a new flight plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221.4 The mission phase of a flight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231.5 Simulating your flight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251.6 Getting ready for a mission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262 Executing a flight 282.1 Weathercheck ........................... 282.2 Preparing the eBee forflight.................... 292.3 The setup phase of a flight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 382.4 Take-off............................... 422.5 In-flight monitoring and control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 452.6 Landing............................... 472.7 Potential in-flight errors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 473 Processing image data 493.1 Importing images and flight data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 493.2 In-field image quality check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 523.3 Creating advanced mapping products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
II Specifications 551 Software requirements 562 Drone specifications 57
Part IQuick start guideThe first part of this document introduces you to the eBee and contains the basicinformation you will need to plan and execute a simple mapping project. A typicalmapping project can be divided into three main phases:1. Planning and simulating a flight: Every project begins with careful plan-ning, whether it is a quick flight over a small area or a multi-stage flight incomplex terrain. Section ‘Planning and simulating a flight’ on page 19 de-scribes how to use the Mission Planning feature to quickly generate a flightplan and to test it using the built-in simulator.2. Executing a flight: Once planning is complete, it is time for the drone toperform its flight. In section ‘Executing a flight’ on page 28 you will learnhow to prepare your drone for flight, connect it to eMotion, and to monitorit in flight while it gathers images. Though the eBee can complete a flightfully autonomously from take-off to landing, you can also modify its flightplan at any point during flight.3. Processing image data: The last step in a project is converting the imagestaken by your eBee into usable products such as precise geo-referenced or-thomosaics or 3D terrain models. section ‘Processing image data’ on page 49leads you through the process of transferring images from the drone to acomputer, checking if the image quality suits your needs while still in thefield and producing advanced 2D and 3D maps.
Quick start guideNote: eMotion contains many advanced features, including 3D flightplanning, multi-drone mapping, oblique imagery and many more.All advanced features are described in the eBee Extended User Man-ual that can be found directly within the File menu in eMo-tion. You can also find technical FAQs in our Knowledge Base, partof my.senseFly¹.18
Planning and simulating a flight1 Planning and simulating a flightGoal of this section: This section introduces the eMotion softwareused to interface with the eBee. It describes the steps required toplan, simulate, and save a simple mapping flight. A more detaileddescription of eMotion and its advanced functions is presented in theeBee Extended User Manual.1.1 Installing eMotion,PostflightTerra3D, and the ground mo-dem driversYou can download the latest version of eMotion and Postflight Terra 3D at:http://my.sensefly.comWe recommend that you download and install Google EarthTM to take full advan-tage of the features of eMotion. You can find more information at the followingaddress:www.google.com/earth/To install eMotion on Windows, simply execute the provided installers for eMotionand Postflight Terra 3D and follow the on-screen instructions. The eMotion andPostflight Terra 3D software will be available in the ‘Start’ menu. Drivers for the USBground station ground modem will automaticallybe installed along with eMotion.In case a problem arises after connecting the ground modem to the computer forthe first time you can find the drivers in one of the following directories (depend-ing on your version of Windows):C:\Program Files\senseFly\eMotion 2\usb driver\C:\Program Files (x86)\senseFly\eMotion 2\usb driver\See the eBee Extended User Manual if you have any difficulty with software instal-lation.19
Quick start guide1.2 The eMotion interfaceThanks to the powerful tools available within eMotion, designing a mapping flightfor your eBee is a simple process. To get started, launch eMotion and choose whatyou would like to do...•To run a simulation, select the simulator, choose the drone you want tosimulate and click OK.•To fly a drone, connect your ground modem to your computer and selectDrone. If you have more than one USB device connected to your PC , choosethe ground modem you want to connect to from the list and click OK. Oth-erwise, just click OK.•To process flight data you already created, select the Flight Data Managerand click OK.We recommend that you plan flights using a simulated drone. Once connected toa real or simulated drone you will see the main screen of eMotion.The main screen of eMotion is split into four sections:•Map Area: The Map Area of eMotion displays a map with the drone’s cur-rent position, indicated by the symbol. A small Status Panel floats be-side the symbol, indicating important status information including the eBee’s20

Navigation menu