3D Robotics Aero-M User Manual

Aero-M

Operation Manual

Thank you for purchasing an Aero-M! This manual contains important information about your aerial mapping platform. Please read these instructions before your first flight.

1 Plan 1

2 Fly 20

3 Process 37

Appendix 41

Online information portal: 3DR.com/Aero-M 3DR support: help@3DR.com Terms and conditions: 3DR.com/terms Pix4D instructions: support.Pix4D.com

V.1 2014

DCT0010

1 Plan

Parts 2

Flight Battery 3

Charging 3 Safety 3 Powering the Aero 4

Camera Setup 5

3DR EAI 5 Charging 5 Starting a Mission 5 Mounting 6

Ground Station Setup 7

Download Software 7 Connect to Radio 7

Mission Planning 8

Operating Parameters 8 Load Maps 9 Draw Polygon 10 Configure Survey 11 Save and Write Mission 19

Parts

RC controller and accessories

Aero

batteries (2)

camera

wing spar

horizontal stabilizer

wings

ground station radio

micro-USB cable

charger and accessories

battery guard bag

wing rubber bands (4 plus 2 spare)

propellers (1 plus 1 spare)

hex keys (?)

registration card and Pix4D license key

FPV/OSD System

If you selected to receive a FPV/OSD system, those components will be included with the Aero’s accessories. See page 34 for parts and instructions.

propeller wrench

spare control horns (2)

spare servo rods (2)

spare camera mount filters (2)

Pixhawk micro-SD card adapter

Flight Battery

The Aero is powered by a rechargeable lithium polymer (LiPo) battery. Charge the battery before your ﬁrst ﬂight.

Charging Safety

Connect the charger to the power adapter cable and a wall outlet. Connect the red cable to the + port and the black cable to the - port.

–

Charger with power cable and split-wire charging cable

Connect the white connector to the 4S port, and join the two yellow connectors together.

Set the charger to LiPo and 3A.

LiPo

Charger settings

Secure the battery inside the guard bag, and charge until the status indicator displays green.

Flying with a low battery is a safety risk and can render the battery permanently unusable. Always ﬂy with a fully charged battery.

Charge the battery using a designated LiPo balance charger only. Always monitor the battery while charging. Protect the battery from extreme heat, extreme cold, puncturing, and ﬂammable surfaces. Always transport, charge, and store the battery in the guard bag.

Inspect the battery for damage before and after ﬂying. If you observe any swelling of the package or the battery ceases to function, do not use the battery; locate your local battery recycling center, and dispose of the battery. In the US and Canada, visit call2recycle.org to ﬁnd a location. Do not dispose of the battery in the trash.

Flight battery charging wiring Charging in process

Charging

Complete

Powering the Aero

Turn on the controller. To avoid triggering the controller’s startup alarm, ensure that all switches are set back (away from you) and the throttle stick is set fully down.

Switches

Throttle stick

RC controller

Insert a charged battery into the battery slot, and attach the yellow connectors. This will power on the Aero.

Open the battery compartment by sliding the knob on the orange switch forward and lifting out the lid.

Aero: battery compartment lid

It is important to establish communication before powering on the Aero. Always turn on the controller before connecting the battery. When powering off the Aero, disconnect the battery before turning off the controller.

Hold the Aero still and level while it powers on.

Attach the velcro above the battery slot to the velcro on the battery. Close and secure the lid onto the battery compartment.

battery connector

battery slot

Aero: battery compartment interior

flight battery

Camera Setup

The Aero includes a Canon PowerShot SX260 HS running the 3DR EAI script.

3DR EAI (Exposure-Aperture-ISO)

3DR EAI runs on the Canon Hacker Development Kit (CHDK), a powerful opensource tool that expands the functionality of Canon point-and-shoot cameras. 3DR EAI optimizes image exposure and integrates with the Pixhawk autopilot to enable distance-based imaging.

This software is designed to load off the camera’s SD card, leaving the original Canon programming intact. The yellow switch on the side of the SD card allows you to lock or unlock the card. Lock the SD card to run 3DR EAI; unlock the SD card to save images to your ground station or to boot the camera with its original programming.

For more information about 3DR EAI, see page 43.

SD card locked

Load 3DR EAI

» Fly a mapping mission

SD card unlocked

Load default Canon software

» View images on camera » Save images to ground station » Update script

Charging

Charge the camera battery before your first flight. Once fully charged, insert the battery into the camera.

status indicator

Canon battery charger

Starting a Mission

To prepare the camera to fly a mapping mission, ensure that the mode dial is set to P (program) mode. Power on the camera using the silver button on the top. 3DR EAI will start automatically, and you will see the script messages on the camera display. Check to see that the last line of the script reads waiting on USB signal. The camera is now ready to map!

Camera running 3DR EAI Camera running Canon software

Power off the camera before removing the SD card.

power button

mode dial

Camera ready to map: waiting on USB signal

Mounting

The camera mounts to the Aero inside the battery compartment and connects to the autopilot using the mini-USB cable. When the camera is ready to start the mission, insert the camera into the mount inside the battery compartment as shown below, connect the mini-USB cable to the camera, and secure the camera in place using the velcro strap.

autopilot integration cable

Aero battery compartment: camera mount

Connect mini-USB cable inside battery compartment here.

The camera mount includes a lens cap that protects the filter during travel. Make sure to remove this lens cap before you fly, and check that the filter contains no foam particles, dirt, or scratches that could affect image quality.

It is expected that the filter will accumulate scratches after significant use. If you notice any damage to the filter that could affect image quality, unscrew the filter and replace with one of the extra filters provided with the Aero.

UV filter

Camera mount (bottom): cap removed

Camera (side)

The camera mount is fixed to the inside of the battery compartment and is not intended to be removed from the Aero.

Camera mount (bottom): cap attached

Ground Station Setup

Mission Planner allows you to turn a Windows laptop into a full-featured ground station for conﬁguring and monitoring autonomous missions. You will need to take this laptop into the ﬁeld when you ﬂy the mission. As part of the mission procedure, you will use the Pix4D Rapid Check to verify the quality of the image set before leaving the ﬁeld.

Connect to RadioDownload Software

Mission Planner

Mission Planner is a full-featured ground station application for planning missions and monitoring the Aero in ﬂight. Download Mission Planner from 3DR.com/download_software.

If you already have Mission Planner installed, make sure you’re running the most recent version: Select the Help tab and Check for Updates.

Mission Planner: Help tab

Pix4Dmapper LT 3DR Edition

To connect the Aero to Mission Planner, connect the ground station radio to the laptop, and power the Aero.

1 Connect the ground station radio to your laptop using the micro-USB cable. Open Mission Planner.

Ground station laptop with radio connected

3 Select Flight Data to view live data from the Aero.

2 Select 57600 and AUTO, then select CONNECT. (When connecting directly to Pixhawk’s micro-USB port, set the rate to 115200.)

Mission Planner Connect tool (top-right corner))

Your license key for Pix4Dmapper can be found on the registration card inside the documents package.

Visit mapper.pix4d.com/license-redeem to create an account and redeem your license key; then visit pix4d.com/download to download Pix4Dmapper Discovery. Pix4D will automatically upgrade from the Discovery edition to the LT 3DR Edition (or Pro Edition if you selected to upgrade) when you log in to the program with your Pix4D account information.

Mission Planner Flight Data tab: connected to aircraft

Mission Planning

Operating Parameters

The Aero is a complete solution for creating high-resolution visual-spectrum aerial maps.

Canon SX260

Pixhawk autopilot

system

Mapping system diagram

To create a map, the Aero flies an autonomous mission over the survey site, using the integration between the Pixhawk autopilot and custom-programmed camera to capture images at a consistent distance interval. Pix4Dmapper then stitches these images together into a georeferenced, orthorectified mosaic.

The accuracy of the map depends on the configuration of the mission. Planning a mission that captures high-quality images requires balancing the Aero’s operating parameters with the environmental factors at the survey site.

3DR EAI

Pix4Dmapper

LT 3DR Edition

Operating Parameters

Camera Canon SX260

Camera Orientation Portrait (side facing forward)

Operating Altitude 80-120 m

Standard Operating Altitude 100 m

Low-Wind Conditions 0-6 m/s

High-Wind Conditions 7-10 m/s

Maximum Wind Conditions 10 m/s

Operating Speed 8-20 m/s

Default Speed 15 m/s

Estimated Maximum Flight Time 40 min

Estimated Ground Resolution 5 cm/pixel

Estimated Maximum Survey Area 1 km

Minimum Photo Interval 2 seconds

Load Maps

Mission Planner allows you to plan the mission away from the mapping location; however, it is important to assess the environmental conditions on site at the time of the mission and adjust the flight plan if necessary. Alternatively, you can plan the entire mission at the mapping location. To create or alter the mission, Mission Planner requires an Internet connection to access the maps. If you’re unable to access the Internet on site, follow the instructions below to pre-fetch the maps within Mission Planner while you have Internet access.

Open Mission Planner, select Flight Plan, and zoom to your flying location.

Mission Planner Flight Plan tab: zoom to mapping location Mission Planner Flight Plan tab: Select Prefetch

Mission Planner will attempt to load the map data from the current level of zoom down to the closest level of zoom available. However, it can take hours to pre-fetch every level of zoom, and it is unlikely that the closer levels will be useful in planning the mission. To shortcut this process, check the slider on the right side of the map. The levels of zoom are represented by this slider from 0 (bottom) to 25 (top). Press the ESC key to skip levels of zoom at a greater detail than you need for mission planning.

Right-click on the map, select Map Tool and Prefetch, and accept the defaults prompts.

Mission Planner will download the maps for the selected location to your computer.

Draw Polygon

To begin planning the mapping mission, select the area you want to map using the Polygon tool. You’ll be able to adjust the size and shape of the polygon later in the mission conﬁguration process.

Select Flight Plan, and zoom to your mapping location.

Mission Planner Flight Plan tab: zoom to mapping location

Units

The Survey Tool uses metric units. If your Mission Planner is set to imperial units, please change the settings to use metric to plan the mission. Support for imperial units in Mission Planner is coming soon; check 3DR.com/Aero-M for updates.

Right click on the map. Select Draw Polygon and Add Polygon Point. Click and drag to add points

around the area you want to map.

Mission Planner Flight Plan tab: draw polygon

Right click on the polygon. Select Auto WP and Survey (Grid) to open the Survey Tool.

Mission Planner Flight Plan tab: open Survey tool

Conﬁgure Survey: Set Default Parameters

The Survey tool allows you to configure a mapping mission according to the Aero’s operating parameters and the current environmental conditions at the mapping location. First, set the default values for the Aero.

Set Camera

Canon SX260-SX280

Set Camera Orientation

Uncheck the option for Camera top facing forward.

Mission Planner Survey tool

Set Default Speed

15 m/s

Apply Survey Speed

Check the option for Use speed for this mission. If unchecked, the mission will use the Aero’s default speed of 15 m/s regardless of the speed selected in the Survey Tool.

Conﬁgure Survey: Set Angle

Next configure the angle of the flight path for the current wind conditions.

Set Angle

Wind Direction

In environments with winds of less than 6 m/s, set the angle so that the Aero ﬂies into the wind. In winds from 7-10 m/s, conﬁgure the ﬂight path to travel perpendicular to the wind so the Aero ﬂies crosswind.

wind

Mission Planner Survey tool

Mission Planner Tip: Adjust Polygon Click and drag the red polygon points to adjust the size and shape of the polygon from the Survey Tool.

No. of Strips

Adjust the angle so that the Aero makes as few turns as possible to complete its course. The No. of Strips parameter shows how many passes the plane will make as you adjust the angle.

Review Wind Conditions On-Site

Always assess the wind conditions at your survey site at the time of the mission and adjust the mission accordingly.

Conﬁgure the ﬂight path parallel with the wind in low winds (1-6 m/s).

wind

Conﬁgure the ﬂight path perpendicular to the

wind

wind in high winds (7-10 m/s).

Use caution when ﬂying in winds over 10m/s. Mapping results may degrade as a result of inability to make headway or maintain

appropriate groundspeed.

Conﬁgure Survey: Set Altitude

The survey altitude determines the duration of the mission and the ground resolution of the final map. Adjust altitude to balance flight time and power consumption with the current environmental conditions.

Mission Planner Survey tool

Set Altitude

Standard operating altitude: 100 m Operating altitude range: 80-120 m

Increasing altitude decreases ﬂight time, allowing you to cover more area per minute. Decreasing altitude improves ground resolution. Set the altitude to get the best ground resolution while keeping the ﬂight time under 40 min and the altitude under 120 m.

Keep altitude below 120 m, and ensure that the altitude is appropriate for your ﬂying area and local regulations.

Check Ground Resolution

Ground Resolution is the centimeters per pixel that you will have in the map and corresponds to the amount of detail that you will see.

To improve ground resolution by decreasing the number of centimeters per pixel, decrease altitude.

Check Flight Time

Flight Time estimates the duration of the mission. The total estimated ﬂight time must be under 40 min for a fully charged Aero battery. To decrease ﬂight time, increase altitude or speed.

High winds, humidity, high altitude, and extreme heat can affect power consumption and reduce ﬂight time. Consider the environmental factors at your site when conﬁguring ﬂight time.

Conﬁgure Survey: Check Photo Interval

With the basic parameters in place, verify that the photo interval calculated from the altitude and speed complies with the operating parameters for the camera.

Mission Planner Survey tool

Check Photo Interval

Photo Every must be longer than 2 seconds for the SX260 camera.

Altitude

Increasing altitude increases photo interval.

Keep altitude below 120 m, and ensure that the altitude is appropriate for your ﬂying area and local regulations.

Speed

Decreasing speed increases photo interval.

Ensure that the Use speed for this mission option is checked.

Conﬁgure Survey: Set Takeoff and Landing

Now select a takeoff and landing pattern, either manual or automatic.

Mission Planner Survey tool

Takeoff and Land WP’s

For automatic takeoff and landing

Check the Add Takeoff and Land WP’s option. Uncheck the Use RTL option.

This will create a takeoff waypoint and a placeholder waypoint for the landing pattern. After accepting the survey, conﬁgure the automatic landing pattern by following the instructions on page 20.

For automatic takeoff and manual landing

Check both the Add Takeoff and Land WP’s option and the Use RTL options.

This will create a takeoff waypoint so the Aero will automatically climb to the survey altitude before heading to the ﬁrst waypoint. The Aero will return to circle over the launch point after completing the mission.

For manual takeoff and landing

Uncheck the Add Takeoff and Land WP’s option Check the Use RTL option.

For this option, take off manually then initiate the mission in ﬂight. The Aero will return to circle over the launch point after completing the mission.

Conﬁgure Survey: Advanced Options

The Survey tool includes the following advanced configuration options. These options allow you to customize the mission to comply with best operating practices.

Check Advanced Options

to view the Survey Tool’s advanced conﬁguration options.

Select Grid Options

Set OverShoot

The Aero has a minimum turning radius of 90 degrees. To accommodate the sharp angles of the survey mission, set both OverShoot parameters to 50 to have the Aero overshoot the waypoints on either side of the polygon by 50% to ensure that the complete area of the polygon is covered by the images.

Mission Planner Survey tool: advanced options

Camera Conﬁg

The options under the Camera Conﬁg tab allow you to conﬁgure a camera other than the SX260 and won’t be used for operating the Aero.

Mission Planner Survey tool: advanced options

OverShoot will affect ﬂight time. Ensure that the total estimated ﬂight time is less than the Aero’s maximum ﬂight time of 40 minutes.

Adjust StartFrom

During the mission, you will maintain contact with the aircraft through the RC controller and ground station signals. If your mission is likely to experience a loss of signal, it is best practice to start from the corner of the mission farthest from the launch point. In this example, TopLeft is the corner of the mission farthest from the launch point.

Adjust Overlap and Sidelap

Overlap and sidelap are set to 50% and 60%, respectively, by default. See page 42 for an in-depth discussion of these parameters.

Conﬁgure Survey: Accept Survey

Before accepting the survey, verify that the mission complies with the Aero’s operating parameters.

Mission Planner Survey tool

Operating Parameters

Camera

Canon SX260-SX280

Altitude

80-120 m

Camera top facing forward

unchecked

Flying speed

9-15 m/s

Use speed for this mission

checked (optional if speed set to default speed of 15 m/s)

Photo Every

greater than 2 s

Flight time

under 40 min depending on environmental conditions

Select Accept to create this mission. After accepting, you will need to reconﬁgure the survey completely to make any adjustments.

If Mission Planner prompts you for a home altitude, enter the altitude that you speciﬁed in the Survey tool.

Do not accept the mission if any of the parameters

exceed the Aero’s operating limits.

Conﬁguring Automatic Takeoff and Landing

If you selected automatic landing in the Survey Tool by checking the Add Takeoff and Land WP’s option and unchecking the Use RTL option, you will need to conﬁgure the landing waypoint pattern manually at this step in the mission planning process.

To begin, determine the direction of the wind and select an unobstructed area 200-500 m in length leading to the launch point, into the wind. On the main Flight Plan screen, create a series of waypoints along this path to decrease altitude gradually from the survey altitude to 0, ensuring that:

» Turns along the ﬂight path are greater than 90 degrees. » The altitude decreases by a maximum of 20 m between waypoints » There is at least 20 m between each waypoint » The Grad % does not exceed 20%

To add a waypoint, right click on the map in the location of the waypoint you would like to add, and select Insert WP. For each waypoint you add to the mission, Mission Planner will prompt you for the new waypoint’s place in the script: Add the series of landing waypoints immediately before the LAND waypoint in the script of events. For the ﬁrst waypoint in the pattern, add it to the mission immediately following the DO_SET_CAM_TRIGG_DIST waypoint at the end of the mission. Specify the altitude of each waypoint and check the distance and gradient angle in the waypoints table.

Locate the Takeoff waypoint in the mission script and set the ﬁrst option in the row to assign the takeoff angle.

Set the takeoff angle to 20-25 degrees depending on the length of your takeoff area.

Takeoff angle

Mission Planner Flight Plan tab: Correctly conﬁgured automatic landing pattern

Set altitude.

Check Grad %.

Mission Planner Tip: Conﬁgure Waypoints Measure the distance between waypoints by right-clicking at one end and selecting Measure Distance; then right-click on the other end and select Measure Distance again. A dialog box will open with the distance between the two points.

Double-click on a field in the waypoint table to edit the parameters for a waypoint.

Use the Up and Down arrow icons to re-order the waypoints.

Use the Delete option to remove a waypoint from the mission.

Save and Write Mission

For the Aero to run the mission, write the waypoint ﬁle to the autopilot. Don’t forget to save the waypoint ﬁle to your ground station for future use.

Select Save WP File

to save the mission ﬁle to your computer. To repeat this mapping mission, load the saved WP ﬁle from your computer.

Mission Planner Flight Plan tab: Save and write mission

Select Write WPs

to save the mission to the Aero.

2 Fly

Safety 21

Aircraft Operation 22

Components 22 Assembly 23 Controls 26 Modes 27 Arming and Disarming 28 LED Indicators and Tones 28 GPS Lock 28 Preflight Checks 29 Manual and Automatic Takeoff 32 Manual and Automatic Landing 33 FPV System Operation 34

Flying Mapping Missions 35

Takeoff Checklist 35 Initiating 35 Monitoring 35 Failsafes 36

400 ft

(120 m)

Safety

visual line of sight

400 ft

(120 m)

5 miles (8 km)

To ensure safe and successful ﬂying, familiarize yourself with the safety information on this page. Always ﬂy in accordance with your location regulations and these best operating practices.

Before you ﬂy, determine the boundaries of your safe ﬂying area. If the Aero moves outside the designated area or exhibits instability in ﬂight, switch to ﬂy-by-wire mode and land the plane manually. Always be ready to regain manual control of the plane in the event of an unsafe situation.

The Aero will not avoid obstacles on its own, including during missions. As the operator, it’s your job to recognize and avoid obstructions while ﬂying. When planning missions, ensure that the selected altitude is appropriate for all geographical features of the area, including terrain.

Location

Always ﬂy below 400 ft (120 m) and within your visual line of sight. Don’t let the Aero get too far away from you; make sure you can always see its orientation.

visual line of sight

400 ft

(120 m)

Don’t ﬂy in low light, rain, or other conditions that might impede visibility.

Propeller

Spinning propellers can cause serious injury. The safety button indicates the status of the motor to help you prevent hazardous contact with the Aero’s high-speed propeller.

• When the Aero is powered on, the safety button will blink red, indicating that the motor is inactive and the propeller is safe to handle.

• When you’re ready to ﬂy, press and hold the safety button until it shows solid red. This indicates that the motor is armed and the propeller will spin if the throttle stick is raised. To make the propeller safe

to handle again, press and hold the safety button until it blinks red.

You can ﬁnd more safety tips throughout these instructions where you see this yellow box.

5 miles (8 km)

100 ft (30 m)

Always ﬂy at least 5 miles (8 km) away from airports and other areas where pilots operate manned aircraft.

Always ﬂy at least 100 feet (30 m) away from people, vehicles, and buildings. Make the safety of people and property your ﬁrst priority!

Aircraft Operation

Components

nose

left wing

tail boom

airspeed sensor

battery compartment

electronics compartment

(under wings)

tail

left aileron right aileron

body

right wing

motor

Aero tail

video system compartment (above battery compartment)

rudder

elevator

Aero (top)

If the terms above are unfamiliar to you, visit 3DR.com/Aero-M, and dive into the exciting world of planes with our Introduction to Flying Fixed-Wing Aircraft.

controllerground station radio

Assembly

Tail

Slide the horizontal stabilizer into the vertical stabilizer along the orange groove. Make sure not to stress any of the components on the tail.

Horizontal stabilizer

Vertical stabilizer Complete tail assembly

Turn the plane over and insert the provided tail screw into the horizontal and vertical stabilizers.

Tail screw

Tail assembly (underside)

On the top of the horizontal stabilizer, open the blue clasp at the end of the servo rod. Insert the pegs on the clasp into the open space in the servo horn, and close the clasp. Slide the blue rubber ring over the clasp to secure it in place.

clasp

servo horn

Wings

Attach a wing onto each side of the spar. Do not twist the wing or the spar so as not to stress the foam.

Locate the two cables inside the electronics compartment marked AILE. Connect these cables to the two cables on the wings marked AILE. (Either of the wing cables can connect to either of the plane cables; the order doesn’t matter.)

Place the wings over the body of the Aero with the foam squares ﬁtted into the matching space in the electronics compartment. Make sure not to pinch the AILE cables.

Locate the four large rubber bands. Use the bands to secure the wings to the body of the Aero by the four orange knobs on the body around the wings.

Attach two of the bands to the two knobs on one of the short sides and opposite knobs on the opposing side.

1 2

3 4

Repeat on the other short side with the remaining two rubber bands, resulting in two pairs of opposing right triangles.

Propeller

Locate the rings inside the propeller package. Remove the ring with the second-largest internal diameter, and insert it into the back of the propeller hub.

Remove the nut and the washer from the motor, add the propeller with the writing on the propeller facing towards the nose of the plane, add the washer and the nut over the propeller, and tighten the nut.

Controls

yaw left

Fly the Aero manually using the RC controller.

throttle

yaw

Throttle: Move the left stick forward and backward to control the motor.

Yaw: Move the left stick horizontally to turn left and right using the rudder.

Pitch: Move the right stick up to pitch down and down to pitch up.

Roll: Move the right stick left and right to control the bank angle.

throttle up

pitch

roll

Increase motor speed.

Turn left.

yaw right

Turn right.

roll left

Roll left.

roll right

Roll right.

roll and pitch center

Automatically level.

throttle down

throttle fully down

Decrease motor speed.

Stop motor.

pitch up

Pitch up.

pitch down

Pitch down.

Modes

Auto - ﬂy a mission Fly an autonomous mission. This is the mode that the Aero will use to create the map.

Fly by Wire - assisted manual control Let the autopilot manage the control surfaces, and navigate based on where you want the Aero to fly. Fly-by-wire mode* (FBW) is the easiest way to fly and is the recommended mode for new operators.

*ArduPlane mode FBWA

Return to Launch (RTL) - recall to launch point Command the plane to circle over the launch point. The Aero will return to the position where it acquired GPS lock and enter into a circle pattern at an altitude of 100 meters.

Loiter - circle Activate GPS-positioned circling; the Aero will enter into a circle pattern with a radius of 60 meters at the current altitude. Move the right stick to adjust the position of the circle.

Stabilize - stabilized manual control Stabilize mode provides manual control with an added autopilot safeguard: Release the right stick and the Aero will automatically return to a level flying orientation. Use stabilize mode for the freedom of manual control with return-to-level stabilization.

Manual - full manual control Fly with fine-tuned manual control without autopilot assistance. Manual mode gives you the most direct input to the control surfaces, resulting in precise in-flight adjustment. Try manual mode if you’re an experienced RC plane operator.

To select a ﬂight mode:

First, set the GEAR/MIX switch to select a set of modes. Then use the FLAP/GYRO switch to 0, 1, or 2 to select a speciﬁc mode.

With GEAR/MIX set to GEAR,

set FLAP/GYRO to: 0 for Manual 1 for Stabilize 2 for Loiter

With GEAR/MIX set to MIX,

set FLAP/GYRO to: 0 for Auto 1 for Fly by wire 2 for RTL

GEAR/MIX selects the set of modes.

RC controller (top)

FLAP/GYRO selects the speciﬁc mode, either 0, 1, or 2.

Arming & Disarming LED Indicators

Arming and disarming are important steps that must be completed before takeoff and after landing to activate and deactivate the motor, respectively.

Before arming, check the status LED. The LED will flash blue while the Aero acquires GPS; this can take a few minutes. Once you see the green LED, the autopilot has acquired GPS lock.

Initializing, please wait.

Acquiring GPS lock, please wait.

Autopilot ready, GPS locked

To arm the motor, press and hold the safety button until it displays solid red.

To disarm, press and hold the safety button until it displays blinking red.

Initializing, please wait

Acquiring GPS, please wait

Armed, GPS locked

Loss of RC signal, automatic landing

Low battery, automatic landing

Loss of GPS signal, switch to fly-by-wre

System error, see troubleshooting guide

Tones

Visit 3DR.com/Aero-M to listen to Pixhawk’s status tones.

safety button

Inactive, motor disarmed

Active, motor armed

The arming and disarming procedures ensure that you can safety start and

stop the motor without risk of injury.

The Aero’s motor can spin when armed! Do not place your hands in the way of the propeller while the safety button is active (solid red).

GPS Lock

Auto, RTL, and loiter modes requires GPS lock. When powered, the autopilot will automatically search for GPS lock. The position of the Aero when the autopilot acquires GPS will be saved as the home position, and used as the coordinates for the launch point during RTL. If you plan to use auto, RTL, or loiter modes during your ﬂight, ensure that the Aero is located at a suitable launch point when powered, and the autopilot acquires GPS lock before takeoff, indicated by a blinking green status LED.

Preﬂight Checks

Before each ﬂight, perform a physical component check, center of gravity check, and control checks in both manual and stabilize modes. If any of the components or assemblies in these checks are not secure, tighten the screws or use CA glue (super glue) to secure the components to the foam.

Examine the Aero to ensure that all components are secured in flight configuration.

» Check that the wings, tail, and tail boom are fully assembled and securely attached.

» Check that the propeller is secured tightly to the motor.

» Check that the servo rods are secured to the servo horns with the blue clasps.

tail servos wing servos

With the battery connected and the lid secured, check that the Aero is correctly balanced for flight. Hold the Aero with one finger on each of the clear, plastic balancing points shown below. These points indicate the Aero’s center of gravity.

If the plane balances on your fingers, then the center of gravity is correct. If it won’t balance, adjust the position of the battery until you can balance the plane on two fingers as shown below.

Check that the airspeed sensor is secured to the side of the Aero and the tube is free from obstructions.

airspeed sensor

Flying the plane without the camera will affect the center of gravity. If you choose to fly without the camera, make sure to re-balance the center of gravity.

Left Stick

Preﬂight Checks: Manual Control Check

Before flying, power and arm the Aero on the ground and complete these checks to verify that the control surfaces respond correctly to the control inputs. Place the plane on the ground, and set the mode switches to select manual mode. Move each of the sticks as shown, and check for the corresponding movement of the motor or control surfaces.

Raise the throttle slightly until the motor spins, then immediately set the throttle back to fully down position.

Do not raise the throttle more than just enough to spin the motor while the plane is on the ground, and do not place your hands in the way of

the propeller while the motor is armed.

Pitch down

Roll left

Left aileron tilts up, right aileron tilts down.

Motor spins.

Roll right

Left aileron tilts down, right aileron tilts up.

Yaw left

Rudder tilts left.

Elevator tilts down.

Pitch up

Yaw right

Rudder tilts right.

Elevator tilts up.

Preﬂight Checks: Stabilize Control Check

Set the mode switches to stabilize, and hold the plane in front of you. Move the plane as shown, and check for the stabilization response from the control surfaces.

Test: Tilt the plane left.

Result: Left aileron tilts down, right aileron tilts up.

Test: Tilt the plane right.

Result: Left aileron tilts up, right aileron tilts down.

Test: Tilt the plane down.

Result: Elevator tilts up.

Test: Tilt the plane up.

Result: Elevator tilts down.

Manual TakeoffAutomatic Takeoff

Auto-takeoff works by sensing the movement of the plane and launching it in that direction. Set the Aero to autonomous mode when you’re ready to launch.

Find a launching area with at least 100 feet of clear space in front of you. Face into the wind, and hold the body of the Aero in one hand under the center of gravity. Be careful not to place your hand in the way of the propeller!

Hold the Aero above your head, run, and throw the plane at an upwards angle. The Aero will sense the throw, power the motor, and climb to the altitude specified by the takeoff waypoint before starting the survey mission.

DO NOT WIND UP YOUR THROW; if the Aero senses any backwards momentum it will attempt to launch in that direction. Use only forward

momentum to throw to Aero!

If you’re new to planes, we recommend having a friend help you launch the Aero. Have your friend throw the Aero while you control the controller.

We recommend setting the Aero to fly-by-wire mode for takeoff. Find a launching area with at least 100 feet of clear space in front of you. Face into the wind, and hold the Aero at the center of gravity. Raise the throttle to center position to start the motor. Be careful not to place your hand in the way of the propeller!

Hold the Aero above your head, run, and throw the plane at an upwards angle.

Once launched, the Aero will require immediate adjustment with the controller to navigate away from the ground and up to the desired altitude. Pitch up (right stick down) and add any other necessary controls based on wind, speed, and terrain.

Automatic takeoff requires you to configure the takeoff angle during mission planning. See page 18.

Left Stick

Manual Landing Automatic Landing

When you’re ready to end your flight, follow these steps to land:

» Fly a circle pattern above your landing area.

» Come in on a final approach, flying into the wind at

an altitude of 20 to 40 meters.

» When the plane reaches an altitude of 10 meters, set the throttle fully down to turn

off the motor and glide down

on a 15 to 20 degree down-pitch angle.

After stopping the motor at an altitude of 10 m, keep your thumb on the throttle stick in fully down position to ensure

that the motor does not accidentally spin during landing.

» When the plane is one meter above the ground, pitch up (flare) to land the Aero on

the body of the plane instead of the nose.

To land automatically at the end of the mission, the Aero requires the mission to be configured with a specific pattern of landing waypoints that gradually decreases the altitude so that the Aero can land safely. For instructions on configuring automatic landing, see page 18.

pitch slightly down

wind direction

throttle fully down

pitch up

20-40 m

10 m

1 m

FPV System Operation

If you selected to receive an optional FPV/OSD system, the components are pre-installed into the Aero to transmit on-board video.

Parts

Transmitter

AV receiver

Antenna

Receiver cables

Batteries (2)

1 Charge battery

Charge both batteries before your ﬁrst ﬂight. Set the charger to LiPo and 1A. Connect the white battery connector to the 3S port, and connect the XT60-JST charger adapter to the red battery connector and yellow charger connector.

Battery connector

Camera

2 Wire and power receiver

Attach an antenna to the receiver. Connect the AV output cable to either receiver AV OUT port. Connect the RC power cable to the receiver DC IN port, and attach a battery to the red connector.

3 Prepare on-board components

Connect a fully charged battery to the transmitter inside the compartment in the nose of the plane. Remove the lens cap from the camera.

Remove lens cap!

LiPo

3S port

4 Viewing video

When using a 3DR Black Pearl Monitor to view your video, set the mode to DIV (M button changes modes), the channel to 8 (+ and - buttons), and the band to E (press the power button to access the menu).

For more information about conﬁguring the FPV/OSD system, visit 3DR.com/Aero-M.

Flying Mapping Missions

Takeoff Checklist

Before ﬂying the mission, check the following:

» Camera is on with mission script ready and is secured into the

mount with the mini-USB cable connected and the cap removed.

» Aero is powered and connected to the ground station with all pre-ﬂight

checks passed.

» The survey mission has been adjusted to account for present

environmental conditions and saved to the Aero.

Monitoring

Monitor the Aero closely during the mission using your line of sight and the Mission Planner Flight Data screen.

Mission Planner Flight Data: Attitude

Status

Initiating

For automatic takeoff, set the Aero to auto mode and launch according to the instructions in the Automatic Takeoff section of these instructions (page 33).

For manual takeoff, set the Aero to auto mode after takeoff to initiate the mission in ﬂight.

Actions

1 Change waypoints or restart a mission 2 Change modes 3 Change altitude

1 Heading direction 2 Bank angle 3 Altitude (black) and rate of climb (blue bar) 4 Ground speed

*Failsafe behavior enabled

1 Ground station signal 2 GPS time 3 Currently

enabled mode

3 4 5

4 Distance to current waypoint >

current waypoint number

5 GPS status 6 Battery status*

Full battery: 16.8 V Low battery failsafe: 13.8 V

End your ﬂight at 14 V!

Flight Map

1 Current heading 2 Direct path to current waypoint 3 GPS-reported direction of travel

2 3 4

4 Actual ﬂight path 5 Latitude, longitude 6 Altitude

Failsafes

The Aero is programmed with a set of failsafe behaviors to prevent a crash in the event of a loss of one of the data or communication channels required for autonomous ﬂight. Although certain failsafe have assigned LED indicators and tones, it is unlikely that you will be able to see these at a distance. Monitor the Flight Data screen for failsafe indications. If a failsafe is triggered, the assigned behavior will activate. To override the failsafe behavior (RTL in most cases), use the controller to regain manual control.

Regaining Manual Control

To regain manual control during the mission, switch to ﬂy-by-wire mode using the controller. If you’re a conﬁdent operator, switch to stabilize mode. If you observe instability in the Aero’s ﬂight behavior or it the aircraft moves outside your designated safe ﬂying area, switch to RTL. Turning off the controller will automatically trigger an RTL and can be used in an emergency situation as a hard recall command.

RC Controller Signal Failsafe

Physical obstructions and interference from nearby wireless signals can affect the Aero’s connection with the RC controller.

If the Aero loses contact with the controller, it will return to the launch point automatically and enter into a circle pattern above the launch point, indicated by a blinking yellow status LED.

If the controller failsafe is triggered, wait for the Aero to return to the launch point, then regain manual control and either land or restart the mission.

Low Battery Failsafe

Environmental conditions can affect power consumption. Use the Mission Planner Flight Data display to monitor the voltage of the battery during ﬂight.

If the battery reaches 13.8 V, the Aero will return automatically to circle above the launch point, indicated by a blinking yellow status LED and a quick repeating tone.

3 Process

On-Site Quality Check 38

Spot Check 38 Download Images 38 Download Log File 39 Pix4D Rapid Check 40

Full Processing 40

On-Site Quality Check

Before leaving the survey site, check the images using Pix4D to ensure sufﬁcient quality for mapping by downloading the images from the SD card, downloading the log ﬁle from the Aero, and completing Rapid Check Initial Processing in Pix4D.

If you observe poor image quality or the quality report returns errors, see the Image Quality Troubleshooting section on page 45 and repeat the mission.

Spot Check (Optional)

The quickest way to see the images after a ﬂight is to unlock the SD card and restart the camera. The camera will load the default Canon programming and you can select the playback bottom to review the images.

playback button

Download Images

Unlock the SD card and load into your ground station. Select the DCIM folder and locate the folder for your ﬂight. Copy the ﬁles into a project folder on the ground station and delete them from the SD card.

SD card file structure: Download images

Download Log File

Pix4D uses the GPS data from the Aero’s log ﬁle to georeference the images. To download the Aero’s dataﬂash log, power the Aero and connect to Mission Planner. The download process will be faster if you connect the micro-USB cable directly to Pixhawk’s micro-USB port instead of connecting using the ground station radio. (When connecting directly to the Aero, set the rate to 115200.)

On the Flight Plan screen, select the DataFlash Logs tab under the heads-up display, and select Download DataFlash Log over Mavlink.

Mission Planner: Flight Data heads-up display

The Log window shows the Aero’s recent ﬂights. Select the ﬂight for your mission, and select Download These Logs. This will save the log ﬁle to your computer in the location displayed under the list of ﬂights.

To retrieve the log ﬁle, access your computer’s ﬁle structure under Program Files/Mission Planner/logs/ PLANE, and select the .log ﬁle for the date of your ﬂight.

Mission Planner: Download Logs Program Files: Retrieve log file

Pix4Dmapper Rapid Check: Create Project

1 Open Pix4D Mapper, and create a new project.

2 Select Aerial Nadir as the project type.

Pix4Dmapper Rapid Check: Initial Processing

After creating the project, select the Local Processing screen (Process menu). Check the option for Initial Processing and Rapid Check. Uncheck all other local processing options, and select Start.

After adding the images, select From File to add the geolocation data from the Aero’s log ﬁle. In the pop-up window, select 3D Robotics Flight Log as the ﬁle format, and upload the dataﬂash log ﬁle downloaded from Mission Planner.

Pix4D will generate a Quality Report that will indicate if the images are of sufﬁcient quality to create a map.

Full Processing

To complete full processing for the map, visit support.pix4d.com for instructions.

Appendix

Aerial Imaging Concepts 42 3DR EAI 43 Image Quality Troubleshooting 45 Operational Troubleshooting 46

Aerial Imaging Concepts

Understanding key concepts in aerial images can help you understand the mission planning process and create better maps.

Distance-Based Imaging

By default, the Aero captures only the images required to create the map. The autopilot monitors the distance traveled by the Aero and sends a command to the camera to capture an image at the distance interval speciﬁed by the camera trigger distance parameter (CAM_ TRIGG_DIST). This parameter is set by the Mission Planner Survey Tool during survey conﬁguration by calculating the minimum distance between images based on the parameters speciﬁed for the survey (altitude, overlap, sidelap). This distance-based imaging allows for more precise data collection, resulting in less images and data storage cost.

Once conﬁgured, the Survey Tool creates an event at the start of the mission script (after takeoff) to set the camera trigger distance to the speciﬁed interval and an event at the end of the mission (before landing) to reset the camera trigger distance to 0. Therefore, while on the ground and during landing, the camera captures no images because the camera trigger distance is set to 0 m.

Time-Based Imaging

The Aero is also equipped to capture images at a consistent time interval instead of using distance. This function can be useful if you want to capture images over an area without planning a mission. This time-based imaging results in more images per area, and therefore more processing time and storage cost. See the intervalometer option on page 43 to enable time-based imaging.

Overlap and Sidelap

To capture images for the map, the Aero ﬂies a lawnmower-like pattern in strips across the survey site. The front-to-back overlap between sequential images is called overlap; the side overlaps of adjacent pictures in different strips is called sidelap. The overlap and sidelap parameters in the Survey Tool (see Advanced Options page 16) determine the distance between images and the number of images to be captured based on the projected ground area that each image will cover, called a footprint. The Survey Tool uses a default overlap of 50% and a default sidelap of 60%. Increasing overlap and sidelap improves the accuracy of the map while increasing ﬂight time and processing time.

In the Survey Tool, Distance between Images shows the speciﬁed camera trigger distance that will be assigned to the mission. You can also see the projected image footprint size and the total number of images to be captured.

Default overlap: 50% Default sidelap: 60%

3DR EAI

3DR EAI is based on KAP UAV Exposure Control Script v3.1: a great opensource project for kite and UAV aerial photography.

Start and Stop Script

Ensure the camera is set to P (program) mode before powering the camera. Upon startup, 3DR EAI starts automatically and listens for commands from the autopilot, indicated by waiting for USB signal. To stop (and re-start) the script, press the shutter button. The script will display INTERRUPTED when stopped.

Script start: waiting on USB signal

Script stopped: INTERRUPTED FINISHED

CHDK Menu

The CHDK menu contains all the standard options provided with CHDK. To access the CHDK menu, stop the script and select the MENU button.

Script Menu

The script menu allows you to change the parameters associated with the script itself, including changing the trigger mode and adjusting exposure. To open the script menu, stop the script and select the FUNC. SET button. These parameters are conﬁgured for the Aero and SX260 and do not require adjustment as part of standard operation.

Script menu

Trigger Type

This parameter allows you to control how the camera captures images. Trigger type defaults to USB for distance-based imaging during mapping missions. For time-based imaging, select Interval and specify the length in the

Shot Interval parameter.

Trigger Type default: USB (mapping)

Variable intervalometer: Interval (default to 2 seconds, speciﬁed by Shot Interval)

CHDK menu

Script menu: Trigger Type

Updating the Script

3DR EAI is an open-source project and continuously improving. To download the latest script, visit 3DR.com/Aero-M and select 3DR EAI Source. You will be redirected to the GitHubt repository where you can right-click on Raw and select Save Link to download the latest script labeled 3DR_EAI_SX260. lua.

Download latest script from GitHub

Memory Reset

If the battery is left out of the camera for too long, the camera will reset its memory. To re-conﬁgure the camera in this case, visit 3DR.com/Aero-M for instructions.

New script ﬁle

To update the script on the SD card, unlock the SD card and open it on your computer. Navigate to CHDK/Scripts and replace the existing 3DR_EAI_ SX260.lua ﬁle with the updated script ﬁle from GitHub.

Resources

Visit 3DR.com/Aero-M for links to resources.

3DR EAI GitHub Repository: github.com/diydrones/ardupilot/tree/master/Tools/CHDK-Scripts KAP UAV Exposure Control Script v3.1: chdk.wikia.com/wiki/KAP_UAV_Exposure_Control_Script CHDK v1.3: chdk.wikia.com/wiki/CHDK_1.3.0_User_Manual

Script ﬁle on SD card

Image Quality Troubleshooting

If you observe poor image quality during the spot check or if you receive error messages during processing, use the settings below to troubleshoot the image quality.

Blurry Images

To correct motion blur, adjust the shutter speed using the Target Tv parameter in the script menu.

Target Tv (shutter speed) default: 1/1250 To correct moderate motion blur: Set to 1/1600. To correct severe motion blur: Set to 1/2000.

Overexposure

If the images are overexposed but do not show any motion blur, it can be due to ﬂying in extremely bright conditions. To correct this, set the Allow use of ND ﬁlter parameter to YES in the script menu.

Allow use of ND ﬁlter default: No To correct overexposure: Set to Yes.

Example image: motion blur Script menu: Target Tv

Example image: overexposure

Script menu: ND ﬁlter

Processing Errors

If you receive errors from Pix4Dmapper during processing, increase the overlap and sidelap during survey conﬁguration to improve the quality of the image set.

Overlap default: 50% Sidelap default: 60% To improve processing: Set overlap to 60% and sidelap to 70%.

Operational Troubleshooting

No Images Captured

1 If the camera did not capture any images during the mission, ﬁrst perform a physical inspection on the Aero.

Is the mini-USB cable connected to the camera’s USB port?

Are the AUX OUT 6 pins connected on Pixhawk?

AUX OUT 6: black (-), red (+), white (s)

Is the camera battery charged? Unlock the SD card to view the Canon’s battery level indicator.

2 Take a distance-triggered test image on the ground by manually setting the camera trigger distance parameter to 1 m.

Power the Aero and connect to Mission Planner. Select Conﬁg/Tuning and

Full Parameter List. Change the CAM_TRIGG_DIST parameter to 1, and select Write Params. Disconnect the Aero from Mission Planner, and carry for a few

meters to see if the autopilot triggers the camera.

Mission Planner Full Parameter List: Set CAM_TRIGG_DIST to 1.

3D Robotics Aero-M User Manual

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual