Being confident and familiar with Hovermap can mean the difference between great results and a failed mission. Hovermap perceives the world differently from traditional LiDAR systems, and you will need to plan your mission effectively to maximize the quality of your results.
Some environments, such as large outdoor areas, can present a challenge for Hovermap, so preparation and planning can make all the difference.
If you are not yet confident operating Hovermap as a payload on a robot, performing a separate walking scan is a perfectly viable solution. The data from the walking scan can be merged with the overall data later on. Make sure that you only operate to your capabilities!
The process
In this section, we will outline the process of planning your mission. In each step, we will provide you with a set of questions to help you set yourself up for success.
Before you begin, make sure that you are aware of, and can comply with, all legal requirements when operating Hovermap and its associated platforms.
Step 1: Define your objective
The first and most important step is to define your objective. Keep this objective in mind as you plan and execute your mission. The following steps will help you work out how to achieve it.
Questions
What am I hoping to achieve?
What is my subject of interest?
What capture method will I be using?
For example, will it be a walking scan, a vehicle or drone-mounted scan, lowering Hovermap in a cage?
Or a combination of these?What level of accuracy do I need?
Do I need to use GCPs?
(Refer to the Georeferencing section for more information.)What are my limitations?
Are there accessibility limitations?
How much time do I have to do the job?
How many batteries do I have?
Are there any other equipment limitations?
Do I want a colorized scan?
(Refer to the Colorization section for more information.)
Step 2: Analyze your environment
Every environment is unique, and you will need to plan your mission accordingly. Make sure that you have a good understanding of how SLAM works and how environmental features affect your mission before you get started. Refer to the What is SLAM? section for more detailed information.
For more specific information on how to plan in some of the more common scenarios, refer to the Common Scenarios Using Hovermap section.
Questions
Does the environment have enough features to provide a good quality scan?
If not:
Can I add features to the environment to improve the scan quality?
Can I mitigate the lack of features in some areas by planning my mission path to account for this?
Is there a good GPS signal available?
Are there any moving objects?
What is the best size scan for this environment?
Do I need to break up my scan into multiple scans?
If I need to split it up, how should I scan each different section?
Step 3: Plan your mission path
Your mission path will depend on the environment you are mapping. Make sure that you have read and understood the Scan patterns section before planning your mission path.
Questions
Where is the best starting point?
What scanning pattern will I use?
How will I close the loop?
Should I use lots of little loops?
Should I use a grid pattern?
If performing multiple scans, how will I ensure that there is at least 20% overlap between these scans?
How will I keep features in front of Hovermap as I perform my scan?
How close can I get to environmental features?
Where do I need to place GCPs?
Where should I place my rally point?
(Set your rally point in an open space, within visual line of sight. For more information, refer to the Emesent Commander section.)Where should I place my waypoints?
(For more information, refer to Emesent Commander User Manual section).If you require a colorized scan:
How will I keep the GoPro within the 20 m range?
How will I keep the GoPro directly focused on the area of interest?
Step 4: Decide on your mission parameters
The height, speed, and scanning patterns that you need to follow will vary according to your environment. Make sure that you have read and understood the Scanning techniques section before you continue.
Questions
What speed do I need to travel at?
(Remember, the slower, the better.)How high should I fly?
(The lower, the better.)Can I easily follow the terrain, keeping to a height of 40 m or less?
How will I keep my scans as short as possible?
What mission mode will I be using?
What primary and secondary navigation methods should I choose?
(Refer to the How does Hovermap navigate? section for more information.)What is my turning technique?
(Remember to turn slowly, and to keep features within Hovermap’s field of view while turning.)
Step 5: Prepare an emergency contingency plan
Always have an emergency plan in place in case of unexpected behavior. Be prepared to take over the drone or vehicle if required, especially if you are using Autonomous mode. Make sure that you know how to handle your specific platform in an emergency situation.
Refer to the Hovermap Emergency Procedures section for more detailed information.
Questions
What is my emergency contingency plan?
How will I take over control of the drone if necessary?
(This will be platform-specific.)How can I abort the mission if necessary?
How will I abort the mission if Hovermap is beyond visual line of sight?
Do I need to think about protecting people, animals, or objects?
Step 6: Prepare your environment
To ensure the most efficient scan, make sure that your surroundings are prepared beforehand.
Questions
Is my scan path unobstructed?
Is my scan area free of people?
Is my scan area free of other moving objects?
Have I placed my GCPs around the area?
If colorizing the scan, do I have suitable lighting to create a quality color scan?
Step 7: Perform your pre-mission checks
Perform the appropriate pre-mission checks before operating Hovermap. Our pre-mission checklists help you to ensure that you have chosen the correct settings and tested your equipment so that everything is in working order for your mission.
You can access the checklist of your current mission from the Emesent Commander application. You can also find the following pre-mission checklists in our Knowledge Base:
Questions
What is the best name for my scan?
(Make sure that you name your scan clearly so that you can find it again for downloading and processing. Leave no doubt as to what the scan is.)Have I performed all other pre-mission checks?
Step 8: Perform your mission as planned
Perform your mission according to your chosen path and parameters.
As you go, make sure that you check the live point cloud to ensure that your data is being collected correctly.
You can do this in Emesent Commander. You can also do this by connecting to the Hovermap’s Wi-Fi, opening a web browser (on any laptop or Android device), and then navigating to hover.map:8082.
Step 9: Download and process your data
Download your scan data off Hovermap and then process it using Emesent Aura. Make sure that you download your data after each scan.
Questions
Have I downloaded all the data collected?
Do I have enough free space on Hovermap for the next mission?
If something didn’t go to plan, have I downloaded all relevant log files?
Have I processed the scan using the Standard profile?
(If your results are not as desired using this profile, you can then change the processing parameters. Refer to the Common Scenarios Using Hovermap section for more information about settings for specific environments.)
Step 10: Review your mission
Once your mission has been completed, we recommend that you perform a review to see how it went. This will help you to improve your scanning technique with each mission that you accomplish.
Questions
What was successful?
What was unsuccessful?
What have I learned?
What can I do better next time?
Do I need to contact Client Support (or my local reseller) for further assistance?