Hovermap Mapping Quick Start Guide

This quick start guide provides a high-level overview of how to get started with the Hovermap kit. It links to key videos and Knowledge Base articles covering everything from mission planning and setup to data capture, processing, and visualization in Aura.

Each step includes supporting reference materials along with a brief overview of the actions involved. For full instructions and detailed workflows, follow the linked training resources.

Before you start

Before beginning the first mission, review the recommended pre-reads and confirm Emesent account access. This ensures familiarity with key Hovermap terminology and that the required permissions for Commander and Aura are in place.

Sign up for an Emesent account if this has not already been done. As part of the standard onboarding process, an invitation to set up the account is sent via email before the Hovermap arrives. If this has not occurred, request an account through Emesent User Management Setup.

Step 1: Plan your mission

Effective planning is critical to a successful capture. This step outlines how to define mission objectives, assess the environment, and plan an efficient scan path to ensure full coverage and high-quality data.

Step 2: Set up Hovermap

Proper setup ensures reliable operation and data capture. This step covers mounting Hovermap on the chosen platform, connecting power, verifying system readiness, and confirming communication through the Commander app.

This video provides an overview of Hovermap setup with the backpack RTK and includes the full capture process.

Optional: Install Commander

To install Emesent Commander on another Android device, see the Commander installation guide.

Step 3: Perform the scan

Once Hovermap is configured, it is ready to collect data. This step covers starting the scan, following the planned path, maintaining stable motion for SLAM performance, and completing the capture safely.

This video (starting at 4:20) demonstrates how to start a scan with Commander and capture a scan using backpack RTK.

Step 4: Process your data in Aura

After scanning, process the datasets in Aura to generate a high-resolution point cloud. This step introduces how to access Aura, select the appropriate workflow, and review the processed results for quality and completeness. Before processing, ensure the computer meets the Aura system requirements and install Aura from Emesent User Management.

This video (starting at 5:45) demonstrates how to offload and process an RTK scan in Emesent Aura.

Explore use case specific content

Hovermap supports a wide range of industry workflows. Explore example applications and integration resources across AEC, mining, and other sectors to see how Hovermap data is used in real-world scenarios.

Trying something else?

Scanning challenging environments

This video explains the fundamentals of Hovermap and covers best practices for capturing a scan in difficult or confined environments.

Handheld setup

This video walks through the step-by-step Hovermap setup for handheld use.

Capture and process a scan with 360 Color

This video demonstrates Hovermap scanning techniques, including 360 Color capture and the general handheld scanning process.

Using Emesent Auto GCP

This video (starting at 5:00) details the processing workflow in Aura for automated GCP alignment, where Aura automatically detects Emesent-supported targets in the environment and aligns them to the provided survey data.

User selected targets

This video (starting at 2:00) details the processing workflow in Aura for using user-selected targets to reduce drift, align data to real-world coordinates, and improve scan accuracy, with check points providing independent validation of results.

Colorize point clouds in Aura

Import handheld scan data and video into Aura and process to produce colorized point clouds.

Merge point clouds in Aura

Combine multiple scans in Aura using SLAM to create a single unified point cloud.

Filtering in Aura

Use Aura's filtering tools to remove noise and artifacts from the point cloud, improving data quality and clarity for analysis.

Get support

For issues or further assistance, Emesent provides multiple support options. This section outlines how to access technical documentation, chat assistance, and direct support channels.