Any other drone pilots?? Let's see some aerial photo and video!

[danielle2019]

I am curious to know how many drone pilots we have here! I got out today to do some mapping, and couldn't resist getting a few of the Ram! This is certainly and angle we don't see everyday.

Let's see some drone photos and videos.

 

[Jtr]

Great thread, can't wait to see these pics I'm not a droner myself, but I know of a lot of local farm buddies with Rams that are now utilizing them for their fields.

 

[Diamondback]

No images of my truck until after it is birthed and delivered, but here are a few that were fun to do practicing the options.
DJI Phantom 4 with a modified controller (added the HDMI Pro output to run to an external viewing screen)

Practicing the DON'T RUN INTO ME option .. (aka Avoidance System)







She isn't sure if she is supposed to stop it or smile for the camera:







Bought a filter set after I saw this one :

 

[danielle2019]

No images of my truck until after it is birthed and delivered, but here are a few

The collision detection is a great feature. And animals certainly are confused by these things!

 

[Diamondback]

Hey, there's a pretty blue truck in that capture too ..how'd that get in there?

[EDIT: multiple times actually now that I look at it LOL!]

 

[jdmartin]

Awesome pics everyone! I really should get a drone for myself, but I'm a little baffled about being able to control it flying without crashing it into a tree or another car - is flying these things like flying the old gas powered airplanes? What's the range? Does it have to be line of sight (i.e. can I fly it over the hill behind me to see what's going on over there)?

 

[Diamondback]

@jdmartin easier. I had one of the other guys fly it and he had never flown anything .. he kept trying to crash it .. only thing he actually hit was a small tree branch which just notched the blades a bit. I swapped out the blades after we landed it and kept on going.

I have 3 batteries and it does depend on how you fly it .. 25-28 mins per battery for Phantom 4.
Ms Danielle would have to reply with her model as she more than likely does slower flying for capturing.

I thought about trading mine in for the Mavic 2 but circumstances recently changed regarding work here, so I won't be able to just yet.
I have a few electric helicopters and those are hard. These all have avoidance systems (mine is older so it only has the forward but most all have 360 now).
Local Sheriff's Dept purchased a DJI Matrix with dual cameras (HD and Infrared) and dual controllers. That is a heavy beast and get roughly 20-25 mins on dual batteries. Also added a platform that allows up to 10 pounds to be carried - say a lifeline to someone trapped in the river allows them to grab that after released and they can pull the larger rope to themselves to be rescued).

Lot of people also look into the Sparks for personal use (even smaller than the Mavic) They are fun and take great photos and video.

You are regulated by the FAA for line of site but they can actually reach over 2 miles in the right conditions. I've had mine up above at 250 feet and it was getting nearly too small to see (within the legal FAA guidelines). So I can't imagine the Mavic or Sparks at our max 400 feet.
Coming from the old fuel-based planes, you are probably family with standard FAA laws, guidelines, etc.

Know Before You Fly

Know Before You Fly is an education campaign organized by he Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI),

knowbeforeyoufly.org

Ms @danielle2019 how about yours as you are licensed?

 

[danielle2019]

^^ All correct information. For me, practical line of sight range is about 1500 ft for the Inspire 2, which is bigger and also black. A white Phantom can get lost among the clouds quite quickly. The FAA limit is 400 AGL, so that limit is built into the software as well. For the type of mapping I do, where a 3D model will be produced, I typically fly about 150 ft. I'll do a quick photogrammetry calculation for altitude, using the parameters of your camera sensor you can determine what altitude to fly to achieve a certain ground sampling distance.

My eight year old niece has flown the Inspire 2. GPS enabled aircraft will hover at lack of controller input, if you don't do anything it will hold position. Unlike a winged aircraft that needs forward speed to generate lift under the wings, these things move up/down, side to side, forward/backward. Want to go up, push up, Go left, push left and so on.

Avoidance systems are great, but certainly not perfect. They will detect solid objects, but not a drone's worst enemy: powerlines. Why? because they are hard to see, too thin for sensors to pick up and avoid, and larger transmissions lines can cause electromagnetic interference.

No drone that I am aware of has broken that 30 minute flight time threshold. Inspire 2 requires dual batteries, but it does not increase flight time. I get about 23 minutes, before remaining power is low enough that I go ahead and start bringing it down.

Not sure about Spark, but a Mavic will absolutely hit the 400ft mark, I have done it. Mavic in general is a nice bird, but I would recommend for days with no wind.

 

[SpeedyV]

I am curious to know how many drone pilots we have here! I got out today to do some mapping, and couldn't resist getting a few of the Ram! This is certainly and angle we don't see everyday.

Let's see some drone photos and videos.

View attachment 29047

I’ve done much more post-processing, i.e. scan-to-BIM using assorted ground-based and aerial LiDAR and photogrammetry.

In this capacity, I’ve had the opportunity to work with many of our customers, from architecture firms to military installations. One cool project was the US Air Force Academy Cadet Chapel, which we scanned and flew inside and out prior to its $80M renovation.

Here’s a video of the exterior flight:

To learn more about the project, check out this post. We ultimately used 26 Autodesk products to capture, model, analyze, and visualize the virtual building. Fun stuff!

I work for Autodesk (I often say that I work for “The Toymaker”), but we don’t often get the chance to share our work publicly. The project above was an example where the client was on board with us marketing the project.

 

[Diamondback]

mmm Autodesk ... I miss my Inventor
I remember way back in the late 80s when CAD first came out on PC, all command lines / menus .. no GUI .. when I took the latest Inventor, the instructor kept telling me to right-click - end , etc etc etc I was like .. I'm a 2-handed Drafter .. "LI" for line, drag mouse, ESC, SPACEBAR, drag mouse .. see!? 5 minutes instead of 15 .. LOL

 

[SpeedyV]

mmm Autodesk ... I miss my Inventor
I remember way back in the late 80s when CAD first came out on PC, all command lines / menus .. no GUI .. when I took the latest Inventor, the instructor kept telling me to right-click - end , etc etc etc I was like .. I'm a 2-handed Drafter .. "LI" for line, drag mouse, ESC, SPACEBAR, drag mouse .. see!? 5 minutes instead of 15 .. LOL

Inventor is still very much alive and kicking, but you might check out Autodesk Fusion 360. It’s even free for hobbyists and startups! Cheers.

 

[Diamondback]

I had 360 as well but to me it wasn't as robust as Inventor. I had purchased a license but there was such an issue, I just asked for a refund after 3 months went by and I had never rec'd my key. I don't do much with it now but I should !
I want to say 2013 was the last version I had?

anyways .. let's stop hijackin' the thread .. this is 'pose to be about DRONES


HAHAHAHHAHAH!!

 

[Ram-bunctious]

Here is the second site.

View attachment 29151

Awesome, I use a FARO 350s, for 3D scanning, I love the drone mapping and want to start doing the same thing with the Mavic Pro 2..

 

[Helmetface]

Soooo, let's nerd out!

While I love photography drones, I do not own one! I will likely buy a Mavic 2 this year...so compact, such sweetness.

That being said, I'm into custom freestyle builds! Here are some pictures of my recent UAV builds:



Just a sample of some of my flying...unfortunately, I'm not that great! I don't get a ton of time to practice, but I sure enjoy it! I enjoy building the quadcopters as much I do flying. Really a great time!

 

[Diamondback]

Do you race them or just have fun? That is pretty awesome!

 

[onelochevy]

Soooo, let's nerd out!

While I love photography drones, I do not own one! I will likely buy a Mavic 2 this year...so compact, such sweetness.

That being said, I'm into custom freestyle builds! Here are some pictures of my recent UAV builds:
View attachment 29305
View attachment 29306

Just a sample of some of my flying...unfortunately, I'm not that great! I don't get a ton of time to practice, but I sure enjoy it! I enjoy building the quadcopters as much I do flying. Really a great time!

Ive always wanted to build a racing type drone. They look so darn fun to play around with.

 

[danielle2019]

I’ve done much more post-processing, i.e. scan-to-BIM using assorted ground-based and aerial LiDAR and photogrammetry.

In this capacity, I’ve had the opportunity to work with many of our customers, from architecture firms to military installations. One cool project was the US Air Force Academy Cadet Chapel, which we scanned and flew inside and out prior to its $80M renovation.

Here’s a video of the exterior flight:

To learn more about the project, check out this post. We ultimately used 26 Autodesk products to capture, model, analyze, and visualize the virtual building. Fun stuff!

I work for Autodesk (I often say that I work for “The Toymaker”), but we don’t often get the chance to share our work publicly. The project above was an example where the client was on board with us marketing the project.

I pretty much live in Civil 3D and ReCap. We are on track for a good year, and if that keeps up we will look at an aerial LiDAR solution next year. I've had some incredible results with just the DJI fleet and a good photogrammetry processing workflow.

 

[danielle2019]

Awesome, I use a FARO 350s, for 3D scanning, I love the drone mapping and want to start doing the same thing with the Mavic Pro 2..

Drone mapping has really changed the way our field crews work. With a good control network, we are able to do most of the linework right from the orthoimagery, with a few GPS check shots. Phantom 4 is my primary mapping drone. I found it to be a little more robust and stable in the wind over the original Mavic Pro. My Mavic is my personal drone, for family events and things. On the side I do hair, makeup, and photos for weddings and other events. The Mavic is quiet enough to not disturb a ceremony.

I take out the Inspire 2 for video and when we need really high-res orthos. The downside is the amount of PC power you need to work with a point cloud from a 20MP or higher sensor!

 

[danielle2019]

Soooo, let's nerd out!

While I love photography drones, I do not own one! I will likely buy a Mavic 2 this year...so compact, such sweetness.

That being said, I'm into custom freestyle builds! Here are some pictures of my recent UAV builds

Just a sample of some of my flying...unfortunately, I'm not that great! I don't get a ton of time to practice, but I sure enjoy it! I enjoy building the quadcopters as much I do flying. Really a great time!

Those are some cool builds! You did the 3D Printing as well? Are you using a FPV headset for those flights??

 

[Helmetface]

Do you race them or just have fun? That is pretty awesome!

I'm not into racing. I appreciate it, but those guy's just go TOO fast.

I like flying around, doing recon, doing tricks. Make little music videos and such.