Aerial Photography with Automatic UAV      Up      TeKFCS Flihgt Test      TeKFCS Software      Automatic UAV aerial photography      Pics Gallery

The TeKnol UAV Flight Control System (TeKFCS) provides the automatic control during all the flight, including arrival to the destination area, accurate flight path navigation, survey grid flying (drape flying may be provided), attitude stabilization and safe UAV return. UAV autopilot generates PWM command to control the photo camera trigger. The shooting rate, WPT range for shooting are set in time of flight planning.

The shooting rate are function of following parameters:

• UAV ground speed;
• requested pictures overlapping;
• flight altitude over ground;
• camera view angle.

Flight planning

The ApFlex application is to design the flight path. Both contiguous area or wide area can be surveyed. For wide area the grid shall be designed to provide the 15-20% of pictures overlapping between lines. The terrain profile, approach time and UAV flight performance (speed, endurance etc.) shall be considered. When planning the software automatically calculates the flight path length, estimates time airborne, checks the flight plan with respect to the particular UAV perfgormance.

Flight data analysis

After landing the pictures are downloaded to the computer. The flight data are uploaded to the ApFlex software.

The software displays the flown trajectory versus designed flight path. Each camera trigger point is tagged in the flight data log and displayed on the trajectory curve.

Considering the flight data measured by the inertial system (pitch, roll, heading, altitude, coordinates) the shooting area is displayed.

Every taken picture can be displayed in separate window with scaling or superposition on the map background.

The further pictures processing is possible with conventional software instrumentation as pictures splitting, correction, description etc.