EVO2 Enterprise DUAL 640T RTK: maps and models of IR and RGB jpegs (NTRIP data)

[vr-pilot]

Hi folks,

I am actually an Autel Robotics Newbie but in the pro drone business since 2015.
For some weeks now I am checking out "virtually" the capabilities of the EVO 2 Enterprise with RTK module and the DUAL 640 T camera by gathering information over the internet, contacting vendors and travelling to fairs etc.. Especially the possibility to make IR and RGB mappings during single flight RTK-missions (with high accuracy and minimized side overlaps) was fascinating me.
Yesterday I got very amazing results from an Italian vendor. Here is my post from the DD forum of which I think will be very interesting for many people on this dedicated product forum:

(...)
the vendor from Italy sent me this early afternoon (CET) a video link of the results of his RGB+IR RTK mapping test, he did this morning. He meanwhile switched it to his channel as official content. So here is the link, you will all be surprised (English):
EVO2 Enterprise DUAL 640T RTK evidence of thermal jpg coordinates were corrected via NTRIP

And this evening (CET) he published a second video showing the whole “making of” the map including the on site flight mission (windy day), processing (IR only) and the quality report. Again, the outcomes are quite amazing and should work with all mapping platforms at this high quality (Italian):
EVO2 Enterprise DUAL 640T RTK - modello fotogrammetrico di un termogramma accurato a 8mm
(...)

IR GSD=3.78 cm/px and RGB GSD=1.39 cm/px!

I read in the DD forum that photo resolution could not be switched to 8000x6000 px within missions for mapping flights. Only 4000x3000 px would be selectable here. Is that true?

The above mentioned mission was flown at 40 m AGL, what would actually have resulted in a GSD of approx. only 3 cm/px when jpegs with 4000x3000 px (12MP) would have been generated from the 640T's RGB 48 MP sensor.
The resulting RGB map having a GSD of 1.39 cm would mean that the 48MP camera did in fact twice as good as a 12 MP would have done. The sensor comes very close to a 20MP resolution but is under the GSD that would be expected from a 48 MP sensor.

So actually RGB GSD is no real showstopper and the overall results are really amazing.
What do you guys think?

 

[Gary Zegel]

I just recently purchased the Evo 2 Enterprise, loving the Drone this week and the 6K camera is amazing. My thoughts are to also add RTK and purchase the FLIR 640R camera as my experience, expertise, and business grows. My understanding is that the 640T, although radiometric is not FLIR and can not be easily used with FLIR tools, at least not without some conversion workflow. Now to learn RTK and NTRIP!

 

[vr-pilot]

I just recently purchased the Evo 2 Enterprise, loving the Drone this week and the 6K camera is amazing. My thoughts are to also add RTK and purchase the FLIR 640R camera as my experience, expertise, and business grows. My understanding is that the 640T, although radiometric is not FLIR and can not be easily used with FLIR tools, at least not without some conversion workflow. Now to learn RTK and NTRIP!

Congratulations! My finger is still hovering over the order button, although I am meanwhile 99% convinced ;-)
If there wouldn't be the extra 3,500 EUR or so on top of the 640 R's (FLIR) price, I might also go for it. But as I have to worry about the budget I am tending to the 640 T (Infiray).
The 640 R is for sure better if it comes to industrial customer relationships requesting officially acepted equipment.
But I would use the IR part of the Dual 640 T more for relative temperature mapping as shown in the videos of my original post in combination with an RGB map of respactable quality (also see GSD values in that post).
There is a post temperature picking tool (absolute temperatures, calibrated?) by Autel called "IR_PCTool" downloadable for free on their site. This could be useful to categorize the relative temperatures in the 2D-maps (and even 3D-models) afterwards.
My second main use for the 640 T would be finding wild animals like boars, fawns and ground nesters for farmers, hunters and nature conservation, were "industrial precission" is (also) not a priority.
For sure, when you have industrial clients and get their contracts an extra 3.500 EUR would not be a real concern and maybe your "entry ticket" anyway.
When flying for farmers, hunters and nature conservation, money (price per mission) is a concern though.

 

[Gary Zegel]

My thought process was to buy the Enterprise 6K bundle, learn mapping, perfect my photography skills, build visual inspection business, then add RTK and upgrade the gimble to do Solar PV inspections. I love the fact the payload is interchangeable.

 

[vr-pilot]

My thought process was to buy the Enterprise 6K bundle, learn mapping, perfect my photography skills, build visual inspection business, then add RTK and upgrade the gimble to do Solar PV inspections.

Sounds like a very good plan or road map!
I "waited" a very long time for the H520's RTK/PPK after its official announcement in February 2019 (German):
Upgrade your mission: Yuneec H520 ab sofort auch mit präziser RTK-Satellitennavigation erhältlich
It should have been available in Q2 2019 (!), also as an update to already existing systems (like my H520 which I fly since October 2017).
I then hoped for the "new" H520E being a good successor but maybe you know the rest of the story.
So my next step is to (finally) get the long awaited RTK/PPK functionality - within a very compact and light system - capable of doing all the great things mentioned in the original post of this thread. Really amazing!

 

[jmason702]

I just recently purchased the Evo 2 Enterprise, loving the Drone this week and the 6K camera is amazing. My thoughts are to also add RTK and purchase the FLIR 640R camera as my experience, expertise, and business grows. My understanding is that the 640T, although radiometric is not FLIR and can not be easily used with FLIR tools, at least not without some conversion workflow. Now to learn RTK and NTRIP!

the 640T has its own tools, and some say it's better!

 

[jmason702]

CHECK THIS OUT 48MP map, NON RTK

 

[vr-pilot]

CHECK THIS OUT 48MP map, NON RTK

That again is amazing! The report really states 8000x6000 pixel (48MP) image size!
Did you have to fly the mission legs manually or how did you achieve this high resolution? (You mentioned that automated mission settings would only allow for 4000x3000 pixel (12MP) images) .
I discussed this with a friend and we came to the conclusion that maybe
1) sensor read out times plus compression times for 48 MP images could be greater than let's say 3 seconds, and
2) the read out and compression processes could heavily stress the processor(s) and it could cause cooling problems if you take i.e. 300 images with 48 MP resolution with a minimum interval.

EDIT: I just noticed your answers for this in the other thread. Thank you!

REALITY CAPTURE 1.2 THREAD

(Quote)
OK, CHECK THIS OUT. I used the 640T in manual to map just my street 8000 x6000. 100 ft AGL, 2sec shot intervals. ( In mission mode, it will only allow you to do 4000 x 3000 12 MP. )
By doing it manually and setting the camera to shoot every 2 seconds at 8000 x 6000 48 MP this is what I got. NON RTK Drone
(End quote)

I am surprised, that a 2 sec interval was working for the 74 images. What do you think about process overheat?

 

[jmason702]

I did this full manual, flying at 5mph, and 2-sec shots, it achieved this very easy, Not sure why in mission mode it will not let us do 8000x60000. Autel any word of advice?

 

[jmason702]

I did this full manual, flying at 5mph, and 2-sec shots, it achieved this very easy, Not sure why in mission mode it will not let us do 8000x60000. Autel any word of advice?

not sure about process overheating... but since you can not apply 8000x6000 in mission mode, it would be very hard to figure this out. unless say I just do a small model of say my house and do point-of-interest orbits in several different AGLs. every 3 seconds, flying slow, about 150 photos, and see how the model turns out? sound like a good test?

 

[vr-pilot]

point-of-interest orbits in several different AGLs. every 3 seconds, flying slow, about 150 photos, and see how the model turns out?

That would be a further great test in terms of high accuracy modeling through "higher resolution" images!
What I am also thinking about is the use of the 640 T's 48 MP RGB imagery inside Metashape: this could be a way to get the same point cloud densities like with a 20 MP camera although flying twice the hight (or more).
I don't mean this in terms of overall "optical" quality, just in terms of "advanced" point cloud densification. I am pretty sure that the photographic quality of the 6K Pro camera nevertheless will be quite superior.
The real benefit would just be the larger footprint at higher altitudes with "equal" GSDs resulting in a more proficient, because faster way of image acquisition.
In Germany we are allowed (change of laws since 18th of June) to cross private living grounds at or above 100 m AGL (between 6:00 am and 10:00 pm) for professional data acquisition i.e. roof inspection (some rules aplly). A 20 MP camera (90° FOV) would result in a GSD of approx. 3 cm/px, but a 48 MP sensor has a GSD of 1.25 cm/px, which is significantly more useful in that example scenario...

 

[jmason702]

I will do a model of my house with the 640T at 48 MP, soon as I can!

 

[vr-pilot]

I will do a model of my house with the 640T at 48 MP, soon as I can!

That will be very interesting to see! Thank you very much for testing this!
I think that the high pixel count will directly lead to a higher alignment accuracy and so improving densification results.
Maybe you could also generate a thermal model with oblique imagery? Could be interesting for a full thermal model (temperature spreading) of a building with roof and facades.

 

[jmason702]

will do this weekend

 

[ChristianH]

Hi folks,

I am actually an Autel Robotics Newbie but in the pro drone business since 2015.
For some weeks now I am checking out "virtually" the capabilities of the EVO 2 Enterprise with RTK module and the DUAL 640 T camera by gathering information over the internet, contacting vendors and travelling to fairs etc.. Especially the possibility to make IR and RGB mappings during single flight RTK-missions (with high accuracy and minimized side overlaps) was fascinating me.
Yesterday I got very amazing results from an Italian vendor. Here is my post from the DD forum of which I think will be very interesting for many people on this dedicated product forum:

(...)
the vendor from Italy sent me this early afternoon (CET) a video link of the results of his RGB+IR RTK mapping test, he did this morning. He meanwhile switched it to his channel as official content. So here is the link, you will all be surprised (English):
EVO2 Enterprise DUAL 640T RTK evidence of thermal jpg coordinates were corrected via NTRIP

And this evening (CET) he published a second video showing the whole “making of” the map including the on site flight mission (windy day), processing (IR only) and the quality report. Again, the outcomes are quite amazing and should work with all mapping platforms at this high quality (Italian):
EVO2 Enterprise DUAL 640T RTK - modello fotogrammetrico di un termogramma accurato a 8mm
(...)

IR GSD=3.78 cm/px and RGB GSD=1.39 cm/px!

I read in the DD forum that photo resolution could not be switched to 8000x6000 px within missions for mapping flights. Only 4000x3000 px would be selectable here. Is that true?

The above mentioned mission was flown at 40 m AGL, what would actually have resulted in a GSD of approx. only 3 cm/px when jpegs with 4000x3000 px (12MP) would have been generated from the 640T's RGB 48 MP sensor.
The resulting RGB map having a GSD of 1.39 cm would mean that the 48MP camera did in fact twice as good as a 12 MP would have done. The sensor comes very close to a 20MP resolution but is under the GSD that would be expected from a 48 MP sensor.

So actually RGB GSD is no real showstopper and the overall results are really amazing.
What do you guys think?

Excellent report. I'm in the same boat being on the fence about the Enterprise 640T.

 

[jmason702]

640T 8000x6000 Model of my home

 

[ChristianH]

Nice. What software did you use?

 

[jmason702]

Nice. What software did you use?

Drone Deploy, tried it on MS and I think it crashed, trying again

 

[jmason702]

Thermal Ortho with DD, I can not do temp points or read the radiometric values on DD because I don't have the enterprise plan

 

[jmason702]

Here is the data set on the thermal map, if anyone once to try it on MS or PIX, when I tried it on MS it did not go well... not sure if you have to set it up for thermal or how to

125 AGL 85/80 overlap, 5MPH iron bowThermal Map - Google Drive color