How to store coordinates for return to exact location on EP2?

[AndrewS]

Hello. I have a commercial project coming up in which the client wants me to take stills at precise altitudes above various ground positions. For example, at Location X, fly drone vertically to 13.75', take a photo, then 21.25', take a photo, and repeat. Then go to Location Y, repeat. The client isn't likely to provide specific coordinates for this job in advance. Is it possible to store the exact location of the drone at each altitude so that I could easily return to that location at a later time/date? So, for example, I could fly the drone back up to Location X (with GPS coordinates of whatever) to 13.75', take a photo, then to 21.25', take a photo, repeat. Is this a job for Mission Planning? Obviously I could jot down the X/Y coordinates and altitude each time I photograph at given location but that's pretty arduous.

 

[vr-pilot]

Hello. I have a commercial project coming up in which the client wants me to take stills at precise altitudes above various ground positions. For example, at Location X, fly drone vertically to 13.75', take a photo, then 21.25', take a photo, and repeat. Then go to Location Y, repeat. The client isn't likely to provide specific coordinates for this job in advance. Is it possible to store the exact location of the drone at each altitude so that I could easily return to that location at a later time/date? So, for example, I could fly the drone back up to Location X (with GPS coordinates of whatever) to 13.75', take a photo, then to 21.25', take a photo, repeat. Is this a job for Mission Planning? Obviously I could jot down the X/Y coordinates and altitude each time I photograph at given location but that's pretty arduous.

You could try Autel Explorer's mission mode called "Recording", that lets you take photos on site and it stores all your position parameters in order to make reoccurring missions.
OR:
You could try Autel Explorer's mission mode called "Waypoint", that lets you set in advance GPS coordinates and altitudes for every waypoint.

 

[MNT DRONE SOLUTIONS]

I would say the Waypoint as well

 

[vr-pilot]

I would say the Waypoint as well

Yes, actually entering GPS coordinates for waypoints is a nicely integrated feature within the Explorer App.
But in practice I find it rather difficult to plan inspection flights (for reoccurrence) right from the desktop (using a satellite map).
That is why I would consider using the mission mode called "Recording" (REC) when being on site for the first time in order to find the best and safest positions for shooting inspection images. IIRC the REC-mission does also remember the gimbal pitch angle and maybe even the zoom factor and some other camera settings, but the latter I will check again the coming days and will post it here (for the Dual 640T).

 

[vr-pilot]

Yes, actually entering GPS coordinates for waypoints is a nicely integrated feature within the Explorer App.
But in practice I find it rather difficult to plan inspection flights (for reoccurrence) right from the desktop (using a satellite map).
That is why I would consider using the mission mode called "Recording" (REC) when being on site for the first time in order to find the best and safest positions for shooting inspection images. IIRC the REC-mission does also remember the gimbal pitch angle and maybe even the zoom factor and some other camera settings, but the latter I will check again the coming days and will post it here (for the Dual 640T).

A little late, but here my test result of the before mentioned saving of settings (for the EVO 2 Enterprise Dual 640T) :
within the mission mode called "Recording" (REC) also the camera zoom factors at different photo shot waypoints are stored.
This way it is possible i.e. to fly reoccurring inspection missions including close up images from a safer distance etc.

Also remarkable for the "Recording" (REC) mission mode: mission altitudes are stored "on the fly" with "MSL" named values (they are actually WGS 84 altitudes = "ellipsoidal altitude" what is something very different). This allows reoccurring missions to be started from different take-off locations that would otherwise result in varying absolute altitudes (relative to the T/O location).

 

[davshev]

I'd like to be able to do the same thing to shoot video, ie return to the exact same location. I've tried the "recording" mission, but it seems that it only supports still photos and not video.

 

[uas_gian]

When the Evo 2 Pro was announced in 2020, apart from recording or set missions via waypoints and offering a Live Deck as secondary co-pilot or camera operator unit, along with a range of Enterprise payloads and add-on's, Autel had also announced to be soon releasing an SDK (Software Developer Kit). This all together combined around one framework sounded so promising, it made me believe that Autel Robotics was going to be the more attractive company for drone operators with more than entry level applications in mind. It would have been a leap ahead to allow advanced users to build their own software integrations or even allow camera interactions.

Yet these promises were not met as expected in 2021. Live Deck (V1) stayed a limited product (still nice to have but not as great as it sounded), the SDK project with just 39 followers today apparently died along the way. The Autel Explorer App has received only little to no pro features since it hit the market. Then when all V1 products were discontinued by introducing the V2 and soon thereafter V3 with no reasonable backward support it became all clear, Autel Robotics is just an other consumer tech company.

Since the Autel Explorer App is not being improved in functionality anymore, all V1 and V2 units are end of life products and there still is no SDK after 3 years, my dreams of one day being able to program detailed missions including more advanced control of the camera into my own or third party software has meanwhile vanished.

I still love my Evo 2 Pro V1, but feel disappointed about those pro features.

 

[Petethepilot69]

A little late, but here my test result of the before mentioned saving of settings (for the EVO 2 Enterprise Dual 640T) :
within the mission mode called "Recording" (REC) also the camera zoom factors at different photo shot waypoints are stored.
This way it is possible i.e. to fly reoccurring inspection missions including close up images from a safer distance etc.

Also remarkable for the "Recording" (REC) mission mode: mission altitudes are stored "on the fly" with "MSL" named values (they are actually WGS 84 altitudes = "ellipsoidal altitude" what is something very different). This allows reoccurring missions to be started from different take-off locations that would otherwise result in varying absolute altitudes (relative to the T/O location).

Yes, actually entering GPS coordinates for waypoints is a nicely integrated feature within the Explorer App.

Apologies for my ignorance, but how do you enter coordinates into the Explorer app? I can't find any way to do it. Thanks.