Linear Mission

[srleone]

I am very disappointed by the Explorer app.
1) No linear missions! My recent 2.5-mile corridor topo project was a disaster because I had to use a polygon mission, and there is no way to plan 3 flight paths to be parallel to the road without going outside the right-of-way.
2) I can save a kml polygon to my Downloads folder, but not the Android folder that Mission Planner looks at. And that folder is hidden from Copy/Paste!

Grid missions are great, but Orbit and Linear missions are essential to surveying!

If there isn't going to be more mission types, then at least allow me to draw my mission boundary AND flight path as kml files!
PLEASE.
My boss is thinking of returning the drone because of these issues!

 

[kenautelevo2pro]

So does that mean you need to plan 3 different missions and can return to home flight serve as some type of defacto mission although that may not be a suitable substitute?

 

[srleone]

So does that mean you need to plan 3 different missions and can return to home flight serve as some type of defacto mission although that may not be a suitable substitute?

Sort of.
A road corridor needs at least three passes: down the middle and on both sides. That is impossible with a single polygon mission because you can't change grid direction in the same polygon in order follow the road. Even breaking it up into 3 sections was not enough. There was not enough redundancy in all parts of the road.
I *need* a linear option.

 

[EBERLS]

Sort of.
A road corridor needs at least three passes: down the middle and on both sides. That is impossible with a single polygon mission because you can't change grid direction in the same polygon in order follow the road. Even breaking it up into 3 sections was not enough. There was not enough redundancy in all parts of the road.
I *need* a linear option.

I agree with you to a point. I flew a railway "corridor" site with a lot of curves. In fact the overall alignment varied approximately 45-60 ° from the beginning alignment for about a mile. I just broke it up into 4 separate rectangle sections. The sections ended up being about 600' wide to include the right of way area and additional area in the intended corridor.

I had approximately 300' flight overlap between sections in the corridor but it worked for me, planning on separate flights. There was also an additional area of approximately 200' on either side of my intended corridor not really needed but some areas outside of the right of way was also adjoining industrial sites and pasture lands.

Maybe a future benefit for the extra data ? I don't know but at least the project was completed. When I originally looked at the site, I knew this was going to happen so I priced it and my time accordingly.

 

[srleone]

This was our first project ever, so this is what we learned the hard way. My previous experience was with Pix4D and DJI which *have* linear mission planning.

It would have been easier to plan more overlapping missions, but not being able to upload or copy my kml files into the Explorer app meant identifying features on the Google Earth imagery in Carlson and the Explorer app visually and fiddling with it to try to get ROW coverage without encroaching on private property.

And, 600 feet? That encompasses dozens of parcels of land on both sides of the ROW. How did you get every owner's permission beforehand?

 

[pedals2paddles]

There is no such thing as a linear mission with Autel drones. It isn't advertised and has never been. They aren't going to be adding it. Why did you buy it if it can't do it? I'm sorry but you selected the wrong tool for the job.

IDK what country you are in. But in that USA, you do not need the permission of a land owner to fly over their property. Perhaps different where you are.

 

[jahalnon]

So your version of the app does not have the Corridor Mission? It was implemented in the past year and other than a few problems with current version of firmware, it is working pretty good.
I have been able to upload a kml file and run the Corridor mission without issues since. I run the SC 2 with EVO 2.

 

[EBERLS]

So your version of the app does not have the Corridor Mission? It was implemented in the past year and other than a few problems with current version of firmware, it is working pretty good.
I have been able to upload a kml file and run the Corridor mission without issues since. I run the SC 2 with EVO 2.

I've only updated my EVO II Pro RTK V2 once since I purchased in November of 2022. The update caused disconnection during missions but once the smart controller was restarted while in a mission everything was fine. However, with each additional mission it got worse. I rolled back to the original version it was shipped with and everything has been stable since then. Im happy with the way it is now. Unless Autel releases a stable improved version, I'm not updating. I despise being a guinea pig for Autel's sloppy updates or for any other software updates for that matter.

 

[jahalnon]

That is a safe move and one I wished I had done at first. Autel did give me a way to go back to a usable version which is what others have done. Since then, the smart controller upgraded to a newer stable app version which does have the Corridor mission and smooth controlled turns which I wanted and use. Also more importantly I no longer get the app crashes in missions and general camera flights. It felt like a lucky stumble into a stable version and I am not letting the drone update to the latest firmware as it is suggesting when I turn it on. IT WORKS! How? I don't know.

 

[Tobimashou]

So corridor missions is NOT included with v1 EVO II's, is that correct?

Also, can't you import/load a kml file by simply saving it to your Android phone/tablet? The path to it is storage/android/data/com.autelrobotics.explorer/files/kml. This ties into my next question:

Are there any free or low cost software programs (PC or Android) for creating a mission for an EVO II? Using the screen and trying to do precise 'pin drops' is driving me crazy. I'd much prefer using my desktop computer with 27" display or my touchscreen laptop...

 

[srleone]

So corridor missions is NOT included with v1 EVO II's, is that correct?

Also, can't you import/load a kml file by simply saving it to your Android phone/tablet? The path to it is storage/android/data/com.autelrobotics.explorer/files/kml. This ties into my next question:

Are there any free or low cost software programs (PC or Android) for creating a mission for an EVO II? Using the screen and trying to do precise 'pin drops' is driving me crazy. I'd much prefer using my desktop computer with 27" display or my touchscreen laptop...

Correct, there is no "Corridor" mission type.

You CAN import/load a KML file by saving it to your Downloads folder on the tablet, but you cannot put it in the folder that Explorer app looks into from inside the app. No one has 'write' permission, not even the folks at Carlson. You CAN, however, double click on your kml file from inside the file tree of your tablet (or USB jump drive) and it will open the Explorer app to allow you to use it in mission planning

You can plan a corridor mission on a desktop a couple of ways, depending on your needs and preferences.
Method #1 - Using Shapefiles in CAD and Google Earth
a. Import your site's nearby GIS parcel linework into CAD so you can stay within the right-of-way (because taking pictures and/or flying over someone else's property, even public property, may be illegal without permission - it is in North Carolina.)
b. Create an elevated polyline of your flight path(s) at your flying altitude. Each leg should be short enough for you or a visual observer to see the drone - on a clear day, that's about 1200 feet (so, 2400 feet centered on the person). **Not sure the elevation will carry over to your mission in the Autel Explorer app - someone please verify**
c. Export the polyline as a shapefile.
d. File->Import that shapefile to Google Earth.
e. Right-click your new Temporary Place->Save Place As... a KML file.
f. Load the KML file onto your tablet. Double-tap it to launch the Autel Explorer App.

Method #2 - Using Shapefiles in Google Earth
a. Import your site's nearby GIS parcel linework into Google Earth so you can stay within the right-of-way. (same reason as Method #1)
b. Create a new path - on the Altitude tab, choose 'Relative to ground' in the dropdown and then choose your preferred flight altitude. **Not sure the elevation will carry over to your mission in the Autel Explorer app - someone please verify**
c. Without clicking OK in the path dialog box, click on the imagery to create your flight path (same leg length parameters as Method #1)
d. Give your path a title, if you haven't already, and click OK.
e. Right-click your new Temporary Place->Save Place As... a KML file.
f. Load the KML file onto your tablet. Double-tap it to launch the Autel Explorer App.

 

[Tobimashou]

Correct, there is no "Corridor" mission type.

You CAN import/load a KML file by saving it to your Downloads folder on the tablet, but you cannot put it in the folder that Explorer app looks into from inside the app. No one has 'write' permission, not even the folks at Carlson. You CAN, however, double click on your kml file from inside the file tree of your tablet (or USB jump drive) and it will open the Explorer app to allow you to use it in mission planning

You can plan a corridor mission on a desktop a couple of ways, depending on your needs and preferences.
Method #1 - Using Shapefiles in CAD and Google Earth
a. Import your site's nearby GIS parcel linework into CAD so you can stay within the right-of-way (because taking pictures and/or flying over someone else's property, even public property, may be illegal without permission - it is in North Carolina.)
b. Create an elevated polyline of your flight path(s) at your flying altitude. Each leg should be short enough for you or a visual observer to see the drone - on a clear day, that's about 1200 feet (so, 2400 feet centered on the person). **Not sure the elevation will carry over to your mission in the Autel Explorer app - someone please verify**
c. Export the polyline as a shapefile.
d. File->Import that shapefile to Google Earth.
e. Right-click your new Temporary Place->Save Place As... a KML file.
f. Load the KML file onto your tablet. Double-tap it to launch the Autel Explorer App.

Method #2 - Using Shapefiles in Google Earth
a. Import your site's nearby GIS parcel linework into Google Earth so you can stay within the right-of-way. (same reason as Method #1)
b. Create a new path - on the Altitude tab, choose 'Relative to ground' in the dropdown and then choose your preferred flight altitude. **Not sure the elevation will carry over to your mission in the Autel Explorer app - someone please verify**
c. Without clicking OK in the path dialog box, click on the imagery to create your flight path (same leg length parameters as Method #1)
d. Give your path a title, if you haven't already, and click OK.
e. Right-click your new Temporary Place->Save Place As... a KML file.
f. Load the KML file onto your tablet. Double-tap it to launch the Autel Explorer App.

Thank you. That is "most excellent" advice and help.
I just created a mapping mission using Google Maps and ChatGPT! First I asked AI how I could export a route from GM and have AI convert that into a KML or JSON file. It gave me step by step directions on how to do that. So I did, but realized that my route file was only part of what's needed. I also realized all I really needed were the coordinates of each vertex, not a path so I got that from GM and entered those into ChatGPT.

Since I'm a rank beginner at all this mapping and coding stuff, I next told it my route was for a drone and to modify the code to show a constant elevation of 150' (Trees nearby are 120') It revised the code.

By then I realized that it was still just a route, so I used my tablet (like you mention) to open an existing polygon mission I had made and copied/pasted to AI. It then added a lot of additional lines of code, most of which I had no idea what it was. I then told it to take my previous mission, instruct the drone that no matter where it took off (it had it at start point) that the drone should go to 150' AGL, proceed to start point and then do the mission. Also that after end-point to return to the exact takeoff spot. Also told it was the gimbal angle was, the speed, the overlaps front and side, etc.

It did an amazing job, but there WERE issues. I'd told it that this was a photo mapping mission, and it had the code say "Start Recording" for example. When told to fix it, it did.

However, it was still just following the perimeter and taking photos at waypoints so I told it to revise to cover 100% of the area and to use a grid pattern "Like mowing a lawn". It completely changed the midpoints to create exactly that! Amazing! I asked it to use simple ASCII code to show me how the pattern would look (it can't draw pictures) and I noticed that at the end of a row, it would fly diagonally to the next row and then continue taking photos. I wrote a sample of what I wanted. It re-did the pattern and I think it's going to work, at least partially.
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Weather hasn't permitted a test yet, but if it works, it will be AMAZING. My guess is that it will need some refinement, but by simply copying coordinates from GM and providing them to AI it has already been an eye opener for me!

I'll report how it works when the rain/cloud/overcast conditions go away... maybe by June? (Seattle pilot here.)