Assignment #10 Measure Ground Control for UAS Operations

Intro

In almost every application of unmanned aerial system (UAS) operations it is important to record what happed.  Doing this can help you in processing that data you collected, recording flight hours for your pilot log, and proving you are a safe remote pilot. The things you would record differ for each flight, or mission, as every mission is different even if they appear the same. In this post we will talk about a single source of technology solution the Measure Ground Control app (Measure). Single Source of Technology (SSoT) for our purposes is defined as a piece of technology with a broad range of effective solutions. Measure offers many solutions from tracking flight and flight hours to preforming preliminary data processing. The Measure app covers multiple areas of operation such as a generic free flight mode and an airspace map showing airspace restrictions and regulations. It also allows users to create flight plans and set generic fail safes for any operation. This SSoT increases efficiency allowing for the user to set a large portion of preflight operations before receiving a mission. Appropriate preflighting and flight plan development creates higher levels of safety during operations.

Overview of Measure

Figure 1: Measure Ground Control Home Screen

Once logged into the Measure mobile app you are greeted with the screen seen in figure 1 above. Each function seen here has a specific function to operations. We will do a light overview of each function and cover their general purpose in UAS operations starting with the Airspace map on the left and finishing with the Flight Plans function.

The Airspace Map

Opening the airspace map, you may be greeted with an array of color overlaid on a satellite view of the area. You can change the background by pressing the globe icon in the top right of the map. If you allow the application to use GPS you can push the arrow in a circle on the upper right side of the screen to center on where you are. Other wise you can pan around the map freely or type a specific address in the search bar along the top. the latitude and longitude coordinates for the location in the center of you screen are displayed along the bottom of your screen along with the name of the location you are viewing, as seen in figure 2 below.

Figure 2: Airspace Map

By pressing the map in the bottom right corner pulls up the legend. This will help us decipher what is going on in the air around our area of intended operation. We will use this to confirm the airspace information about not only our location of our operation but also the area around us. (Figure 3)

Figure 3: Airspace and Legend

To the left of the map icon is a triangle with an explanation point in it. Opening this we can see all of the rules and advisories for all of the area we are looking at on the screen, along the right side of the popup window. On the left side we can see the different operating rules. By pressing on one we can change the rules we are flying under. Changing this will change some of the advisories we see. Changing the rules can also change the map because each set of rules have different but similar operating rules. (Figure 4)

Figure 4: Rules & Advisories Screen

Lastly, we can check the weather for the area we are viewing by clicking the weather button to the left of our Rules & Advisories button we can view the local weather. (Figure 5) Again, this weather will be for the location centered on the screen. It is important to check the location you are looking at with the location and lat/long locator in the bottom left of the screen.

Figure 5: Local Weather

Pressing the back button in the top left of the screen will return us the main menu.

Settings

The settings section in Measure has many of the functions you would set or need in a platforms manufacturer app. In addition you have more control and customization to features of flight and flight safety. Figure 6 shows the general tap. Here you will set your fail safes. This is the pre-dispatch settings that should be set and checked. These will help keep you and your flight crew safer and takes the guess work out of some automated functions like Return To Home (RTH).

Figure 6: General Settings Page

The Camera & Imagery settings tab has helpful features that should be considered. Drones are cool but without the sensors onboard, it is just a big toy. Generally the payload is some type of camera or image collection sensor. One of my favorite things about this tab is the option to change the Thermal Palette and Thermal Photo Format. (Figure 7) These will help with object identification and program compatibility in post processing. 

Figure 7: Camera & Imagery, Highlighting Thermal Settings

The last thing the I would like to highlight in the Settings area is the option to add layers to your map in the Mapping tab. This has endless applications and the ability to add multiple layers at once boosts the awareness and effectiveness of your flight crews. Figure 8 shows the tab display popup window. The popup window opens after selecting the Add Layer button in the upper right.

Figure 8: Mapping Screen

Pressing the back arrow in the top left of the screen will take you back to the main menu.

Fly

Figure 9: Measure Ground Control Fly Screen

Fly is the first of 2 flight choices in Measure Ground Control. Choosing Fly opens a very similar display to the DJI flight screen that many are already familiar with. (Figure 9) This helps with an easy transition into the app. Something like this would be used in inspections or as a live camera in a search and rescue operation. In the bottom right of figure 9 we have our map that can have the overlays in it, as covered in the settings section. This setting can also be used to check sensors and practice for a flight to minimize any hiccups or unfamiliarities.  

Flight Plans

The Flight Plans flight mode is the reason we use this app. After choosing this option you will notice two flight plan option on the left side. Grid will create a box and fill it in with the flight path that your platform will fly in this area. You would use this for surveying fields or searching an area for post processing. The waypoint function allows you to create a route for the drone to fly. This would be something used for pipeline inspection. Figure 10 shows the Flight plan screen and options.

Figure 10: Flight Plans Screen

Grid Flight Plan Sample

Waypoint Flight Plan Sample

Conclusion

There are many parts of a flight operation that come together to make it professional and safe. Parts of this professionalism include mission planning, record keeping, and equipment maintenance. Having a single source where we can have all these things in one place is game changing. This means better management, less time trying to load apps, and safer operations. Measures idea of a Single Source of Technology solution is right on the money for what we need to do.