Autonomous Flights
Last updated
Last updated
Autonomous mission flights are based on waypoints navigation. To create a new mission, or to choose from your pre-planned missions, simply click the PLANNING button and then click the MISSIONS button.
To create a new mission, type the mission name followed by clicking CREATE
To choose the already existing mission, you need only click on it
The below demonstration entails creating a new mission, so we click CREATE.
After creating the mission, we can see the mission settings menu and Home point icon placed in the centre of the map automatically. You can drag your home point wherever you want.
Home point will be overwritten by the initial vehicle location upon arming the system.
To insert a new waypoint, you need only double-click on any location on the map.
Mission menu will automatically switch to Waypoint tab. Individual waypoint settings can be adjusted here.
Altitude: Altitude in meters above take-off point (home altitude)
Delay: Amount of seconds to hover before landing after reaching the waypoint
Speed: Speed of flying to the next waypoint
Heading: Heading angle in degrees to hold when flying to the next waypoint
When no waypoints are selected - those settings are returned to default values for new waypoints.
New waypoints can be added by double-clicking on the map:
Of course, waypoints can be:
Adjusted, by dragging them
Deleted, by double-clicking on them
Inserted in-between by double-clicking on the path
Waypoint parameters can be adjusted anytime after selecting the desired waypoint to be changed.
The system supports the following waypoint types (Commands) which can be changed by clicking on Command cell for a specific waypoint:
Waypoint: regular point to fly through the air
Take off: start autonomous take off
Landing: perform landing over the point
The system allows the creation of various mission scenarios, including autonomous take off and / or landing point types, or having only waypoints in the list:
In the first case the vehicle should be airborne before activating autonomous mode. After AUTO mode has been activated the vehicle will start flying to the first waypoint. If the system is not airborne then the vehicle will not allow the switching to autonomous flight mode.
In the second case the vehicle should be on the ground before activating autonomous mode. After AUTO mode has been activated the vehicle will start autonomous take off and then continue to fly to the next waypoint. If the vehicle is airborne before starting AUTO it will skip the initial take off waypoint.
After the mission has been created it can be saved and / or uploaded to the vehicle.
If you click UPLOAD you will notice the status of sending the mission in the bottom right-hand corner of the application:
Finally, you will see a "Waypoints Received" message.
Before the flight you need to arm the system. The system can be armed using the RC transmitter stick or by clicking the "ARM / DISARM" button in the Ground Control Station (GCS).
ARM command should be confirmed to make sure it wasn't clicked accidentally.
Home position (including altitude) is set on every arm event. Make sure to arm the system after it has received the stable GNSS satellite signal. Saving the valid home position and altitude is important for calculating the waypoints altitude and ensuring the safe return of your UAV.
After you arm the system you will notice the home icon might have moved on the map. This position will be used for RTH (Return to Home) mode and its altitude will be used as an altitude reference for the waypoints. If you want to change the home position manually you can simply drag & drop it.
If you don’t have the take off type on the waypoint in your list of waypoints, you’ll need to take off manually or press the TAKE OFF button on the right. After the vehicle is airborne you can press the "Fly" button or switch to auto mode using your RC transmitter. The vehicle will start flying to the first waypoint.
Flight progress and indication of the vehicle's path can be seen in real-time. After the last waypoint has been reached the vehicle will enter hovering mode and maintain the altitude and position of the last waypoint, or perform landing if it was planned to do so.
Guided flight mode can also be known as "Fly here" mode. This allows setting and moving the desired position of the vehicle interactively in real-time. This mode is available only if the vehicle is already flying in the air. To activate the guided flight mode, simply click the PLANNING button and then the GUIDED button.
Once you have clicked on the map the vehicle will start flying to your indicated point and you will see the cross on the map indicating the target position of the vehicle.
The altitude and speed for the guided point can be set in the "fly here" settings menu in the top-right corner:
If you want to change the position of the vehicle you can simply drag and drop the cross on the map or right-click on the map and click "fly here". Repositioning can be done any time.
Once the vehicle has achieved the target position it will start hovering at the point whilst waiting for the next waypoint or flight mode change.
