Camera calibration for precision flight positioning

[DrBazMan]

Maybe y'all already know this, but I discovered that with a properly calibrated gimbal and the "+" (I call it the cross hair) indicator activated in the centre of the RC display, my MA2 camera is very useful for precise height measurement and aircraft positioning.

With the camera pointed straight ahead (0 degrees), I can ascend adjacent to a tree or structure until I get its top right on the cross hair - this gives the height of the object to the nearest metre. Impressive!

With a press of the Fn button (assuming the gimbal reset function is allocated to a single press), I can quickly point the camera down 90 degrees. When landing with the camera in this orientation, the aircraft will touch down almost EXACTLY on the spot indicated by the cross hair. Very impressive, especially if you're into precision landings. One thing that's a little disconcerting is the automatic reorientation of the camera to 0 degrees just before touchdown - I guess this is to protect the camera from being poked in the eye! However, this only happens once the landing trajectory is committed, it's of no consequence to the precision of the landing. Love it!

 

[A.O.]

Nice , some more stuff to play with.

 

[MA2 317]

One thing that's a little disconcerting is the automatic reorientation of the camera to 0 degrees just before touchdown - I guess this is to protect the camera from being poked in the eye! However, this only happens once the landing trajectory is committed, it's of no consequence to the precision of the landing. Love it!

It's cool to watch all of the automated things it does.

I haven't done it with the MA2 yet but I was fascinated when I would take the "tiny planet" shots with the Spark.

Push the shutter button and watch it do it's thing for a minute while capturing all of the photo's needed to make a sphere photo.

Amazing pieces of technology.

 

[A.O.]

Like this? Yes amazing what it can do.

 

[MA2 317]

I haven't tried that yet.

Here's a tiny planet picture from the Spark with the help of Microsoft ICE.

 

[DanMan32]

Note that altitude displayed is by barometer and drifts in accuracy by as much as 10'. You can tell by when you get close to landing position, which should be zero altitude.

 

[A.O.]

Note that altitude displayed is by barometer and drifts in accuracy by as much as 10'. You can tell by when you get close to landing position, which should be zero altitude.

AND , it goes by the place it took off. If you take off then fly up or downhill to the tree or whatever you want to measure it will give you a wrong number. You would need to take off right at the base of what you want to measure to ge an accurate reading.

 

[Dave Maine]

As mentioned by others, the drone’s altitude information is quite inaccurate. Combining it with the camera tilt angle will give you the height above takeoff, not the height above ground. In addition, the actual altitude information is inaccurate by quite a good deal.

The combination of all of this means that calculating a waypoint mission using these altitudes can easily lead to a major unplanned disassembly of your drone. If you are doing waypoint missions, using Litchi with it’s height above ground mode, works much better.

 

[A.O.]

As mentioned by others, the drone’s altitude information is quite inaccurate. Combining it with the camera tilt angle will give you the height above takeoff, not the height above ground. In addition, the actual altitude information is inaccurate by quite a good deal.

The combination of all of this means that calculating a waypoint mission using these altitudes can easily lead to a major unplanned disassembly of your drone. If you are doing waypoint missions, using Litchi with it’s height above ground mode, works much better.

I wish the fly app had that height above the ground mode, went for a walk through the woods today with my MA2 and I had to keep adjusting the height. But it was good practice.