Hi all,

At PropellerAero we think it is too hard and expensive for commercial drone operators to capture survey grade data - we needed a solution which was separate from drone or camera, and didn't require expensive GNSS rovers out on site.

Today we are launching our new AeroPoints - easy to identify ground control targets with built-in PPK to capture very accurate (~2cm in X,Y, 3cm in Z) positions to georeference your aerial surveys.

The units are fully solar powered, water-resistant and last weeks on the inbuilt LiFePO4 Battery.

We have been working on the concept for the last 18 months - and the accuracy we are getting is pretty exciting: 

The AeroPoints correct off local RTK basestations, and we currently have coverage across AU, USA and the UK, with more countries coming online shortly. In areas outside RTK correction zones, the AeroPoints use a complex mesh algorithm (like PPP) to correct the position data, giving <1cm internal accuracies and decimeter-grade global accuracy after a few hours of recording. 

This mesh algorithm gives our AeroPoints much greater usable baseline lengths than traditional, instantaneous RTK as well - as we measure the same point from more distant base stations the difference from the Topcon control remains tolerable:

Post survey, the AeroPoints look for a wifi hotspot (SSID: "propeller", password "propeller") and will connect automatically to the Propeller servers and upload all their information, where we then tie against local CORS data and generate highly accurate points.  

For those who already use the Propeller platform for processing and visualisation, the AeroPoints will automatically tie down your data - and for those who use desktop processing (pix4d/agisoft), we output a PDF report of qualities and a CSV block ready to go straight into your workflow.

A set of 12 runs for $6000 US, good for 150Ha (370acre).

Really looking forward to improving data accuracy across the industry: coarsely georeferenced information being used for technical applications is particularly frustrating for us at Propeller!

Cheers,

Rory

More information at https://www.propelleraero.com/aeropoints

Hi all,

First of all, huge props to the devs on the Pixhawk firmware, and Mission/APM Planner -  We have a handful of multis and planes we fly and all run AP/AC with great success!

I run Propeller (www.propelleraero.com), and we let you deliver your drone data in an easy to use/share/measure web platform. Propeller began wanting to build drones, however our first customers were still looking for an easier way to manage the vast datasets we were collecting, and that has been the focus ever since.

Some of our standout features:

• We accept geotagged source photos and GCPs as well as outputs you may have already generated in Pix4d/Agisoft. All processing performed on top tier Amazon servers, and GCPs placed by our professional remote sensing team. We are not a "black hole" online processing house.
• Customised branding!

• Full 3D in the browser and complex measurements: Volumetrics, change in volumetrics (between two different terrain surfaces), surface area, elevation changes across time.
• GIS/CAD compatible downloads and exports. LAZ, DXF surface TIN, GeoTiff/JPEG. Measurements are exportable as DXF.
• Oblique inspections: Perfect for cell towers, bridges, power transmission. Overlapping photos are stitched together into a street view style tool with annotations! Native imagery resolution remains intact, no orthorectifing.

Plans start at $50 per month and include the full feature set and branded portal, then pay as you upload data.

The platform is being developed with a strong industrial focus: Australia's three biggest aggregate producers and two biggest landfill operators use Propeller everyday to manage their sites, as well as some of the worlds largest mining  and construction companies, telecommunications and utility providers. We are building the platform for site managers and foreman rather than drone enthusiasts, in an attempt to bring this great new data to a wider, less technical audience.

If you are currently servicing the aggregate/mining, waste management, construction and asset inspection industries, register for a 7 day unlimited trial and upload some data today. https://app.prpellr.com/accounts/register/. When signing up, use the coupon DIYDRONES to get your first month free.

Regards,

Rory