100KM

Camera Trigger and Geo Tag Images - Part 1

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The ArduPlane Manual had a good instruction on this subject. I would like to share my own setting base on Sony RX 100 IV and using the Seagull Map2 UAV camera trigger in my Skywalker 1720 UAV power by HK Pilot32 soon to be deploy in Tanzania for ultra high resolution chimpanzee nest survey after the successful Pilot mission using X5 flying wing and Canon S100 GPS camera.


The Seagull map2 act as an interface between the camera and auto pilot. It also has a build in intervalometer features where user can select 1,2,,3,4,5,10,15 and 20 seconds time interval. Another really useful feature is the ability to turn on and off the camera. This can be done via auto pilot or a special assign channel from the radio control, or both. We want the camera in OFF status during take off and landing to avoid lens damage.


We can select any two unused channel to connect with Seagull map2. In my case I use channel 7 ( RC 7 ) for trigger and channel 6 ( RC 6 ) for camera on / off. The detail setting is as below :

Mission Planner > Initial setup > Camera Gimbal
set Shuttle to " RC 7 "
Servo Limit
Min " 1000 "
Max " 2000 "
Shutter
Pushed " 1700 "
Not Pushed " 1500 "
Duration " 10 "

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To configure channel 6, go to Config/Tuning > Full Parameter list

RC6_DZ " 0 "
RC6_FUNCTION " 1 "
RC6_MAX " 2000 "
RC6_MIN " 1000 "
RC6_REV " 1 "

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In order to add camera on / off control from radio controller, in my case, Futaba T8J, we can assign Channel 6 to Switch A. Please note that Seagull Map2 will turn camera on / off alternately when it receive " high " signal ( pwm 1800 - 2000 ) In practice, when you move switch A from top position to bottom position, the camera will turn on, to turn it off, you need to move switch A to top position follow by bottom position.


To take full advantage of the Seagull map2 and Mission Planner build in function, the mission planning logic is : we want the camera in OFF status at the beginning. After take off, about one minutes or so from the first way point, we want to switch on the camera. Once it reach first way point, it'll start capture images base on distance and continue to do so until it reach the last way point. From there, we want the camera to stop taking images and shut down.


You can plan your mission as normal using Auto WP > Survey ( Grid ). After the mission is build ( accept ), you need to ADD a way point in front of the first way point, Preferably at least 200 meter from the mission first way point. Right after the newly added first way point, add another two way point.


Set way point No 2 to " DO_SET_SERVO "
Ser No " 6 "
PWM " 1900 "
This will turn the camera on
Set way point No 3 to " DO_SET SERVO "
Ser No " 6 "
PWM " 1500 "
This will return to neutral
Now way point No 4 is the first mission way point follow by " DO_SET_CAM_TRIGG_DIST " which is automatically generated by Mission Planner.
To turn off the camera, add two way point AFTER the last " DO_SET_CAM_TRIGG_DIST " command
Set second last way point to " DO_SET_SERVO "
Ser No " 6 "
PWM " 1900 "
This will turn the camera off
Set last way point to " DO_SET SERVO "
Ser No " 6 "
PWM " 1500 "
This will return to neutral.

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I attach the tlog of test mission. You can extract WP file and also parameter file if interest. Use at your own risk : )

2016-04-02%2015-52-18.tlog

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A sample image taken by Sony RX100 IV at 100 meter

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Comments

  • @ Alex Maltais

    Thanks for your comment!!!

    I'm about to use a Sony A5100 in a 3DR SOLO, and I've acquired a Seagull Map2. Can you share some images of how you made the connection from seagull map2 to Solo ?.
    Thank you very much in advance.

  • @Daniel:did you find a solution? Also with seagull map, we are using a a5100 on a Solo and inages are really blurry too, probably because of the Solo vibration. Now at 1/1000, f5.6, iso 100-800 or 1/800, f8, iso 100-800. We will try at 1/1600, but higher speed = more open aperture, less depth of field. We will also try to make a softer moubt for the sony, the goPro mount are not the better option, but it's the only one giving us good compass calibration. What kind of mouns are you using?

    FYI, Tower do a great very great job with Solo + seagull.

    Cheers
  • @ Keeyen

    thanks for your nice 2 blogs about RX100 and Seagull parameter for image geotagg .

    I am using MP1.3.39 and Arduplane 3.6.0 with seagull MAP2 and Sony RX100III, but I can't put RC6 (for you in your example, me it is RC8 ) in “RCpass Thu” mode ( RC6_FUNCTION=1) and having control on a DO_set_servo command. Only if I leave the RC_Function disabled . I need then to choose or a programmed Switch ON / OFF, or a manual Radio control command, not both at the same time.

    How you did it ?

    Detail: I suggest you could also change the two line do_set_servo 6 1900 and Do_set_servo 6 1500 by a unique Do_repeat_servo 6 1900 1 1 .

    Also, I noted some problem with the Wpt around the Do_repeat_servo or Do-Set_servo. The requested precision where the plane should be around the waypoint is so precise (some meter only ) that the function Do_set_servo or Do_repeat_servo never or hardly work for me .

    Did you also note some trouble with the duration time in RC7 ? . For me CAM_Duration =10 (10/10s =1s ) is too much and my RX100 has time to take 2 pictures in 1 s ( And I have twice more photos at the end, than CAM message ) . I need to use less in my case ( like 0.3s ) 

  • Hello Keeyen,

    thanks for your post.  I am also using seagull and sony a6000 on my drone but sometimes I get blurry images, could you share your camera configuration?

    thanks.

  • 100KM
    @ Lianpin, thanks for the info regarding Pix4D. If it use all IMU and GPS data, it should potentially generate better orthomosaic and DEM.
    @ Pascal, I'm sorry but I have no information about the hot shoe trigger record. I agree with you that with the low cost RTK GPS module, accurate time stamp is important. As the camera will send a pulse to the hot shoe every shutter trigger, it should not be too difficult for the flight controller to capture the message. May be our great developers here already had something in the pipe line.
  • Hello. Is anyone having problems to activate the stabilize axis on gimbal (optional hardware) on arduplane?

    Thanks
  • @Euan, if you are using pix4d to stitch, you can just upload the images and the 'dataflash' log from the pixhawk SD card to pix4d without having to geotag. This way pix4d makes use of all available attitude information (pitch, roll, yaw) in addition to the 3D coordinates. If you are not using pix4d, then wait for keeyen's part 2.

  • MR60

    thx for posting this.

  • Stephen, yes I saw this, but I am not sure it is a constant lag, depending on camera setting, and we are really looking for 2-3 centimetres there, at 8m/s , so 1/400 sec or so accuracy on time.

  • T3

    @Pascal read this page, you can determine a shutter delay time between the CAM message and the picture.

    Geotagging Images with Mission Planner — Copter documentation
This reply was deleted.