Stationary video monitoring (single waypoint?)
I have a job where I need to record video from a stationary position for 12 hours (a traffic study). My tentative plan is to use two drones and alternate positions (about 20ft from each other). The goal is to set Drone1 at Position1 and have it shoot video until low battery requires landing. Drone2 should move to Position2 (10ft behind and 10ft above Position1). Because we'll need to do this dance approximately 24 times.
Can anyone suggest the simplest way to create the mission for each drone? Is it possible to have a single-waypoint mission where to drone moves to position and starts recording until I stop it?
Thanks for any tips!
Comments
11 comments
Probably want to take a look at the Hover component.
https://support.dronelink.com/hc/en-us/articles/6496208968339-Hover-Mission-Component
As Barry Houldsworth says the hover component is probably the best bet, here's a simple mission I created for a timelapse on a local road
https://app.dronelink.com/martin-reading/pinions/plan/XOlImeyytlm4dWzRLpsF
Martin Reading
I can't take credit for that LOL.
Another way to do it would be to set up a mission that has a checkpoint (I would actually use two checkpoints - one about 10ft from the final position) that has the gimbal angle and direction set, and then set the action on finish to nothing.
Both would work fine.
Barry Houldsworth the mission I linked uses it with a checkpoint and the gimbal set up like that
The one concern I do have is the proximity of the 2 drones to each other as one leaves for the battery change and the other coming onto station
Martin Reading
We are on the same wavelength :)
Martin ReadingBarry Houldsworth thank you both. I'll test this today.
I certainly want to establish waypoints that keep the drones entering/exiting their filming positions carefully. Here's a link to the positions in Google Earth. https://capture.dropbox.com/AfYtgt2VkbJbp0Mk I figure I'd have the 400ft position enter from the rear and the 380ft position enter from the front.
John Brainerd
Here are a few thoughts.
If that is set up then all you do is start the mission with the first drone. It will fly to the waiting position and stop. Press resume. It will fly to the shooting position and (assuming you have added the camera commands to the checkpoint) start shooting video.
A few minutes before the battery dies on the first drone, start the second drone. Make sure the path does not cross through the "shooting" position. It will fly to the waiting position. Once the battery of the first drone is low enough that you need to RTH, start the RTH on drone 1, and then press resume on drone 2. It will now take up the same position as the first drone (which hopefully now is out of the way) and continue shooting.
Repeat.
Hopefully that all makes sense.
A thought to add to what Barry Houldsworth is suggesting here, maybe set the RTH height lets say 30 feet higher than the drone is filming at so that it actually has to ascend before coming home, this will mean that the 2 drones don't just have horizontal separation, they also have vertical separation
The way I planned this out so far, the two filming points are ~28.28 ft apart (20 ft on the X-axis and 20 ft on the Z-axis). And the plan is to have the two drones approach those two different points from different directions, so they (and their respective paths) are never closer than that 28.28 ft.
We're trying to avoid ANY gap in shooting, so the drone in the lower position will also be closer to the POI, and the higher/farther position will be able to capture the same perspective of the POI. Then we plan on zooming in the view from Drone2 a bit in post to get the shots as closely aligned as possible.
The goal for the end product is a 12-hr video where the transitions between shots (24 shots) will be as seamless as possible.
Based on the recommendation to use the Hover feature, I supposed I would set that to 40 minutes to make sure it doesn't quit too soon, and then just manually cancel the mission when the battery reaches my safety margin.
BTW, thanks so much for your replies/input on this. I really appreciate it.
I'm still not clear on the use of checkpoints. What's the advantage of using a checkpoint vs. just creating a safe route to the filming location with waypoints and using the Hover command at the last waypoint?
Thanks!
John
Hey John. Looks like my bump start got Barry and Martin hard at work to really help you out. Your question about a checkpoint is just a basic way to get from one component to the next with a straight approach which you can see has a dotted line. You can’t perform as many functions when using a checkpoint on the approach. A waypoint path gives a lot more flexibility with path actions and other components for much better control.
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