Remotely Piloted Aerial System (RPAS)

What are they Good for?

May 21 , 2019

Peter Keum - WTD GIS Specialist, GISP

peter.keum@kingcounty.gov

Just another tool in the toolbox

pkgeo.com

@pkeum

CUGOS

Short Back Story

Dr. David Shean "Ice Man"

CUGOS April 2014

  1. Introduction

  2. FAA Regulations

  3. Workflow

  4. Examples

What's in the name?

FAA Definition: Unmanned Aircraft (UA) system that is operated by a pilot via ground control or on-board computer. 

1. Introduction

What's in the name?

UAV = Unmanned Aerial Vehicle

UAS = Unmanned Aerial System

DRONE = Dynamic Remotely Operated Navigation Equipment

RPAS = Remotely Piloted Aircraft System

Policy Paper for Civilian Missions

RPAS Categories

Small  

  • Size: 1 - 2 meters ( 3 ft - 6.5 ft), < 55 lbs.
  • Control: Visual line of sight, Radio control
  • DJI Phamtom, Mavic,  ScanEagle

Medium

  • Size: Equivalent to a car, ~ 1000 lbs.
  • Control: Visual Line Of Sight (VLOS) & Beyond LOS, RC & Satellite
  • General Atomics -MQ1 Predator

Large  

  • Size: > 30,000 lbs.
  • Control: Visual Line Of Sight (VLOS) & Beyond LOS, RC & Satellite
  • Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk ~$222 Million

Different Shapes and Sizes

  1. Price /Performance
  2. Easy to use
  3. Quality data collection
  4. Adopting Rule by FAA

Why Now?

Cell Phone Technology + Lower $$

  • Electronic Control System (ECS)
  • Accelerometer & Gyroscope Chip
  • GPS Chip
  • Lithium Polymer (LiPo) Battery
  • Motors

Integrated gyroscopic/GPS Chip in 2000's = $10,000

In 2017 = $3

1981 $120,000

2013

$5 - $15

EXAMPLE

It's just a toy...past examples of what used to be

It's just a toy...

It's just a toy...

2017

FAA Regulations - Where are we now?

2. Regulations

Commercial/Governmental

  1. Section 333 Exemption from FAA

  2. SAC - Special Airworthiness Certificates from FAA

  3. FAA 14 CFR Part 107 - July 2016

 

Summary Overview of the ruling here.

Full 624 pages regulation pdf format here 

Commercial/Governmental

FAA 14 CFR Part 107 Rule, August 2016

  • Need FAA Remote Pilot Certification (Pilot license NOT needed)

  • Year 2017 - 60,000 active FAA remote pilot certificates

  • Year 2018 - 116,000 new remote pilot certificates

  • Year 2023 - FAA expect to grow to 350,000

  • Fly under 400 feet above ground level

  • Not to fly < 5 nautical miles around airport

  • Aircraft < 55 lbs.

  • Fly during daytime

  • Fly visual line of sight ( VLOS)

  • No flight over non-participating people

FAA 14 CFR Part 107 Rule

To be Certified

  • At least 16 years old

  • Pass aeronautical knowledge exam (Need at least 42 correct answer out of 60 questions, 70%) $150

  • Need to recertify every 24 months

1. Platform + Sensor (Data Collection)

2. Data Processing & Analyzing (GIS)

3. Information Products

3. Workflow

1. Platform + Sensor (Data Collection)

RPAS as Platform

Multi-rotors

Fixed wings

  • Short flight time (< 30min)
  • Cover small area
  • Highly maneuverable
  • Less expensive
  • Access to confined spaces
  • Long flight time (> 30min)
  • Covers large area
  • Larger selection of sensors

 Sensors

Multi-spectral

Thermal Infrared

Lidar Camera

High resolution digital camera

2. Data Processing & Analyzing (GIS)

Mapping Apps and Processing Software Top 10 List

(Updated Jan 2019)

Airplane Orthophoto

Software processed Orthophoto from drone

1. Platform + Sensor (Data Collection)

2. Data Processing & Analyzing (GIS)

3. Information Products

Benefits

  • High Temporal Resolution
    • Fly more often
  • High Spatial Resolution
    • Fly same area

Benefits

  • Higher Spatial Resolution
    • Monitor continuous changes
    • High Spatial resolution than Satellite, Plane (smaller area)

Benefits

Offer decision makers with appropriate analytic information products

  • Better Data -> More Knowledge -> Better Decision Making

Workflow Example 1

Whidbey Island, Langley Downtown example (Spring, 2014)

Aaron Racicot

Step 1. Flight with Data Collection

Step 2. Data Processing

  1. QGIS to georeference aerial imagery export to tiff file
  2. Using GDAL
  3. Or use mbutili to export into tiles
gdal2tiles.py --profile=mercator -z 1-22 yourmap.tif outputfolder

Step 3. Information Product:  Web map

  • Create web-map using GitHub's gh-page
git checkout gh-pages
git add outputfolder
git commit -m "Yes... TILE DATA"
git push

Step 3. Information Product:  OpenStreetMap 

  • Using imagery to digitize street, add features to OSM
http://langleywa.github.io/gisdata/tiles/langley-2nd-street-2014-tms/{z}/{x}/{y}.png
  • Add below url into OpenStreetMap iD Editor

Workflow Example 2

KC Brightwater Treatment Plant

(odor control) &

KC Cedar River Revetment 

(river bank protection)

3D Modeling

Example A: Brightwater TP Odor Control Units

PhotoScan Sparse Point Cloud

Dense Point Cloud

Textured Mesh

Result

Example B: Cedar River Revetment

Video

Road Erosion Prevention Structure

Cedar River Revetment

Some Commercial Uses

4. Industry Examples

WTD Projects

  • West Point Treatment Plant Event

  • Floating Willow Raft (Brightwater TP)

  • West Point Treatment Aerial Photography

WTD Projects

  • West Point Treatment Plant Incident Feb, 2017

Seattle Times Headline

March 12, 2017

WTD Projects

  • West Point Treatment Plant Incident Feb, 2017

Drone Flights (March, 2017) - Soil Run-off Real cause of plume, not overflow

WTD Projects

  • West Point Treatment Plant Incident Feb, 2017

Drone Flights = Clarification

Photo from Seattle Times

KC WTD Drone Flight

March, 2017

WTD Projects

  • Floating Willow Raft - Mitigation & Monitoring Section: May - August 2017

Purpose: Willow growth shade analysis (1.5 acres)

Flight from May 2017

WTD Projects

  • Floating Willow Raft Shade Study

  • 4 Flights 2017 : May, June, July & August
  • Consultant flys and generate shade analysis & report
  • KC staff as an observer and in-house expert to develop work order & product review

WTD Projects

  • West Point Treatment Plant Orthophoto

  • October 2, 2017
  • Over 600 images collected
  • High Resolution 0.75 inch/piexel

Resources:

Video 4 - bevement embankment

END

for now

Thank You

peter.keum@kingcounty.gov