Solar: A Comprehensive Guide To UAV Land Use Monitoring 10 March 2015 Version 07

SOLAR
Systemised Operational Land Use Aerial Reconnaissance
A comprehensive guide to UAV land use monitoring

10 March 2015 Version 07
SOLAR UAV guide version 07

10 March 2015
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© All rights reserved.
Acknowledgments
SOLAR would not have been possible without the generous funding provided by:
Further support and partnership was provided by:
Special thanks to the following indivduals for their efforts and contrabutions to this project:
Anthony Yeow
Budhi Pramono
Bart W. van Assen
Colin Lee
Lisa Johnston
Tania Puspita Firdausy
Teguh Pambudi
Maxwell Horowitz-Burdick
Project Developer
Double Helix Tracking Technologies

10 March 2015
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Introduction
SOLAR is an open source approach to bringing methodology and standardisation to unmanned

aerial vehicles (UAV) application to monitoring land use change in tropical environments.
SOLAR is constantly developing to capture advances in UAV technology as well as to
incorporate the feedback of users like you.
We approached writing SOLAR by choosing, building, training, flying and processing the
resulting data from beginning to end. This perspective was ideal for consolidating what we
learned and how we learned into a method and procedural guide which can aid any
organization in leveraging the power of UAVs.
The resulting standard operating procedures (SOP) are applicable to a wide range of monitoring
projects, as they cover the two main types of aerial systems and two common tropical
environments: a natural timber concession monitoring project using a multi-rotor UAV and a
palm mapping project using a fixed wing UAV. These environments were chosen because they
are both representative of a large amount of land in the tropics and indicative of the types of use
and change happening in those environments. Also applying the two systems from both the
perspective of a large commodities plantation and a certification body auditing a forest for
sustainable practices provides a wide basis for application of the resulting SOPs and data
interpretation.
SOLAR will engage with stakeholders including landowners, certification standards bodies,
certifiers, government and civil society to field feedback. We are eager to interact with users and
engage in consultation resulting in a more robust SOLAR. Through use of SOLAR methodology
and stakeholder engagement, information will rapidly disseminate to teams working in tropical
regions that are concerned with forest audits and land use change, providing a much desired
level of transparency.
This project was a partnership between the World Resources Institute, Double Helix Tracking
Technologies, PT EarthLine and Cargill, Inc.

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Table of Contents
Section 1 Aerial system basics and choosing a UAV ............................................................................. 3
Airframes ................................................................................................................................................... 4
Hardware................................................................................................................................................... 4
Video/photography .................................................................................................................................... 5
Criteria for UAV selection .......................................................................................................................... 6
Section 2 Flight operations, procedures, and data processing ............................................................ 7
Mission planning and mapping ................................................................................................................ 8
Mission planner basics .......................................................................................................................... 8
Camera configuration for mapping ........................................................................................................ 9
Auto mission flight logs in mission planner ........................................................................................... 9
Survey mapping missions.................................................................................................................. 10-11
Multi-rotor missions and procedures ..................................................................................................... 12
Standard canopy gap launch .............................................................................................................. 12
360º pre mission aerial scan .............................................................................................................. 12
Standard canopy gap landing ............................................................................................................. 13
Basic above canopy automission ....................................................................................................... 13
Region of interest mission .................................................................................................................. 14
Transect mapping................................................................................................................................ 15
Road network assesment .................................................................................................................... 15
Log landing assesment ...................................................................................................................... 16
River corridor assesment .................................................................................................................... 17
Long range fixed wing system mapping ................................................................................................. 18
Ground control points ........................................................................................................................ 18
Fixed wing missions ............................................................................................................................ 19
Fixed wing mission results ............................................................................................................. 20-21
Post processing ..................................................................................................................................... 22
Section 3 Reporting .................................................................................................................................. 23
Field reporting ......................................................................................................................................... 23
360º pre mission aerial scan ................................................................................................................. 23
Section 4 Value analysis .......................................................................................................................... 24
Cost of UAV systems and development ................................................................................................ 24
Benefit of using SOLAR ......................................................................................................................... 25
Benefits of using UAVs in timber and concessions and palm oil plantations ......................................... 26
Value of data and value of access ........................................................................................................ 27
Recommendations .............................................................................................................................. 28-30
Discussions .............................................................................................................................................. 31
Appendix 1 UAV system specifications/customisations ..................................................................... 32
Multi-rotor ............................................................................................................................................... 32
Multi-rotor specifications ........................................................................................................................ 33
Multi-rotor customisations ...................................................................................................................... 34
Fixed wing specifications ........................................................................................................................ 35
Appendix 2 Field documents and checklists......................................................................................... 36
Multi-rotor preflight check list ................................................................................................................. 36
Multi-rotor post flight check list and safefty information ........................................................................ 37
Flight log/incedent log ............................................................................................................................ 38
Appendix 3 Remote sensing systems comparative analysis ......................................................... 39-40
Appendix 4 Acronyms.............................................................................................................................. 41
Appendix 5 Helpful links .......................................................................................................................... 42

10 March 2015 Page 2
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Section 1
Aerial Systems Basics and choosing a UAV
UAVs come in a large variety of shapes, sizes, and price points. Many options come RTF (ready to fly).
However, it is also possible to build your own customised system. This section will describe the basic
components to any UAV system as well as an overview of the basic categories of UAV. It will also cover
the process and criteria to be assessed for choosing a system which meets your needs.

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Air frame
Physical body of the UAV
Categories Description Benefits Limitations
Fixed wing Standard “airplane” UAV. Fixed wings  Long range  Need horizontal space
come in a variety of shapes and sizes.  Inexpensive for take-off and landing
 Less stable in wind
Multi-rotor “Helicopter” style systems. These  Stability  Short range

systems have between 1 and 8 propellers  VTOL  More expensive
and come in an endless variety of body  Hovering
designs.
Hardware Description Recommendations

Autopilot This is the hardware on board the drone which We have been using the Pixhawk
enables autonomous flight. There are two main and have had no issues. The mobile
autopilot systems. Both are open source and app mission planner DroidPlanner is
compatible with free-to-download mission a great feature. Its faster processing
planners. The newer Pixhawk px4 has many makes it a good choice for multi-
features and a smart phone compatible rotors.
mission planner DroidPlanner. APM (2.6) is the
older and most widely used autopilot system.
Telemetry A telemetry radio can be connected to any Check regulations for your country
device or computer, enabling wireless before purchasing to find out what
communication between the drone and the frequency is required (915 Mhz vs
ground station. 433Mhz).
RC RC communicates flight commands via radio to  Minimum 5 channel transmitter for
the UAV. RC systems consist of an RC a multi rotor
transmitter and receiver. Transmitters are  FlySky FS-TH9x RC
multi-channel controllers where each channel  A digital read out screen is useful.
gives a command (i.e. forward, back, left, right,  Receiver must match configuration
throttle) and frequency of transmitter.
Motors The model of UAV used will dictate the type of The combination of motor, ESC and
ESC motor needed. propellers will be dictated by the
Propellers Electronic Speed Control (ESC) interface with specifications of the UAV airframe
RC and autopilot to control the motor throttle. and requirements.
Propellers provide the lift necessary for flight.

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Video/ Description Recommendations
Photography
Action cam Small body video cameras have come a long way GoPro is the standard.
and there are many options. Great for video and A 3+ or newer has great
can perform stills to a lesser ability. features and can be
used in many
They are durable, light weight and have most
applications. Many
features of a standard digital camera. Their wide
ready-to-fly systems
angle lenses are good for first person view (FPV)
bundle a GoPro.
but not for mapping as they tend to fisheye and
many don’t have GPS. They are also less
adjustable than a standard digital.
Standard digital GPS enabled cameras make geo referenced Canon EOS M
mapping much easier. They typically are heavier
Sony Nex 5tl
than an action cam but are more adjustable which
is beneficial in mapping exercises.
Gimbal Gimbals are counterweighted stabilisers for your Tarot 2 axis
camera system mostly used in video shooting to
keep the camera centred as the UAV moves
around. These are most applicable to GoPro and
other action cams.
First Person View This enables you to see what the drone sees, which Many complete
(FPV) greatly aids in taking video. These systems require: packages exist and
work well. Again check
 Video downlink transmitter the regulations in your
 Receiver country for downlink
 Monitor video as permits are
often required.
On Screen On screen displays will give you a full flight metrics OSD is extremely
Display(OSD) read out on your FPV system, allowing you to see: useful, particularly in
 Ground speed above canopy missions
 Air speed where visual line of site
 Compass direction will be lost. Relying on
 Altitude OSD for flying is not
 Trim/orientation recommended and
should only be used if
auto mission fails.
Camera trigger Camera triggers allow interface with your mission The type of camera
planner to dictate how and when photos are taken. used will dictate the
trigger system
available.
Post processing Many options exist from free to extremely pricey. It Microsoft ICE (free)
software is good to start with a user friendly, free platform to LPS (Erdas Imagine)
help refine your skills and understanding of the Agisoft Scan Pro
parameters for the photographic data and mission PIX4D
planning. VisualSFM(free)

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Criteria for UAV selection
There are some key considerations in choosing a system that is fit for your purposes. Defining the scope
of why you want a UAV and exactly what functions you want it to perform will be critical.
Criteria Description
Purpose The intended purpose will frame the type of functions needed and
environments flown in. What specifically are you trying to do? For example:
 Map palm oil concession borders
 Augment timber concession audits
 Monitoring endangered species
Functions What functions the drone needs to perform will impact the system
requirements. Do you require a multi-functioning system or do you have a
specific requirement, e.g.:
 Video
 Mapping
 Still photography
 Modelling/ photogrammetry
Environment Where will you be flying primarily dictates the necessary system requirements.
The amount of space you have to launch will dictate the type of air frame
required. For example in a closed canopy forest you cannot launch a fixed
wing UAV.
Cost How much you have budgeted will impact the system you can get.
Experience Will you require training to learn the system? Your level of expertise should not
exclude you from getting the system you need. However, if time and cost are a
concern, many entry level systems exist which are still very capable.
Missions What is the volume of missions required to fulfil your purpose? It is possible
that more than one system would be cost and time effective.

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Section 2
Flight operations, procedures and data processing
This section covers the basics of UAV operation for both a multi rotor system and fixed wing system
including flying, mission planning, mapping, and post processing data. It also covers the procedures,
operations and results developed by DoubleHelix in our pilot studies conducting flights in both a tropical
forest timber concession and palm oil concessions.

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Mission planning and mapping procedure
The development of the DroidPlanner and AMP/PixHawk mission planner software have made aerial
survey and geo-rectified photography for mapping much simpler and more accessible. The mission
planner has removed much of the guess work and trial and error from refining a mapping capable system.
AMP and Pixhawk mission planner will automatically generate survey flight plans for mapping a specified
area. It will also automatically trigger photos to be taken at particular distance intervals suited to your
system.
Mission planner basics

It is important to familiarise yourself with the mission planner you will be using. PixHawk and APM are
very similar mission planners on a desk top or laptop. DroidPlanner is a PixHawk app for mobile devices
and operates slightly differently. Try planning several mock missions to learn how to use your mission
planner and the different features available. There are many features and functions to mission planners
some of which will be covered as specific procedures we tested in the field later in this guide. Basic things
to know about mission planner use include:
Maps
 If you are in range of cell and internet service the maps will automatically generate, allowing you to
draw the planned mission directly onto the map.
 For offline use, tile maps will need to be uploaded and stored on the computer or device being used
in the field so they can be loaded to the mission planner.
Waypoints
Waypoints are the pindrop GPS coordinates used to draw a mission. Every mission starts with setting
your home position. Each mission waypoint can be assigned an elevation and other features including:
 Landing
 Takeoff
 Loiter
 Position hold
 Order in mission
 Return to landing
Freehand
DroidPlanner allows you to freehand draw a flight path and will assign waypoints you can edit along that
path. This is an extremely useful tool but limits the number of possible way points.
Polygon
This feature will connect waypoints to make a polygon. This is used in mapping and surveys. Once a
polygon is specified it is possible to generate a mapping survey flight path which will cover the entire area
of the polygon.
Telemetry
A telemetry radio allows you to communicate from your ground station wirelessly to the UAV. This makes
mid-flight mission planning possible and will also provide flight metrics to your ground station and record
all flight details. There are many parameters to configure in customising your mission planner telemetry
interface.
Flight controls and interface
The mission planner will interface with:
 RC
 Telemetry
 Auto pilot Hardware
 Camera hardware (gimbal camera)

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These interfaces can be used to set up parameters including geo fencing, flight metric display, gimbal
control, RC throttle and telemetry fail safes. Many options exist for customising and refining auto pilot
features to best suit your system. Each autopilot feature can be customised to the desired parameters.
Camera configuration and set up

There is a certain amount of set up involved in enabling any camera to interface with the auto mission
system. Many tools exist to integrate a camera into APM or PixHawk. Essentially these tools allow the
auto pilot system to trigger the camera shutter.
There are several benefits to this:
 Photos for mapping are taken at intervals based on distance measured by the ground speed and
GPS of the UAV rather than on time intervals of the camera. This means that each photo is
associated with a fixed position in space. Without this capability you have to sync the GPS log of the
flight to the time signatures of the photos, an imprecise and difficult task.
 Mission planning is made much simpler as both APM and PixHawk have enabled functions for survey
based on distance triggering photos.
 Photos can be triggered by waypoint as well. This is extremely useful. Not only can you plan surveys
based on photos taken at particular way points, but you can also use this function to acquire precise
and particular still shots of areas of interest.
Auto mission flight logs

Mission planner automatically logs flight data from planned missions allowing you to:
 Review the flight including airspeed, altitude, position holds, orientation and other information.
 Extract waypoints.
 Convert to KML and other files to geo position your flight route on other programs.
 View the telemetry log and create graphs of different flight metrics.
 Review specifics about different points along the flight path.
This is useful in reporting results as it can give all the specifics about how and where data were collect
Screen shot of auto log of aflight conducted in a forest in Kalimantan.

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Survey mapping mission planner
This is a basic tutorial on how to use the PixHawk mission planner to plan a survey auto mission.
1. Draw polygon around area intended for survey
2. Right click inside polygon and find auto WP option find survey (grid) and select. This will
generate a lawn mower style flight path for survey and photographs.

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3. Set flight and hardware parameters
Once the grid is generated the parameters can be set and customised from simple to advanced:
 Camera type
 Flight speed
 Altitude
 Overlap %
 Photo trigger distance
 Internal waypoint generation

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Multi-rotor missions and procedures
Please see appendix 2 for field use documents and checklists including pre-flight checklist and safety
information. These should be used as a guide to develop your own pre-flight and safety checklists used
for every flying mission.
Standard canopy gap launch
One of the main benefits of a multi-rotor is the ability to take off and land vertically. This enables it to fly in
areas with dense obstruction such as tropical timber concessions. Taking off through a hole or gap in the
canopy allows the UAV to video/map areas inaccessible to a fixed wing. It is highly recommended you
first try this with minimal obstruction and only two or three trees, then move to denser locations.
1 Inspect area for a vertical An unobstructed straight vertical take-off to canopy level. Even
path to the top of the in relatively large canopy gaps, avoid use of the return to land
canopy. (RTL) function as this does not correct for obstructions. If
necessary, command RTL and the switch back to Standard
once UAV is in line of sight above canopy.
2 Clear at least a square In the forest this may require a bit of ingenuity. The main point
metre of flat ground to here is to have a level stable surface with nothing to obstruct
launch UAV. the propellers.
3 Ensure you are flying in GPS connectivity is unreliable underneath canopy cover. It is
Standard mode. extremely important to fly in Standard until above tree cover and
a strong GPS lock is obtained. The UAV will act erratically if
flown in Auto or Loiter without GPS lock.
4 Follow pre-flight checklist A slow ascent will allow you to gauge your distance from
and launch UAV. obstructions and adjust accordingly, as well as reassess the
space available for a RTL landing keeping in mind the UAV may
sway a few metres in any direction when performing that
function.
5 Achieve altitude clear of Do not fly in Standard mode without a line of sight to the UAV.
canopy. Once a safe altitude is acquired an auto mission can be flown.
360º pre mission aerial scan

Prior to running any auto mission it is important to inspect the area you intend to fly over for obvious
obstructions inside the planned flight path. Also performing a general assessment helps to inform your
mission and identify any areas of interest.
1 Launch Follow procedure from canopy gap launch

2 Clear canopy Assure you are well above canopy and have a wide
unobstructed view of the surrounding area.
3 Attain GPS lock Switch to LTR/Auto mode and attain a full GPS lock. This will
test the UAVs ability to connect to satellites at this location which
is important for auto missions.
4 360º scan Holding in hover, perform a slow spin all the way around. Do this
with your camera pointed at a slight angle for best view. Use the
FPV to assess the area.
5 Assessment With DroidPlanner it is possible to send missions mid-flight. After
a 360º assessment you could send a pre-planned mission, edit
your mission because of new information or land and re assess
the plan.

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Canopy gap landing
Safely landing the UAV following an above canopy mission.
1 Retain visual line of sight  When mission is complete UAV should be positioned directly
above canopy gap if way points were correctly planned.
2 Switch to Standard mode  Make sure to switch back to Standard before landing as the
UAV will lose GPS lock and act erratically if left in Auto or
LTR.
3 Land  Slowly bring the UAV down at a steady controlled rate.

Ensure it is centered over your intended landing zone.
 Do not bring the UAV to the ground at a high propeller rpm.
It can cause an updraft off the ground which will flip it over.
 Avoid hovering low to the ground and bring down smoothly.
 Stop all throttle.
4 Disarm  Disarm UAV.
IRIS+ descending below canopy level
Basic above canopy auto missions

Above canopy auto missions can be used to assess an area using the video down link or capture images
to be used in a map. There are some basic requirements in creating a successful above canopy mission.
These basics will be used in more complex missions.
1 Knowledge of flight path The intended flight path should be clear of obstruction. This can be
assessed by utilising the 360º scan assessment.
2 Mission starts and ends at If performing a mission which is initiated with a canopy gap launch,
the same waypoint the beginning and end way point should be the same position; with
the UAV in line of sight and directly above clear landing zone.
3 Conservative area Flying out of line of sight comes with inherent risks. Missions should
be held in a conservative range with quick return to landing access.
4 Consistent elevation Auto missions should stay at a consistent elevation well above any
possible obstruction.

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Region of interest assessment
One of the advantages of DroidPlanner is its many features one of which is the region of interest feature.
This allows the pilot to draw and select one or more way points in a mission plan and assign them to a
region of interest. This designation will then have the camera focus on that point throughout the mission.
This is very useful in assessments of particular features or small areas.
1 Draw mission In DroidPlanner create a new mission and use the freehand tool to
draw a multi way point mission.
2 Select region of interest Select a waypoint and label it as region of interest. Drag waypoint
to area you want camera aimed.
3 Send mission Send mission to UAV.
This region of interest mission was flown over a

skid road, log landing and long pond. Images
were taken in two second intervals throughout
the entire mission which circled the area at
various altitudes. This affords a comprehensive
view of the area including:
 log pond and landing
 downstream river
 skid trails leading to landing

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Transect mapping
Part of auditing timber concessions for sustainability (e.g. FSC/PEFC/ or other standards) means
ensuring particular management techniques are applied throughout the concession. Mapping one or more
transects across an area will provide a representative slice of a larger management area. This slice can
be used to assess conditions in an area too large to feasibly map so long as the management procedure
is consistent. If the transect area and direction are chosen randomly it will provide a relatively good insight
into how the rest of the block is being managed.
1 Transect mission planning  Upload the tile map of the area to be mapped in.
 Using the polygon tool create a long and narrow rectangle.
 Area of rectangle is dictated by total area of management unit
and what is being assessed.
 Account for maximum rang of RC transmitter and battery life.
 Choose altitude well above canopy level.
 Clear flight path and preform 360º assessment.
 Make sure the maximum distance away from the ground station
is within range of your RC receiver.
2 If mapping create survey  If intending to map the area, create an auto survey flight path
flight path within the rectangle.
 Make sure the UAV can cover the whole area well within its
battery limits.
 Follow mapping procedure.
3 Load mission  Send mission to UAV and initiate.
Road network assessment

Assessing the existing road network in the concession can be difficult to do on foot as transport networks
are rarely up to date on existing maps. The ability to see across roads and past the end of existing roads
is essential in seeing the complete system.
1 Existing road network map Having the most up to date map of the existing road network will
help in planning further assessment.
2 Finding the furthest end of Looking back and past the existing network will allow assessment
a road network of any newly developed roads.
3 Video downlink assessment This is an appropriate use of the FPV feature of a UAV to
investigate and view a broader area than otherwise possible.
4 Capture any findings If the assessment exposes any findings of interest or if a newer
record of a particular road system is required, plan a mapping or
video mission over that area.

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Log landing photographs/mapping
Shooting photographs of the log landing from a lower altitude may allow assessments of the volume and
species in the landing. Regular monitoring of this would provide an independent comparison of the true
volume of timber exiting the concession as compared to the documented records. Upon further
investigation it may be possible to identify species of trees in the log landing as well. This is good use of
the region of interest feature as a wide circle around the log landing/pond with the camera focused in, is
ideal for video and photography.
Quality still photographs and video of log ponds and yards will enable log counts to be performed.
Following a precise mapping procedure and mapping the log landing in a manner that would enable point
cloud generation would be an interesting and useful ability as it would allow one to actually calculate
volumes of timber on the ground by measuring length, width and height of log piles.
This image over the log landing of logs awaiting

shipment enables quick estimation of volumes to
verify documentation. Even without complex point
cloud generation, a simple still shot gives a much
better picture of the current log stock in a landing or
yard. This mission took 2 minutes to fly and less than
10 minutes to process the imagery.
The zoomed cut away is purely using a zoom on a
common and free photo editor without any
enhancement and is reflective of the quality of image
obtainable with a 10megapixel action camera.

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River corridor assessment
River corridors are important to forest health and often contain high carbon and conservation value forest.
However, they can be difficult to assess on foot. Strategic flights over river corridors are an extremely
useful mission. They allow monitoring not only of the ecological integrity of the area, but also provide
insight into the trade flows, since rivers are often used to move timber.
1 Assess existing tile maps A clear understanding of points in a river corridor susceptible to
impact or logical entry or exit points for timber will help focus the
mission.
2 Mission planning Planning the width of an area within the river system to assess.
Where does the riparian end and forest begin? Are both banks in
need of monitoring?
3 Video downlink assessment This is an appropriate use of the FPV feature to investigate if the
area is being managed appropriately and if there are any
unaccounted log rafts in the river.
4 Capture any findings If the assessment exposes any findings of interest ensure photos
and video are captured.
These still images were pulled from

a time lapse series flying a grid over
a section of river, which intersects
with a road and log landing.
Attempt at creating a longer corridor
map were unsuccessful because of
an issue with the FPV downlink. The
inability to fly by FPV caused the
pilot to make the decision to only fly
within line of sight in accordance
with our safety guidelines.
Even so the series collected was
able to show a high resolution
picture of around one kilometre of
river corridor, with a swath of around
a hundred meters on either side.
Assessing this area on foot would
be extremely time consuming
demonstrating that even when our
UAV is unable to perform its highest
functions it is still a valuable tool.

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Long range fixed wing mapping
The large open environment of a palm plantation demands the capabilities of a long range system. This
system is specifically designed for mapping large areas and has no video down link or FPV. The process
required to create these maps is more in depth than a standard mapping mission which might be
conducted with a multi-rotor. Many of the components, however, are the same with a few additional steps.
GPS ground control points

To maintain a high level of geospatial accuracy over 5,000 hectares it is necessary to set a number of
control points. Post processing software requires these control points to help rectify the photos and create
highly accurate maps. Around 5 GPS control points are set per 1000 hectares, so in this project 25 were
set by the flight team prior to conducting flights.
The control points are brightly checked targets which can be identified in an aerial photo. The centre of
that target is associated with a highly accurate GPS coordinate taken by a tremble or other high accuracy
GPS system. Rectifying the difference between the geotagged photos taken by the UAV and the control
points gives the map better horizontal and vertical accuracy as well as assisting in post processing ortho-
rectification.

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Missions
Flight altitude 400 meters

Hectares per flight 250-400 hectares Block C
Distance between photos 76 meters
4,800 hectares of palm plantation border were mapped. 19 flights

were conducted over 4 days by a crew of 6 individuals.
The same APM mission planner and auto pilot are used to design
and execute each flight.
Block B
Block A
Block B of 536 hectares was mapped

in two flights represented by the
green and blue. Each dot represents
a photo. Flights were flown north to
south.

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Map Results
After post processing with APS Menci & ERDAS Imagine/ PCI Geomatica the resulting maps have a
resolution of 10cm x 10cm per pixel. This extremely high level of resolution can then be used to measure
and assess:
 Terrain grade, slope, and drainage Block C
 Tree height and crown diameter
 Vegetation types
 Plant health
 Concession boundaries
 Community boundaries and activities within the concession
Block B
These three images are screen shots of
the total mapped concession border area
of approximately 4,800 hectares.
The resolution and scale for each block
was set to 1cm=.58 miles1
Block A
Each block contains developed producing

palm plantation border on the left of the image
and a mix of other land uses to the right
including:
 Natural forest
 River corridor
 Small holder palm development
 Farming

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Block B
1.
2.
3.
This level of resolution and the associated
spatial information can unlock a great amount of
information when viewed in mapping platforms
such as MapInfo or ERDAS. It allows the user to
view and measure:
 Area of a selected region
 Tree crown diameter
 Coordinates of particular land use
 Actual border positioning
Photo results for the 536 hectare middle block.

Image 1.
 Resolution: 1cm = .15miles
 Description: The entire 536 hectare block consisting of developed plantation border on the far left hand side
and degraded natural forest on the right
Image 2.
 Resolutions: 1cm = .005miles
 Description: Area of degraded forest outside planation border and not part of development. Representative of
UAV’s ability to detect forest encroachment.
Image 3.
 1cm = .0025miles
 Description: Developed palm block within concession.

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Post processing
Post processing of collected aerial photography can include many steps with varying degrees of
complexity. It is relatively easy to produce photo-stitched maps using freely available software that have
no geo-spatial association and are simply a composite image. It takes considerably more effort to create
a map which is geo-rectified, even with the advantages of the integrated camera mission planner.
Determining what your map needs to communicate and assess will inform the level of post processing
necessary.
Program Description
Free software
Free software is for research educational purposes only. Always read licencing agreements before
using any of these products.
1 Microsoft ICE is a user friendly free photo-stitching program which does not
Image Composite Editor geo-rectify images. It is extremely slow to process and save and
(ICE) often the overlaps are not consistent. Useful for quick composites
and beginners.
http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/projects/ice/
2 Visual SFM Visual SFM is a free program which creates photomosaic maps and
point clouds. It uses the SWIFT program to stich the photos. It takes
significantly more effort and is a multi-step process. The resultant
images however are of high quality for a free program and are
capable of use in generating point clouds for 3d modelling with a
zipped file containing all the necessary programs.
http://flightriot.com/visualsfm-cmvs-post-processing-tutorial/
3 CMPMVS/Meshlab This uses the outputs from Visual SFM to generate geo-rectified
mosaics maps of high quality and uses the also free Meshlab to
generate photogrammetry 3D models. The link here is a follow up to
the above tutorial and program package. These tools are complicated
but high quality for free software.
http://flightriot.com/cmpmvs-and-meshlab-tutorial/
Commercial software
Commercially available software is generally more user friendly, have more customisation and
manipulation options, and produces high quality GIS compatible results. Free month-long trials are
available for most these programs.
4 LPS 2011(Erdas Imagine) GIS based post processing which is capable of ortho geo-rectified
photo mosaics.
5 Agisoft Scan Pro Similar product to the Erdas processor.

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Section 3
Reporting
How you report on filed operations and the data you’ve collected is an important component to a
successful UAV system. Reporting allows you to keep track of operations and organize your data and
results. Consistency in reporting will enable your UAV system to:
 Produce comparable data over time to view change accurately in an area

 Produce comparable data to results generated by other people in other places
 Ensure all missions are logged and performance is tracked
 Track UAV performance
 Keep track of any issues, whether operator or system related
 Further customize and tailor your system and operations
Reporting essentially takes two stages
Stage 1: Field reporting on flight operations

Consistently using the flight logs, (see appendix 3) for every flight will allow you to track UAV operations
for reporting. This consists of logging specifics like:
 Systems used (UAV and video or camera specifics)
 Date and time
 Pilot
 Type of mission and plan
 Duration
 Coordinate location
 Comments
It is also important to log all incidents and maintenance that occur (see Appendix 3) to track drone
performance and keep record of any and all issues.
Stage 2: Results reporting

Providing relevant data with any results will enable consistent interpretation as well as a structure to
repeating the same mission and collecting data in a consistent way. This is essential in ongoing
monitoring of an area. Using a combination of the field flight log, mapping info, and mission planner flight
log you should be able to include the following with all data:
 Date/time
 System specifications
 Flight specifics, (altitude, mission type air speed, ETC…)
 Coordinate locations
 Imagery scale if applicable

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Value analysis
We have divided this cost benefit analysis into the following categories to help shape how to understand
the role of UAVs as a standard tool in land use monitoring and assessment, particularly in forest audits
and palm plantation management.
Costs of UAV systems (both fixed wing and multi-rotor DIY development and operation)
In an attempt to capture the value of this guide we’ve estimated the time cost benefit of using SOLAR in
developing and operating a UAV system (see page 27). This estimate is largely based on our experience
and how this guide would have saved us time and money. Unless otherwise specified the cost savings
provided by SOLAR come from the amount of time involved and there for person hours contributed to a
given activity.
Researching, developing, and testing takes a huge amount of time and effort unassisted. SOLAR
provides its user with consolidated and comprehensive insight into the process of developing a UAV for
the purpose of tropical land use monitoring. In calculating savings we simply subtracted the time we spent
researching and developing the SOPs, supporting documents, instructional sheets, and research
consolidation that are included in SOLAR.
It is important to note that this cost analysis is purely indicative of our experience and is only
representative. Costs specific to other projects can be calculated using the spreadsheet we have
developed in appendix 1. We have prepared a spreadsheet which holds the basis for cost calculation so
that this cost analysis can be adapted and applied to tropical forests globally.
Costs are calculated from both the on costs (those external physical costs such as the UAV and shipping)
and the time required for development, training, and final use. Time costs are derived from a notional day
rate of $500 USD. This number is used as a conservative average day rate for a field auditor.

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Category Description Costs
Independent Using
development SOLAR
Initial development costs (per individual system)

Research Time associated with defining requirements and $5,000 $2,500
researching systems and what goes into a functional
UAV and what system best fits your needs.
UAV system This includes a complete system with all additional $2000-$6,000 $1,000-
equipment. Obviously depending on the required $5,000
systems the cost will vary. Our multi-rotor was around
$4,000 with customisations. This guide can help one to
avoid pit falls and system failures that result in
repurchase of broken hardware or purchasing the
wrong equipment.1
Build Time associated with build and customisations. $5,000 $2,500
Training Time developing SOPs/flight logs and training audit $6,000 $3,500
staff in UAV operations, mission planning, mission
procedures and safety.
Sub total This sub total is the onetime expense of development. $18,500 $10,500
Operational costs (per audit)

Operation Time designing and planning audit operations and $3,500 $1,500
design applications.
Mission Time spent setting up missions for audit application. $1,000 $500
planning
Logistics Costs associated with transport and logistics specific to $500 $500
UAV field operations.
Field time Time associated with one full day of field use $500 $500
Maintenance A certain amount of wear and tear is expected in UAV $500 $500
field use. Parts will need replacing as things break or
wear out.
Post Time processing collected data. Assumes only free $10,000 $5,000
processing software is used. The effect SOLAR has on this cost is
derived from mapping set up.
Sub Total Sub total can be used to calculate a per hectare $15,500 $8,000
operational cost. The main variable is field time which
changes with the size of the job.
Total $34,500 $19,000
Savings from one time use of SOLAR $15,500

% 46%
1 For the purpose of calculating sub-total we will assume an average of $2,500 USD.

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Category Description Cost
Professional UAV mapping services costs
Independent This is the average cost of hiring a professional UAV mapping service $6USD/hectare
professional to conduct the mapping and post processing of an area. Costs are (Earthline cost)
mapping charged per hectare and are variable dependant on the size and
complexity of the job. This costing is a good average of what we were
able to find.
Benefits of UAV use in timber concessions and palm plantations

The benefit of UAV systems as applied to timber concession auditing and palm plantation management is
based on:
 The time for an auditor to collect the same information collected by the UAV in each mission type.
 Number of auditors needed to conduct the same work.
 New or expanded monitoring and assessment capacity.
Category Benefits Value

Multi-rotor timber concession
Region of The ability to quickly assess an area of interest  Fewer auditors required
interest from an easily accessed point is massively time  More ground covered.
saving and greatly broadens the scope of what
can be monitored during an audit by a small
team.
Transect To assess a 500 metre transect depending on  Better use of auditor time to
terrain could take an auditor 3 to 4 hours if no assess larger areas.
assessments are made along the way. With the  More thorough certification
UAV it can be done in a matter of ten minutes. auditing.
Road network To completely view a skid road network of just  More comprehensive coverage of
assessment one block in a concession is extremely road network.
challenging and could take several days to a  Deterrence for poor development
week with the possibility of missing entire roads. of road systems.
The UAV makes quick work of this. Simply being
able to look over and across a forest gives a
much more complete view of road systems and
only takes minutes at each location.
Log landing Doing a log count in a log pond could take a full  Better tracking of timber volumes
day or more. Using simple images of the same, and species.
this can be accomplished in a matter of hours
with the UAV.
River corridor These assessments are so difficult to perform  Visibility in timber movement.
assessment over any meaningful area that the UAV offers  More holistic auditing of
almost a completely new assessment value to sustainable and reduced impact
audits of river systems. Over the course of half a logging.
day, over 1 kilometre of river could be assessed.
Map creation Having up to date maps of an area is important in  Tracking development

tracking change.  Monitoring management over
time.

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Fixed wing palm plantation
Long range UAV mapping of palm plantations can:  Vegetation stratification
mapping  Map large areas in a short amount of time. assessments.
 Produce high resolution (10cm x 10cm/pixel)  Transparency in environmental
imagery for geo-rectified maps. commitments.
 Palm health evaluations.
 Planting block age assessments.
 Border management.
 Better community interaction.
 Smarter development procedures.
 Consistent monitoring.
 Benchmark maps to track
development and palm growth.
Value of data
The value of the maps and data produced by UAVs is entirely new to auditing and monitoring of land use.
Assessments can be made based on qualitative, consistently produced data instead of by opinion or
subjective expertise. This has the effect of producing consistency in how determinations are made to:
 Meet environmental commitments

 Perform land valuation
 Audit for certification
 Assess criteria for certification
This value is ever increasing. Benchmark data increases in value over time, especially when it is
produced in a method-based, standardised, and repeatable way.
If we understand the value of the UAV produced data and information in this way per hectare value
becomes harder to quantify. The value is in the ability to continually monitor small scale and focused
landscape changes in an extremely detailed way. It is these changes which create the basis for effective
land use monitoring. The consistency, frequency and detail offered by UAV generated data creates a real
time monitoring capacity which satellite and ground audits are simply incapable of providing.
Value of access
UAVs provide a new level of access in performing land use monitoring. This is particularly true in forest
audit situations where the use of a UAV as a monitoring tool is extremely valuable and time saving. Even
if no mapping or photographic data is collected the video down links ability to produce an aerial view
drastically increases the level of visibility and allows the auditor to access a much greater area. This
massive increase in access and visibility is just as important as hectares mapped. One of the greatest
limitations in a forest audit is time. There is not enough time in a 3-4 day audit to cover an entire
concession. UAVs provides a tool which makes greater use of this limited time by expanding the ground a
single auditor can cover. This means less auditors can achieve more which is a huge cost benefit. From
our concession trial our auditor estimated he would gain essentially an entire days worth of ground
coverage and information with the use of the UAV.
Having a wide and diverse group using a systemised approach to quality land monitoring creates
meaningful transparency in land use. If both NGOs and commodities companies are using the same
methodology to track environmental commitments, better standards can exist and be more consistently
enforced. The use of UAVs to a high standard in land use monitoring will aslo force improvement in the
competence and competitiveness of the auditing field and ultimately encourage improvement in the
standards to which they certify.

CONFIDENTIAL
Recommendations
1. SOLAR as a tool for natural resource certification
We see a huge amount of potential in standardized application of this technology to many certification
and auditing organizations. Value analysis, widespread ad hoc adoption by miscellaneous groups and low
technology entry costs clearly indicate that SOLAR is a solution that addresses a market need. The
sooner standardised monitoring tools are implemented, the sooner we can establish long term value. To
adapt and integrate SOLAR into specific fields of certification would be a series of collaborative projects
which would:
 Widely disseminate SOLAR

 Bring validity and relevance to SOLAR
 Increase UAV uptake
 Increase the value of the WRI investment
 Improve certification and audit standards in a diverse scope of land use activities.
Table 1 provides an overview of how SOLAR could integrate into various fields and the value it will add.
Table 1
Organisation Purpose of application Value
FSC and PEFC Incorporating the SOLAR forest  Enhance auditing techniques.
(Forest audit techniques into FSC Forest  Expand forest access.
Management) Management audits for  Increase the value of audits (land covered
certification. in single audit).
 Improve the standard by changing what can
be measured.
FSC and PEFC Using standardised UAV systems  Red flagging of non-plantation species.
(Chain of to inspect and audit large scale log  Greater log inventory coverage.
Custody) landings in plantation species  Increased visibility.
concessions and processing  Better adherence to zero deforestation and
facilities. species certification in plantation products.
RSPO Audits against zero deforestation  Transparency in land management.

commitments and other  Better regulation of environmental and zero
environmental aspects of RSPO. deforestation commitments.
UAVs can also be used to evaluate  Systemized independent land valuation.
forest type and structure to identify  Increased monitoring capability.
high conservation value forest vs.  More robust standard through increased
degraded forest. visibility.
REDD+ Use of UAVs in making carbon  Monitor and secure a REDD+ forest against
stock assessments and monitoring threats such as encroachment.
the quality of forest over time.
Accreditation As an auditor of certification  Increased visibility and transparency are
Services standards, ASI could greatly benefit assets to any organisation tasked with
International from the use of UAVs as a verifying the efficacy of a standard.
(ASI) monitoring tool, particularly with
regard to RSPO standards.

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2. Consultation
Consultation by WRI with multiple stake holders, industry representatives, the scientific community,
certification bodies and others will help to generate useful feedback and improve the quality and efficacy
of SOLAR while simultaneously spreading its reach and impact.
 Audit teams from different tropical regions, and for different certification standards, are able to
contribute early in the formation of SOLAR.
 Experts from the certification standards and their accreditation bodies (e.g. FSC, PEFC, RSPO and
ASI) are involved to ensure their views are taken into account and help seed early consideration into
planned standard revisions.
 Civil society is involved: engagement with such groups creates more transparency and potentially
allows for more competition for independent service provision in the future.
 Industry should be a user of SOLAR, ensuring it is fit for purpose. Early engagement serves to ensure
a faster uptake.
 Grasp a more complete view of the cost benefit analysis as applied across multiple industries and
certification schemes.
3. Application to Global Forest Watch

Real time monitoring. Integrating UAV mapping data onto the GFW platform greatly increases the ability
to monitor how concessionaires are developing land, and whether environmental commitments are being
met. UAVs are easily deployable, inexpensive, unaffected by cloud cover, and extremely high resolution.
SOLAR will provide the means to consistently monitor land use activity. This enables them to act as a
ground truthing to satellite data and support the credibility of the Global Forest Watch platform.
Credible, secure sustainability. SOLAR will result in a best practices guide to utilise UAV monitoring in
tropical concessions. Standardising and improving how land change is monitored is crucial to securing
sustainability commitments made by industry. GFW is already a widely used tool in bringing transparency
to commodities and their impact on forests. Including UAV technology as additional layer greatly
increases the resolution of that transparency. The specificity of a UAV map makes it more than just visual
data and tells a story.
New, meaningful, open source transparency. Interest and uptake of UAV technology is booming.
Commodities companies are eager to be able to independently monitor and assess their boundaries to
plan and ensure adherence to recent environmental commitments. NGOs and certification bodies are
eager to monitor that same activity. SOLAR will help to facilitate uptake and standardise how that data is
collected, making formats and approach consistent. The ability to share the imagery collected by both
concessionaire and NGO on the GFW commodities page delivers an unprecedented view into the on-the-
ground operations of tropical concessions. This is one example of the capacity of UAVs to present data
which is more than a map but a call to action.

CONFIDENTIAL
4. Further Development
Because of time and other constraints including weather and haze which limited our flight capacity, we
still have development goals we would like to see reached. We were not able to conduct a successful
transect map in our concession visit, and other operations which are useful have become apparent with
continued use. We will of course grow the knowledge base of UAV application as we and others use
SOLAR and our UAV in more audits. A structure should be developed whereby new versions of SOLAR
are issued to include information gained through the experience of users and consultation.
5. Engagement with Industry

There are key companies we can approach for participation that can assist with costs and specifications
for the UAV technology. This can facilitate uptake and lower costs for qualified participants of a potential
SOLAR programme. This can happen on several levels:
 Engagement with UAV manufacturers and component companies as a partner in SOLAR. An official
SOLAR partner could provide the hardware at a lower cost to a wider audience. This would promote
consistency and further systemise usage.
 Engagement with commodities companies. We are directly engaging with prominent commodities
companies to use SOLAR in their approach to land management as well as to develop systemized
structure for interpreting UAV generated data. This can be done across palm oil, pulp and paper,
timber, and many other natural resource commodities.
6. Wider dissemination
There are numerous channels for wide scale dissemination. We believe a communications plan in early
2015 that identifies events, language translation requirements, social media opportunities and partner
involvement will establish the Open Source SOLAR approach as one that has visibility and support.
Consultation should be part of this communications approach.
7. SOLAR as a UAV monitoring standard

As uptake of UAV technology becomes more prevalent, SOLAR will become increasingly useful as a
structure for standardisation in UAV monitoring. However, for this to be truly effective it needs to be
adaptive in nature to meet the ever changing landscape of this quickly developing technology. Building on
the recommendation for further development we can position SOLAR as the standard in UAV land use
monitoring and uptake. New versions will encapsulate technological and application developments and
ensure SOLAR retains its value as a guide to standards, method, and value of UAV technology in land
monitoring.

CONFIDENTIAL
Discussions
The last few years have seen a massive increase in the use of UAVs in an ever broadening range of
application. The community of users is well established and the development has largely been open
source. All of these factors position UAV technology to fundamentally change the way many problems of
monitoring and survey are approached.
Application to land use monitoring and planning is at the fore front of this wave of UAV adoption. However,
many challenges limit the potential of UAV technology to equitably and meaningfully impact how we
generate data that informs our choices surrounding land use including:
 Diffuse and overwhelming variety in system design
 Lack of methodology for application
 Steep learning curve for the inexperienced
 Limited integration to industry and certification
 Steep costs of professional UAV mapping
SOLAR addresses these limitations. SOLAR presents the opportunity to not just bring systemized
methodology and guidance to UAV application in tropical land use monitoring but also:
 Facilitate and increase uptake
 Change how we monitor and secure sustainable land use
 Increase transparency in land use development and commodities production
 Strengthen sustainability certification for
 Forest Management
 Palm production
 Chain of Custody
 Strengthen the standards of certification
 Providing a benchmark for repeatable systemised monitoring of land change
SOLAR as a user guide and methodology merely scratches the surface of what is possible from
standardising and bringing method to UAV technology. How UAVs are applied and how the data is
interpreted is the next big step. Thoughtful approach to this task is critical in positioning UAVs as a tool
capable of truly transforming how tropical land is assessed and how land use is planned.

CONFIDENTIAL
Appendix 1
UAV system specifications and customisations
Pilot test Dec. 20th-25th 2014
Multi rotor
Scope
Purpose Augment auditing and assessment of tropical timber concession.
Functions  Geo-rectified mapping1
 First person view (FPV) Monitoring
 Autonomous flight
 Vertical take-off and landing
Environment Remote closed canopy tropical timber concessions
Cost Under 5,000 USD
Our UAV
The IRIS+ by 3D Robotics was the best choice for us. The system is suited to new UAV users, has a long
flight time for a multi-rotor (20 min per battery) and has reliable, trusted software with extremely low risk of
fly away or other failures. Its user friendly platform, easy build, and reasonable cost would make it a likely
candidate for many organisations. This system allows for:
Mapping
 Fly autonomous GPS waypoint missions
 Plan missions in the field using any android or Mac device
 In flight mission planning
 Capture time lapse photography and sync with GPS coordinates
Real time aerial auditing

 Radio telemetry control with FPV camera downlink and monitor
 Bird’s eye view auditing
 High quality video capture
1
Geo-rectified maps are maps which are associated to geo special data meaning coordinate position and scale.

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Multi-rotor Specifications
Component Specification
Airframe
Height 100mm
Material Carbon and plastic
Motor to Motor Dimensions 550mm
Weight 1282g
Hardware
Auto pilot 32-bit Pixhawk With Cortex M4 processor
Motor 920 kV 3DR motors
Electronic Speed Control 3DR 4n1 20 amp capacity
Battery  Two IRIS+ Battery Packs 5100mAh 3S for UAV
 LiPo Battery Charger
 Video Monitor Battery 3s
Case IRIS+ custom case
GPS uBlox with integrated magnetometer
Telemetry 433 MHz telemetry radio
Micro-USB ground station connector cable
Software
Mission PixHawk mission planner and DroidPlanner
Photo Processing
Video/photography
Camera GoPro Hero 3+ silver
Gimbal Tarot T-2D Brushles
FPV  8" FPV Monitor
 Dual 5.8 GHz Wireless Receiver
 600mW Video Transmitter Downlink
Memory Sandisk micro SD 64MB
Flight specifications
Flight time 16-22mins
Pay Load 400g

CONFIDENTIAL
Multi-rotor customisations
 The IRIS+ does not come equipped for FPV video monitoring. This system was separately purchased
and attached to the drone (3DR now offers a complete plug and play FPV package for the IRIS+)
 OSD system
 Replaced the standard GoPro wide angle fish eye lens with a 5.4mm flat lens for better mapping use
 Custom gimbal and camera guard for field transport
 Digital charger to replace AC charger (faster and safer as it gives you a read out of status in mAh).
This is important as it is easy to ruin a battery and battery life is a basic limiting flight factor.
 In line parallel battery charger (charge multiple batteries at once)
 Angled micro USB cable input for GoPro download and charging without removal from gimbal
 Flight wire SD card. A micro SD with flat wire output and SD adaptor makes data transfer possible
without removing the camera from the gimbal.
Build
The IRIS+ is a ready-to-fly system. After unboxing, one simply follows the detailed written instructions to
attach the self-tightening props and charge the battery. Once this is complete the IRIS+ is ready to fly.
Additional installation and build tips

Gimbal
Installing and adjusting the gimbal took a significant amount of work as it initially had a shake. To rectify
this required downloading the Tarot gimbal software connecting the gimbal and resetting the axis motor
parameters to eliminate the shake.
Tips:
 Never power up the gimbal without the GoPro inside. It is a counterbalanced system and without this
weight the motors can be damaged trying to compensate and the settings will re-calibrate.
 Never flip the Drone completely over with the gimbal powered. The gimbal cannot adjust for this.
 Buy a proper handled 1.5mm hex head screw driver. The included allen wrenches strip easily so this
is a useful tool to have on hand.
 Pay attention to wire length to leave room for camera angle adjustment when connecting the gimbal
motherboard to the camera.
FPV/OSD
The FPV system from 3DR is a plug and play and very easy to install. Adapting a OSD module takes
slightly more work.
Tips:
 Very important Never power on the FPV Transmitter without a 5.8 GHz antenna attached to it!
It will permanently damage your FPV Transmitter.
GoPro
The standard 10 megapixel wide angel fished GoPro lens is great for video capture and video monitoring
as it provides an extremely wide view. However, for mapping purposes the fisheye becomes
problematical. GoPro studio has a feature to remove the fisheye but this can be time consuming. 5.4mm
flat lenses (standard security cameras) are cheap, high quality, and you can easily interchange lenses.
The modification is also easy:

 With new plyers grip the rubber casing of the GoPro lens tightly.
 Tighten by turning clockwise until you here the glue seal break.
 Loosen by turning counter clock wise until lens comes out.
 Screw in replacement lens.
 Ensure your new lens is a 5.4 mm IR cut lens non IR cut lenses are for night filming.
Hook up GoPro to a HD screen and aim camera at object roughly 200 meter away and focus lens by
tightening or loosening (this should only take 3-4 complete turns.

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Fixed wing
Scope
Purpose Monitoring the borders of palm plantation to assess
land use activities.
Functions  Geo-rectified mapping2
 Autonomous flight
 Long range for mapping over 5,000 hectares
Environment Open palm oil plantation
Cost  Professional mapping services typically run 3-6
USD per hectare
 Systems with a similar capacity to the one used in
these flight cost around 3,000-7,000 USD.
EarthLine fixed wing system
preparing for mission.
Fixed wing system specifications
The EarthLine UAV is a custom built long range system. The system is designed to house all hardware in
the fuselage including the camera which has a port hole facing down. The propeller and engine are rear
mounted. The system launches from a one metre track sling.
Component Specification
Airframe
Wingspan 2.4m
Weight (only body & wing) 2kg
Material Carbon fibre composite
Hardware
Auto pilot APM 2.6 version
Motor OS brushless motor
Electronic speed control E-Max ESC
Battery 5000 mAh and 8000 mAh LiPO
Software
Mission APM Mission Planner
Photo post Processing APS Menci & ERDAS Imagine/
PCI Geomatica
Camera Digital camera SONY RX 100

USB cable auto pilot integration
Flight Specifications
Flight time 50 mins
Pay load 500g
System taking off from the track
Air speed (without wind) 60-80km/hr
sling
2
Geo-rectified maps are maps which are associated to geo special data meaning coordinate position and scale.

CONFIDENTIAL
Appendix 2 Field documents and check lists
Multi-rotor Pre-flight Checklist
This document should be used before each flight
1. Turn on controller.
2. Ensure throttle is all the way down, RTL is off,

and mode is STD. If you are a beginner start in
LTR mode.
3. Place IRIS+ in pre-determined and inspected

launch site free of obstacles for take-off.
4. Inside the IRIS+ battery compartment connect
fully charged battery and then close
compartment.
5. Wait for safety light on top of IRIS+ to flash red

meaning ready to arm.
6. Ensure WiFi on GoPro is off. This is important as

WiFi will interfere with RC control.
7. Turn on GoPro to desired setting and press

record.
8. Step several meters away from IRIS+.

9. Ensure gimbal stabilises and is responsive to
controller.
10. Press throttle down-right to arm IRIS+.
11. Wait for indicator light to turn solid green if flying

LTR or Auto.
12. IRIS+ is armed and ready for flight.

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DoubleHelix IRIS+ Post-flight Checklist
1. Hold left stick down-left to disarm motors.
2. After motors are disarmed, pilot approaches

IRIS+ to press safety button until it begins to
flash.
3. Stop GoPro recording and turn off.

4. Disconnect battery.
5. Turn off controller.
Safety Information
1. When handling the drone ensure the red safety light is blinking and motors are disengaged.
2. Never approach the drone with motors still armed.
3. Stand clear of the drone during launch and landing.
4. Use clear communication with pilot when others are approaching the drone.
5. Communicate each action you intend to perform in launching and landing.
6. Pay attention to controller display. How much power do you have? Don’t fly below 10.5 V.
7. Assess safety conditions prior to and during every flight:
 wind
 pilot experience
 obstructions
 people
 battery life
8. Have a predetermined flight plan and stick to it.
9. Clear that plan with the entire team before flying the mission. Anyone can object to a mission if they
feel it is unsafe.
10. Use common sense. If you think it might be dangerous, it probably is.

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Flight log (example of how to use)
Flight logs are important. Having a written record of all use avoids any confusion over potential issues,
keeps track of drone performance and maintenance, and helps log missions for cost analysis.
Flight Date System Pilot Mission Flight Purpose Comments

location duration
time
0001 Nov IRIS+ Teguh Surabaya 10 min Test video Successful. Everyone had
12 capture the chance to pilot the
GoPro Max
2014 and auto IRIS+. Flew an auto
Bart mission mission and captured
1400
video. System is extremely
hrs Agus
stable even in windy
conditions.
0002 Nov IRIS+ Max Singapore 16 mins Test After trouble acquiring GPS
21 Botanic canopy signal, successfully launched
GoPro
Gardens launch and IRIS+ through canopy gap.
2014
photo time Had one incident – see
1600
lapse incident report.
hrs
capture
0003
Incident Log (example of how to use)

Accidents happen. If you are new to a system it may take time to figure out exactly how it acts and what
to expect during flight. It is important to log all incidents. Incidents can include:
 crashes
 malfunctions
 unplanned landings
 any time the established flight plan is not followed
Incident Flight Pilot Description: Damage Other

001 0002 Max IRIS+ had trouble acquiring Mud on This could have been
GPS signal under canopy and props avoided in a few ways by a
when put in Loiter mode would more experienced pilot.
move erratically. When this
happened I brought IRIS+ down  Put IRIS+ in Standard
quickly from approximately 2 and fly into open area.
metres to avoid collision with  Do not fly Loiter mode
bystanders. Because the props without maximum GPS
were still spinning at a high RMP signal.
the down draft flipped IRIS+  Bring IRIS+ down
over. slowly.
002
003

CONFIDENTIAL
Appendix 3
Remote sensing and imagery systems - comparative analysis
System Feasible range in Resolution Measurable metrics

a single mission
Fixed wing 300-800 Hectares 10cm per pixel  Digital terrain models (grade, slope etc…)
UAV  Canopy density
 Tree crown width (age)
 Tree height (High conservation value)
 Palm counts
 Hydrologic mapping
 Dense point cloud generation
 Volumes and distances
 Small scale incidence of forest change
Multi-rotor >100 Hectares 10cm per pixel  Digital terrain models

UAV  Canopy density
 Crown width
 Tree height
 Palm counts
 Hydrologic mapping
 Dense point cloud generation
 Volumes and distances
 Small scale incidence of forest change
Ground >10 Hectares Ground  Breast height diameter of trees

Auditing measurement  Species
 Soil type
 Annual planting block or harvest plan
Satellite 25 Km2-10,000Km2 50cm-2m per  Large scale forest change

imagery pixel depend  Large scale digital terrain models
ending on  Hydrologic mapping
multispectral  Large scale distance
band

CONFIDENTIAL
System Advantages Limitations
Fixed wing  Geo-referenced high resolution  Maximum mapping area in single mission
UAV orthorectified photomosaic maps  Cannot fly in adverse weather, high wind,
 Fast tactical turnaround of data heavy rain, smoke that completely obscures
 Quick deployment imagery
 Relatively large coverage for UAV  Horizontal take off and landing requires
 Inexpensive system procurement open area
 Easy learning curve for use
 Open source software and data access
for system operation
 Video down link provides real time
aerial view
 Flies below cloud cover
Multi-rotor  Vertical takeoff and landing opens  More motors means less battery life and
UAV access to many areas shorter coverage capabilities
 Fast tactical turnaround of data  More expensive than a fixed wing system
 Quick deployment  Cannot fly in adverse weather, high wind,
 Relatively large coverage for UAV heavy rain, smoke that completely obscures
 Inexpensive system procurement imagery
 Easy learning curve for use
 Open source software and data access
for system operation
 Video down link provides real time
aerial view
 Flies below cloud cover
Ground Ground audits allow measurement of many Coverage is the main limitation of ground audits.
Auditing things which cannot be measured from Because in remote and densely forested areas it
remote sensing and simply provide a is done by foot and movement is difficult. It is
different view and hands on ability. also comparatively expensive however the
range of measurable metrics is much larger.
Satellite  Large area coverage  Cost prohibitive for new imagery generation
imagery  Mid to high resolution imagery  Little ability for independent operation
 Geo referenced and ortho rectified  Library of imagery out of date
imagery  Dense haze and cloud cover block imagery
 No on the ground access required for  Slower turnaround time for imagery
extremely remote locations
 Many service providers with existing
infrastructure
 Large library of existing images

CONFIDENTIAL
Appendix 4
Acronyms
APM ArduPilotMega
ASI Accreditation Services International
DIY Do It Yourself
ESC Electronic Speed Control
FPV First Person View
GPS Global Positioning System
LiPo Lithium-ion Polymer
LTR Loiter Mode
OSD On Screen Display
PEFC Programme For the Endorsement of Forest Certification
RC Radio Control
RPM Rotations Per Minute
RTF Ready To Fly
RTL Return To Land
SOLAR Systemised Operational Land Use Aerial Reconnaissance
SOP Standard Operating Procedure
STD Standard Mode
UAV Unmanned Arear Vehicle
VTOL Vertical Take Off and Landing
WP Waypoint

CONFIDENTIAL
Appendix 5
Helpful Links
 This link has many resources on survey mission planning in DroidPlanner and APM as well as
geotagging photos through sync with telemetry flight log and time signature:
o http://diydrones.com/profiles/blogs/how-to-plan-missions-for-aerial-survey
 These links explain the different methods for configuring your camera to mission planner for mapping
exercises and how to connect APM or PixHawk to a camera:
o http://diydrones.com/profiles/blogs/how-to-guide-pixhawk-auto-camera-trigger-without-chdk
o http://flightriot.com/pixhawk-and-apm-mapping-camera-configuration/
 FPV OSD install:

o https://www.cloud-surfer.net/2014/09/28/fpv-setup-for-iris/
 Gimbal configuration:
o https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UA73zBJrsmw
 GoPro lens change:

o https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGCrYyajgwg
 Post processing photo software:

o http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/projects/ice/
o http://flightriot.com/visualsfm-cmvs-post-processing-tutorial/
o http://flightriot.com/cmpmvs-and-meshlab-tutorial/
 Comprehensive UAV forum and store:

o http://www.hobbyking.com

CONFIDENTIAL

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SOLAR

Systemised Operational Land Use Aerial Reconnaissance

A comprehensive guide to UAV land use monitoring

SOLAR UAV guide version 07

Further support and partnership was provided by:

SOLAR UAV guide version 07

SOLAR is an open source approach to bringing methodology and standardisation to unmanned

SOLAR UAV guide version 07

SOLAR UAV guide version 07

SOLAR UAV guide version 07

Multi-rotor “Helicopter” style systems. These  Stability  Short range

Hardware Description Recommendations

SOLAR UAV guide version 07

SOLAR UAV guide version 07

SOLAR UAV guide version 07

SOLAR UAV guide version 07

Mission planner basics

SOLAR UAV guide version 07

Camera configuration and set up

Auto mission flight logs

Screen shot of auto log of aflight conducted in a forest in Kalimantan.

SOLAR UAV guide version 07

SOLAR UAV guide version 07

SOLAR UAV guide version 07

360º pre mission aerial scan

1 Launch Follow procedure from canopy gap launch

SOLAR UAV guide version 07

3 Land  Slowly bring the UAV down at a steady controlled rate.

4 Disarm  Disarm UAV.

IRIS+ descending below canopy level

Basic above canopy auto missions

SOLAR UAV guide version 07

3 Send mission Send mission to UAV.

This region of interest mission was flown over a

SOLAR UAV guide version 07

3 Load mission  Send mission to UAV and initiate.

Road network assessment

SOLAR UAV guide version 07

This image over the log landing of logs awaiting

SOLAR UAV guide version 07

These still images were pulled from

SOLAR UAV guide version 07

GPS ground control points

SOLAR UAV guide version 07

Flight altitude 400 meters

4,800 hectares of palm plantation border were mapped. 19 flights

Block B of 536 hectares was mapped

SOLAR UAV guide version 07

Each block contains developed producing

SOLAR UAV guide version 07

Photo results for the 536 hectare middle block.

SOLAR UAV guide version 07

SOLAR UAV guide version 07

 Produce comparable data over time to view change accurately in an area

Reporting essentially takes two stages

Stage 1: Field reporting on flight operations

Stage 2: Results reporting

SOLAR UAV guide version 07