SOLAR MAPPER

Solar photogrammetry drone and large area mapping

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Drone photogrammetry and mapping of large areas: Solar Mapper is the ideal solution

It utilizes solar energy technology patented by VectorRobotics, ensuring about 4 hours of daytime endurance at a speed of 40 km/h.

70

KM/H MAXIMUM SPEED

KM/H MAXIMUM SPEED

4

HOURS OF DAYTIME AUTONOMY

HOURS OF DAYTIME AUTONOMY

1,61

KM2 MISSION COVERAGE

KM2 MISSION COVERAGE

Drone photogrammetry: Solar Mapper offers excellent technical performance

With these excellent technical specifications, it is possible to map almost 4 square kilometers in a single mission.
The photogrammetry drone is fully automated and operates in an uninterrupted manner.

Solar Mapper is a fixed-wing aircraft

It is a photogrammetry drone infinitely quieter than a multirotor, as it doesn’t require multiple propellers for lift: the ideal solution for mapping operations in sensitive areas or where noise could be an issue. Safety is ensured by various systems, both active, such as electronic fail-safes in case of malfunction, and passive, such as the construction in harmless polymer.

The photogrammetry drone enables access to hard-to-reach or inaccessible areas, delivering detailed images more quickly compared to standard methods and at a reduced cost.

solar mapper-12

Fixed wing

Overview

SOLAR MAPPER drone photogrammetry: how to do it

Drone photogrammetry is revolutionizing how surveying operations are conducted, and Solar Mapper is the photogrammetry drone at the forefront of this transformation. While a traditional photogrammetry drone requires intensive resources and time, Solar Mapper delivers rapid and accurate results thanks to its advanced technology.

The success of this photogrammetry drone strongly relies on sunlight. The optimal time to conduct these surveys is when the sun is perpendicular, or on cloudy days when sunlight is diffuse and shadows are minimal. In these limited time windows, efficiency must be maximized. This is where Solar Mapper’s endurance comes into play. Due to its patented solar technology, it can operate for about 4 consecutive hours, eliminating the need for frequent battery replacements, reducing round-trip journeys, and thus allowing extensive area coverage in a single session, thereby liberating the operator from the tedious task of planning multiple missions.

Unlike common multirotors, its fixed-wing nature makes it incredibly quiet. This seemingly minor detail is crucial when it comes to operations in sensitive areas where any form of disturbance must be avoided. Coupled with the high-quality Sony sensor, each shot captures sharp details, essential for accurate 3D models. The Solar Mapper photogrammetry drone offers unparalleled efficiency and precision, meeting the most pressing demands of the photogrammetry sector.

Key Applications of Photogrammetry and Drone Surveying

Drone photogrammetry has introduced a radical transformation, and the Solar Mapper photogrammetry drone is leading this evolution.

Below are the most classic examples:

solar mapper-photogrammetry drone

photogrammetry drone surveying large areas

1.

Surveying Large Areas

Solar Mapper’s ability to operate with significant autonomy makes it ideal for mapping large land extensions. From extensive agricultural plots to vast urban development lands, the high-quality of photogrammetry drone’s camera ensures clear and detailed images, crucial for proper analysis and subsequent 2D/3D reconstructions or photomosaics.

Mapping in Sensitive Areas

2.

Solar Mapper’s quiet fixed-wing design is perfect for operations in zones where minimal noise is crucial, such as natural reserves or archaeological sites. Solar Mapper ensures environmentally respectful surveying.

photogrammetry drone mapping in sensitive areas

photogrammetry drone 3D models

3.

Creating Accurate 3D Models

With an APS-C sensor capturing images at resolutions up to 26 MP, Solar Mapper produces extraordinary details and colors. These high-quality images, combined with the drone’s precision, allow the generation of highly detailed 3D models, useful in multiple sectors, from urban planning to heritage conservation.

Vantaggi della fotogrammetria con drone

Nel panorama dei rilievi topografici, la fotogrammetria con drone ha innescato una vera e propria rivoluzione offrendo una serie di benefici tangibili, specialmente quando confrontata con i metodi tradizionali che utilizzano mezzi aerei con equipaggio. Ecco una panoramica dei vantaggi distintivi:

Riduzione dei Costi

L’acquisto, la manutenzione e l’operatività di un drone sono nettamente più economici rispetto a un mezzo aereo tradizionale. Mentre gli aeromobili con equipaggio richiedono investimenti significativi, certificazioni complesse per i piloti e costi operativi elevati, i droni possono essere operati a una frazione di quel costo.

Manutenzione Semplificata

Mezzi aerei tradizionali, data la loro natura e meccanismi complessi, come i motori a combustione interna o le turbine, necessitano di controlli regolari e manutenzione intensiva. Questo si traduce in maggiori costi e tempi di fermo. I droni, essendo più semplici e spesso elettrici, richiedono manutenzione meno frequente e meno costosa.

Sostenibilità Ambientale

I droni, in particolare quelli elettrici o addirittura solari come SOLAR MAPPER, hanno un impatto ambientale minimo. Non emettono gas serra e possono operare in modo ecologico, mentre gli aeromobili tradizionali, essendo spesso a combustione interna, hanno un’orma di carbonio significativa.

Flessibilità Operativa: mentre un aeromobile richiede piste di atterraggio e decollo, infrastrutture aeroportuali e spesso permessi complessi, un drone può essere lanciato e recuperato da aree ristrette, rendendolo ideale per operazioni in siti remoti o difficili da raggiungere.

Sicurezza

Senza il bisogno di trasportare equipaggio a bordo, il rischio associato alle operazioni di volo è significativamente ridotto. Inoltre, in caso di malfunzionamenti, un drone come il SOLAR MAPPER, grazie alla sua leggerezza e design aerodinamico, plana dolcemente, riducendo ulteriormente i rischi.

Drone Photogrammetry: Sophisticated Control Method Ensuring Safety and Reliability in Surveys

Drone photogrammetric survey requires a high degree of accuracy and reliability. Our aerial photogrammetry drone combines a range of advanced technologies to ensure every operation is executed with maximum safety and precision.

Guardian è equipaggiato con una Ground Station d’avanguardia, che include un intuitivo touchscreen per la gestione delle operazioni di volo. Gli switch meccanici e i pulsanti fisici per la selezione delle modalità di volo garantiscono un controllo rapido, sicuro e immediato, migliorando l’efficienza del volo e l’esperienza dell’operatore.

Stable and continuous

FREQUENCY

Operating on a 2.4GHz frequency, the drone maintains stable and continuous communication with the operator. This stable frequency ensures minimal interference and provides a solid connection throughout the mission duration. Moreover, advanced control software offers an intuitive interface for operators, allowing detailed route planning, waypoint setting, and no-fly zone definition.

Renewable

ENERGY

Powered by solar panels, the photogrammetry drone benefits from a renewable and sustainable energy source. During peak solar hours, energy production exceeds the drone’s energy demand for flight. However, to ensure continuous operation and maximum reliability, an onboard buffer battery is available, guaranteeing an endurance of at least 90 minutes, even in complete darkness.

Materials

AND DESIGN

The drone, weighing only 1.3 kg, is made of lightweight, calibrated expanded polymer. This material essentially makes it harmless while offering some resilience to minor shocks or impacts. Its aerodynamic design, along with its lightness, allows for simple and safe manual launching, and contrary to multicopter drones, in the unlikely event of anomalies or malfunctions, it will glide gently to the ground, significantly reducing associated risks.

Lastly, in the remote event that radio signal is interrupted, the autopilot system will automatically activate the RTL (Return To Launch) feature, ensuring the drone safely and autonomously hovers back to the launch point.

Collectively, these factors make our control method not just sophisticated but also extremely safe and effective for drone photogrammetric survey operations.

SOLAR MAPPER performances: resolution, hourly coverage and endurance

photogrammetry drone solar mapper

When it comes to drone-based photogrammetric surveying, three parameters are of utmost importance:

Flight altitude*

Ground resolution

Maximum coverage

* to comply with regulatory constrains

With its exceptional performance, SOLAR MAPPER manages to best combine these three aspects, allowing you to optimize survey operations.

The provided table offers a clear and concise overview of the drone’s capabilities, showing various possible configurations in terms of resolution and coverage with a 30% overlap. Whether capturing extremely precise images over small areas or mapping vast territories swiftly, Solar Mapper can adapt to project requirements.

	Max Quality (without GPC)	Suggested Setting*	Max Coverage
Flight Altitude	50 m	80 m	120 m
Ground resolution (GSD)	0,54 cm/px	0,86 cm/px	1,28 cm/px
Hourly coverage	0,4 km²(40 hectares)	0,64 km²(64 hectares)	0,96 km²(96 hectares)
Single mission max. Extension	1,61 km² (161 hectares)	2,57 km² (257 hectares)	3,85 km² (385 hectares)

* Reflects the suggested compromise between detail and range, yet flexibility remains for operators to choose the optimal configuration depending on survey objectives.

Image quality and detail in the world of drone photogrammetry – SONY Sensor^®

In the realm of drone photogrammetry, accuracy is largely determined by the quality of captured images. Image quality is highly dependent on the capabilities of the camera’s sensor. SOLAR MAPPER is equipped with an advanced sensor that significantly elevates industry standards.

The sensor’s effective resolution of 26.1 Megapixels ensures images of exceptional detail, facilitating high-quality mapping where every minute detail is captured with utmost precision. Coupled with the exemplary APS-C sensor size, with an area of 365.04mm2, there is considerable capacity for capturing more light, translating into crisper, more detailed images, particularly in variable light conditions.

In addition to its considerable size, what sets this sensor apart is its “approximate pixel pitch” of 4.88 microns and a color depth of 25.6 bits. These attributes enable capturing of images with an extremely wide color range, ensuring every nuance of the terrain or structure under study is faithfully reproduced.

The sensor also offers versatility in available resolutions, with options ranging from an impressive 26 MP to 3.8 MP, allowing unparalleled flexibility to adapt resolution according to specific project requirements.

Another distinguishing aspect is the mechanical shutter paired with fixed-focus lenses. This combination ensures images are consistently sharp and free from blurriness, even when the drone is moving at high speeds.

When speaking of details, the capability to perform a reconstruction with ground detail up to 0.8 cm/pixel (USER ZOOMABLE SAMPLE IMAGE) further highlights the sensor’s capacity to deliver extremely high-quality data, making survey operations more effective and precise than one could have previously imagined.

In summary, SOLAR MAPPER’s sensor is much more than a component: it is a revolutionary photogrammetry drone. It promises to make each survey more accurate, detailed, and reliable.

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Optical sensor SONY®

Solar drone photogrammetry: management and processing of topographic survey data

Drone photogrammetry involves not just capturing high-resolution images but also an accurate process of analysis and computation. Once collected, the images are processed through specialized software to convert them into detailed 3D models or precision topographic maps.

Softwares such as 3DS Zephyr and MetaShape are at the core of this processing phase. MetaShape, in particular, is known for its capability to provide high-quality results in 3D model reconstruction from photogrammetry drone’s data. This software utilizes advanced algorithms to analyze images, identify common points, and overlay photographs to create a three-dimensional representation of the area under study.

The processing complexity can vary depending on the specifications of the mapped area and the quality of input data. However, with the high-resolution images provided by the SONY sensor in Solar Mapper, users can expect detailed and precise 3D models.

Thanks to these advanced tools, spectacular visualizations as well as critical data can be obtained for urban planning, engineering, agriculture, and many other professional applications. The result can be, for example, an interactive 3D model like the one below that users can explore on our website, testifying to the power and efficiency of modern photogrammetry.

SOLAR MAPPER PHOTOGRAMMETRY DRONE – Fields of applications

SOLAR MAPPER photogrammetry drone, thanks to its advanced technology and extended endurance, is suitable for various applications across multiple sectors. Below is an overview of some areas where this tool can revolutionize traditional operations:

Precision Agriculture

Through drone photogrammetry, farmers can obtain detailed maps of their crops, enabling more efficient irrigation management, early identification of areas affected by diseases or pests, and better planning of agricultural operations.

Forest Management

SOLAR MAPPER can be used to monitor tree growth, identify areas affected by infestations or diseases, and plan interventions such as reforestation or selective cutting.

Environmental Monitoring

Whether they are natural parks, protected reserves, or areas of specific ecological interest, the drone can provide valuable data for monitoring fauna, flora, and landscape changes.

Urban and Territorial Planning

Before initiating new construction or infrastructure projects, it’s essential to have detailed knowledge of the territory. SOLAR MAPPER can provide high-resolution maps that facilitate planning and land management.

Archaeology

The ability to scan large areas in a short time makes SOLAR MAPPER a valuable tool for discovering and monitoring archaeological sites, allowing archaeologists to plan excavations with precision.

Water Resources Management

With aerial monitoring, authorities can quickly identify any leaks in large dams or water infrastructures, as well as monitor water basin levels.

Mining Industry

Through detailed maps, mining companies can have a clear picture of extraction areas, facilitating planning and management of mining operations.

Scientific Research

Whether studying climate changes, animal migration, or any other natural phenomenon, the drone provides a valuable tool for efficiently and accurately collecting data.

Data sheet

Technical data

Product Code:

VRSM23A

Cruise speed:

40 Km/h

Wind resistance:

30 knots (56 Km/h)

Maximum speed:

70 Km/h

Operating temperature:

-10 / 45 °C

Daytime autonomy (cruising speed):

4 hours

Radio frequency:

2,4-2,483 GHz

Night range (cruising speed):

1,5 hours

Radio range:

10 Km

Maximum altitude:

4000 m

Operating altitude	Overlapping	Resolution	Hourly Coverage	Mission Maximum Coverage
50 m	70%	0,54 cm/pz	0,4 Km²	1,61 Km²
80 m	70%	0,86 cm/pz	0,64 Km²	2,57 Km²
120 m	70%	1,28 cm/pz	0,96 Km²	3,85 Km²

Dimensional Data

A = 180 cm B = 80 cm C = 27 cm D = 30,5 cm | Weight= 1,68 Kg

solar mapper-11

Image gallery

FAQ

Drone photogrammetry is a surveying and mapping method that uses a photogrammetry drone equipped with high-quality cameras to capture aerial images of the terrain. These images are then processed through advanced algorithms to generate geospatial data such as orthophoto maps, 3D models, and more. This technology marks a significant qualitative leap over traditional surveying methods, which may be ground surveys that are slower, more expensive, and less accurate. The process with the photogrammetry drone is much faster and allows for the acquisition of detailed data with a substantial reduction in operational costs.

Opting for drone photogrammetric surveying offers numerous advantages. Primarily, a photogrammetry drone is faster and less expensive to operate compared to traditional methods, such as crewed aircraft or ground surveys. The SOLAR MAPPER drone, in particular, provides an unprecedented level of detail due to its high-quality sensor. Its solar power features also enable extended endurance, making it possible to map large areas in a single mission. This is especially advantageous when dealing with difficult-to-access terrains or sensitive areas that require minimal intervention.

SOLAR MAPPER utilizes an advanced radio system that ensures reliable communication between the photogrammetry drone and the ground control station up to 10km.
Although the radio range may vary based on atmospheric conditions, the onboard technology is designed for long-range missions but it is crucial to adhere to local regulations to ensure safe and lawful operation.

Engineered to withstand a variety of weather conditions, SOLAR MAPPER photogrammetry drone can handle winds of up to 25 knots without compromising the mission’s execution. Its lightweight and aerodynamic construction provides good maneuverability and stability during flight, making the drone suitable for operations in less than ideal conditions.

For more specific details, it is advisable to consult the technical documentation supplied with the drone.

The ability to operate in restricted access zones is heavily regulated and varies according to local and international laws. SOLAR MAPPER comes with advanced features such as geo-awareness and geo-fencing that might allow it to operate in such areas, but it is essential to obtain all necessary permits and authorizations before proceeding. Failure to do so could result in legal penalties and compromise the operation’s safety.

To maximize the capabilities of your SOLAR MAPPER photogrammetry drone, we suggest consulting the comprehensive documentation supplied with the product. This includes details on best practices, calibration tips, mission planning guidelines, and more.

For more specific assistance, our support team is always available to address any queries.

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