New eBee Plus system includes: long-flying fixed-wing airframe; photogrammetry-optimised RGB sensor; next-gen flight & data management software
Cheseaux-Lausanne, Switzerland, 5 October 2016 senseFly, the worlds first choice producer of professional mapping drones, will introduce its next-generation fixed-wing system for survey-grade photogrammetric mapping, the eBee Plus, at INTERGEO 2016 on Oct. 11 in Hamburg, Germany.
The eBee Plus system is the ultimate tool for geospatial organisations that demand photogrammetric-quality mapping, said senseFlys CEO, Jean-Christophe Zufferey. With its unique upgradeable RTK/PPK functionality and flight time of almost an hour, this simple, largely automated solution is perfect for professionals working in fields such as surveying, construction and GIS who require a highly efficient method of data collection with survey-grade accuracy.
The eBee Plus offers geospatial professionals 3 key benefits:
1. Large coverage for optimal efficiency: the eBee Plus can map more hectares per flight than any drone in its weight class.
2. High Precision on Demand (HPoD): the eBee Plus includes built-in RTK/PPK functionality, activated immediately or later on demand, for survey-grade accuracy that the operator controls.
3. Project-perfect payloads: a camera is available to suit every application, including the new senseFly S.O.D.A. (supplied)the first sensor developed specifically for drone photogrammetry work.
A comprehensive solution
Built upon senseFlys proven, safety-focused autopilot technology, the eBee Plus features three component parts, each developed with photogrammetric mapping in mind:
eBee Plus a light yet rugged fixed-wing drone with elongated wingspan for stable, long-duration flights of close to one hour.
Compact senseFly S.O.D.A. sensor senseFlys proprietary, high-resolution RGB camera. This features a 1-inch sensor & global shutter, and is capable of capturing ultra-sharp images with a spatial resolution of 2.9 cm (flying at 122 m/400 ft AGL)
eMotion 3 flight & data management software the next-generation of senseFlys easy-to-use, feature-packed ground station software, featuring a full 3D flight environment, mission block flight planning, cloud connectivity, free updates & more
Survey grade-ready
A breakthrough innovation of the eBee Plus is High Precision on Demand (HPoD). This describes the drones built-in upgrade path to real-time and post-processing correction (RTK/PPK) functionality. Once activated by the user, this paid enhancement boosts the systems achievable horizontal/vertical absolute accuracy to 3 cm/5 cm without the need for ground control pointsdramatically reducing expensive, time-consuming field work.
Every eBee Plus will be supplied with four FREE weeks of RTK/PPK activation, activated on demand when the customer chooses.
Highly efficient
Designed to meet the demands of professionals whose bottom lines depend on maximising daily flight time and data collection, the eBee Plus flies for almost an hour, across a range of conditions and altitudes. Therefore, it can document 220 ha (540 ac) in a single 122 m/400 ft flighta larger area on one battery charge than any other fixed-wing drone in its weight class. Meanwhile the systems maximum single-charge coverage (flying significantly higher above ground level*) is 40 km2 or 15.4 mi2.
The drones supplied eMotion 3 software boosts an operators efficiency still further through the inclusion of pre-programmed mission blocks, which make planning flight lines and altitudes an automated one-click task. eMotion 3 also includes: multi-flight missions (so users need only swap the battery and hand-launch again to continue their project); multi-zone flights (for the simple mapping of complex sites); the importation of elevation models; live weather updates; automatic terrain-adapted 3D flight planning and much more.
The eBee Plus system is a smart investment for any organisation interested in the efficient collection of its geospatial data. Plus, thanks to the systems range of optional cameras, operators have the flexibility to tackle virtually any mapping job, said Zufferey.
Payload flexibility
Specifically, the eBee Plus can carry the full line of senseFly fixed-wing RGB, thermal and multispectral sensors, including the recently introduced Parrot Sequoia for agricultural work and the thermoMAP for producing thermal maps. The drones camera bay also accepts existing eBee payloads, while the senseFly S.O.D.A. is itself backward-compatible with operators existing eBee and eBee RTK drones. eMotion 3, meanwhile, can also be used to manage the flights and data of all senseFly UASs2, both fixed-wing and rotary.
* 2,500 m (8,202 ft) AGL / 2 – except eBee SQ (eMotion Ag Supplied)
About senseFly
At senseFly we develop and produce aerial imaging drones for professional applications. Safe, ultra-light and easy to use, these highly automated data collection tools are employed by customers around the world in fields such as surveying, agriculture, GIS, industrial inspection, mining and humanitarian aid. senseFly was founded in 2009 by a team of robotics researchers and quickly became the industry leader in mapping drones. Today we continue to lead the way in developing situationally aware systems that help professionals make better decisions. senseFly is the commercial drone subsidiary of Parrot Group, the world leader in consumer drones.
www.senseFly.com
eBee Plus availability: The eBee Plus photogrammetric mapping system is available to order immediately via senseFlys global network of distributors (www.senseFly.com/wheretobuy).
See the eBee Plus in action at InterGEO: senseFly staff will display and discuss the eBee Plus mapping system in Hall A1, Booth D1.025. senseFly will also conduct live demo flights at the Flight Zone outside the InterGEO exhibition hall on: Tues Oct 11 (14.30), Wed Oct 12 (15.30) and Thurs Oct 13 (13.30).
senseFlys INTERGEO Presentations (forum hall A2 IAS.32): Aerial Photography podium discussion (Tuesday Oct 11, 11.30), Meet the Future of Drone Surveying (Tues Oct 11, 15.10 & Thursday Oct 13, 14.20).
FREE upcoming webinar: Drone Surveying 101 Experienced Operators Discuss Cost, Achievable Accuracy, Workflows & more. When: Wed Nov 16, 10:00 EST/16:00 CET. Registration page: here.
