Flood recovery mapping with drones

In September 2023, catastrophic flash floods devastated Tsarevo (Bulgaria), causing loss of life and extensive damage.

To swiftly address the situation, the Bulgarian Ministry of Environment and Water partnered with Sofia University’s Center for Geospatial Research and Technology. They employed AgEagle’s eBee X drones equipped with RGB cameras (S.O.D.A.).

The 2D orthomosaics and 3D elevation models generated have been invaluable for the assessment of the flood-affected region and the determination of post-flood actions.

This rapid large-scale mapping operation using eBee X drones was completed in a single day (processing included).

Learn more about the mission in this blog post

Mapping after a flood with drones

On September 2023, Tsarevo, a coastal municipality in Bulgaria, was hit by catastrophic flash floods, resulting in four fatalities. The municipality declared a state of disaster.

Numerous buildings were submerged, several bridges collapsed, and water levels in some areas reached up to 2 meters. The disaster required fast and safe solutions, as access to the affected areas was perilous due to the severe devastation.

Rapid disaster response with the eBee X drone

In response to the disaster, the Bulgarian Ministry of Environment and Water commissioned Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski’s Center for Geospatial Research and Technology to conduct rapid mapping of the flood-affected region. The primary objective was to enhance the efficiency of recovery efforts.

The mapping scope encompassed two riverbeds and the path of destruction caused by heavy rainfall. The university’s team deployed two eBee X drones, each equipped with RGB cameras, specifically S.O.D.A., for an RTK multi-drone mission.

Vladislav Trenkin, from the mapping team

“We chose the eBee X because of its ability to provide extremely detailed and precise data and cover vast territories in a very short time”

This allowed for the creation of 2D orthomosaics and 3D elevation models across the affected areas during two simultaneous drone flights, which took around 50 minutes. The subsequent image processing using Pix4D for the entire area was completed in just 4 hours.

In two 50-minute flights, the eBee X drones collected the data necessary for creating orthomosaics and 3D elevation models of the affected areas.

The entire operation, including travel from Sofia to Tsarevo of the team, data processing, and publication, was accomplished within a single day, thanks to the use of the eBee drones.

Supporting reconstruction activities thanks to drone data

The 2D and 3D models of Tsarevo, created using data from the eBee X mapping drones, are proving invaluable to the expert commission overseeing post-flood activities. The first action taken after the authorities received the processed data was to locate two submerged cars.

The initial actions, once the authorities received the processed data from the eBee X, were to locate two submerged cars (one of which can be seen in this image).

In general, these models are aiding in assessing the overall condition of the flood-affected region, including damage assessments and the extent of affected areas.

This high-detail, large-scale mapping, conducted in a remarkably short time frame following the flooding, was a pioneering achievement. Government and municipal authorities were astonished by the results. The dataset is publicly available for use on the Ministry of Environment’s website.

The collapsed bridges in Tsarevo were spotted thanks to the detailed and precise data of the drone.

The Bulgarian government reports that the situation in Tsarevo is gradually returning to normal.

Explore the dataset of this use case here.

Monitoring climate change impact on a glacier with a drone

Dan Shugar, an Associate Professor in the Department of Earth, Energy, and Environment at the University of Calgary in Canada, along with his team, is employing the eBee X fixed-wing drone to conduct detailed monitoring of the Salmon Glacier, known for its significant potential as a natural hazard.

Shugar’s team aims to investigate the impact of climate change on the glacier and its associated consequences, including glacier retreat and river piracy, which have implications for ecosystems, communities, and infrastructure.

Additionally, they are estimating potential rises in river and sea levels due to glacier melting. This information is crucial for assessing future flood risks.

The team captures high-resolution images of both the glacier (the area adjacent to Summit Lake) and the lake itself, using the eBee X’s Duet M RGB and multispectral camera. They have chosen it for its ability to produce different outputs in the same flight, such as Digital Terrain Models (DTM) or NIR ratio indexes, which are highly useful in glacier mapping to study automated glacier facies and su-praglacier debris.

The University of Calgary is studying the Impact of climate change on the glacier and its associated consequences, including river piracy. Picture: Dan Shugar.

For the University of Calgary’s team, the eBee X drone was the ideal choice due to its ability to cover larger areas and its RTK capabilities. “Lots of projects I have in mind are not suitable for placing ground control, so the ability to use a base station and transmit corrections was ideal,” Shugar states.

The researchers have a terrestrial LiDAR system that could complement the drone data in the future. However, the UAS remains the best solution regarding the team’s safety, as access to the glacier can be dangerous.

Dan Shugar, Associate Professor at the University of Calgary in Canada, launching the eBee X drone in the surroundings of the Salmon Glacier.

The invaluable data collected with the eBee X provides critical insights into these dynamic natural systems, offering a clearer understanding of the magnitude of climate change. Moreover, it aids in developing strategies for environmental preservation and mitigating future destructive hazards.  

Surveying a bridge collapse with a drone
In August 2018, the Morandi Bridge located in Genoa, Italy, suddenly collapsed, claiming the lives of 43 people and causing significant damage to the surrounding area.

Following the collapse, several organizations took charge of conducting an in-depth inspection and survey of the site. Their objectives were:

 

 

The team selected the eBee X fixed-wing drone with the S.O.D.A. 3D camera and RTK mode for this project because it was crucial to accurately capture all the details of the bridge’s ruins and the riverbed, ensure the geo-accuracy of the maps and obtain excellent 3D-mapping results to assist in the civil protection process.

 

Key results:

 

Learn more about the challenges and the results of the project in this case study

Mapping 33,000 km / 20,505 mi of highways with a drone
Strata Engenharia, a company specializing in smart solutions for the road, airport, and rail sectors, was commissioned to map the extensive Brazilian National Highway System (SNV), with 33,000 km / 20,505 mi of roads.

The project’s goal was to collect data on road conditions to enhance highway safety. Strata Engenharia employed two eBee X drones with S.O.D.A. RGB cameras and RTK technology for precise positioning.

The decision to choose eBee X drones was based on their large coverage capabilities of 1,235 acres / 500 hectares in a single flight, user-friendly flight planning software (eMotion), and the proven ability to safely fly over people and moving vehicles.

 

Key results:

 

*Please note that, due to the large scale of the project, the dataset contains only a fraction of the entire data.

Using drone data to create a 3D twin for digital land preservation
In August 2022, the non-profit organization CyArk traveled to the historic Shirk Ranch in Adel, Oregon (U.S.) to document the homestead and accompanying ranch. The team captured lidar data in combination with terrestrial and aerial photogrammetry with the eBee X drone and S.O.D.A. 3D camera to create a 3D digital twin of the site.

The site is a time capsule of what life was like at a pivotal time in the late 1800s and early 1900s on a Western ranch, and offers a glimpse into the harsh realities of the terrain and culture surrounding rural farming in American history.

The highly accurate 3D model of the structures and their surrounding landscape can be used as a reference for any future conservation or preservation projects.

“Due to the remote nature and large terrain area the eBee X drone was instrumental in allowing the full scale of the site to be shown in our tour” explains Chris Millbern, CyArk’s 3D expert.

CyArk is a non-profit organization with a mission to digitally document, archive and share the world’s cultural heritage. The project was a combination of digital preservation and storytelling on behalf of the Oregon Bureau of Land Management. The data collected during the week-long field capture was also used to create the foundation for a free-to-the-public virtual tour. 

Estimating rooftop solar power potential with drones
Bulgarian GIS and spatial solutions company, Geographica, was commissioned by the Municipality of Sofia in 2021 to gather data to be used for two different projects:

1. Estimate the rooftop solar power potential of the city
2. Calculate the number of trees and green areas in each neighborhood.

 

The company was able to collect 2,136 ha / 5,281 ac of data in only 6 hours by flying two eBee X drones with S.O.D.A. cameras in a multi-drone mission managed in eMotion flight planning software.

 

Results:

 

 Learn more about the challenges and the ROI of the project in this webinar

*Please note that, due to the large scale of the project, the dataset contains only a fraction of the entire data.

Poland’s cost-effective urban mapping solution: the eBee X drone

Project details 

Missions: Cadastral and urban mapping Outputs: Orthomosaic and DTM 
Area: 15.000 ha / 37.065 ac at 120 m / 400 ft AGL Flights: 60 flights 
Drone: eBee X Total images: ±1 000 000 
Sensor: S.O.D.A. 3D and Aeria X Accuracy: 2.5 cm / 1 in GSD 
PPK/RTK: RTK Processing software: Bentley ContextCapture, PIX4D 
Location: Opole, Poland Data provided by: Maciej Sznabel, City of Opole (Miasto Opole) 

The Municipality of Opole’s three geographic information systems (GIS) specialists produce multiple mapping products for internal and public use by various stakeholders. They keep the city’s cadastral maps updated, produce maps for residential development and property investors, and monitor environmental change such as illegal dumping. 

To produce the necessary orthomosaics and digital terrain models (DTMs) the municipality previously relied on aerial imagery captured by aircraft and commercial satellite imagery, as well as the country’s national 12 points/m2 lidar dataset. 

These data products were expensive to produce and quickly became outdated. To fly regular, high-resolution, large coverage missions over people the municipality turned to the eBee X fixed-wing drone with its optimised Aeria X and S.O.D.A. 3D cameras. 

Challenges: Effectively map fast changing urban environments over large areas 

The Municipality of Opole (Poland) required a cost-effective way to capture high resolution 2D and 3D map data over the city’s 150 km2 span. They needed to conduct frequent flights for up-to-date maps required for change monitoring applications. Importantly, since it is a city, these missions needed to be conducted safely over people and buildings. 

The Opole Municipality GIS team uses eBee X drones to create orthomosaic maps of the city.

The national 12 points/m2 lidar dataset did not offer a sufficient point density nor was it current enough for the municipality’s needs. Commercial satellite imagery offered higher frequency data, but was expensive and not of high enough resolution for cadastral applications. The aerial imagery captured by aircraft was of good resolution, but was expensive and quickly became outdated. 

Drones seemed like a viable alternative, but choosing the right solution was difficult. Besides the need for efficient large area coverage, the drone had to be regulatory compliant for flying missions over people and buildings. As the team’s resources were already thinly stretched, ease of use by one pilot was another purchase consideration. 

Solutions: Cost-effective drone data over large urban areas while retaining citizen safety 

Coverage was a critical factor explains Maciej Sznabel, the GIS (Geographic Information Systems) administrator and UAV pilot for Opole City. The eBee X fixed-wing drone offered the team a lightweight, regulatory compliant mapping drone with flight times up to 90 minutes, and with cameras optimised for large area coverage up to 500 ha / 1235 ac.  

The team bought the Aeria X and S.O.D.A. 3D cameras and started using it for all their mapping projects. 

3D city map produced from drone data and processed in Bentley.

To map buildings and vertical surfaces in the city’s urban areas they use the eBee series S.O.D.A. 3D camera, a photogrammetry sensor optimised for 3D mapping applications. The camera changes orientation during flight to capture three images (2 oblique, 1 nadir), and so produces a much wider field of view. 

Since 2D imagery is sufficient for the city’s surrounding and rural areas, the team uses the eBee series Aeria X camera which produces high-resolution, accurate data with its 24 MP sensor and optimised exposure time for operations in most light conditions.  

What sets the eBee X apart from heavier VTOLs and quadcopters are its regulatory advantages.  

The eBee X is the first drone to receive M2 Mitigation Design Verification, essential for getting SORA (Specific Operations Risk Assessment) authorization for flying beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) and operation over people (OOP) missions in Europe.  

The eBee X’s C2 class identification label allows drone operators to conduct missions in the “Open Category”, such as operating around populated areas without any formal permission or regulatory waiver. 

Results: Reduced operational costs and improved data quality 

The municipality now uses their eBee X seven to 15 times a year to create 2.5 cm / 1 in per pixel GSD maps of Opole. “We don’t need 1 cm accuracy,” Sznabel says, explaining that such a resolution would generate too many images which would take too long to process.  

The imagery is then processed in Pix4D to produce an orthomap and digital terrain model (DTM). These high resolution, frequently updated datasets can be used for urban planning and change detection/monitoring applications, including environmental protection. A mesh is also generated to create a topographic map of the city and its surroundings. Further processing in Bentley enables the data to be used for updating the city’s cadastre. 

Drone data helps the city of Opole maintain its land registry.

The high-resolution maps have also helped investors identify areas suitable for development, and the DTM has served as eye catching advertising for investors to use in their presentations to clients. 

Operationally, the eBee X fixed-wing drone reduced the municipality’s data costs, with the added benefit of requiring only one pilot to operate it. 

The eBee X offers the Opole Municipality’s GIS team a reliable solution which they have already used for over 400 hours of flying and many data products. “The eBee X was a great investment!” says Sznabel. “We plan to use it for several years to come.” 

BVLOS and OOP mission with the eBee X to remotely map quarry excavations

Project details 

Missions: Excavation mapping over 3 stone quarries Outputs: Orthomosaic and DEM 
Area: 250 ha / 617 ac at 280 m / 918 ft AGL Flights: 1 flight, 60 minutes 
Drone: eBee X Total images: 486 
Sensor: S.O.D.A. Accuracy: 7.67 cm / 3 in GSD 
PPK/RTK: RTK  Processing software: PIX4Dmapper 
Location: Romania Data provided by: Adrian Marina of SysCAD Solutions SRL 

SysCAD Solutions SRL, based in Romania, provides geospatial services as well as surveying solutions to companies. For one of their clients, a cement producer, they fly quarterly mapping missions of three stone quarries to calculate excavated volumes. By Romanian law, the cement company is taxed based on the excavated volume of rock, making the accuracy of this measurement crucial.  

SysCAD Solutions uses AgEagle’s eBee X fixed-wing drone with its optimized S.O.D.A. sensor for these missions, and selected the drone and sensor combination for its accuracy, light weight, Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) and Operations Over People (OOP) regulatory-compliant design, and its ease of use. 

The three stone quarries they map are situated 1 km / 0.60 mi apart from one another and are a 2.5 to 3 hour-drive from SysCAD Solutions’ offices. It is therefore most efficient and practical to fly and map all three quarries at once with BVLOS missions.  

Challenges: Large area, rocky terrain, unfavorable weather, and air traffic 

The rocky terrain of the sites has made finding a suitable take-off and landing spot for multiple drone flights difficult.  

One solution the company considered using was a vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) drone, but the weight of VTOL drones introduces additional safety risks and operational limitations according to European Union drone regulations, especially when it comes to flying operations over people and buildings. 

Fixed-wing drones such as the eBee X are well suited to large area mapping projects such as mapping the three stone quarries which are situated 1 km / 0.60 mi apart.

SysCAD instead opted to fly BVLOS missions that would enable them to launch and land a drone at a suitable site in the vicinity. BVLOS flights however require special regulatory permission according to European (EASA) drone regulations

Rain and windy weather pose additional challenges, making it difficult to confirm flights more than two days in advance for NOTAMs (notice to air men). It is also too short notice to complete a new BVLOS permission application for each mission. As such, the company sought regulatory permission for repeatable flights from the Romanian Civil Aeronautical Authority. 

There is also a small airport in the vicinity, which requires extra precautions and safety measures for BVLOS missions. The air traffic also limits drone flights to an 8-hour open slot and requires constant awareness of emergency rescue flights. 

Further challenges included homes and roads in the vicinity. To mitigate safety risks the team conducted flights during working hours and used eMotion flight planning software’s contingency lines to avoid flying over roads. 

Solution: A BVLOS-compliant drone for repeatable missions 

The AgEagle eBee X fixed-wing drone proved to be the best solution for SysCAD Solutions’ BVLOS needs. It is a lightweight drone, weighing less than 2 kg / 4 lbs, with the ability to fly up to 90 minutes with an extended endurance battery for large area coverage. 

Most importantly, the eBee X drone has C2 design certification and M2 design verification from EASA for Ground Risk Mitigation. 

The M2 Design Verification Report also allowed SysCad Solutions to conduct BVLOS and Operations Over People (OOP) missions by simplifying the Specific Operations Risk Assessment (SORA) process. For SysCAD, it also helps reduce application times to within the time needed to plan missions in changing weather conditions. 

C2 certification allows drone operators such as SysCAD Solutions to fly operations in the “open category” and operate around populated areas without any formal permission or regulatory waiver. The weight of most VTOLs (Vertical Take Off and Landing) or quadcopters limits their application in populated areas.  

The SysCAD Solutions survey team prefers a minimal setup, and rely on durable and trusted equipment such as the eBee X.

Another reason they chose the eBee X was because AgEagle’s in-house drone regulations experts assisted them in completing the SAIL I application and obtaining the necessary authorization.  

There were also less important but convenient practical considerations. Due to the quarries’ remoteness and tough terrain, the survey team prefers a simple setup with minimal, but durable equipment. This is why the company selected the eBee X drone with S.O.D.A sensor. Their ground station equipment includes a laptop for running the eMotion flight planning software, as well as a radio modem, base station, tripod, and generator. For backup they also travel with an extra laptop and extra pair of eBee X wings, which can easily be changed in the field if needed. 

The base station, powered by the generator, was used for RTK positioning to ensure accuracy down to 1.6 cm / 0.6 in GSD. The team raised the radio modem to 5 m / 16 ft to extend its reach and reduce the risk of losing the data link. In doing so they maintained more than 90% signal strength for the entire duration of the mission. They also used a Ping USB accessory which lets the pilot view live air traffic data directly within the eMotion flight planning software and increases situational awareness and safety. 

Results: Reduced time in the field and new business opportunities 

The AgEagle eBee X drone provided SysCAD Solutions an easy way to comply with EU drone regulations for flying BVLOS and OOP missions. 

The ability to fly BVLOS and OOP missions has decreased the company’s time in the field by 2 hours per mission, or six hours per visit to their client’s quarries. The drone’s safety design also provides them with peace of mind that their operations are safe for those on site and the people they fly over. 

The eBee X enabled SysCAD Solutions to apply for permissions to fly repeatable missions, saving them 2 hours on each flight and making the logistics of finding a suitable landing spot much easier. In all, a mission now takes them 3 hours in total, including the time it takes to unpack and set up their equipment. 

The ease of regulatory compliance, while a simplified SORA process brings new business opportunities for the firm’s other projects. The company notes a demand for OOP and BVLOS missions in cities in 2023, with high demand for cadastral work and mapping new highways. 

The success of these missions asserts SysCAD Solutions as early adopters and experts in BVLOS and OOP drone missions. The ability to fly BVLOS missions enhances both SysCAD Solutions and its clients’ workflows and operational efficiency and enables new operations and business opportunities. Crucial to this ability was their choice of the eBee X and sensor payload, with its built-in safety design and regulatory compliance advantages.  

Watch this webinar to find out more about the challenges and the ROI of the project.

Highway corridor mapping with the eBee X
Geospatial firm Geographica used one of its four eBee X fixed-wing drones with the RGB Aeria X camera to map an 8 km stretch of highway that connects the capital Sofia to the city of Burgas, on the Black Sea coast.

It was a demonstration project to showcase the value of drone mapping and data analytics for various government agencies in Bulgaria. The agencies responsible for the country’s road construction, maintenance and infrastructure management.

In addition to operational efficiency and safety while flying over people (OOP) and over moving vehicles (OOMV), the demo highlighted the value of drone data in the following applications:

Results: