Aerial Survey of the San Miguel Mission Web site utilizing the IF800 Tomcat – sUAS Information

This white paper presents the outcomes of an aerial survey of the historic San Miguel Mission web site in California, carried out utilizing the IF800 Tomcat drone geared up with a Sony ILX-LR1 digicam and a 35 mm lens. The mission’s goal was to create an orthomosaic map of the location, capturing high-resolution imagery that may very well be used for historic documentation, conservation, and potential restoration efforts. The drone accomplished the mission with 490 photos captured at 61 megapixels at an altitude of 60 meters, producing a high-quality dataset for post-processing. The entire flight length was 34 minutes, touchdown with a 20% battery reserve. The info obtained on this survey will function a vital instrument for preserving the integrity of this traditionally vital web site.

Introduction

The Mission San Miguel Arcángel, based in 1797, is a big cultural and historic landmark situated in San Luis Obispo County, California. Its preservation and documentation are essential for future generations to grasp the architectural and cultural heritage of early Californian settlements. Leveraging trendy drone expertise supplies an environment friendly and non-invasive technique to seize detailed, high-resolution information that may help archaeologists, conservators, and historians of their efforts to safeguard this web site.

On this mission, a sophisticated aerial survey was carried out utilizing the IF800 Tomcat drone. This platform, mixed with a Sony ILX-LR1 digicam, was chosen for its capability to hold heavier payloads and keep steady flight in mission-critical environments.

Mission San Miguel Arcángel from the southeast, circa 1904

Goals

The first goal of this mission was to:

• Seize high-resolution aerial imagery of the San Miguel Mission web site for the aim of making an orthomosaic map.
• Doc the present situation of the location utilizing non-invasive aerial strategies.
• Present correct spatial information that would help future archaeological and preservation initiatives.

Mission Particulars

Tools Used

• Drone Platform: IF800 Tomcat
• Digital camera: Sony ILX-LR1 with a 35 mm lens
• Altitude: 60 meters above floor stage (AGL)
• Picture Rely: 490 photos
• Picture Decision: 61 megapixels
• Flight Time: 34 minutes (touchdown with 20% battery reserve)

Floor Pattern Distance (GSD)

The Floor Pattern Distance (GSD) is a vital metric in aerial mapping because it defines the spatial decision of the photographs captured. For this mission:

• The 35 mm lens and 61-megapixel sensor, flown at an altitude of 60 meters, offered a GSD of roughly 0.9 cm/pixel.
• This excessive stage of element is appropriate for producing a particularly correct orthomosaic map, able to distinguishing high quality options on the bottom, equivalent to cracks, weathering, and structural particulars of the location.

Flight and Picture Seize

The mission was flown with cautious pre-flight planning to make sure full protection of the location. The drone adopted a grid sample with 80% overlap between photos, making certain that every one areas of the location had been well-documented with sufficient redundancy for correct 3D reconstruction and photogrammetry. The IF800 Tomcat carried out effectively, offering steady flight, and finishing the mission with a 20% battery reserve, showcasing the endurance of the drone and its suitability for long-duration flights in mission-critical operations.

Knowledge Processing

The 490 photos had been stitched collectively utilizing superior photogrammetry software program to create a high-resolution orthomosaic map of the location. This map supplies an correct, geo-referenced visible of the whole space, appropriate for detailed evaluation and record-keeping.

Aerial snapshot from the mission revealing weathered roof tiles in want of care

The Significance of Documenting Historic Websites with Drone Know-how

Historic websites equivalent to Mission San Miguel Arcángel are weak to pure degradation, human interference, and environmental elements. Documenting these websites with aerial survey strategies gives a number of benefits:

1. Non-invasive Knowledge Assortment: Drone surveys cut back the danger of disturbing fragile websites by eliminating the necessity for bodily interplay with the location.
2. Excessive Precision: The high-resolution imagery and exact mapping methods present detailed views that may help in monitoring modifications over time, serving to to detect early indicators of degradation.
3. Price-effective: In comparison with conventional strategies, aerial surveys utilizing drones are extra inexpensive and may cowl massive areas in a short while.
4. Scalability: The collected information could be scaled to be used in several purposes, equivalent to 3D modeling, conservation planning, and even digital web site excursions.

Within the case of Mission San Miguel, the high-resolution orthomosaic map serves as a digital archive of the location’s present situation. This enables historians and conservators to trace modifications, make knowledgeable selections about preservation, and prioritize areas which will require extra consideration.

Conclusion

The aerial survey of the San Miguel Mission utilizing the IF800 Tomcat drone and Sony ILX-LR1 digicam was a powerful success, capturing 490 high-resolution photos and creating an correct orthomosaic map of the location. The info collected can be instrumental within the ongoing efforts to protect this vital historic landmark. The success of this mission demonstrates the worth of drones in archaeology and historic documentation, permitting for environment friendly and exact information assortment that ensures the long-term preservation of culturally vital websites.

The IF800 Tomcat is a extremely succesful drone platform, with the endurance, stability, and payload capability obligatory for conducting thorough aerial surveys in advanced environments.

Obtain the RAW information set from this mission right here.

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