Drone Mapping RTK and PPK Modules
Reach – PPK module for drone mapping
Deliver centimeter-accurate maps with Reach on a drone. Map wherever you need with less ground control points. Now possible with Reach M2 or Reach M+
Why camera synchronization is so important?
Usually autopilot triggers the camera and records the coordinate it has at that moment. When the drone is flying at 20 m/s and GPS works at 5 Hz, that means your autopilot will have position readings only each 4 meters, which is not suitable for precise georeferencing. In addition, there is always a delay between the trigger and the actual moment the photo is taken.
Save your time and reach remote areas
Reach onboard a drone allows you to drastically cut the number of ground control points (GCPs) this simplifies the setup process on-site and accurately maps even remote areas.
Reach eliminates the delay
Reach solves the problem of positioning by connecting directly to the camera hot shoe port, which is synced with the shutter. The time and coordinates of each photo are logged with a resolution of less than a microsecond. This method allows GCPs to be used only to check your accuracy.
How to get started?
1. Connect Reach to a hot shoe port on a camera
Every time a photo is taken camera produces a pulse on a flash hot-shoe connector which is synced to a shutter opening.
2. Fly a drone, Reach will record photo events
Reach captures flash sync pulses with sub-microsecond resolution and stores them in a raw data RINEX log in the internal memory.
3. Download logs from Reach and base station
After the flight, get the RINEX logs from your airborne Reach module and a base station (Reach RS, CORS or another receiver).
4. Process logs and get a file with geotags of photos
Process RINEX files using free RTKLIB software. The produced file with precise coordinates of the photos can be used for georeferencing.
1. Connect Reach to a hot shoe port on a camera
Every time a photo is taken camera produces a pulse on a flash hot-shoe connector which is synced to a shutter opening.
2. Fly a drone, Reach will record photo events
Reach captures flash sync pulses with sub-microsecond resolution and stores them in a raw data RINEX log in the internal memory.
3. Download logs from Reach and base station
After the flight, get the RINEX logs from your airborne Reach module and a base station (Reach RS, CORS or another receiver).
4. Process logs and get a file with geotags of photos
Process RINEX files using free RTKLIB software. The produced file with precise coordinates of the photos can be used for georeferencing.
NTRIP or another Reach as a base station?
To calculate centimeter-precise coordinates in PPK and RTK, Reach needs corrections from a base station. It could be either another Reach receiver or an NTRIP service. VRS is also supported.
Reach RS2 seamlessly integrates with RTK-capable drones by DJI
2D orthomosaic with Phantom 4 RTK and Reach RS2
During the RTK survey, Phantom 4 RTK needs real-time corrections. The Drone Services Ireland team placed the base at the top of the site for the purpose. They used Emlid NTRIP Caster to transmit corrections from the base station to the Phantom 4 RTK and an additional Reach RS2 for placing GCPs. This setup allowed the team to maintain RTK fix solutions throughout the whole mission and land the drone a few centimeters from where it took off. After the flight, the Drone Service Ireland team created a 2D orthomosaic of the Old Head of Kinsale Golf Course.
PPK survey with Phantom 4 RTK and Reach RS2
This technology is capable of providing extremely accurate mapping and surveying using RTK positioning. To demonstrate its capability, Rory, a commercial flyer, set up the Reach RS2 base station over an established benchmark point, enabled raw data logging and performed a flight. Then, back in the office, he post-processed the logs with RTKPost and Agisoft Metashape.
Comes with ReachView 3 app
The most user-friendly software for data collection that is available both for Android and iOS. Supports thousands of coordinate systems and is translated into multiple languages. With ReachView 3, you can control all the features of Reach receivers, such as setting up a base station, logging RINEX data, and configuring NMEA output.
Camera control
Reach can trigger cameras as well as register events. The event mark feature is a must for aerial mapping as it allows the precise time when the shutter was activated to be registered.
Log management
Logs are automatically recorded directly to RINEX in the internal memory. View a list of the logs and download them using the ReachView app.
Camera control
Reach can trigger cameras as well as register events. The event mark feature is a must for aerial mapping as it allows the precise time when the shutter was activated to be registered.
Log management
Monitoring data
ReachView shows current satellite levels, your location on a map, and much more.
REACH M2
Features
GNSS
GPS/QZSS
GLONASS L1, L2
BeiDou B1, B2
Galileo E1, E5
Long range radio
868/915 MHz
Range up to 8 km
24.1 megapixel
APS-C sensor
Connectivity
Simple shoot
Intelligent Auto
Simple shoot
Intelligent Auto
9 point autofocus