Many blocks always created when utilizing accurate geolocation and orientation (reposted in correct forum)

PIX4Dmapper PIX4Dmapper Questions/Troubleshooting
1

Hi everyone. We are flying an Ebee+; flight control and PPK post processing via Emotion3 .

  1. When we use accurate geolocation and orientation as the calibration method, we always get 9-18 blocks on our flight of 800hectares (with or without GCPs, we thought our GCPs may be causing conflicts with the PPK solution so we excluded them in troubleshooting). Automatic tie points generated are very sparse, resulting in “stranded” blocks.
  2. When we use the standard calibration (with our GCPs) method we usually get 1 block. Automatic tie points appear dense.

Thoughts? attached are our quality reports for both methods. Thanks!
20210704 PPK accurate geolocation and orientation calibration method.pdf (3.0 MB)
2021-07-04_report Standard Calibration Method.pdf (1.4 MB)

automatic tie points
automatic tie points982×923 412 KB

2

Hi @dale.robinson ,

While we do not have an eBee+ ourselves, I suspect that the orientation accuracy of the images from the sensor in the eBee is not best suited for the accurate geolocation and orientation processing method. Pix4D recommends that the IMU should be accurate to <3°. I note in your quality report the RMS of the orientation angles are 3.1°,3.7° & 5.4° -omega,phi,kappa respectively, perhaps indicating that this is the case.

You can check what IMU accuracy value is reported in the Exif data by following the steps here: https://support.pix4d.com/hc/en-us/articles/360015702911-FAQ-on-the-accurate-geolocation-pipeline#label3

Regards,
Jason.

3

Thanks for the reply. We will fly using an eBeeX next, see if it makes a difference.

4

Hi @dale.robinson
Indeed, as @Jason_Hagon mentions (thanks for your help!), you need very accurate image position and orientation values to be able to use the accurate geolocation pipeline. Keep us posted!