Planning complex flight paths for your drone has never been easier. Autel Evo Waypoints empower you to create autonomous missions, capturing stunning footage and data from multiple angles with unparalleled precision. This comprehensive guide delves into the Autel Explorer App’s Waypoint Mission Planner, providing a step-by-step tutorial on how to harness the full potential of Autel Evo waypoints.
Setting Up Your Waypoint Mission
Accessing the Waypoint Mission Planner is your first step. Open the Autel Explorer app and navigate to the “Mission” tab. Here, you’ll find the waypoint feature alongside any previous missions you’ve created. Select the “Waypoint” task option. The app defaults to your phone’s current GPS location for the project.
You can manually adjust the location on the map or use the search function to pinpoint a specific area. The small compass icon at the top allows you to reset the location, and tapping the “i” button will return you to your phone’s GPS coordinates. Once you’ve confirmed the location, click “Create Project.” A grid will appear, enabling you to define the parameters of your mission.
Defining Flight Parameters and Adding Waypoints
Within the project settings, you can customize crucial aspects of your flight, including altitude, finish action (what the drone does after completing the mission), camera actions at each waypoint, flight speed, heading, and gimbal pitch. After configuring these settings, click “OK” to return to the map and begin adding waypoints.
The Waypoint Mission Planner supports up to 99 waypoints. The first two points you set determine the start and end locations of your flight path. As you add more waypoints, the end position will automatically adjust. You can manually fine-tune the start and end points by marking them with “S” and “E” respectively. Each waypoint can be individually edited, allowing you to modify altitude, speed, actions (hover, leap), and link it to a point of interest (POI).
Incorporating Points of Interest (POIs)
POIs, represented by pentagram icons, allow you to focus on specific locations during your mission. Click the POI icon to add and edit points of interest. Within the edit menu, you can link a POI to any waypoint, ensuring your drone captures detailed footage of the designated area. The “All” option allows you to disassociate a POI from all waypoints.
Reviewing and Saving Your Mission
The upper right corner of the waypoint mission planner displays estimated flight duration, range, and the number of photos the drone will capture. After finalizing all settings, click “Save.” You can access and review saved missions from the main interface at any time.
Pre-Flight Checklist and Execution
Before initiating your mission, conduct a thorough pre-flight check of your Autel Evo drone. Verify battery level, compass calibration, video transmission strength, finish action settings, SD card capacity, IMU status, GPS signal, and loss action protocol (what the drone does if connection is lost). Ensure all components display a green status indicating readiness.
Once the pre-flight check is complete, you can start the mission. Remember, you can pause or cancel the flight plan at any time during execution. Canceling a mission will either trigger a hover command or initiate a return-to-home sequence, depending on your settings.
By mastering Autel Evo waypoints and utilizing the powerful features of the Waypoint Mission Planner, you can unlock new possibilities for aerial photography, videography, and data acquisition.
