Concept: American startup Mapware has unveiled an app called Mapware Fly for automated drone flight planning, flight control, and image capture for high-quality photogrammetry (3D mapping). It can be accessed from the Google Play app store and is compatible with the DJI Mavic 2 Pro, DJI Phantom 4 Pro V2.0, DJI Mavic Air 2, and DJI Mini 2.

Nature of Disruption: The Mapware Fly app enables users to sync their captured photographs with their Mapware account to turn them into accurate, comprehensive 3D maps and orthomosaic. It enables users to set a target altitude for their automated flight. Users can simply draw a circle around their region of interest on an interactive map, and Mapware Fly can calculate the best flight path for them depending on their flying settings. The app verifies that the drone is properly attached, that the battery life is sufficient to complete the task, and the flight path does not intrude on a restricted area. Mapware Fly automatically executes the capture after the flight path is defined and the preflight checklist is recognized, minimizing the risk of human errors. During flights, users can see real-time drone telemetry data such as altitude above ground level (AGL), MSL (Mean Sea Level) altitude, horizontal and vertical speed, SD (Secure Digital) card space remaining, drone battery, and distance to takeoff location. Users do not need to link their devices to a drone to construct and plan a mission. Additionally, project and mission data are synced to users’ Mapware accounts, allowing cloud-based projects to be created.

Outlook: Flight planning and image capture for high-quality photogrammetry can be challenging, and errors cost enterprises time and money. Even minor mistakes might degrade the quality of a mission, and major ones could necessitate retaking hundreds of images. Mapware Fly intends to make photogrammetry flight planning and image capturing as simple as possible. Users can plan and execute drone operations without the requirement for Wi-Fi or cellular service at a remote location. It allows the user to construct a full or partial task on one device, log out, and then log back in to continue planning and executing the mission on another device. On the mission map, the application can also ensure that there is no risk of accessing prohibited aviation zones while remaining compliant with local regulations.

This article was originally published in Verdict.co.uk