# Survey Pattern {% hint style="info" %} A S**urvey Pattern** is a pre-planned flight path designed to systematically cover a specific area, essential for missions such as aerial mapping, inspections, and agricultural monitoring. In **Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) operations**, using survey patterns offers several **key benefits**: 1. **Maximized Coverage**: Survey patterns like grid or spiral paths ensure that all areas of interest are fully covered, leaving no gaps in data collection. This is crucial in ISR operations for monitoring large areas, tracking enemy movements, or surveying infrastructure. 2. **Improved Efficiency**: Pre-programmed flight patterns optimize the UAV’s flight time, allowing for efficient data collection over large areas without unnecessary overlap. This ensures quicker intelligence gathering, which is vital in time-sensitive ISR missions. 3. **Accurate Intelligence**: By maintaining consistent flight paths, UAVs can collect high-resolution imagery and sensor data. This enhances situational awareness, enabling decision-makers to assess threats, gather battlefield intelligence, or monitor border areas with precision. 4. **Reduced Human Error**: Automated flight patterns reduce the need for constant manual control, minimizing the risk of human error during data collection. This is particularly beneficial in high-risk ISR missions where focus on data analysis is critical. 5. **Adaptability**: Survey patterns can be adapted for different terrains or mission needs, such as contour-following for topographic analysis. This versatility is crucial in ISR operations, where varied environments and mission parameters are common. In ISR missions, the systematic, automated coverage offered by survey patterns ensures **comprehensive surveillance**, **rapid intelligence collection**, and **enhanced operational decision-making**, contributing to mission success. {% endhint %} {% hint style="success" %} Payload-specific survey patterns are discussed in their respective sections within this manual. {% endhint %} 1. Once the **Mission Start Action** has been created, a **Survey Pattern** can be placed anywhere on the map to autonomously cover an area by flying a predefined path. To do this, click on the **Pattern Tool** in the **Plan Tools** located on the right side of the screen and choose **Survey**.

2. A **Survey** item will be created and the **Mission Editor** on the right side of the screen will display the **Survey Settings**.

3. For **ISR operations**, it is recommended to choose **Manual (no camera specs)** as this provides direct access to the **Survey Altitude** and **Spacing** without the need to set the Overlaps. {% hint style="success" %} **Survey settings** for **specific mapping payloads** are covered in their respective chapters. {% endhint %}

4. The **Survey area selector** offers **predefined** shapes for the **Survey Pattern**.

#### Rectangle Tool * Creates a **rectangular survey** on the map. Use the **outer vertices** to shape the form and the **green vertex** in the middle of the pattern to reposition it. Clicking the **plus sign** on the **survey edge** adds additional vertices.

#### Circle Tool * Creates a **circular survey** on the map. Use the **outer vertex** to expand or contract the shape, and the **green vertex** in the middle of the pattern to reposition it.

#### Trace Tool * The **Trace Tool** lets the operator draw a survey form by clicking anywhere on the map. Use the **outer vertices** to shape the form and the **green vertex** in the middle of the pattern to reposition it. Clicking the **plus sign** on the **survey edge** adds additional vertices.

* Click on a **vertex** with the **left mouse button** to remove it or enter geo-coordinates for that specific point.

{% hint style="info" %} During tracing, the map can be dragged by holding down the **Ctrl key** on the keyboard and dragging the map with the **right mouse button**. {% endhint %} * Once tracing is complete, confirm by clicking the **Done Tracing** button in the **Mission Editor**.

#### Load KML/SHP file * This provides the option to **import KML** or **SHP** files for the **survey pattern**. 5. **Altitude** sets the altitude of the **Survey Pattern**, which is usually relative to the **Home Position**.

6. **Spacing** determines the distance between the transects (trajectories within the green survey area). Spacing on the left side is 50 meters, and spacing on the right side is 150 meters.

{% hint style="info" %} The **Trigger Distance** can be ignored. **Payload-dependent** survey planning will be discussed in the dedicated chapters. {% endhint %} 7. **Pattern** **Options** provide additional settings for the **Survey**.

8. Set the **Pattern angle** by moving the slide or entering a value. On the left side, the **Pattern angle** is 90 degrees, and on the right side, it is 180 degrees.

9. The **Turnaround Distance** refers to the horizontal distance the drone travels beyond the survey area's edge at the end of a transect before making a turn to start the next parallel transect. This buffer provides the drone with enough space to turn, and align itself accurately for the next pass, ensuring smooth transitions between flight lines. Set the **Turnaround** **Distance** by moving the slider or entering a value. On the left side, the **Turnaround Distance** is 50 meters, and on the right side, it is 300 meters.

10. **Rotate Entry Point** determines the vehicle's **entry** and **exit** locations for the **survey**. Click the button to toggle through all possible positions.

11. The **Options tab** provides four additional options for the **survey item**. * **Refly at a 90-degree offset** adds **vertical trajectories** to the **horizontal ones**. This is typically used for mapping missions, as it collects twice the amount of data, which is useful for creating a 3D map, for example. This tool can also be useful for **ISR operations**, as it covers the area in question twice.

* The **Images in turnarounds** option is important for **survey missions** using a mapping payload, such as the **Sony A7R Mark IV**. This option will be discussed in the dedicated payload chapter and is not relevant to ISR operations.

* **Fly alternate transects** - When not selected the vehicle is flying the exact pattern line after line. The DeltaQuad Evo has less space between the two lines to perform the turnaround and re-enter the survey area. When **Fly alternate transects** is enabled the vehicle will fly **constantly skipping** one line. When reaching the end, the DeltaQuad Evo will fly back and **follow the lines it previously skipped**. This option will be discussed in the dedicated payload chapter and is not relevant to ISR operations.

* **Relative altitude**: When enabled, **altitudes** are **relative** to the **home** **point**. When disabled, **altitudes** are measured **above mean sea level (AMSL)**. {% hint style="warning" %} Be cautious and always double-check ground elevation. {% endhint %}

12. The **Survey item** can be deleted by clicking the **Red Trash Bin** in the lower right corner of the **Mission Editor** window.

12. By clicking the **Three Dashes** in the lower left corner of the **Mission Editor** window, the option **Edit Position** appears. Insert the values for the coordinate system of your choice and click **Set** to confirm the coordinates.

13. Always verify the ground elevation using the **Terrain Altitude Indicator**. A ground collision is indicated when the **orange line turns red** in the **Terrain Altitude Indicator**.

14. The **Vehicle** **follows terrain** option allows the aircraft to maintain a constant distance from the ground. If the ground elevation changes, the vehicle adjusts its altitude accordingly. This option will be discussed in the dedicated payload chapter and is not relevant to ISR operations.

{% hint style="warning" %} A fixed-wing aircraft has limited capabilities to follow ground elevation due to its need for constant forward movement to generate lift. This continuous motion restricts its ability to make quick altitude adjustments. Additionally, fixed-wing aircraft have a limited climb and descent rate, meaning they cannot rapidly adapt to sudden changes in terrain elevation, unlike multirotor drones that can hover and change altitude more quickly. {% endhint %} 15. The **Presets tab** allows you to **save settings** as a preset for frequent use and **load** existing **presets**.