Mission Planner Terrain Data Issue

Just some background, I’m flying a 3DR Solo which I used for smaller survey missions or survey missions where something (terrain, obstacles, permissions, etc.) does not allow me to use our SenseFly eBee. I am still using 3DR’s firmware if that makes a difference.

What is going on is that I am having some issues with Mission Planner planning missions using elevation data. Even when I use “verify height” and/or the terrain setting the UAV does not follow the terrain data. I first noticed this when I export a flight plan to Google Earth, regardless of setting, the flight plan follow the GE terrain even when I intentionally create a plan that fly’s into a mountain. Thinking that this was just an issue with the kmls I ran some tests while in the field this morning. However, no matter how I planned a flight it would not follow the terrain data. Here is what I tried:

• I downloaded the Google hybrid map and elevation data. Then for each test I created fresh waypoints all with an altitude of 10m. The first waypoint was at the top of the hill and the second waypoint was set down slope, where the ground elevation was about 10 – 15 m bellow the takeoff point.

a.	Flight 1 – Connected to the Solo I check “verify height” placed my waypoints.  It flew the plan 10m above takeoff seeming ignoring the elevation data.

b.	Flight 2 – Planned the flight without being connected to the Solo using “relative” altitude with “verify height” checked.  Then connected to the Solo and uploaded the flight plan. It flew the plan 10m above takeoff seeming ignoring the elevation data. 

c. Flight 3 – Planned the flight without being connected to the Solo using “terrain” altitude and “verify height” uncheck. Uploaded…. It flew the plan 10m above takeoff yada yada yada.

d. Flight 4 – Planned the flight without being connected to the Solo using “terrain” altitude and “verify height” check. Uploaded…. It flew… well you know the drill.

• I have not tried a flight plan that I created in the office which an internet connection yet but the weather for the rest of the week looks bad so no more field testing until the weekend.

I’m hoping that I’m not the first to have this problem and that there is some setting or something easy to fix/workaround that I am missing. I need to survey some pretty steep terrain going up both sides of a small valley that the eBee is not suited for in a few days and not being able to reliably plan waypoint altitudes is going to be a bit of a pain.

Right now the only work around I can see is planning using MSL and a topo map to manually adjust the altitude of each of hundreds of waypoints using “absolute” (MSL) altitude assuming that works. Needless to say I would like to avoid doing that.

I appreciate any help you all can lend me. Thanks!

Hi Flakus, Have you found a solution?, i will survey terrain and it is practically a mountain, from the start point to the top is about 100m. i would not like to adjust every waypoint

I have successfully used this feature of mission planner several times. It’s always worked well for me. It works for both ABS and REL altitudes.

Process.
Set default altitude to the desired distance above terrain
Check verify height.
Create your route

As you select points on your route, you should see the altitude of each waypoint vary to reflect the elevation of that particular point.

Elevation data is based on SRTM data, which is accurate to about 10m. These missions were flown decades ago, so if the local topgraphy has changed since these missions were flown, the SRTM data it no longer accurate.

This is a really cool feature of mission planner.

Good luck,

Dave