First complete mapping and modeling solution for manned aircraft

While UAV’s are becoming more and more popular for creating aerial maps and 3D models, their flying range is limited to sites of up to a few square kilometers. Manned aircraft on the contrary have the reach to cover large areas and have a long standing history of creating high-resolution, geo-referenced maps. The drawback of using manned aircraft for a wide variety of mapping and modeling projects has until now been the cost and result-delivery time factor involved. Traditional aerial photogrammetry involves heavy sensors, high-precision IMU’s, dedicated aircraft platforms and processing software requiring both extensive manual intervention and highly specific skills.

WaldoAir’s XCAM is the solution to replace traditional photogrammetry hardware with a camera system that is easily mountable on any single engine aircraft. Bundled with Pix4Dmapper, Pix4D’s automatic image processing software, the solution is perfectly adapted to cover today’s market needs requiring more cost- and time effective mapping solutions that cannot be offered by traditional photogrammetry.

The XCAM is an airborne camera system using commercial off-the-shelf components. Manufactured in the United States, the system includes a 22.3MP DSLR camera, GPS, IMU, flight planning and flight management software, a small dash-mount tablet PC computer, all necessary mounting hardware, accessories and cables as well as a license of Pix4Dmapper software. The 3Kg pod attaches externally to an aircraft stepmount or the wing strut of a high-wing aircraft such as Cessna 152, 172, 182, 206 etc. and is used with a small dash-mount tablet PC computer, also part of the system. Already compatible with over 30 aircraft models worldwide, the XCAM can be installed and removed in 30 minutes only.

Finally, WaldoAir’s XCAM system includes a Pix4Dmapper software license to offer users a complete solution for their mapping and modeling needs. Pix4Dmapper is the leading software for image-based photogrammetry, allowing users to process thousands of aerial and oblique images to create survey-grade accurate orthomosaics, DSMs and point clouds. Pix4Dmapper features a fully automatic workflow and can be used by anyone as it is very intuitive and easy to use, one of the many reasons why it is already heavily adopted by the UAV community.

The cost and easiness of use of the XCAM system will provide existing professional photogrammetrists with a cost-effective and easy-to-use solution for surveying small to medium size areas all the while enabling professionals of aerial photography to acquire aerial imagery that allows to produce survey-grade, geo-referenced cartography and 3D models.