Week 7: Martell Mission - new method of communication

 Field Report

Week 7: 10/8/2020

Group 2: Jesse Giampaolo, Nick Dayton, Cole Bramel

Background 

As part of the senior year coursework for the Unmanned Aerial Systems program at Purdue University, our group is currently enrolled in part 1 of a capstone course. Students are working toward earning hours across multiple UAS platforms while collecting data for ongoing research projects at the university. The current research project of interest involves tracking the foliage at Martell Forest as it changes from the end of September through late October or early November. Groups are working together to collect data from a minimum of 3 missions per week. A mission consists of two flights over the two different plots of interest (NW & NE) at Martell using a DJI Matrice 600.

Week 7 Flight Cancellation: 10/8/2020

This week, our team was scheduled to fly on Thursday at 0930. Using the M600, we were to map both the NE and NW plots, and return the vehicle to the lab by 1200. This week was a transition period as we moved away from communicating flight plans via Brightspace, and moved towards MS Teams for the most up to date flight information. We posted this information on MS Teams and the Office 365 calendar designated for communicating with other groups (Figure 7.1).

Figure 7.1: Office 365 calendar displaying flight planned for 10/8/20

Jesse arrived at the lab at 0845 to check the battery status, however, the lab was locked, and Dr. Hupy, William Weldon, Kaleb, and Dr. Lercel were not in the Niswonger building at the time. According to Kaleb, usual dispatch hours of the lab are between 0800-1700. We assumed the lab would be open by this hour, but it was later clarified that these hours are not guaranteed, just a generalization based on when the previously mentioned people are in the office and/or missions are expected to be taking place. Upon sending some emails, it was clarified that Scott (office next to Dr. Lercel’s) also has access to the lab and could provide access in a pinch in the future.

While waiting for word on when the lab would be opened, it was also discovered that Group 4 was planning on conducting a mission at Martell between 1200-1400. Two missions conducted on the same day is not necessary for this research, and therefore, if both groups flew it would create redundant data. These back-to-back missions were planned due to a miscommunication resulting from switching from Brightspace to MS Teams. As stated prior, Group 2 posted our plans to MS Teams and logged it on the calendar. Group 4 posted their intentions on Brightspace. Both groups discussed this in the moment and agreed that it would be best for Group 4 to conduct the mission on 10/8, but moving forward Group 2 will plan to conduct a mission every Thursday from 0930-1200. Later in the week, it was clarified to the entire class that mission communication will take place via MS Teams and be scheduled on the Office 365 calendar moving forward.

 Future Communication

In the future, the class as a whole will communicate flight plans via MS Teams and record the specific times on the shared Office 365 calendar. Dr. Hupy has since used MS Teams to announce fight groundings due to inclement weather and communicate his own personal availability/conflicts. It has been noted that the lab can be accessed by the following personnel: Dr. Hupy, Dr. Lercel, William Weldon, Kaleb Gould, Scott (building manager).