How a Complex and Multi-Player Drone Mission Happens: The Virtualization of the USS Iowa

Every drone mission has its challenges and rewards – but when it comes to a complex mission that requires meeting complicated requirements, managing a team of different experts, flying a difficult mission and then creating an amazing technical product, it’s a next-level experience for everyone concerned.  Here’s how one team completed the virtualization of the USS Iowa.

It’s one thing to use your airspace intelligence app to determine whether or not you need approval for the airspace – and make sure that all pilots are Part 107 certified.  It’s another type of problem to deal with requirements from a wide variety of stakeholders that include the City of Los Angeles risk management, Los Angeles Port Authority, and all of the various entities who secure the port and its facilities – and had designated the area a no-drone zone.

A project like this meant that the team had to hire a Port Authority Police officer to accompany pilots on all drone flights – and also had to follow safety plans developed for the LA Port Authority.  Considering all the technical challenges and risks of such an operation, the team did an excellent job preparing themselves for their mission – realizing that this job could not be done unless they had the necessary procedure of coordination, risk assessment, safety measures, and drone insurance .

The team spent two days gathering aerial imagery and 3 days collecting terrestrial LiDAR scans.  The USS Iowa is not completely stable in water, and the hallways are narrow and difficult to navigate.  The team had to deal with weather, regulations and strict protocol – but were able to get all of the aerial product they needed in two days of filming. “…there was tremendous amount of pre-planning that went into this project including detailed operational and safety plan as our flights were limited to two four hour blocks conducted on two different days. We had no ability to adjust the times or dates once determined ahead of time (no matter weather).” said Doug Wiedman of Sierra Skyworks.  “We ended up conducting all the Lidar imagery and video on the first 4 hour block.  We were able to conduct some inspection imagery (FLIR and Z30) the next day, but we had to fly between rain showers.  We were lucky to have completed the lidar and RGB mission on the first time block.”

At the end of the project, the team had aerial images, point clouds and photogrammetry mesh – these are used to create first a solid model of the ship and then the creation of a virtual experience of the ship.