How to process drone data with Matrice 4E and Smart Construction Edge.【RTK】 – Smart Construction Edge2

Introduction

This procedure applies when using the Matrice 4E in RTK mode.

Please use Google Translate to read this article in your native language.

・Point-cloud processing is subject to area and density limitations.
・If the device does not have a SIM, automatic transfer is not available.

・If a correction-data service is unavailable, installation at an unknown point is not possible.

・If the coordinates used at the installation location are local coordinates, localization using Rover is required in advance.

Drone Flight

Flight data can be merged, but please note the following:

To maintain accuracy, make sure that multiple flight paths overlap.

If the overlap area is insufficient, point-cloud generation may fail.

　　　　　　Flight paths overlap　　　　　　　　　　Flight paths do not overlap

Edge2 device

The values below are for reference only.

If the maximum processing area is exceeded, a processing error will occur. Divide the data into multiple flight batches before processing.

Level	Density	Maximum processing area
Level	Density	Point cloud + Ortho + Point cloud with unnecessary-object removal	Point cloud + Ortho	Point cloud ＋ Point cloud with unnecessary-object removal	Point cloud only
Ultra-high density	280 points/m²	5 ha	5 ha	10 ha	10 ha
High density	160 points/m²	9 ha	9 ha	18 ha	18 ha
Medium	100 points/m²	15 ha	15 ha	30 ha	30 ha
Standard density	16 points/m²	50 ha	50 ha	50 ha	50 ha

Procedure

1-1. Set up the device

Turn the bolt and remove the cover to insert the battery.

Make sure the battery is locked in place.
After installation, be sure to replace the cover.

1-2. Set up the surveying tripod
Prepare a tripod with a 5/8-inch screw at the top.

The top of the tripod must be flat.

Secure the tripod screw firmly to the threaded hole on the bottom of the Edge Box.

Use a leveling device if needed.

Set up the device at a known point.

1-3. Turn on the device

To turn on the Edge2, press and hold the power button on the Edge Box for about 4 seconds.
Startup in progress: LED flashes green.
Startup complete: LED is solid green.

① Power button status LED	② Battery indicator	③ Power button
④ GNSS reception status	⑤ PPK logging status LED	⑥ Error/update status LED

1-4. Connect the tablet to the device
After the LTE indicator lights up, enable Wi-Fi on the tablet and connect it to the device.

① Serial number of the device

1-5. Install the Edge2 icon and start the app

First-time users must install the Edge2 launch icon on their iPad.
See the following instructions.

How to install the icon

2. Create a project to prepare data for processing

An internet connection is required for integration with SMART CONSTRUCTION Dashboard.
If an internet connection is unavailable, start with option ③.

At least 50 GB of free storage is required to process the data.

You can check the remaining storage.

178 GB remaining / 198 GB capacity

① Create project: Choose how to begin based on your use case.
② Generate a new project by connecting to SMART CONSTRUCTION Dashboard.
	Generate a new project on SMART CONSTRUCTION Dashboard.
	Import a project from SMART CONSTRUCTION Dashboard.
③ Generate a new project without connecting to SMART CONSTRUCTION Dashboard.
	Generate a new project in SMART CONSTRUCTION Edge.
④ Select a project: Select an existing project.

2-1. Set up the coordinate system for processing flight data

The selection depends on the survey coordinate system used in the field.
If local coordinates are used, a localization file must be imported into the device on site before use.

Example of the localization-file import format

	⇩ XYZ order: ENZ				Data starts from the first row. (No header) ⇩
Point name	X(E)	Y(N)	Z(Alt.)	Lat.	Lon.	Ellipsoidal height
A	-44040.093	22842.694	3.36	35.36100055	140.0507608	38.11
B	-44164.236	22697.367	3.904	35.36059902	140.0501823	38.715
C	-44071.288	22619.448	3.906	35.36090117	140.0458736	38.741
D	-4392.312	22743.991	3.548	35.36139004	140.0503701	38.402
⇧ Data starts in the first column				⇧ Latitude/longitude: DD format (decimal)

2-2. Set up local coordinates after import

① Height unit	meters	international feet	US survey feet
② Lat/Lon	DD		DMS
③ Coordinate order	ENZ	NEZ	Data start row	Select ▼
④ Decimal point	. (point)	, (comma)	Data start column	Select ▼
⑤ Separator	; (semicolon)	Tab	, (comma)	Space
⑥ ☑ Apply these changes to "Locale settings" in the Settings menu.
Cancel　　/　　　OK

2-3. Confirm the horizontal and vertical shifts in the local coordinates
Check that the differences in the imported file are correct, as they are critical to accuracy, and then create the project.

⑦ Residuals
Horizontal ☑0.001	Vertical ☑-0.006
⑧ Re-select the file
Cancel	Create

3. Set up the base station to transmit correction data

① Base station mode (switch to base-station mode to transmit correction information)
Cancel	OK

3-1. Select the project you created

① Select a project.

Please select the project you created.

3-2. Set up the base-station point

3-3. Measure the pole height after entering the installation point

To enter the antenna height, measure and enter the exact distance from the ground to the line shown in the illustration.

To connect the Mavic 3E controller to the Edge2, select the Wi-Fi button.

⓪ Wi-Fi	Connect to the drone controller.
① Enter the pole height	value	unit　▼
② Pole-height measurement method. Tap to measure the height.
③ Start broadcasting

3-4. Set up PPK logging (as a backup)
PPK logs can be recorded while using RTK mode.

Consider using PPK logging as a backup.

If it is not needed, skip the following steps.

Use a known point when setting up the device.

If the known point is included in the localization file, select it from the imported data.

Additional points can also be entered directly.

① PPK logging
② Add base-station points
③ Import point files
You can select the known point from the imported data.	Known point
②-①. ◎ Enter base-station point coordinates (local coordinates)

3-5. Measure the pole height　
To enter the antenna height, measure and enter the exact distance from the ground to the line shown in the illustration.

Start PPK logging before the flight and continue until all flights are complete.

① Enter the pole height	value	unit　▼
② Pole-height measurement method. Tap to measure the height.
③ Start PPK logging

4. Configure the flight settings

The RTK module must be installed on the drone.

Set up the Wi-Fi connection between the controller and Edge2.

Select the Edge2 SSID, which is its serial number, and enter the password.

The password is edge2-ap

Tips

Check the initial camera settings

Create a flight project and set up the flight route.

Waypoint Route is not supported by this product.

① Flight Route

② Create a Route

③ Area Route for creating a project

4-1. Set up the flight route

① Create the flight area

② Save button

Tips

If you plan your flight so that Edge2 is within the flight area, you can use Edge2 as a GCP point when processing data.

4-2. Set up reception of GNSS correction data via Wi-Fi

Operate outdoors to ensure GNSS reception for the drone.

4-3. Configure Custom Network RTK　

4-4. Select the drone type and camera settings

Settings shown in red are required.

① Select Aircraft Model	Matrice 4 Series	① Select Camera Model Select Lens	M4E WIDE
② Enter the project name
③ Ortho Collection		Oblique Collection
④ Ortho GSD (1 cm/pixel)		Recommended value: 1.00 cm
⑤ Altitude Mode		Relative to Takeoff Point (ALT)

4-5. Configure the flight-route settings

Settings shown in red are required.

Check the side overlap ratio, frontal overlap ratio, and photo mode

Note the shooting range and camera mode settings.

Settings shown in red are required.

4-6. Select the shutter speed

Point-cloud data cannot be generated if the shutter speed is set incorrectly.

Settings shown in red are required.

① Preflight check button	② Next
③ Shutter speed: 1/1000	④ Upload flight mission

4-7. Important points to note when flying

Keep a safe distance from devices that are acquiring GNSS signals.

5. Generate point-cloud data after the flight

If the device is connected to the internet, you can transfer the point-cloud data to the SMART CONSTRUCTION Dashboard job site via the cloud.
A separate contract is required to use the SMART CONSTRUCTION Cloud.

① Generate Point Cloud
①-① Reserve point-cloud generation			Internet connection required
② Point-cloud name		Enter the project name
③ Generation method	Use PPK only		□＋GCP
	Use RTK flight data		□＋GCP
	Use GCP only
④ Processing destination	◎ SMART CONSTRUCTION Edge
	◎ SMART CONSTRUCTION Cloud		Internet connection required Separate license required
⑤ Send to the cloud	□ Select a job site		Internet connection required
Without a SMART CONSTRUCTION Cloud SfM license, point-cloud generation in the cloud is unavailable.
Cancel		Next

5-1. Select point-cloud generation settings

Unwanted objects can be removed automatically when processing flight data.

Select the density of your point cloud.

Standard density is recommended for soil-volume calculations.

If you provide checkpoints for comparison with the point-cloud data, you can verify accuracy.

Ortho data can also be generated.

① Unnecessary Object Removal			OFF	ON
② Point Cloud Density	Standard 16 points/m²	Medium 100 points/m²	High 160 points/m²	Ultra High 280 points/m²
③ Generate a point cloud for a higher-precision accuracy check.			Load checkpoints
④ Create ortho and DEM images			OFF	ON
⑤ Start PPK processing			Maximum number of photos

5-2. Review the point-cloud results

You can review the generated point-cloud results and verify accuracy using the displayed range and validation points.

5-3. Offset the point-cloud results

Small deviations in the results can be adjusted by applying an offset based on a known point.

6. Shut down the device

You can shut down SMART CONSTRUCTION Edge from the app.
Select the gear icon, open Information and Operations, and tap the shutdown button.

① Gear icon for settings and confirmation
② Information and Operations
Shutdown SMART CONSTRUCTION Edge
Restart SMART CONSTRUCTION Edge
Delete Data	Deleted data cannot be recovered.
Display SMART CONSTRUCTION Edge Information

Feature

By importing terrain information in DSM format in advance,
the drone can follow the terrain during flight.
This feature is effective when using RTK mode.
An internet connection is required to download the data.

After creating the flight plan, change Altitude Mode to AGL.
Select the DSM file.

① Altitude Mode: AGL (Above Ground Level)
② DSM Files

Disclaimer

The downloaded geoid database is based on ASTER GDEM V3 open-source data. DJI is not responsible for the accuracy, authenticity, or validity of the data. Pay attention to the flight environment and safety.

Select “Do not show again” or “OK”.

③ Import Local File

④ Download from Internet

① Project name	Enter the project name first.
② Coordinate system to use
WGS 84	Known	Local
If the known point was calculated using correction information, it can be used for surveying in WGS 84 format.	If the coordinate system is global, point data can be transformed using a projection system.	When using local data, localization must be completed in advance.
③ Import localization file
④	Cancel	Create

Select or add the SMART CONSTRUCTION Edge base-station installation point.

① Add base-station points	② Import point files
① - ① Select previously imported data or a USB drive. Cancel / OK	② - ① To use this function, An internet connection and a GNSS correction-data service (Network RTK service) are required. ② - ② Enter known points directly. Cancel / Add
① - ② Be sure to verify the Edge2 installation point and the known point.

Enter the following Custom Network RTK settings. The name, account name, and password are optional. If you have not chosen values, use the following examples.
Name	Edge2
NTRIP Address	scedge.local
Port	2101
Account	Edge
Password	1234
Mount Point	RTCM3_2_MSM7
		Delete　　/ Cancel / Save

① Route altitude (no adjustment required)	Depends on Ortho GSD
② Elevation optimization	ON
③ Safe takeoff altitude	Set the altitude the drone will use to travel to the starting point after takeoff. If there are no obstacles around, it is recommended to set the same value as the route altitude.
④ Speed Higher speeds may round the flight path and increase drone vibration. If high accuracy is desired, the speed must be reduced. Note that a slower speed will deplete the battery more quickly. The maximum speed must be 12.0 m/s or less.
⑤ Course angle Changes the direction of the flight path. Depending on the shape of the flight area, the number of passes may increase. Changing the angle may reduce the number of passes.
⑥ Advanced Settings (tap after configuring)

Advanced Settings For job sites with elevation changes, increase the overlap ratio.
① Side overlap ratio（%）	60–80 (basic: 60)
② Frontal overlap ratio（%）	80 (basic)

③ Photo mode	Distance Interval Shot
④ Custom camera angle	OFF
⑤ Save button

① RTK positioning	ON
② Maintain positioning accuracy mode	ON
③ Select RTK service type	Custom Network RTK

① Generate point cloud / Select generated point-cloud data.
② Point-cloud information	②-① Calculation settings
	②-② PPK processing results You can check the flight route and PPK fix rate.
③ Point Cloud	③-① Adjust the point size to inspect the point-cloud data.
④ Vertical accuracy check
④-① Point-cloud range radius (cm)
④-② If no checkpoint is specified, the vertical accuracy check can be run using only the position of SMART CONSTRUCTION Edge.
④-③ Validation results: Checkpoints shown in red are outside the point-cloud range and are not used for the vertical accuracy check.

④-④ Average of valid vertical differences for all checkpoints: 0.001 Offset (meters): 0.000	OFF	ON

④-⑤ Edit the offset value
◎ Vertical offset with the average of vertical differences
◎ Vertical offset using a custom value
Enter the offset value. (Enter a negative value to lower the height.)
Apply the offset value

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