Impact of 3-D Attitude Variations of a UAV Magnetometry System on Magnetic Data Quality
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Authors
Walter, Callum A.
Braun, Alexander
Fotopoulos, Georgia
Date
2018-12-04
Type
journal article
Language
en
Keyword
Magnetics , Potential Field , UAV , Airborne Geophysics
Alternative Title
Abstract
Optically pumped vapour magnetometers have an orientation dependency in measuring the scalar component of the ambient magnetic field which leads to challenges for integration with mobile platforms. Quantifying the 3-D attitude variations (yaw, pitch and roll) of an optically pumped vapour magnetometer, while in-flight and suspended underneath a rotary unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), aids in the successful development of reliable, high-resolution unmanned aerial vehicle magnetometry surveys. This study investigates the in-flight 3-D attitude characteristics of a GEM Systems Inc. GSMP-35U potassium vapour magnetometer suspended 3m underneath a Dà-Jiāng Innovations (DJI) S900 multi-rotor UAV. A series of UAV-borne attitude surveys quantified the 3-D attitude variations that a simulated magnetometer payload experienced while freely (or semi-rigidly) suspended underneath the UAV in fair weather. Analysis of the compiled yaw, pitch and roll data resulted in the design of a specialized semi-rigid magnetometer mount, implemented to limit magnetometer rotation about the yaw axis. A subsequent UAV-borne magnetic survey applying this specialized mount resulted in more than 99% of gathered GSMP-35U magnetic data being within industry standards. Overall, this study validates that maintaining magnetometer attitude variations within quantified limits (± 5 degrees yaw, ± 10 degrees pitch and roll) during flight can yield reliable, continuous, and high-resolution UAV-borne magnetic measurements.
Description
Citation
Publisher
Wiley
License
This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Walter, Callum A., Braun, A., Fotopoulos, G., Impact of three‐dimensional attitude variations of an unmanned aerial vehicle magnetometry system on magnetic data quality, Geophysical Prospecting, 67(2): 465-479, which has been published in final form at https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2478.12727. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Use of Self-Archived Versions.