Drone & UAV Operations

Enterprise-grade platform for mission planning, fleet management, and autonomous aerial operations.

For Drone Operators & Fleet Managers

Real-World Challenges

You're flying drones for agricultural surveys, infrastructure inspection, or logistics. Manual flight is expensive and slow. You need automation but:

Designing survey grids by hand is tedious and error-prone
Managing 5+ drones simultaneously requires coordination software
Regulatory compliance (Part 107, airspace) needs careful documentation
Weather changes require re-planning mid-flight

RoboControl's Solution

One-Click Survey Generation: Draw your survey area on a map. Specify ground resolution. RoboControl auto-generates optimal flight grids with proper overlap. 30 seconds instead of 30 minutes.

Multi-Drone Coordination: Automatic collision prevention, battery-aware scheduling, and radio interference management. Watch all drones on one dashboard.

Geofencing & Compliance: Draw no-fly zones. Drones auto-enforce them. Complete audit trail for regulatory inspections.

Live Telemetry Dashboard: Position, altitude, battery, heading all visible. Automated alerts. Pause/resume from ground station.

Key Capabilities

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Mission Planning

Create complex waypoint missions with automatic path optimization and collision avoidance.

▵

Fleet Management

Coordinate multiple vehicles (2-100+) with centralized scheduling and monitoring.

▸

Safety Systems

Geofencing, fail-safes, regulatory compliance, and autonomous safety protocols.

▹

MAVLink Support

Compatible with ArduPilot, PX4, and other MAVLink-based flight controllers.

Getting Started with Drones

1. Fleet Manager Setup

Initialize the fleet manager for coordinating multiple vehicles.

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var fleetConfig = new FleetConfiguration
{
    MaxVehicles = 10,
    DefaultHomeLatitude = 40.123,
    DefaultHomeLongitude = -105.456,
    DefaultHomeAltitude = 1655,  // meters
    TimeZone = TimeZoneInfo.FindSystemTimeZoneById("Mountain Standard Time")
};

var fleetManager = new FleetManager(fleetConfig);

// Register vehicles
var droneRegistration = new VehicleRegistration
{
    Id = "DRONE-001",
    Type = VehicleType.Quadcopter,
    Model = "DJI Matrice 300 RTK",
    MavlinkSystemId = 1,
    MaxFlightTime = 55  // minutes
};

await fleetManager.RegisterVehicleAsync(droneRegistration);

2. Mission Planning

Design and schedule missions with waypoints and survey patterns.

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var mission = new MissionPlan
{
    Name = "Agricultural Survey",
    Description = "100-acre crop survey",
    Waypoints = new[]
    {
        new Waypoint { Lat = 40.1230, Lon = -105.4560, AltM = 100 },
        new Waypoint { Lat = 40.1245, Lon = -105.4560, AltM = 100 },
        new Waypoint { Lat = 40.1245, Lon = -105.4575, AltM = 100 },
        new Waypoint { Lat = 40.1230, Lon = -105.4575, AltM = 100 },
    },
    Speed = 10.0,  // m/s
    CameraInterval = 2.0,  // seconds between photos
    SurveyPattern = SurveyPatternType.GridPattern
};

await fleetManager.ScheduleMissionAsync(mission);

3. Real-time Monitoring

Track live vehicle states and telemetry during operations.

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// Get all live vehicle states
var allStates = fleetManager.GetAllLiveStates();

foreach (var state in allStates)
{
    Console.WriteLine($"Vehicle: {state.VehicleId}");
    Console.WriteLine($"  Position: {state.Latitude:F6}, {state.Longitude:F6}");
    Console.WriteLine($"  Altitude: {state.AltitudeM:F1} m");
    Console.WriteLine($"  Battery: {state.BatteryPercent:F0}%");
    Console.WriteLine($"  Status: {state.FlightMode}");
}

// Subscribe to state changes
fleetManager.VehicleStateChanged += (vehicleId, newState) =>
{
    if (newState.BatteryPercent < 20)
    {
        Console.WriteLine($"⚠️ Low battery on {vehicleId}: {newState.BatteryPercent}%");
    }
};

4. Safety & Geofencing

Define geofences and safety boundaries for autonomous operations.

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var geofence = new RectangularGeofence
{
    MinLatitude = 40.120,
    MaxLatitude = 40.130,
    MinLongitude = -105.460,
    MaxLongitude = -105.450,
    MaxAltitude = 150,  // meters
    Name = "Operating Area"
};

fleetManager.SetGeofence(geofence);

// Define fail-safe behavior
var failsafe = new FailSafeConfiguration
{
    LowBatteryThreshold = 15,  // percent
    LowBatteryAction = FailSafeAction.ReturnToHome,
    LostSignalAction = FailSafeAction.Land,
    GeofenceBreachAction = FailSafeAction.ReturnToHome
};

fleetManager.SetFailSafe(failsafe);

Advanced Mission Planning

Waypoint Optimization & Routing

Automatically optimize mission routes for fuel efficiency, time minimization, or terrain constraints.

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// Advanced mission planning with optimization
var mission = new DroneMission
{
    Name = "Survey Grid Operations",
    VehicleId = "Drone-01",
    
    Waypoints = new List<Waypoint>
    {
        new Waypoint { Lat = 40.123, Lon = -105.456, AltM = 100, Action = WaypointAction.Takeoff },
        new Waypoint { Lat = 40.124, Lon = -105.456, AltM = 120, Speed = 15 },
        new Waypoint { Lat = 40.124, Lon = -105.457, AltM = 120, Action = WaypointAction.CameraCapture },
        new Waypoint { Lat = 40.123, Lon = -105.456, AltM = 0, Action = WaypointAction.Land }
    },
    
    // Optimization parameters
    OptimizationMode = MissionOptimization.MinimizeFlightTime,
    WindCompensation = true,
    TerrainFollowingEnabled = true,
    
    // Safety constraints
    MaxAltitude = 150,
    MinAltitude = 50,
    GeofenceRadius = 500  // meters
};

// Automatically solve traveling salesman problem
var optimized = await mission.OptimizeAsync();
Console.WriteLine($"Est. Flight Time: {optimized.EstimatedFlightTime}s");

Survey Grid Generation

Automatically generate efficient grid patterns for area surveys with camera overlap settings.

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// Auto-generate survey grid for mapping
var gridMission = GridMissionGenerator.Create(
    areaCorners: new[] 
    { 
        new GeoPoint(40.120, -105.450),
        new GeoPoint(40.130, -105.460)
    },
    altitude: 100,
    groundResolution: 0.05,      // meters per pixel
    lateralOverlap: 0.60,        // 60% overlap
    longitudinalOverlap: 0.75    // 75% overlap
);

var waypoints = gridMission.GenerateWaypoints();
Console.WriteLine($"Generated {waypoints.Count} waypoints");
Console.WriteLine($"Est. coverage: {gridMission.CoverageArea} sq km");

Fleet Coordination & Swarming

Multi-Vehicle Coordination

Coordinate operations across multiple drones with centralized scheduling and conflict resolution.

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// Multi-drone coordination with airspace deconfliction
var fleetScheduler = new FleetScheduler(fleetManager);

var missions = new[] { mission1, mission2, mission3 };

// Automatically handles:
// - Airspace deconfliction (no collisions)
// - Battery management (stagger landings)
// - Communication scheduling (prevent interference)
// - Resource allocation (shared charging stations)
var schedule = await fleetScheduler.ScheduleAsync(missions);

foreach (var vehicleSchedule in schedule.VehicleSchedules)
{
    Console.WriteLine($"{vehicleSchedule.VehicleId}:");
    Console.WriteLine($"  Start: {vehicleSchedule.StartTime}");
    Console.WriteLine($"  Battery Remaining: {vehicleSchedule.EstimatedBatteryRemaining}%");
}

Formation Control

Maintain relative formations between vehicles for coordinated operations.

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// Formation flying with automatic separation management
var formation = new FormationController
{
    LeaderVehicleId = "Drone-01",
    
    FollowerPositions = new Dictionary<string, Vector3>
    {
        ["Drone-02"] = new Vector3(-10, 0, 0),   // left
        ["Drone-03"] = new Vector3(10, 0, 0),    // right
        ["Drone-04"] = new Vector3(0, -15, 0)    // behind
    },
    
    FormationHoldDistance = 1.5,
    InterVehicleAvoidanceEnabled = true
};

await formation.ExecuteMissionAsync(coordinatedMission);

Safety & Regulatory Compliance

Advanced Geofencing & No-Fly Zones

Define complex 3D geofencing regions with automatic enforcement and violation reporting.

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// Multi-level geofencing system
var geofenceManager = new GeofenceManager();

// Hard exclusion zones
geofenceManager.AddExclusionZone(new CylindricalGeofence
{
    CenterLat = 40.125,
    CenterLon = -105.455,
    RadiusMeters = 100,
    MaxAltitude = 300,
    ZoneName = "Restricted Airspace",
    EnforcementLevel = EnforcementLevel.Critical
});

// Soft warning zones
geofenceManager.AddWarningZone(new PolygonalGeofence
{
    Corners = new[] { /* ... */ },
    MaxAltitude = 500,
    ZoneName = "Approach Zone"
});

geofenceManager.OnViolationDetected += (vehicle, zone) =>
{
    if (zone.EnforcementLevel == EnforcementLevel.Critical)
        vehicle.EmergencyRTH();
};

Autonomous Payload Operations

Camera & Sensor Integration

Autonomous control of cameras, gimbals, and sensors during missions.

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// Autonomous camera/gimbal control
var payload = new PayloadController(vehicle);

// Configure camera for survey
payload.Camera.SetResolution(4000, 3000);
payload.Camera.SetISO(100);
payload.Camera.SetShutterSpeed(1.0 / 500);

// Gimbal control for tracking
payload.Gimbal.SetStabilization(GimbalAxis.Pitch, enabled: true);
payload.Gimbal.SetStabilization(GimbalAxis.Roll, enabled: true);

// Mission-triggered camera actions
var mission = new DroneMission
{
    Waypoints = new[]
    {
        new Waypoint 
        { 
            Lat = 40.124, Lon = -105.456, AltM = 120,
            Actions = new[] 
            { 
                new PayloadAction { Type = PayloadActionType.CameraCapture },
                new PayloadAction { Type = PayloadActionType.GimbalPointTarget, TargetLat = 40.1, TargetLon = -105.4 }
            }
        }
    }
};

await vehicle.ExecuteMissionAsync(mission);

Advanced Features

Drone Simulator

Test flight paths and operations in realistic physics simulation.

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var simulator = new DroneSimulator();

simulator.Specs = new DroneSpecification
{
    MaxSpeed = 15.0,  // m/s
    MaxAcceleration = 5.0,
    BatteryCapacity = 5000,  // mAh
    MaxAltitude = 500  // meters
};

// Simulate wind
simulator.Wind = new WindModel(speed: 5.0, direction: 45.0);

// Reset to home
simulator.Reset(latitude: 40.123, longitude: -105.456, altitudeM: 0, headingDeg: 0);

// Simulate mission
for (int step = 0; step < 10000; step++)
{
    simulator.SetAttitudeCommand(rollDeg: 10, pitchDeg: 5, yawDeg: 0, throttle: 0.6);
    simulator.Step(dt: 0.01);
    
    var telemetry = simulator.State;
    if (telemetry.BatteryPercent < 10)
    {
        Console.WriteLine("Simulation: Battery critical, landing");
        break;
    }
}

Visual-Inertial SLAM

Real-time localization using camera and IMU fusion.

var slam = new VisualInertialSLAM();

// Process camera frames and IMU data
while (flying)
{
    // Get camera frame from onboard computer
    var frame = camera.CaptureFrame();
    
    // Get IMU measurements
    var imuData = imu.GetMeasurements();
    
    // Update SLAM
    slam.ProcessFrame(frame, imuData.Accelerometer, imuData.Gyroscope);
    
    // Get estimated pose
    var pose = slam.GetCurrentPose();
    Console.WriteLine($"Estimated position: {pose.X}, {pose.Y}, {pose.Z}");
}

Fleet Analytics

Track fleet performance, maintenance needs, and operations metrics.

var analytics = fleetManager.GetFleetAnalytics();

Console.WriteLine("Fleet Statistics:");
Console.WriteLine($"  Total flights: {analytics.TotalFlights}");
Console.WriteLine($"  Total flight hours: {analytics.TotalFlightHours:F1}");
Console.WriteLine($"  Average mission time: {analytics.AverageMissionDuration.TotalMinutes:F1} min");
Console.WriteLine($"  Success rate: {analytics.MissionSuccessRate:P}");

// Maintenance tracking
var maintenanceSchedule = fleetManager.GetMaintenanceSchedule();
foreach (var vehicle in maintenanceSchedule.Values)
{
    if (vehicle.FlightHoursSinceMaintenance > vehicle.MaintenanceIntervalHours)
    {
        Console.WriteLine($"⚠️ {vehicle.VehicleId} needs maintenance!");
    }
}

Payload Integration

Sensor Integration

Connect and manage various payloads (cameras, LiDAR, thermal sensors).

// RGB Camera for surveying
var rgbPayload = new PayloadDefinition
{
    Type = PayloadType.Camera,
    Model = "DJI Zenmuse H30T",
    Resolution = "2000MP",
    FOV = 84.0  // degrees
};

// Thermal camera for inspection
var thermalPayload = new PayloadDefinition
{
    Type = PayloadType.ThermalCamera,
    Model = "DJI Zenmuse H30T Thermal",
    Resolution = "640x512",
    TemperatureRange = new Range(-20, 550)  // Celsius
};

drone.AttachPayload(rgbPayload);
drone.AttachPayload(thermalPayload);

⚠ Regulatory Compliance

Ensure all drone operations comply with local regulations. RoboControl includes compliance tracking, but you are responsible for following all applicable laws (FAA Part 107, EASA, etc.).

Next Steps

Learn more about autonomous operations and control systems:

Motion Planning Control Systems Control Theory