What is Aviatrix?

Aviatrix is a full aerial mapping software flight management system (FMS) and airborne camera control system for manned aircraft. It is lightweight and simple to use, yet it has all the functionality of the most expensive systems on the market.

Aviatrix has all the functions expected of a typical FMS:

  • Real time navigation guidance for the pilot
  • Camera triggering based on GPS position, or fixed time/distance intervals
  • Real time feedback from the camera
  • Full and accurate (millisecond) recording of metadata
  • Interface with a wide range of cameras, GPS and IMUs and stabilized mounts

It is suited to all levels of users, from absolute beginners to highly experienced professionals.

Although Aviatrix has been specifically designed for use on manned aircraft, we are currently developing a version for use with unmanned aerial systems (UAS). Click here for further details.

Aviatrix’s key design features are

  • It is flexible: it can interface with a range of different cameras, GPS receivers, and attitude measurement sensors (IMUs), making it useful for a wide range of different applications.
  • It is customizable: since we have developed the software ourselves, we can customize it to suit specific hardware or particular applications.
  • It has been designed by experienced survey pilots and aerial camera operators. The user interface is intuitive, clean, and easy to use.
  • It has only those features that are actually required for aerial camera control and flight navigation. It is not weighed down with extra functionality that is not needed on aerial survey missions.
  • Works with our other aerial mapping software, such as FlightPlanner, our aerial mapping flight planning software.
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Cameras and other imaging sensors

Our flight management software is designed to be adaptable to the needs of our customers. It can control a wide range of different cameras, from cheap off-the-shelf digital cameras, to professional DSLRs and medium format cameras, to FLIR thermal imaging sensors and high-end industrial/multispectral cameras.

Aviatrix has been operationally tested with a wide range of Canon, Nikon, and Sony DSLRs and mirrorless cameras, as well as professional medium format cameras, such as Phase One.

It has also been used to control FLIR A-series and FLIR SC-series thermal imaging sensors. Further cameras can be added on request.

Aviatrix’s Hardware Requirements

The Aviatrix software has hardware requirements, such as using a trigger box in order to capture images, and a display to guide the pilot during the survey. All the necessary hardware come in two different Aviatrix packages: Standard and Advanced.

Aviatrix Standard Package

The STANDARD Aviatrix package is a cost-effective solution for entry-level operators; typically users who just want a simple flight management system to control commercial off the shelf cameras.

The package provides the following components:

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Aviatrix Advanced Package

The ADVANCED Aviatrix package is a high-end solution aimed at professional operators, such as those who use high precision GPS/IMU and/or non-standard cameras (large format, thermal, multispectral etc.).

For more information about this package, click here

GPS and IMUs

As a minimum, Aviatrix requires an NMEA-type GPS to provide data at rates of 1Hz or greater. (The specific NMEA sentences that Aviatrix requires are GGA and RMC.)

Aviatrix will interface with both low-spec and high-spec GPS receivers: it is compatible with most NMEA-type GPS devices, as well as a range of other types of hardware, such as systems provided by Novatel, Trimble, Oxford Technical Solutions, and many more. Support for other types of GPS and IMU equipment will be added on request.

Get Your Trial. Contact Us About Aviatrix.

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Aviatrix’s user interface

The Aviatrix user interface is the most important part of any flight management software: it is where the pilot or camera operator interacts with the system. It, therefore, has to be simple, easy to use, and efficient in its design.

Want to see how easy it is to conduct an aerial mapping survey with Aviatrix’s user interface?

See How to Conduct an Aerial Survey
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On what device would you view Aviatrix on?

Although Aviatrix runs on a laptop or tablet PC, the graphical user interface is designed to display nicely on an external screen that sits in front of the pilot.

This means that the software can be operated either by a camera operator (using the laptop) or by the pilot (using the external screen) in a single pilot operation, making the aerial mapping capturing process as easy.

Aviatrix has been designed to be compatible with 7″ or 8″ touch-screen displays, but it also functions very well on a tablet PC, such as a Microsoft Surface Pro.

How does Aviatrix help guide the pilot to achieve the best aerial photography results?

The Aviatrix graphical user interface displays a wide variety of information to the pilot and/or camera operator, including:

  • the bearing and distance to target, over a real-time moving map
  • the current location of the plane within the flight plan area
  • a cross-track and angular offset light bar
  • real-time feedback of triggered camera locations

Aviatrix can be used in single pilot operations, or multi-crew operations with a pilot and camera operator.

Trial Aviatrix now!

Investing in a new flight management software can be a big decision. We therefore encourage our clients to try the system for themselves before they purchase. We do this as follows:

  1. The client downloads a fully function time-locked version of Aviatrix. This can be run on any computer, using Aviatrix’s in-built GPS simulator. During this “bench testing” phase the client can see how the software operates.
  2. On receipt of a deposit, we will ship the interface hardware to the client. The hardware is basically a trigger box that sits between the computer and the camera. The client can continue to test the system on the bench, or test it in the air.
  3. Assuming the client wants to proceed, we then determine the most appropriate package, either the STANDARD Aviatrix package, or the ADVANCED Aviatrix package (further details here).
 

If you want to make aerial mapping easy, please contact us if you would like an obligation-free trial of the Aviatrix flight management system.

Click here for more information about Aviatrix

Get Your Trial. Contact Us About Aviatrix.

Contact UsRequest a Trial