REACH RS2 / RS2+
Set up ground
control points
for drone mapping
Placing GCPs with Reach RS2 for DJI Mavic 4 RTK surveys, Thorsten Kahlert, Iceland
What GCP is and how it works
Placing Ground Control Points
Reach provides precise coordinates for GCP
You get repeatable
mapping data
Our customer KiteMap from Colombia flew over a site multiple times at different altitudes with DJI Phantom 4 Pro. They processed orthophoto and DEM and extracted contour lines.
Contour lines
processed
without GCPs
Processing software relies only on the drone's GPS data recorded in its photos' EXIF. Therefore, the accuracy of the final orthophoto is only meter-level, so contour lines don't match.
Contour lines
processed
with GCPs
Drone images are georeferenced with GCPs. The final orthophotos are accurate so the contour lines are almost identical and have the same shape.
Drone Pilots using Reach
Development of an avalanche monitoring system
Thor Veen, CSO, Aeria, Canada
Aeria team used Reach RS2 units to place ground control points. This data helped the team to develop an avalanche monitoring system in the north of Pemberton, British Columbia.
Development of an avalanche monitoring system
Thor Veen, CSO, Aeria, Canada
Aeria team used Reach RS2 units to place ground control points. This data helped the team to develop an avalanche monitoring system in the north of Pemberton, British Columbia.
Mapping the extent of invasive seagrass
Corbin Kling, North Carolina State University, USA
Researchers from North Carolina State University placed GCPs with Reach RS+ for mapping the extent of invasive seagrass. The project was aimed at developing innovative options for habitat restoration and resistance to harmful invasive seagrass.
Mapping the extent of invasive seagrass
Corbin Kling, North Carolina State University, USA
Researchers from North Carolina State University placed GCPs with Reach RS+ for mapping the extent of invasive seagrass. The project was aimed at developing innovative options for habitat restoration and resistance to harmful invasive seagrass.
3D modeling of an irrigation system
СampoDigital, Chile
With the help of Reach RS2, the СampoDigital team placed ground control points for the drone flight in Osorno, a famous center of agriculture and cattle farming in Chile. Then, based on the collected data, they made a 3D model of the area for the irrigation project.
3D modeling of an irrigation system
СampoDigital, Chile
With the help of Reach RS2, the СampoDigital team placed ground control points for the drone flight in Osorno, a famous center of agriculture and cattle farming in Chile. Then, based on the collected data, they made a 3D model of the area for the irrigation project.
Drone mapping of gully erosion
Mangoesmapping, Australia
The Mangoesmapping team used Reach RS+ to place GCPs for a drone mapping of gully erosion. The project was to evaluate the effectiveness of erosion minimization methods and reduce the negative impact on water quality on the Great Barrier Reef.
Drone mapping of gully erosion
Mangoesmapping, Australia
The Mangoesmapping team used Reach RS+ to place GCPs for a drone mapping of gully erosion. The project was to evaluate the effectiveness of erosion minimization methods and reduce the negative impact on water quality on the Great Barrier Reef.
Land surveying
Krops, Chile
With Reach RS+ surveyors from the Krops aerial services company placed GCPs for the land surveying project at Ranco lake in southern Chile. The project was to divide the 20 ha field into small pieces of land and build several cottages.
Land surveying
Krops, Chile
With Reach RS+ surveyors from the Krops aerial services company placed GCPs for the land surveying project at Ranco lake in southern Chile. The project was to divide the 20 ha field into small pieces of land and build several cottages.
Estimation of crop density
Joshua Koh, Agriculture Victoria Research, Australia
Research scientists from Australia developed a method to estimate crop plant density using UAV imagery. They utilized Reach RS+ to place ground control points with sub-centimeter accuracy. The resulting map summarized the number of safflower seedlings. The model can be used to estimate the plant density of different crop types.
Estimation of crop density
Joshua Koh, Agriculture Victoria Research, Australia
Research scientists from Australia developed a method to estimate crop plant density using UAV imagery. They utilized Reach RS+ to place ground control points with sub-centimeter accuracy. The resulting map summarized the number of safflower seedlings. The model can be used to estimate the plant density of different crop types.
Evaluating repeatable data precision
Christian Grüner, CEO, Dronographica, Denmark
The researcher from Dronographica experimented with evaluating the relative repeatable precision of the Reach RS+. He measured GCPs with Reach RS+ and got sub-cm precise data for photogrammetry.
Evaluating repeatable data precision
Christian Grüner, CEO, Dronographica, Denmark
The researcher from Dronographica experimented with evaluating the relative repeatable precision of the Reach RS+. He measured GCPs with Reach RS+ and got sub-cm precise data for photogrammetry.
How Reach receivers work
Reach is an RTK receiver. RTK is a technique used to improve the accuracy of a GPS receiver. Traditional GPS receivers could only determine the position with 2–4 meters accuracy. RTK can give you 1–2 centimeter accuracy.
You don’t necessarily need a second unit for RTK all the time. Usually, there are local services that share base corrections over the Internet. This technology is called NTRIP.
How to get started
1.
Explore the site and place ground control points
Determine all features of the landscape and analyze the amount of GCPs for your drone survey — in most cases, from five to ten points are required.
2.
Connect your rover to a local base or NTRIP provider
Using the Emlid Flow app, create a survey project and choose your local coordinate system.
3.
Collect the coordinates of each GCP with the rover
The Reach receiver allows you to get centimeter-precise data.
4.
Fly a drone
Fly an area to collect aerial images with any drone such as Phantom, Mavic, etc.
5.
Export GCP from Reach in the CSV format
Once data is collected, you can export your project in CSV, DXF, GeoJSON, DroneDeploy CSV, or ESRI Shapefiles format.
6.
Import photos and GCP list to Emlid Studio
Upload CSV file with GCPs to your mapping software for accurate georeferencing. Create your project with DroneDeploy, Pix4d, Agisoft, or other mapping software.
Survey with Emlid Flow
and manage data with Emlid Flow 360
Emlid Flow is a mobile app for iOS and Android. It handles all the fieldwork—receiver settings, data collection, and stakeout. All survey data is in sync with a cloud-based service Emlid Flow 360. It allows you to access your projects from the browser and manage survey data.
Collect
points
Collect points and write detailed descriptions in a few taps. To create a project for data collection, enter your coordinate system manually or choose one from the library. The app supports thousands of coordinate systems, projections, grids, and geoids.
WGS84, NAD83,
GDA2020, and others
Log raw data
in RINEX
Point collection and recording of raw data are independent processes and can be used simultaneously. RINEX logs are compatible with OPUS, AUSPOS, and PPP services, so you can get cm-precise results anywhere on Earth.
For post-processing, you can use our free PPK software Emlid Studio.
Work with different background maps
Upload topographic maps, cadastral plans, and aerial imagery from WMS and WMTS sources or work with a built-in satellite map.
Managing projects in the cloud
The Emlid Flow app is synchronized with the Emlid Flow 360 service. This allows you to create and access survey projects, manage coordinate systems, and export and import data using both the mobile app and the cloud service at flow360.emlid.com.
CSV, DXF, and Shapefile
Engineered to be tough
Reach receivers are designed to work in challenging conditions, even dusty areas, under the burning sun, and in frosty areas
-20 to
+65 ºС
Working temperature. Isn’t afraid of either heat or cold.
IP67
Can be held 1 meter deep underwater for half an hour.
Up to
22 hours
Industrial LiFePO4 battery that doesn’t die of cold. Can charge over USB from a powerbank.
User reviews
Mapping Iceland Glaciers
We used two Emlid Reach RS, one as a base and the other as a rover, and were surprised by the good performance and long battery life in very windy, wet, and cold conditions.
Intertidal Oyster Reef Mapping with Reach RS
The Emlid receiver has proved to be an efficient means of surveying out in the field. A hotspot was used to connect the receiver via Wifi and GPS data was easily collected with a smartphone through the Emlid surveying application page.
Volume Measurement with DJI Phantom 4 and Reach RS+
Reach RS+ allowed us to quickly collect GCPs before drone mapping with Phantom 4 and helped to carry out precise volume measurements of the feldspar stock. The results obtained with a drone are identical to one obtained with a total station.
Reach
in the Emlid Store
The basic features of Emlid Flow are available for free to all Emlid users.
Shipping from Chicago
2-3 days by USPS Priority Mail Express
2-7 days by FedEx, UPS
Specification
135 kb
Mechanical
- Dimensions 126 x 126 x 142 mm
- Weight 950 g
- Operating tº -20 to +65 ºC
- Ingress protection IP67
Electrical
-
Autonomy
16 hrs as LTE RTK rover,
22 hrs logging - Battery LiFePO4 6400 mAh, 6.4 V
- External power input 6–40 V
- Charging USB Type-C 5 V, 3 A
- Certification FCC, CE
Positioning
-
Static
H: 4 mm + 0.5 ppm
V: 8 mm + 1 ppm -
PPK
H: 5 mm + 0.5 ppm
V: 10 mm + 1 ppm -
RTK
H: 7 mm + 1 ppm
V: 14 mm + 1 ppm - Convergence time ~5 s typically
Connectivity
-
Lora Radio
Frequency range
Power
Distance 868/915 MHz
0.1 W
Up to 8 km -
LTE modem
Regions
Bands Global
FDD-LTE: 1,2,3,4,5,7,
8, 12, 13, 18, 19, 20,
26, 28, 66
TD-LTE: 38,40,41
UMTS (WCDMA/FDD):
1,3,2,4,5,6, 8,19
Quad-band, 850/1900,
900/1800 MHz SIM card Nano-SIM -
LTE modem
Regions
Bands Global
FDD-LTE: 1,2,3,4,5,7,
8, 12, 13, 18, 19, 20,
26, 28, 66
TD-LTE: 38,40,41
UMTS (WCDMA/FDD):
1,3,2,4,5,6, 8,19
Quad-band, 850/1900,
900/1800 MHz SIM card Nano-SIM - Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n
- Bluetooth 4.0/2.1 EDR
- Ports RS-232, USB Type-C
Data
- Corrections NTRIP, RTCM3
- Position output NMEA, LLH/XYZ
- Data logging RINEX
-
Internal storage
16 GB
160+ days of logging at 1 Hz
GNSS
-
Signal tracked
GPS/QZSS L1C/A, L2C
GLONASS L1OF, L2OF
BeiDou B1I, B2I
Galileo E1B/C, E5b
- Number of channels 184
- Update rates up to 10 Hz
Have a question?
Ask our team
Email us at sales@emlid.com or fill in the contact form. Our application engineers will reply to you within a working day
(9:00-18:00 CET).
Direct Dial: +1 817 865 3334 (ex. 101)
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