Today, Sony Electronics Inc. announces a free firmware update for the Airpeak S1, tailored to meet the evolving needs of industrial enterprises and high-end users. This update not only introduces new features but also represents Sony’s dedication to continuous improvement and customer-centric innovation. Acknowledging the valuable feedback from the dedicated community of drone users and drone service providers, Sony aims to enhance the functionality of the Airpeak S1, ensuring that the Airpeak S1 remains a leading and reliable choice in the competitive drone market.
New Features in Update: FOTA2.1.0, APF2.2.0, and APB2.2.0
Enhanced Mapping Mission (New)
This new capability streamlines the surveying workflow by enabling automatic flight for mapping missions through the mobile app, the Airpeak Flight appii. This feature, utilizing the RTK kit RTK-1 and Gimbal GBL-PX1, facilitates the efficient creation of 2D ortho maps, 3D models, and point clouds, with mission planning possible both manually and via KML format imports. Lastly, the update simplifies the addition of high-precision positioning data to captured images. This data, recorded on an SD card in the RTK interface unit, can be easily linked with corresponding images from the same mission using the Airpeak Flight app, with images organized into separate folders per flight for streamlined file management and project execution.
Automatic Return to Home (Enhanced)
The new Automatic Return to Home (RTH) feature on the Airpeak drone enhances safety and efficiency in various flight scenarios. This feature is designed to automatically activate and guide the aircraft back to its home point in situations such as low battery or signal loss. It intelligently calculates and navigates bypass routes to avoid restricted airspace or obstacles along the return path. Users have the option to choose between Basic and Advanced modes for the RTH feature. While the Basic mode enables the aircraft to avoid obstacles in an upward direction, the Advanced mode offers additional capability to evade obstacles horizontally, ensuring a more efficient and safer return flight. This feature is particularly useful for ensuring the safe retrieval of the aircraft after completing aerial imaging tasks.
Precision in Flight Path Recreation
The new “Direct Repeat Flight” feature for the Airpeak drone offers a significant advancement in flight path replication. This mode enables users to accurately recreate a previously flown path, including specific gimbal and camera movements, which is particularly useful for continuous capturing of a fixed point or repeated flights over the same route. Moreover, this mode extends its capabilities to the recreation of precise shooting timings for still images and movies, enhancing the consistency and quality of aerial photography.
Expanded Camera Compatibility
Newly Supported Models: Including [Camera Model, e.g., a7RM3A], this update broadens the spectrum of compatible high-end cameras, providing users with more choices for their imaging needs.
Extended iPad/iPhone Compatibility
Supported Models: The firmware now supports additional iPad and iPhone models, and this expansion ensures a more inclusive user experience, catering to a wider array of Apple device users.
- iPhone SE (3rd generation)
- iPhone 14 Pro Max, iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14
- iPad Air (5th generation), iPad Pro 11-inch (6th generation), iPad (10th generation)
Strategic Industry Partnerships
Sony has formed key partnerships with leading players in the drone industry, together enjoying great success. These partnerships aim to enhance the capabilities of the Airpeak S1 and those of our partners, further solidifying its status as a top choice for professionals in various industries. These partners include AirData UAV, HEXAGON Smart Net, and Inertial Labs.
To learn more about this recent free update, available as of December 18, please visit:
https://www.sony.com/electronics/support/other-products-drones/ars-s1#downloads
Notes:
i Operating a drone in the United States is subject to federal law and regulations. State and local ordinances may also apply to certain operations. When operating an aircraft, it is the remote pilot/operator’s responsibility to always comply with applicable laws, regulations, and ordinances.
ii All apps require network services, content, and operating system and software subject to terms and conditions and may be changed, interrupted, or discontinued at any time and may require fees, registration, and credit card information.
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So what’s the difference between these two payloads, and how do you choose between them given your drone needs right now? We’ve run test flights and will now share these as well as key insights to help you choose the best option.
Sony a6100: good coverage, lighter on the data, high accuracy and versatile
For several reasons, the a6100 is considered an entry-level option. Among these are its lower price tag and lighter data capture load for a given area. These factors alone make it a dependable payload to start working with on a wide range of projects. In fact, flying it at 120 m (394 ft) above ground level (AGL), your average accuracy will be about 2.4 cm (0.9 in), a resolution that satisfies applications where a good amount of detail is required. A few examples include: site planning, mine restoration, oil spill monitoring, landfill projects, natural disaster damage assessment and more.*
Additionally, its 20 mm lens provides a wide angle for image capture that results in the broadest coverage possible at a limited altitude—240 ha (600 ac) at 120 m AGL. The data is rich enough to examine key features in an area, yet still lightweight for processing.
*The a6100 is a step forward in terms of resolution (up to 24 MP from 20 MP) from Wingtra’s previous entry-level RGB solution, the QX1 payload, which has already demonstrated success on project use cases (linked and catalogued by type and payload on our use case page).
Explore the datasets yourself
Zoom anywhere on the orthomosaic, and slide the slider to explore the resolution difference between the a6100 and the RX1R II at 120 m (393 ft). Or download the raw data.Open Raw data
Sony RX1R II: highest resolution and accuracy, and exacting details for precise analysis
Although a bit more expensive, the Sony RX1R II is a best seller for several key reasons. You can fly at a GSD down to 0.7 cm (0.3 in), and at a standard mapping height of 120 m (394 ft) AGL, you can capture at an average GSD of 1.6 cm (0.6 in). The resolution difference is most noticeable when zooming in and out of orthomosaics. You can explore this in the orthomosaic module above. Coverage with the full-frame 35 mm lens setup is still robust at this flight altitude—210 ha (520 ac).
As for what applications it serves best, it helps to consider that the accuracy available with the RX1R II will make a marked difference in volume measurements, since cubed cms/ins add up fast. This will be especially important when measuring assets on a mine, earthworks, and generally comparing contractor details with mapped evidence. Beyond this, any application benefiting from the ability to view fine details on demand will surely benefit.
A close-up view of a construction site offers a glimpse of the resolution difference between the Sony RX1R II and a6100.
At a glance: differences between the RX1R II and a6100
| Sony a6100 | Sony RX1R II |
|---|---|
| 20 mm wide-angle lens means larger coverage for flight time at 120 m | 35 mm lens plus full frame, means only slightly less coverage than the a6100 at 120m (393 ft) and the highest coverage and efficiency for this resolution* |
| Economical | Best seller, slightly higher cost |
| Good resolution | Exacting resolution |
| Less data | More data |
| Applications Solar field construction Landfill projects Oil spill monitoring Mine restoration |
Applications Exact volumes (i.e., mining, contract reconciliation) Fine details Road surveys |
*With the RX1R II, you can fly at 180 m (590 ft) AGL to get the same resolution as the a6100 and cover a larger area, 330 ha (815 ac) specifically.
So which one should you go for?
Both the a6100 and the RX1R II provide leading quality for your photogrammetry needs. However, if you are on a budget and still ramping up your program to process big datasets, starting out with the a6100 will still get your jobs done right. As you get skilled with this payload—in terms of data capture, processing and analytics—an upgrade to the RX1R II will bring you more sophisticated results and a more robust basis for calculations, comparisons and monitoring of fine details.
Specs
| Sony a6100 | Sony RX1R II | |
|---|---|---|
| Lens | 20 mm lens | 35 mm lens |
| Technical specifications | APS-C sensor, 24 MP, RGB | Full-frame sensor, 42 MP, RGB |
| Camera weight (incl. mount) |
550 g (1.2 lb) | 590 g (1.3 lb) |
| Lowest possible GSD | 1.2 cm at 61 m 0.4 in at 170 ft |
0.7 cm at 52 m 0.3 in at 186 ft |
| Maximum coverage at 120 m (400 ft) at 60% side overlap |
Up to 240 ha (600 ac) at 2.4 cm (0.9 in) GSD | Up to 210 ha (520 ac) at 1.6 cm (0.6 in) GSD |
| Maximum coverage at 3 cm (1.2 in) GSD at 60% side overlap |
Up to 300 ha (741 ac) at 153m (502 ft) | Up to 400 ha (990 ac) at 224 m (734 ft) |
| Best horizontal absolute accuracy (RMS) with PPK (w/o GCPs) |
Down to 2 cm (0.8 in) | Down to 1 cm (0.4 in) |
| Best vertical absolute accuracy (RMS) with PPK (w/o GCPs) |
Down to 4 cm (1.6 in) | Down to 3 cm (1.2 in) |
| Max flight time | 54 min | 54 min |