Streamlined drone mobile app solution for non-technical users
Client
BZB UAS are experts on drone solutions and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV). The startup, founded in 2017, implemented its products to major Polish enterprises (like PKN Orlen and PGNiG) and government organisations (State Forests, State Fire Service) by 2021. BZB UAS helps to monitor and collect high-precision data from extensive areas such as forests and agricultural lands in an eco-friendly way.
The company’s responsibility and dedication, as well as the focus on digitalising tasks prone to human error, perfectly aligned with hero/dot’s mission to shape the future of digital growth. That’s why we decided to take full control over the BZB UAS complex technology project: an app that enables users to control the UAV using an iPad.
The team at hero/dot radically simplified the route planning process
Especially compared to other solutions we've seen. Our partners have already started flying with the help of the updated BZB Planner, and we have received positive feedback. After testing in real conditions and receiving more feedback from our clients, we'll partner again with hero/dot to add more functionalities to our application.Jan Byrtek
CTO
Challange
We were given the responsibility of constructing a Ground Control Station (GCS) for BZB UAS drones. These drones were mainly operated using open-source tools such as Mission Planner and QGround Control. However, these tools were found to be inconvenient for end users, requiring the use of a laptop on location. The goal of the new BZB UAS Planner app was to streamline the entire mission comfortably and remotely.
When designing and developing BZB Planner, we focused on meeting our client’s success criteria:
- Minimize the need for human intervention. Since the human factor causes 80% of accidents in large and small aviation, we needed to make the app error-proof.
- Simplify flight control. Some of the users of BZB UAS’ aerial vehicles are non-technical people (farmers, foresters), so we aimed for an effortless experience anytime, anywhere.
- Low complexity, maximum efficiency. The goal was to simplify the drone route planning process. By doing so, BZB UAS also gained a competitive advantage, as leading solutions were too complex for end users.
- Deliver an application that drives business value. The startup aimed to secure important partnerships through highly accurate data and offer cost savings compared to manned aircraft.
Technologies
Solution
To deliver a high-quality, user-friendly digital product right on the dot, we went through three major phases:
- Client Workshops. Working directly with BZB UAS founders, we specified their end customers' needs and behaviours through user stories. Our product designer perfectly analysed the client’s needs, taking into account the parameters of the drone equipment. It soon turned out that the average user doesn’t need to drive to the mission site and instead launch the mission from a more comfortable place.
- UX/UI Design. We worked on the app flow and mockups to make the route planning process as user-friendly and stress-free as possible. A clever app dashboard was our top priority to reduce the complexity of operating the aerial equipment. The user interfaces radically differed from our previous solution and were even considered game-like.
- Development & Testing. While implementing the interface for iPads, our iOS developers satisfied all complex project requirements connected with the technical aspects of UAVs’ control and operation. By extensively profiling the app and testing it in the fields, we ensured a high level of stability and scalability.
Building a drone Interface from scratch
One significant challenge we faced was communicating with the drone. As there was no existing expertise within our company, we took a risk and learned from experience. From a technical standpoint, we had to create the entire communication protocol from scratch, including byte assembly, timing control, and packet retransmission. On top of that, the data was specified by the relatively unknown MAVLink protocol.Kamil Ziętek
iOS/Flutter Developer at hero/dot
Results
Here’s how we met our client’s business and technical requirements:
- Safety first. All routes are implemented before the take-off, and at the time of flight, the drone is controlled autonomously, which increases the safety of the UAV’s operations.
- Easy-to use-product. Users can easily create, save, upload and stop flight missions and monitor all parameters at every stage. Through a plain-to-understand interface, we minimized the stress of operating an aerial vehicle by a non-technical person.
- Leverage competitive advantage. By radically simplifying the route planning process compared to other solutions on the market, we helped our clients gain even more confidence in their product’s success.
- Deliver a fully functional product. Our BZB UAS clients have started flying with the help of our solution, and they received very positive feedback that, in turn, perpetuated their long-term growth.
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