System to control camera triggering and visualize aerial imaging missions

A camera attachment for aerial imaging mission visualization comprising:

• a first non-transitory, tangible computer-readable storage medium;
• a second non-transitory, tangible computer-readable storage medium;
• a control and data management device;
• a positioning system;
• a mission visualization system;
• an attitude measuring device interfaced with the control and data management device;
• wherein the attitude measuring device is an inertial measurement unit;
• wherein the attitude measuring device is rigidly mounted relative to the at least one camera;
• wherein the camera attachment is enabled to interface with at least one camera;
• wherein the control and data management device includes a controller, a data storage device, a camera interface, a positioning system interface, and a first software program, embodied in the first non-transitory, tangible computer-readable storage medium, that is enabled to trigger the at least one camera, collect geographic position data from the positioning system, associate the geographic position data with a captured image, and store the geographic position data and the image-associated geographic position data on the data storage device;
• wherein the first software program is further enabled to trigger the at least one camera based on at least one of a time interval, a distance interval, a waypoint arrival, an overlap interval, and a signal received from an external trigger source;
• wherein the first software program is further enabled to collect attitude data from the attitude measuring device, associate the attitude data with the captured image, and store the attitude data and the image-associated attitude data on the data storage device;
• wherein the positioning system and the attitude measuring device are enabled to combine and filter the geographic position data and the attitude data before the geographic position data and the attitude data enter the positioning system interface and the attitude measuring device interface on the control and data management device;
• wherein the mission visualization system includes a second software program, embodied in the second non-transitory, tangible computer-readable storage medium, that is enabled to perform direct georeferencing calculations for the captured image using the image-associated geographic position data and further enabled to display a visualization of the geographic position data, the image-associated geographic position data, and results from the direct georeferencing calculations on a screen;
• wherein the second software program is also enabled to perform the direct georeferencing calculations for the captured image using the image-associated attitude data, and further enabled to display a visualization of the attitude data, the image-associated attitude data, and the results from the direct georeferencing calculations on the screen;
• wherein the second software program is enabled to display a visualization of at least one of an image footprint, the captured image, or a processed image;
• wherein the camera attachment further comprises at least one of:
• a digital elevation model stored onboard the data storage device, and
• an altimeter interfaced with the control and data management device.