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First Scan Checklist

Use this page as a pre-flight + first-success checklist. Follow the steps in order. If something is unsafe or unstable, stop immediately and fix it before continuing.

Pre-flight (do not skip)

Safety

  • No people in the scan area
  • Emergency landing / manual takeover tested
  • Prop guards installed (recommended)
  • Clear takeoff/landing zone prepared (2 m × 2 m recommended)

Hardware

  • Mount is rigid (no rattle)
  • Phone is firmly secured (no sliding during braking/acceleration)
  • Camera view is unobstructed
  • Weight distribution is acceptable (hover test)

Power

  • Drone battery charged
  • Phone battery charged (or external power secured)
  • Tablet/controller battery charged

Network

  • All devices are on the same Wi-Fi SSID
  • The server IP is reachable from the phone and tablet
  • OS firewall allows the DART ports (temporarily disable for testing if needed)

Marker

  • QR marker placed flat, visible, and well lit
  • No glare (avoid glossy paper / reflections)
  • Marker detection/initialization succeeds in the phone app

QR marker

Launch sequence

The goal is to validate the pipeline one step at a time.
Do not move to the next step until Expected is true.

1) Start the server + viewer

Action - Start the server - Open the viewer page in your browser

Expected - Viewer loads without console errors - Server logs show a “ready / listening” state

2) Start the phone stream

Action - Launch the phone app - Start streaming

Expected - Server logs confirm the phone is connected - Viewer begins updating (status and/or trajectory)

3) Connect the tablet controller

Action - Launch the tablet controller UI and connect to the system

Expected - The UI shows a connected/healthy status - You can switch modes or confirm the system state

Tablet controller UI

4) Take off and hover (stability check)

Action - Take off - Hover for 10–15 seconds

Expected - Stable hover (no severe wobble) - No mount flexing or phone movement - Phone tracking remains stable (no repeated resets)

5) Start an autonomous scan session

Action - Start an autonomous scan session from the controller UI

Expected - Viewer trajectory continues to update as the drone moves - Reconstruction/coverage (if shown) grows over time

6) Monitor the scan and intervene if needed

Action - Monitor the viewer and controller UI continuously

Stop immediately if - Tracking is lost / pose jumps significantly - You see obvious drift - The drone approaches obstacles or enters an unsafe state

7) End the mission and confirm a session was saved

Action - End the scan mission

Expected - You see a “session saved / archived” message or log - A new session folder/bundle is created on the server

8) Replay the session in the viewer

Action - Load the saved session in the viewer and replay

Expected - Trajectory playback works - Data and video appear synchronized (if available)

First success criteria

  • The viewer shows live updates during flight
  • A session artifact is saved when the mission ends
  • The session replays correctly in the viewer

Quick triage (when something fails)

Viewer loads, but no data appears

  • Confirm all devices are on the same SSID
  • Confirm the server IP/port in phone/tablet settings
  • Temporarily disable OS firewall to test

Marker initialization fails

  • Improve lighting and remove glare
  • Reprint the marker larger (keep 100% scale; do not “fit to page”)
  • Hold the camera closer and more perpendicular during initialization

Autonomous scan becomes unstable

  • Re-check payload weight distribution
  • Increase mount rigidity (remove play/vibration)
  • Start in a simpler space (fewer obstacles) for your first run

Next steps