The airdrop subsystem has undergone thorough testing and validation to ensure dependable payload release and separation. The deployment mechanism is specifically designed to fully eject the payload from the UAV platform, preventing penalties for retained items in accordance with competition regulations. Ultimately, our design choices reflect a balanced strategy that emphasizes system reliability and the consistent fulfillment of mission objectives. While this may result in a lower score in the weight and volume category, it aligns with our guiding principle: reliability takes precedence in achieving overall mission success.

This mapping solution is built around an efficient, pre-planned flight path to enhance data collection. The mission is divided into well-structured phases, including a scheduled mid-flight landing that allows for payload installation and retrieval of flight logs and SD cards for early data analysis. Accurate image geotagging is performed in Mission Planner by applying a time offset, aligning captured images with GPS data. The subsequent photogrammetry process, carried out in Agisoft Metashape, generates a Digital Elevation Model and an organized image set, leading to the production of a georeferenced orthomosaic. Onboard automation and carefully tuned image overlap settings allow the aircraft to carry out the mission efficiently—balancing speed, coverage, and energy usage to achieve mapping goals without unnecessary flight time.