A full-stack application for optimizing and visualizing drone flight paths for power grid inspection. Built for NextEra Energy to efficiently plan multi-mission drone routes covering photo waypoints and asset inspections.

GridWatch consists of two main components:

• Backend: Python-based route optimizer using Google OR-Tools
• Frontend: React-based interactive visualization dashboard

The system optimizes flight paths across 11 drone missions, covering approximately 2,817 waypoints and over 300k+ feet while respecting battery constraints and flight boundaries.

• Python 3.11 or higher
• pip package manager

• Node.js 16.x or higher
• npm 8.x or higher

• Git (for version control)

git clone <repository-url>
cd GridEye

Or extract the project folder if downloaded as a ZIP file.

cd backend\drone-optimizer

python -m venv .venv

.\.venv\Scripts\Activate.ps1

Note: If you encounter an execution policy error, run:

Set-ExecutionPolicy -ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned -Scope CurrentUser

pip install -r requirements.txt

python terminal.py

This will process the waypoint data and generate optimized mission paths in the output/ directory.

Open a new terminal window and run:

cd frontend

npm install

The .env file should already be configured with:

REACT_APP_MAPBOX_TOKEN=<your-mapbox-token>
REACT_APP_API_URL=http://localhost:5000

If you need to update the Mapbox token, edit the .env file in the frontend directory.

You will need to run both the backend and frontend servers simultaneously.

cd backend
python server.py

The Flask API server will start on http://localhost:5000

cd frontend
npm start

The React application will start on http://localhost:3000 and should automatically open in your browser.

GridEye/
├── backend/
│   ├── server.py                    # Flask API server
│   └── drone-optimizer/
│       ├── terminal.py              # Route optimization script
│       ├── requirements.txt         # Python dependencies
│       ├── *.npy                    # Pre-calculated data matrices
│       ├── polygon_lon_lat.wkt     # Flight boundary definition
│       └── output/                  # Generated JSON files
│           ├── mission_paths.json
│           ├── asset_points.json
│           ├── photo_points.json
│           └── polygon_boundary.json
│
└── frontend/
    ├── package.json                 # Node dependencies
    ├── .env                         # Environment configuration
    ├── public/
    │   └── index.html
    └── src/
        ├── Visualization.js         # Main application component
        ├── components/              # React components
        ├── services/
        │   └── api.js              # API communication
        └── utils/                   # Helper functions

• Google OR-Tools based route optimization
• Multi-mission planning with battery constraints
• Asset and photo waypoint coverage
• JSON API endpoints for mission data

• Interactive Mapbox-based mission visualization
• Real-time mission path animation
• Battery usage monitoring per mission
• Mission filtering and selection controls
• Detailed mission statistics and tables
• Distance distribution charts
• Export functionality

The backend server provides the following endpoints:

• GET / - API status and available endpoints
• GET /mission-paths - Optimized mission routes
• GET /asset-points - Asset inspection locations
• GET /photo-points - Photo waypoint locations
• GET /polygon-boundary - Flight zone boundary
• GET /mission-data - Combined data endpoint

1. View Mission Routes: The map displays all 11 optimized mission paths with color-coded routes
2. Filter Missions: Toggle individual missions on/off using the mission buttons
3. Animate Routes: Select a mission from the dropdown and click "Animate" to visualize the flight path
4. View Waypoints: Enable "Show All Waypoints" to see asset poles and photo points
5. Monitor Battery: Check the battery usage section for per-mission battery consumption
6. Analyze Data: Review mission details table and distance distribution chart

Virtual environment activation fails

Set-ExecutionPolicy -ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned -Scope CurrentUser

Package installation fails

• Ensure Python 3.11+ is installed: python --version
• Upgrade pip: python -m pip install --upgrade pip

Missing data files

• Ensure all .npy and .wkt files are present in backend/drone-optimizer/
• Re-run python terminal.py to regenerate output files

npm start fails

• Clear node_modules: Remove-Item -Recurse -Force node_modules
• Reinstall: npm install

Map not displaying

• Verify Mapbox token in .env file
• Check browser console for errors

API connection errors

• Ensure backend server is running on port 5000
• Verify REACT_APP_API_URL in .env matches backend URL

• Modify terminal.py for optimization algorithm changes
• Update server.py to add new API endpoints
• Data files in drone-optimizer/output/ are generated by the optimizer

• Components are in src/components/
• API calls are centralized in src/services/api.js
• Map visualization logic is in src/utils/mapDataGen.js
• Tailwind CSS is used for styling

• The application caches mission data to minimize API calls
• Map rendering uses WebGL for efficient visualization
• Animations use requestAnimationFrame for smooth playback
• Mission filtering is memoized to prevent unnecessary re-renders

This project tackles the NextEra Energy Drone Challenge