Latest Activity

Mike Wilson replied to Mike Wilson's discussion Mike's ArduRover Build Log in the group ArduRover User Group
"I haven't tested on a ditch but I don't think they would based on how they need to be aimed.  I'm trying to get a balance between being able to successfully avoid hitting the curb and getting false triggers from the…"
1 minute ago
RickP replied to Craig Elder's discussion APM Copter 2.9.1.b has been released
"The startup issue relates to a bug where the logs are cleared too frequently and this delays the startup. Bug is fixed in -rc3."
14 minutes ago
Jan replied to Warren Purnell's discussion Motor pulsing in Altitude Hold in the group ArduCopter User Group
"Stefan, Just had another test run on my TBS and managed to nail it down. Still have to tune in the PID but with stock PID it holds just right in althold and loiter. Forgot to mention in my previous post that you also should have a look to your…"
15 minutes ago
Btanny replied to Craig Elder's discussion APM Copter 2.9.1.b has been released
"The Logs."
16 minutes ago
Alex Snyder posted a discussion

Problem with first real flight - excessive spinning

IMG_2990.MOVSince it's raining outside, I decided to do my first flight test indoors. Unfortunately, I've been having some issues with my first flight... As all of the motors spool up, the whole quad begins to rotate clockwise. I think the problem is coming from motor number 1 since I had some problems with it in the esc…See More
19 minutes ago
Christiaan van Vollenstee posted a blog post

Phase 1 Create custom PWM trigger for sony camera

I want to let the APM trigger my camera and the camera I had did not have a port for a remote shutter trigger so I had to remove the button on the camera and solder the 4 points and connected them to a relay switch. See More
21 minutes ago
John Moore replied to John Moore's discussion John's Crawler Drone Build Thread in the group ArduRover User Group
"After some testing it looks like the flat edge at the bottom of this icon is the rear of the rover."
21 minutes ago
John Moore replied to John Moore's discussion John's Crawler Drone Build Thread in the group ArduRover User Group
"Interesting, I tested the ability to accurately locate the HOME WP.  This morning I could not get a small white ring around the HOME WP.  The white ring is currently taking up my whole yard.  I am wandering when the Sat's will be…"
21 minutes ago
Dually replied to Michael Brown's discussion Fitting the current ArduCopter 2.7.3 on a ATmega 1280 board, how?
"did you ever get it to work with a customized slim down code? "
26 minutes ago
Javier Rodriguez J replied to Carlos Marx's discussion Arducopter + Xbee/Zigbee
"Hi Carlos, Did you  find out any instructions to do it?"
27 minutes ago
Shaun Bell added a discussion to the group ArduPlane User Group
Thumbnail

Can't save radio setup changes

As a total noob, I'm sure it's staring me right in the face lol!  I'm setting up an X8 flying wing and even after selecting elevron mixing the elevator and ailerons still operate separately.  The instructions for the mission planner say to click on "save".  I don't see save anywhere in the window.Thanks!See More
28 minutes ago
Btanny replied to Craig Elder's discussion APM Copter 2.9.1.b has been released
"Hello Randy,  Just had a quick question. When using 3.0rc2  my escs would take a long time to initialize upon startup. However some other times I started up they initialized right away. Is there a re-calibration process when switching to…"
29 minutes ago
Chapelat Daniel replied to Craig Elder's discussion APM Copter 2.9.1.b has been released
"Merci Randy J'essaye et vous au courrant"
43 minutes ago
iskess replied to Andrew Tridgell's discussion ArduPlane 2.73 released
"I tried using both methods of Elevon mixing and the results ere the same. I had some strange behavior with the new ELEVON_OUTPUT method, so I am sticking with the old method for now. I was getting sluggish, unresponsive controls with the new Elevon…"
46 minutes ago
Veikko Vierola replied to Andrew Tridgell's discussion ArduPlane 2.72 released
"Thanks, I have to test it..."
56 minutes ago

Developer
Olivier ADLER replied to Daniel M.'s discussion esc:telemetry via apm 2.5
"You could watch the APM repository first to see if you can jump in the code yourself : https://github.com/diydrones/ardupilot and present your project in the developer list : https://groups.google.com/forum/?fromgroups#!forum/drones-discuss To…"
59 minutes ago

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Forum

Arducopter + Xbee/Zigbee

Started by Carlos Marx in ArduCopter 1.x. Last reply by Javier Rodriguez J 27 minutes ago. 6 Replies

ArduPlane 2.73 released

Started by Andrew Tridgell in ArduPlane 2.x software. Last reply by iskess 46 minutes ago. 84 Replies

ArduPlane 2.72 released

Started by Andrew Tridgell in ArduPlane 2.x software. Last reply by Veikko Vierola 56 minutes ago. 139 Replies

esc:telemetry via apm 2.5

Started by Daniel M. in ArduCopter 2.x (multicopter). Last reply by Olivier ADLER 59 minutes ago. 3 Replies

Adding extra functions to MinimOSD

Started by Gábor Zoltán in OSD. Last reply by Miguel Pereira 2 hours ago. 2022 Replies

Spinning copter

Started by Thom V in Unassigned category 2 hours ago. 0 Replies

Is my APM 2.5 bricked?

Started by Dave Kellum in ArduPilot Mega hardware: tech support. Last reply by Dave Kellum 3 hours ago. 2 Replies

1.2.52 update = unresponsive drone?

Started by Dave Kellum in APM Mission Planner. Last reply by Dave Kellum 3 hours ago. 7 Replies

robust estimator of the direction cosine matrix

Started by William Premerlani in UAV Dev Board. Last reply by Naomi Mathews 3 hours ago. 257 Replies

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Welcome to DIY Drones!


This is the home for everything about amateur Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). Use the tabs and drop-down menus above to navigate the site. (About us/Site rules)

This community created the Arduino-based ArduPilot, the world's first universal autopilot (planes, multicopters of all sorts and ground rovers). The APM 2.5 autopilot hardware runs a variety of powerful free UAV software systems, including:

  • ArduPlane, a pro-level UAV system for planes of all types.
  • ArduCopter, a fully-autonomous multicopter and heli UAV system.

I'm new to all this--where do I start?                    Are amateur UAVs legal? (yes)

Examples of civilian uses of drones                   Glossary of confusing terms

Blog Posts

Phase 1 Create custom PWM trigger for sony camera

Posted by Christiaan van Vollenstee on May 23, 2013 at 10:09am 0 Comments

I want to let the APM trigger my camera and the camera I had did not have a port for a remote shutter trigger so I had to remove the button on the camera and solder the 4 points and connected them to a relay switch.

 

Quadcopter in stable LOITER mode flying hands-free (ArduCopter V2.9.1b)

Posted by lianpinkoh on May 23, 2013 at 8:30am 0 Comments

 

Raw flight footage.

Just to document some early progress in the building of a multirotor Conservation Drone with thermal imaging for wildlife research (last picture shows the quad with a FLIR PS32 camera, yet to be mounted). Apologies for the shaky video taken with an iphone (had to hold on to transmitter with other hand).

See:…

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Flight of a "Cyclocopter"

Posted by Chris Anderson on May 22, 2013 at 7:40pm 11 Comments

Every year or so, some research group posts a video of a "cyclocopter" flying. I'm not sure why (this article suggest they might be more efficient than traditional helicopters, and that people have been pursing them for a…

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Thirty Days (#16): More maker Faire

Posted by Joshua Ott on May 22, 2013 at 5:46pm 4 Comments

R2 gangs roamed the…

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DIY Drones at 39,000 Members!

Posted by Joshua Johnson on May 22, 2013 at 5:00pm 5 Comments

As is customary and traditional, we celebrate every new 1,000 members here and share the traffic stats. This time it's 39,000!

There were 2 million page views in the last month! (we get around 65,000 pageviews a day on average). It took us just 24 days to get this latest 1,000 members--we're…

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1.2 Ghz FPV with 2.4Ghz control- Weekly Video #6

Posted by Jake Wells on May 22, 2013 at 2:35pm 4 Comments





Last week(week 5) I tested out a new FPV system using 1.2 GHZ. It works great. The only problem I had was that it was locking out my 2.4GHZ control. So for the video I used my old 72mhz radio. Let's just call it glitch. It glitched me right into a patch of stinging nettles. So I ordered a low pass filter from Readymaderc.com. Then I commenced to building yet…

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6 Modes on a Futaba T9CAP

Posted by Bryan Cherry on May 22, 2013 at 1:00pm 3 Comments

Here is how I got 6 modes out of my T9CAP 

Under AUX CH set CH 5 to Sw C

End points I set ch 5:GEAR to +/- 120%

Under Mix 1                                    Mix 2                                   Mix 3

MAS>…

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VR Copter X6+ VR Direct Drive Gimbal is coming ... the first fly ...

Posted by Roberto Navoni on May 22, 2013 at 3:25am 1 Comment

 

Dear Friends, 

our Flight Teams beta tester star to test a  VR Copter Fly Cam configuration. This is the hexa copter used by our beta tester for doing this video :

 …

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Hex demostrated in San Francisco

Posted by Hex Air Robot on May 22, 2013 at 1:30am 4 Comments

At HAXLR8R’s demo day, ten hot hardware startups presented their products after completing a 15-week accelerator program in Shenzhen China. The program is designed to help entrepreneurs with innovative hardware concepts and prototypes and help turn them into commercial realities.

Yes! Hex is one of them! Here are some…

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Data Bus mbed baseboards: Tindie Fundraiser

Posted by Bot Thoughts on May 21, 2013 at 2:30pm 0 Comments

Data Bus mbed baseboards are now available on Tindie as a fundraiser! I figured maybe some folks wanted to experiment with their own algorithms and want a head start on their 2014 AVC ground vehicle entry.…

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Contests

Season Two of the Trust Time Trial (T3) Contest has now begun. The fourth round is an accuracy round for multicopters, which requires contestants to fly a cube. The deadline is April 14th.

A list of all T3 contests is here

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UAV news from sUAS News

Aeryon Labs Announces the Aeryon SkyRanger sUAS

 Aeryon Labs Announces the Aeryon SkyRanger sUAS

WATERLOO, Ontario (May 23, 2013) – Aeryon Labs (www.aeryon.com) launches the Aeryon SkyRanger™ small Unmanned Aerial System (sUAS). This new Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) system features an all-new airframe and integrated design, and represents a significant leap forward in capabilities for military, public safety, and commercial applications. With the completion of extensive field testing and first customer trials, the Aeryon SkyRanger is now available for further demonstrations and orders – with priority to military and government customers worldwide. First introduced in 2009, Aeryon sUAS are regularly at the center of major world events and international media stories due to their reputation and proven track record for immediate, reliable operation in high winds and harsh weather environments – often when other UAS or manned aircraft cannot safely operate. Designed as software and payload platforms, Aeryon sUAS also provide advanced features and capabilities including an intuitive touchscreen interface that provides simple point-and-click navigation and camera control, and seamless automated functions and safety features. The Aeryon SkyRanger™ brings new capabilities to the field-tested and battle-proven Aeryon sUAS platform, which has seen continuous development and innovation since the Aeryon Scout™ was launched in 2009. “The Aeryon sUAS platform is the most mature, reliable, [...]

First flight for Triton

First flight for Triton

The Northrop Grumman-built Triton unmanned aircraft system completed its first flight May 22 from our facility in Palmdale, Calif. The flight, which was about 1.5 hours successfully demonstrated control systems that allow Triton to operate autonomously. Triton is specially designed to fly surveillance missions up to 24 hours at altitudes of more than 10 miles, allowing coverage out to 2,000 nautical miles. The system’s advanced suite of sensors can detect and automatically classify different types of ships. Bookmark It Hide Sites

Parrot AR.Drone 2.0, ‘Built for the elements’ The movie

Parrot AR.Drone 2.0, ‘Built for the elements’ The movie

‘Built for the elements’ is a non-standard movie filmed in slow motion – 1,200 frames per second – with a high speed Phantom Flex camera. A true technical challenge, it offers stunning images that feature the robustness and the power of the Parrot AR.Drone 2.0, definitely a one-of-a-kind quadricopter! The film will premiere May 22 on www.youtube.com/ardrone. The machine faced with the elements Lighting in chiaroscuro, a black set whose boundaries aren’t visible… The scenery is arranged. The singular shapes of the Parrot AR.Drone 2.0 appear in a halo of light… Its engines pushed to their maximum, the quadricopter throws itself in a mad dash during which it has to brave the elements rising up in front of it, like water or fire… The extreme slow-motion enabled by the high speed Phantom Flex camera reveal the magical and fascinating spectacle of the sturdiness of the machine, faced with the elements: the flames sucked up by the rotational motion of the propellers; droplets exploding on its blades… The soundtrack, an astonishing metal rock version of Beethoven’s Ode to Joy, highlights the beauty of the images and the power of the flying machine. Freeze frame To make such precise images, Parrot used, for the [...]

Russia to test drones to monitor wildlife and track poachers

Russia to test drones to monitor wildlife and track poachers

VLADIVOSTOK, Russia, Officials say they’ll test unmanned aerial vehicles at a nature reserve on Russia’s Pacific coast this summer to monitor wildlife and crack down on poachers. “UAVs are silent and can fly at a very low altitude to produce high-resolution imagery and detect poachers, their boats and vehicles,” Alexandra Filatkina, deputy director for development at the Kronotsky nature reserve on the Kamchatka Peninsula, told RIA Novosti Friday. Images from the drones will not only spot trails left by poachers’ vehicles but can also spot illegal logging sites and waste dumps, she said. Officials said the drones will greatly reduce the cost of aerial monitoring animals like brown bears, reindeer and snow sheep. Last year, the South Kamchatka Federal Reserve spent more than $32,000 on monitoring brown bears alone, officials said. The drones, which weigh about 5 pounds and have a range of 40 miles, will be equipped with inexpensive cameras capable of taking a photograph every two seconds, Filatkina said. The test at Kronosky will determine whether they can be used in other wildlife sanctuaries across Russia, she said. http://www.upi.com/Science_News/2013/05/17/Russia-to-test-drones-to-monitor-wildlife-and-track-poachers/UPI-44531368820052/   Bookmark It Hide Sites

DreamHammer Announces First Commercially Available Software that can control any Drone or Robot

DreamHammer Announces First Commercially Available Software that can control any Drone or Robot

SANTA MONICA, Calif – DreamHammer announced the beta launch of its drone control software.  Called Ballista®, the software is an intelligent control platform that for the first time integrates unrelated unmanned drones and robots from different manufacturers into one system.  Ballista is poised to become the industry standard for drone and robot control software for the multi-billion dollar global unmanned systems industry. “Ballista® is designed to the highest military and safety critical standards but goes beyond military applications to work with all unmanned drones and robots. It is commercial off-the-shelf software, when applied to different industries — for example,transportation, logistics, agriculture, law enforcement, etc. — can be used to link multiple drones into one master system, all controlled by one person,” said Nelson Paez, CEO of DreamHammer.  “A drone could be as simple as a farm tractor or as complicated as an autonomous unmanned aerial vehicle or a satellite. It can be anything with a computer interface that is leveraging intelligence, technology and diversified control. ”DreamHammer, which had revenues of $6 million in 2012, has been licensing thesoftware and providing support to defense, intelligence, and homeland securitycustomers as well as their industrial base of manufacturers and integrators inadvance of the general [...]

UAV news from Flight Global

Maritime Heron UAV supports European airspace trial

Europe has advanced a project to prove the feasibility of using satellite communications to enable UAS operations in non-segregated airspace ...

Brazilian navy begins UAS evaluation

The Brazilian navy has begun to evaluate two Israeli-made unmanned air systems for maritime surveillance missions ...

Indian air force to launch micro UAS evaluation

The Indian air force is to evaluate several micro unmanned air systems from around 10 companies in early May ...

VIDEO: Eurocopter demonstrates unmanned EC145

Eurocopter has unveiled an optionally piloted vehicle (OPV), based on its EC145 light twin, which has been in development since September 2011.

Israeli F-16 downs another Hezbollah UAV

An Israeli air force Lockheed Martin F-16 has shot down an unmanned air vehicle launched from Lebanon by Hezbollah militants ...

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