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DIY Drones

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UAV helicopter
17 Replies

Hi. I have a RC helicopter and I would like to convert it to semi-autonomous flight. I have a Spartan AP2000i, which works great for stabilising the heli; but now I want to be able to tell the heli... Continue

Started by uzi1978. Last reply by uzi1978 11 hours ago.

IC engine cut-off
2 Replies

Hi guys can you help in giving some ideas to prevent the cut-off of a petrol engine in mid air

Started by Govindabalan. Last reply by Daniel Paulson 1 day ago.

Question about confusing Datasheet: TB6552FL
5 Replies

I've trying to find some motor controllers for my UAV blimp and I ran across the TB6552FL by Toshiba(Datasheet @: http://www.semicon.toshiba.co.jp/docs/datasheet/en working on a Eagle library for t... Continue

Started by Harrison Jones. Last reply by Howard Gordon 1 day ago.

Questions from a beginner
5 Replies

This was my dream to fly UAV's since my childhood. I used to envisage myself flying those marvelous miniature aircraft's. Now I am 29 , wanna make my dreams a reality. SO can anyone please give me ... Continue

Started by Ajay. Last reply by Skyler Associates, LLC May 8.

Blimp Gondola Sources
19 Replies

Hi, I've been lurking long enough and want to build myself one of these blimps. First step is buying the envelope and gondola. I saw that earlier versions used the Plantraco but the newer version u... Continue

Tagged: blimp, supplier

Started by Peter Klemperer. Last reply by Richard May 8.

Ducted wing for UAV
9 Replies

Hi Guys, here is a quick and dirty mock of my ducted wing design. The idea is to create the wing from rapid prototyped poly carbonate with a carbon fibre spar bonded to it. The duct is built into ... Continue

Started by Oliver. Last reply by Alec May 6.

Hobbyist UAV and FPV rules??
2 Replies

I just recently bought a RTF Hangar 9 Arrow, with the plan to convert it to UAV use. I just flew for the first time last weekend at a local AMA club that was having a newbie day. I was shocked by t... Continue

Tagged: faa, ama, uav, uas

Started by ProtoEase. Last reply by ProtoEase May 5.

Sensor Combinations?

So, quick background. I'm building an autonomous 4 rotor helicopter. I'm sure you've all come across them at one point or another, but in any case, its very simple, with a rotor/motor/speed control... Continue

Tagged: helicopter, quadcopter, hover, rotor, propeller

Started by Borgel May 5

Need A UAV Built
4 Replies

I am new to the industry. I am looking for someone to build a UAV for my company. I am willing to pay for all costs associated with design, manufacturing, and testing of the platform. If you are in... Continue

Started by Kerry. Last reply by Phil Liedblad May 2.

Maker Faire ?
6 Replies

Looks like I'll be up there Saturday to check on three of our robots that are part of a live demo by one of the Google Lunar X-Prize teams (Team FREDnet), though I don't yet know where they will be... Continue

Started by Howard Gordon. Last reply by Howard Gordon May 1.

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Welcome!

This is a site for all things about amateur Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs): How-to's, videos, discussion and more. You can read more about us here. Sign up and post your own articles and discussion topics!

Among other things, this is where we'll be listing all the parts, software and instructions to build each of our UAVs. Here are instructions for the first five (and a PDF/poster that shows how they compare to military and commercial drones):

* GeoCrawler 1 (Based on a LEGO Mindstorms autopilot. Less than $1,000)
* GeoCrawler 2 (Based on a cellphone autopilot. Less than $500)
* GeoCrawler 3 (Based on a custom BASIC Stamp embedded processor autopilot. Between $700 and $900)
* GeoCrawler 4 (Based on the PicoPilot off-the-shelf autopilot. Total setup $1,000 to $1,500 depending on imaging options)
* GeoCrawler 5 (Predator airframe [shown] and PicoPilot autopilot. Less than $1,000)

Other DIY Drones UAV projects are here.
Autopilot projects and code, by processor and OS type, are here.
Interviews with interesting UAV and autopilot experts are here.
Are amateur UAVs legal? Read the FAQ!

You can find a list of external UAV resources, including commercial UAVs and other open source UAV projects and code here.

(Note: we're not selling UAVs or parts here; this is simply a site to show you how to assemble your own UAV using off-the-shelf parts within these target budgets):

Creative Commons License
All content is free to use under a Creative Commons license.

Blog Posts

Introducing ArduPilot: the world's cheapest autopilot!

The decision to port the… Continue

Posted by Chris Anderson on May 11th, 2008 at 9:00am — No Comments (Add)

Goo Tube blowup

Blowup of the stationary hover video for the ultimate flying feeling.

Posted by Jack Crossfire on May 9th, 2008 at 3:16pm — No Comments (Add)

Using a mouse chip to measure optical flow

For very small UAVs, especially those used indoors, an interesting way to navigate is using a technique called "optical flow"…

Continue

Posted by Chris Anderson on May 8th, 2008 at 10:00pm — 3 Comments (Add)

Looking for good low altitude AP or obscure UAS uses…

Looking for something different to use in my UAS 2008 presentation.

Posted by Patrick Egan on May 8th, 2008 at 8:07pm — No Comments (Add)

Open Source MUX Antifail System by me

Has been pass a long time since my last post, and well, I have been very busy. Anyway I have a good gift… Continue

Posted by jordi on May 8th, 2008 at 1:00pm — 3 Comments (Add)

Cool new all-in-one First Person View (FPV) kit

This isn't exactly a UAV product, but Jay Graves, who runs Hobby Lobby, emailed to say that the… Continue

Posted by Chris Anderson on May 7th, 2008 at 9:48pm — No Comments (Add)

New PicoPilot groundstation software

UNAV's Dave Perry emailed me with the news that they've just released a… Continue

Posted by Chris Anderson on May 7th, 2008 at 7:48pm — No Comments (Add)

Bay Area UAV Fly-In: POSTPONED

I thought I'd checked everything for our proposed fly-in this coming weekend: airfield availability, weather, technology ready to fly. But I missed the most obvious conflict: it's MOTHER'S DAY! Given that I've been traveling for past week and we have five little kids, you can imagine that it would earn me no points at home to leave my wife with the children again while I go flying with the boys. So I'm afraid I'm… Continue

Posted by Chris Anderson on May 7th, 2008 at 12:39am — 5 Comments (Add)

Learning to develop an DIY autopilot

Continue

Posted by Carl Visagie on May 6th, 2008 at 9:00pm — 4 Comments (Add)

BasicX auto pilot

Continue

Posted by wayne garris on May 5th, 2008 at 6:00pm — 5 Comments (Add)

 
 

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UAV News elswhere

Boldly Going Where No Man (or Woman) Goes: USGS Unmanned Aircraft

The U.S. Geological Survey - long known as an authoritative source of aerial photography and satellite-based imagery - announced that it is establishing a new program for earth observation using unmanned aircraft systems (UAS).

Fire Scout to be Tested Early on Air-Capable Ship

The U.S. Navy has decided to integrate Northrop Grumman Corporation's MQ-8B Fire Scout Vertical Takeoff and Landing Tactical Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (VTUAV) onto another air-capable ship before it reaches the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS).

UAS in the National Airspace: Safety Board Takes a Look

U.S. government agencies and other enthusiasts are eager to get unmanned aerial vehicles into the National Airspace System, (NAS) but many regulatory hurdles remain and other airspace users stress that safety should trump technology.

U.S. State Department Reacts to UAS Shoot-Down

The U.S. State Department has reacted to the shooting down of an unarmed, unmanned aircraft system over Georgia, apparently by a Russian MiG-29. The full text is below.

Pakistan Deploys UAS

Pakistan announced the deployment of unmanned aerial systems as part of its air force this week, systems it says were produced indigenously.

Navy Awards Northrop Grumman Unmanned Aircraft System Contract

The Department of the Navy announced today that the Northrop Grumman Corp. has been awarded the system development and Demonstration (SDD) contract for the Broad Area Maritime Surveillance Unmanned Aircraft System (BAMS UAS).

NASA Testing Large UGV for Moon Mobility

To prepare for America's return to the moon, NASA engineers are testing a large unmanned vehicle intended to give mobility to future bases on the moon.

DARPA Chooses Vulture Contractors

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has selected Aurora Flight Sciences, Boeing and Lockheed Martin as contractors for the first phase of the Vulture program.

Gates: Military Dragging its Feet on Boosting UAS Use

The U.S. military "can do and should do more" to get unmanned aircraft systems into the field, Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates said April 21 at Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base in Alabama.
 

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