Hello all,
I am an agriculture advisor who would like to develop a UAV for use in imagery/precision ag uses.I have researched the use of timely imagery for farm management and have an education in this subject as well as agronomy.
I know the first step is to perfect my aerial R/C skills, R/C cars have always been a hobby of mine. I currently have a Parkzone Radian RTF in my online shopping cart that comes with a Spektrum DX5e 5-channel full range 2.4GHz DSM2. Good buy???
One of my questions is, could I turn this plane into a DIY UAV? And is the radio controller universal enough to utilize with autopilot hardware?
***I am a novice when it comes to computer programming/hardware installation. I have excellent computer skills as far as running complex programs/databases.***
Next is a few places I have researched for the imagery capturing systems I want to utilize...
There have been 2 companies that present a product I am interested in, but would like to build one of them myself to conserve cost and confidence in repairing/upgrading components.
This flying wing style plane (Zephyr) is at the top of my list right now. The product boasts an impressive payload capacity while allowing a flight time of over 45 minutes. It also claims to be able to fly in 35-50 mph winds. It also comes with a laptop, software package for autopilot programing/picture mosiacing and training. Overall price is $9,500 (base imagery model) and it goes up with different camera packages/video feeds.
This plane is very similair to the Parkzone Radian. It has about the same flight time of 45-60 minutes, not as high of a payload as the previous. It also can't handle the higher winds speeds, max 35 mph. It comes with the software for autopilot/picture retrieval and traing. The price of this unit is $7,000.
I'm just torn between developing something myself to take images I need or looking at purchasing through the company; allowing me the training, IT support, necessary software, and a sturdy RTF UAV to meet my needs.
Replies
Hi Gibb,
If you're interested in a more middle of the line solution take a look at my company, Event 38. We offer more or less what you would have ended up building yourself after months or years of trial and error. The total cost for a complete package for most people is about $1500 including a spare airframe.
If you want to build it yourself just for the fun of it then I recommend you copy more or less what we have - Skywalker airframe (any variant) with a CHDK enabled camera like the SX230 HS or S95. APM will soon be able to trigger cameras directly via CHDK or universal remote shutter cords. The cameras that support CHDK are also often available from maxmax.com or lifepixel.com converted for NIR use which I suspect you'll be interested in.