Here a video of the test of a Nimbus 4 meters wingspan electro-glider piloted by the firmware ArduPlane 2.28xp1 (updated version with a JLN mod). Test done in HIL mode with the AeroSIM-RC v3.83 simulator connected through the AP Mission planner v1.1.30 on an ArduPilot Mega board v1.
Test Mission profile:
- Full AUTO TakeOff,
- Exec of the flight plan (8 Waypoints),
- Full AUTO Landing.
The original ArduPlane v2.28 firmware has been updated (xp1) with some improvements:
- Tuning of the final slope for a smooth touchdown, tested with the Nimbus 4 on AeroSIM-RC 3.83 in HIL mode,
- Auto calculation of the wp_radius Vs the ground_speed and the max turn angle in AUTO mode so as to get the best turning point at the Wp,
- add the CLOSED_LOOP_NAV ENABLED switch to allow redoing the flight plan after the end of the exec,
- add HIL mode test in GCS_Mavlink.pde for AeroSIM RC v3.83 (and also Xplane v9), the APMHill plugin tested with the Nimbus 4m electro-glider model,
- the CLI switch can be disabled, this allows to use only a APM CPU board without a full IMU shield for HIL test.
This is a part of the project Thermopilot (a Thermal Hunter drone): The purpose is to build a full autonomous Thermal Hunter Glider which is able to fly for a long duration in an area defined by a radius, a ceiling and a minimal altitude. The glider uses thermal soaring and dynamic soaring methods commonly used by full scale gliders during cross country soaring competitions. The ThermoPilot has been tested successfuly in flight during the summer and spring 2011 on a Cularis and a ASW24 3.50m electro-glider (below). Lot of flights have been done in high mountains (slope/ridge soaring) and above the fields (thermal soaring).
The Thermopilot project will continue intensively during the spring 2012... Stay tuned...
Regards, Jean-Louis
More infos at: http://diydrones.com/profile/JeanLouisNaudin
Comments
Hello Swaroop,
You need to use the the Arduino-0022-relaxpatch to compil it successfully at:
http://ardupilot-mega.googlecode.com/files/arduino-0022-relaxpatch.zip
I have just checked this myself and it works well, see below:
Please don't forget to use the library attached with the firmware...
Regards, Jean-Louis
Hello Swaroop,
The official version of ArduPlane v2.34 need to be patched so as to be used without IMU shield. If you want to use your APM IMUless version with the mission planner, I recommend to use my customized ArduPlane v2.28 version at: http://ardupilotdev.googlecode.com/files/ArduPlane_228xp2.zip
Ps: You must use the library included in the zip.
Regards, Jean-Louis
Hello Moshe,
I think that you need to really understood how the Arduino IDE works before any atempt to change the ArduMega source code... So, I recommend to visit the main Arduino tutorial page at: http://arduino.cc/hu/Tutorial/HomePage
Regards, Jean-louis
Hello Moshe,
You will find my auto-landing code embedded in the files:
commands_logic.pde
ArduPlane228xp2.pde
If you are new in this field, I suggest you strongly to visit the Wiki dedicated to the ArduMega Pilot at:
http://code.google.com/p/ardupilot-mega/wiki/home?tm=6
Regards, Jean-Louis
Hello Moshe,
You will find the full source of the ArduPlane v2.28xp2 with the full auto-landing and auto_wp radius addons that I have successfully tested with AeroSIM-RC and the Nimbus 4 glider HERE
Regards, Jean-Louis
Below the path recorded during a cross country soaring mission and the gained altitude with the ThermoPilot v5.2. In this exemple, I have used a glider, so no external power source (motor) is used to sustain the altitude, only the thermal upwards along the path are used.
Regards, Jean-Louis
Wow! JL I hope that your test end soon, I can not wait to try it on my ASW28!
Here a good example of thermal hunting along the track with the ThermoPilot v5.2, you may notice the change of the direction of the turn and also the change of the turn rate during the spiral in the thermal upwards...
Regards, Jean-Louis
This is ... amazing. I'm eager to introduce TP to my skywalker :)
Hello Gary, in simulation the ThermoPilot find the thermal each time, as you may notice in some screens above, it is able to adapt the direction of the turn Vs the thermal position. It is also able to adjust the turn rate Vs the strenght of the thermal upwards as a glider pilot do during true thermal hunting. (Ps: I have been also a true glider licenced pilot few years ago...).
Some improvements that I soon have planned is to find and ajust the optimal speed of flight and the pitch of the glider Vs the rate of sink so as to follow the MacCready theory to be closest as possible to the polar of the glider...
Regards, Jean-Louis
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