I would be interested to see some examples of how different autopilots handle way points and flight commands. Specifically the syntax used in the files used to load these way points and flight commands. The reason I am interested is that I looking at developing some mission planning software and would like to see what it would take to support more than one autopilot system.
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This is a great question. We should develop some common standards for open-source autopilots. What we've done in the most sophisticated one we've made so far (the Windows Mobile cellphone autopilot) was a basic data structure that looked like this
--Waypoint number
--Lat, Lon [altitude]
--Flight behavior: pass, circle once, loiter until further instruction, etc..
--Task: photograph, video, drop something, etc
More sophisticated autopilots have lots of conditionals, ranging from adapting imaging angle to the current sun angle to dropping below cloud cover. They also sometimes have a time component to decide how fast to fly to get to the next waypoint within a set amount of time.
There's no need for us to reinvent the wheel on this, so if you can find a sensible data structure that's used elsewhere, we'd be glad to adopt it.
If you mean what I think you mean when you say "Mission Planning Software" I think we might be doing the same thing. I'm currently working on a website that would allow users to update any number of "controllable" devices in real time. I say "controllable" and not "UAV's" because I actually want users to be able to control other things(such as lights, dimmers, fans, garage doors, heaters, ac, etc) along with UAV's. I've designed the website/backend in my head and on paper and have emplimented some of it but due to a recent surgery I havn't been able to get much done. I'd be happy to collaborate if you feel that our two projects similar enough to merit collaboration.
Replies
This is a great question. We should develop some common standards for open-source autopilots. What we've done in the most sophisticated one we've made so far (the Windows Mobile cellphone autopilot) was a basic data structure that looked like this
--Waypoint number
--Lat, Lon [altitude]
--Flight behavior: pass, circle once, loiter until further instruction, etc..
--Task: photograph, video, drop something, etc
More sophisticated autopilots have lots of conditionals, ranging from adapting imaging angle to the current sun angle to dropping below cloud cover. They also sometimes have a time component to decide how fast to fly to get to the next waypoint within a set amount of time.
There's no need for us to reinvent the wheel on this, so if you can find a sensible data structure that's used elsewhere, we'd be glad to adopt it.
-Regards