I've asked this same question over at multirotorforums.com given everyone there seem to be flying high end commercial gear, but I'd like to hear from the DIY side as well.
Any opinions on using APM2.5 or the PX4 as a flight controller for a commercial copter purpose built for aerial photography like a Droidworx? After putting a full frame DSLR on one of those puppies you won't get much change back from $6,0000+.
So what do you think? Are the open source products appropriate for use in this application. And this isn't about money, I'm a huge supporter of open source so if it's appropriate for the intended use then that's the way I'm going.
Cheers.
Replies
Here's my honest and unbiased opinion:
In the past, I would have told you (and I did to others) that the APM wasn't appropriate for your application. It simply wasn't reliable enough. But for the past 8 months or so, I do believe the system is fairly robust. I think the code is as stable as anything else out there. I'm sure I'll get flack for that, but I believe it's true.
Is it perfect? No. But no system is perfect. There is some data which would suggest that APM is still less reliable, but I'm not really sure it's based on accurate statistics. One of the biggest problems with the data is user bias. Simply put, people who pay big money for expensive systems are less likely to report problems than those who have have bought something termed "DIY", and that is affordable. This extends beyond just auto-pilots, it also affects reporting of automotive quality data for example.
So, is the APM for you? It depends. I think the APM is more capable than any other system available in the sub-$50k market space. However, it is hard to use. You have to pay attention to setup, and do a lot of reading to learn how it works. If you're just a casual user and only interested in basic functions (stabilized flight, position hold, rtl), then you may find another system is simply easier to configure and use.
However, if you want waypoints, and higher failsafe functionality, and you're deeply involved in this stuff as a hobby or professional usage, then the APM (or PX4) is for you.
Most of those recent Chinese APs have leant on OS work heavily (ripped off and re-badged). Perhaps what is really needed is bullet proof RTF systems for folks that don't have the time or inclination to tune. I believe with the AR.drone and Phantom that journey is just starting.
Not so long ago I remember a friend of mine buying a flight controller for a quad that cost him £1000 things have moved fast and are accelerating.
Aviation regulators are beginning to catch up, the question will become not which is best but which controllers conform to whatever standards are put into place (ASTM F-38) in the USA for instance.
Considering the number of s800 that has just fallen out the sky/flipped over, flew away not to mention the number of wookong m issues out there, the naza issues out the MK issues out there, need i carry on. I think the bottom line in this hobby/proffessional means of carrying a camera the bottom line remains if you are not prepared to put it down hard and walk away when required, you should be flying it....... just my 5c and i own NAZA wooking APM2.5 Multiwii and have flown them on various craft, bottom line is what goes up must come down lets hope they it comes down controlled.
:-)
Steadidrone.com is using APM's, however the APM's loiter is not quite there yet, it's not bad but should be better. Tuning an APM properly is also time consuming and doesn't "just work" on all airframes. The new version *should* fix loiter otherwise I don't see a reason why not.