Posted by Ony Arifianto on December 22, 2009 at 9:47am
Hi everyone !I am planning to build a flying laboratory for automatic control development. I am really interested in using ArduPilot (The ArduPilot+ArduIMU config.) as the core, since it is simple, affordable and yet powerful (great work guys!!!).I have a special need of making two (or more) UAVs flying at the same time, they can exchange information on positions, velocities and their next 2 (or more) waypoints. Further, each UAV must update their own waypoints, based on the information received from the other(s). Do you think ArduPilot can be reprogrammed to do this task?If I need a larger programming memory or processor capability, can I combine 2 ArduPilot (or 2 ArduPilot Mega) and make them work together as 1 autopilot ?Best,Ony.
You need to be a member of diydrones to add comments!
I'll weigh in and say yes to all of the above. Not necessarily easy (but it's only time and money : ), and too much to describe here. But, in a nutshell:
A) Gary is right regarding one pilot, one platform. But all this means is that someone has to be on the transmitter/failsafe for each vehicle, not that you can't fly multiple vehicles. Flying laboratory - is this for a university project or other research task? "... based on the information received from the other..." - swarming?
B) two-way communications via Serial port output and use available pin for NewSoftSerial input (noting issues described on this site regarding performance [use binary data, as little data as possible, and/or programmatic re-sends]). Study XBee programming for help with communications via the hardware.
C) Not clear whether you expect to pre-program waypoints and have each vehicle react to comms in flight (which could be simple, keeping in mind the available storage for code and waypoints, and/or the method to 'fetch' waypoints - SRAM or EEPROM or ??), or whether you really mean "update their own waypoints".
D) keep it simple and trim any fat you can find/don't need (e.g., minimize strings, and store what you do need in flash, not sram). It is not clear what you mean by "work together as 1 autopilot", and it is not necessarily true that you would need a 2nd board, but if so ArduPilot to ArduPilot communications is possible via I2C, or ???
Thanks for the concern, I will let my department aware of this issue.
Yes, I'd love to have ArduPilot Mega onboard, but unfortunately I have to start my project right away, so ArduPilot is my best option for the time being (if it can handle 2 way communications). Is it possible to make the autopilot logic updating the waypoints?
Your biggest problem will be that regulators in most parts of the world will require, one pilot one airframe. Legal multiple vehicles and a single operator are a long way off!!!
But thats a really negative post, I'm sure there will be some nicer ones!!
Replies
A) Gary is right regarding one pilot, one platform. But all this means is that someone has to be on the transmitter/failsafe for each vehicle, not that you can't fly multiple vehicles. Flying laboratory - is this for a university project or other research task? "... based on the information received from the other..." - swarming?
B) two-way communications via Serial port output and use available pin for NewSoftSerial input (noting issues described on this site regarding performance [use binary data, as little data as possible, and/or programmatic re-sends]). Study XBee programming for help with communications via the hardware.
C) Not clear whether you expect to pre-program waypoints and have each vehicle react to comms in flight (which could be simple, keeping in mind the available storage for code and waypoints, and/or the method to 'fetch' waypoints - SRAM or EEPROM or ??), or whether you really mean "update their own waypoints".
D) keep it simple and trim any fat you can find/don't need (e.g., minimize strings, and store what you do need in flash, not sram). It is not clear what you mean by "work together as 1 autopilot", and it is not necessarily true that you would need a 2nd board, but if so ArduPilot to ArduPilot communications is possible via I2C, or ???
Good luck, and let us all know if you proceed!
Yes, I'd love to have ArduPilot Mega onboard, but unfortunately I have to start my project right away, so ArduPilot is my best option for the time being (if it can handle 2 way communications). Is it possible to make the autopilot logic updating the waypoints?
But thats a really negative post, I'm sure there will be some nicer ones!!