Using a computer tablet as a navigation interface?

Ultimately, I'd like to have a touchscreen on my ground station, but I doubt a pure tablet system would be a great idea. The reason I'm planning to have a touchscreen is actually semi-coincidence; it was just a small screen that I wanted, but most of the ones I can find are things like the Arduino TouchShield screens, which are touch-sensitive. The purpose of the screen will be to display telemetry data graphically, so it's more intuitive than things like the ArduStation's LCD, but I figured if it's touch-sensitive then I might as use that. I'm using a BeagleBoard for the groundstation/controller, so it has the processing power. Maybe the ability to draw a path on the screen and have the software plot waypoints that make the UAV follow the path you've drawn?

Anyways, that's a long way down the line, and it's mostly just a bonus side-effect of not being able to find a suitable non-touch-sensitive screen of that size. If it can't be done, for any reason - hardware, software, budget, whatever - then I don't particularly mind. I'd advise against dispensing with manual control entirely though, just in case, and for that you really need the conventional stick setup.

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Angus Peart February 17, 2010 at 2:53am

I use a tablet, but a proper one running a full OS.
Touchscreens aren't that useful for mapping applications, you really want a digitizer with a pen.
Things like the iPad are also useless outdoors, you need to consider that when buying a tablet.
anaximander February 17, 2010 at 2:36am

Ultimately, I'd like to have a touchscreen on my ground station, but I doubt a pure tablet system would be a great idea. The reason I'm planning to have a touchscreen is actually semi-coincidence; it was just a small screen that I wanted, but most of the ones I can find are things like the Arduino TouchShield screens, which are touch-sensitive. The purpose of the screen will be to display telemetry data graphically, so it's more intuitive than things like the ArduStation's LCD, but I figured if it's touch-sensitive then I might as use that. I'm using a BeagleBoard for the groundstation/controller, so it has the processing power. Maybe the ability to draw a path on the screen and have the software plot waypoints that make the UAV follow the path you've drawn?

Anyways, that's a long way down the line, and it's mostly just a bonus side-effect of not being able to find a suitable non-touch-sensitive screen of that size. If it can't be done, for any reason - hardware, software, budget, whatever - then I don't particularly mind. I'd advise against dispensing with manual control entirely though, just in case, and for that you really need the conventional stick setup.
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Gary Mortimer February 16, 2010 at 11:26pm

Your wallet will be lighter can that help?
Jack Crossfire February 16, 2010 at 9:19pm

Probably going to look like Wired Reader, but for all the amazing eye candy you can make with pads, how much is it going to contribute to the process of flying? Is the altitude going to be higher, the flight time longer, or the speed faster because of the pad?

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Using a computer tablet as a navigation interface?

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