We are Phenox Lab,  a drone research group in the university of Tokyo.

We have posted the FPGA based quad-copter robots, which can fly fully autonomously in on-board system by conducting self-position estimation using visual feature points, which we named Phenox.

http://diydrones.com/profiles/blogs/phenox-fpga-based-microquad-runs-linux

After that, we have continued to study the hardware and its flight system to enable these micro drones to proceed more practical applications. The main change is that the latest Phenox installs USB host function and can be equipped with Wifi modules.

For this change, users can install tons of applications of Linux operating system to customize flight control applications.(To know the detail of the our flight control system, please visit our previous posts.)

To suggest one example, we have installed node.js and websocket to the on-board Linux system to change Phenox to a "flying web-server".

Because flight control system and Linux operating system are running in different CPUs, Phenox 2 can hover stably even if the network connection is down.

Users can edit and compile Linux operating system in Phenox itself, so no need to install any other SDKs to off-board system. Off course, users can use "ssh" command to login Phenox systen.

The last news is that we have launched the Kickstarter project to release Phenox 2 very recently.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2040441468/phenox-2-a-programmable-drone-and-platform

If you are interested in our products, please ask us questions freely!

Thank you.

Hi DIY Drones,

We have kept on updating our prototype, and finally we just got on the stage to release our original quadcopter on Kickstarter.

"Phenox" is an intelligent and interactive drone - just fits in your hand. It is also a programmable platform specially designed for DIY hackers.

We will start crowd funding on Kickstarter for Phenox in a few days. Let's fly your creativity with Phenox!

Phenox has three unique features - intelligent, interactive and programmable.

Onboard Intelligence

We uniquely developed “intelligent self-control system (ISCS)” for Phenox. ISCS enables Phenox to hover stably without any ground stations. With this technology, it remains quite small - almost fits in your hand. This is the world-first successful quadcopter realizing both this smallness and full autonomy within the system in small body.

Interact with Your Voice and Movement

With onboard front-camera, bottom-camera and microphone, Phenox interacts with your voice and movement. There is no need to use controllers anymore. You have only to call and put out your hand to make interaction.

Programmable - Your code flies Linux!

Zynq-7000 Soc (two CPU cores and FPGA) is used for main CPU chip. The software system of Phenox is designed based on Linux OS. You don’t need any special develoment environment, only edit program in SD-card and reboot. Following softwares are already in installed in the file system - OpenCV (open-source library for computer vision), Julius (open-source engine for voice recognition). 

Library, tutorial and sample codes are partially available. We will keep on updating the content. Check out phenoxlab.com.

With the library, you can easily make your own application without struggling to fly it stably. Phenox waits for your creative hack!

  Length: 120 mm (motor to motor)

  Weight: 60 g (including battery)

  Operating Time: 30 min (on ground) 5 min (in flight)

  Sensors: two cameras, mic, IMU, range sensor, battery monitor

  Voltage: 11.8 V

  Payload: 25 g

     - Main CPU: XC7Z010-1CLG400C(Zynq-7000, 667 MHz)

     - Communication: Bluetooth

     - DDR3 SDRAM: MT41J128M16JT, (256 MB, 533 MHz)

     - Storage: SD Card (4 GB)

     - Battery: Lipo 3 Cell Battery (180 mAh)　
     - OS: Linux Ubuntu

We are going to distribute only 30 units of Phenox laboratory model as rewards for early limited backers. There are also other backer levels available for original booklet and spare parts. Any kind of your support will help us bring Phenox into reality.

Through Kickstarter, we look forward to feedbacks from hackers. Their hacks and feedbacks will be the most important factor to make Phenox more meaningful.

More information is available on phenoxlab.com.

Hi, drone developers. I am a master student at department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, University of Tokyo.

Let me share our ‘Completely Autonomous (Onboard Processing) Palm-sized Quadcopter’, developed in our lab.

PERFORMANCE

Check out <video1> to see how it flies without any control by external equipments. All the processing required to maintain stable flight is done inside the onboard computer.

<video1>

This performance is realized by processing images obtained by the camera attached at the bottom of quadcopter and by real-time self localization. As mentioned above, all these calculation is processed onboard. So it needs no external system to fly stably. (Actually the quadcopter is communicating with PC only to transmit flight log. It receives no signal.)

STRUCTURE

Here is the list of components.

- frame (3D printer)

- motor + motor driver + propeller(x4)

- main board

  - MCU(Cortex-M4)

  - FPGA(Spartan-6)

  - DDRSDRAM(64MB)

  - IMUs

     -- KXRB5-2050( 3 axis accelerometer)

     -- LPR4150AL (roll, pitch gyro)

     -- LY3100ALH (yaw gyro)

     -- HMC5883L (3 axis compass)

- battery (x2)

- camera

- sonar sensor

Circuit Overview

Back Side

Side View

The quadcopter in the top picture and the video is an old version. The current version has two cameras - one horizontal and the other downward.

current version of prototype 

Length(motor to motor): 120mm (4.7inches)

Weight: 70g

SYSTEM

The system consists of a CPU(ARM), FPGA and a memory. FPGA enables the very fast onboard processing. 

For further information, please leave comments. (We are now writing more detailed technical description. I hope you will enjoy.)

Horiken engineering,