As some of you may have noticed at the recent SUSB Expo in San Francisco, we’ve been busy working on a brand-new, consumer-friendly quadcopter. The day has finally come to officially take off the wraps and show it to you all. Here it is: Iris.
3DR Iris provides the autonomous functionality you’ve come to know and love in APM:Copter with a next generation PX4-based 32-bit autopilot (UPDATE: this has now been announced, and is called Pixhawk) and an all-in-one housing.
Building on the existing 3DR family of multi-rotor vehicles, Iris is compact, ready-to-fly, and fully autonomous. Navigate from takeoff to landing with point-and-click mission planning and configurable GPS waypoints, all from your mobile device or computer. Iris supports the full set of features offered by APM:Copter, including loiter, altitude hold, return to launch, circle, follow me, acrobatic flying mode, and more. With a stylish, durable, and sleek body, Iris is designed with a wide angle between the front arms to provide a clear view for an on-board camera--add a GoPro Hero 3(R) to capture your favorite moments from a unique perspective.
Features:
Multiple control options provide redundancy and flexibility: RC, computer, phone, tablet
Built-in data radio for real-time mission monitoring, data-logging, and control
Powerful cross-platform ground station/mission planning and analysis software that runs on Windows, OS X and Linux, providing simple point-and-click programming and configuration
Mobile apps allow intuitive “draw a path” mission planning
Picatinny rail mounting system integrated in the arms provides painless mounting for future accessories (stay tuned!)
Camera options include a live video link with programmable on-screen-display, and will soon support a fully integrated stabilized camera gimbal with autopilot control
GoPro(R) compatible camera mount
Available with a 9-channel RC transmitter pre-programmed for the most popular flight modes.
GPS waypoints allow for professional-grade mission capabilities, such as: mapping, scripted cinematography, scientific research, and other applications where repeatable flight plans are required
Robust arms and feet produced from Zytel Nylon(R) for the ultimate in wear, abrasion and impact resistance over a wide temperature range. They are easily and inexpensively replaced if required.
Auto takeoff and landing along with Return-To-Launchpoint command at the press of a button or under programmable failsafe conditions
Follow Me function for the ultimate "selfies". In this mode, Iris will follow (at an adjustable distance) any ground station device equipped with a GPS antenna and one of our 3DR telemetry/control radios
Geo Fencing provides a virtual box to keep your drone within a user-selectable space
Failsafe programming options bring peace of mind in the event of lost control signal/GPS or low battery conditions
External micro-USB port
- RGB LED for status and orientation
Buzzer for audible status and warning messages
Safety switch adds a second level of protection against inadvertent start-ups
Open source flight code, ground station software and electronics are all freely distributed under standard open source licenses. This means that Iris' capabilities are always improving and expanding with a simple firmware update!
Specifications:
Motor to motor dimension: 550 mm
Height: 100 mm
Weight (with battery): 1282 grams
Average flight time: 9-14 minutes
Standard battery: 11.1v 3.5Ah lithium polymer with XT-60 type connector, weight 262 grams
Propellers: (2) 10 x 4.7 normal-rotation, (2) 10 x 4.7 reverse-rotation
Motors: AC 2830, 850kv
Telemetry/Control radios available in 915mHz or 433mHz
PX4-based 32-bit autopilot with Cortex M4 processor
3DR uBlox GPS with integrated magnetometer
Iris is currently available in a developer release for experienced operators to participate in the ongoing development of this exciting new product. Iris developer pre-orders are available now from store.3drobotics.com and will ship September 16th. Operators not interested in development are encouraged to wait for the consumer release of Iris coming soon!
Official press release can be found here.
Comments
Can you elaborate on the cost of the arms? $34 each (with the legs) seems a bit pricy compared to other arms on the market. Is there anything special about them other than the high grade Nylon? It also appears that the rail system is integrated into the arms? Why do you offer red legs, but not arms? Are the motor wires integrated into the arms like DJI S800?
I like how the motors are well protected, but that might affect cooling of the motors and also limits upgrade/replacement options.
I'd like to applaud 3D Robotics for telling us about their upcoming stuff. A lot of companies these days keep their upcoming products secret because they don't want people to stop buying their old stuff in anticipation of new stuff. I much prefer the openness in which 3D Robotics operates and will be ready to fork over a stack of cash when the new stuff arrives.
Federico, for larger needs I think one of the prebuilt Y6's would do, but it would seem fitting to give the option for PX4 as the autopilot in those.
It will be nice if you made 3 version:
Small Medium Heavy
Who buys an integrated system such as iris wants a system ready that there is no need to put your hands in the settings or else.
I have a gopro? small one
I have some other heavy equip, i'll take the heavy version!
This is my thought, of course!
Great job 3dr :)
Alex,
Bill Bonney is also developing an app called MAVPilot for iOS.
Wow, completely missed that project. Awesome stuff. Looking forward to release!
The FightingWalrus guys are releasing an iOS app.
Alex: Consumer release will be approximately one month after the developer release (ie, early/mid Oct)
I know there are still more details to come, but is there much different between the developer version and the consumer release? Are we looking at like 2 months before consumer release? A quarter, half year?
Alex,
You can mount that gimbal on your hex, I'm sure.
Have you flown a Phantom? They are quite small, I think a GoPro with gimbal is really a lot to ask for such a little toy.
The Iris is what you are looking for. It's really easy to just grab and go, especially if you are using a tablet for your ground-station. I've hiked down cliffs to the ocean with a complete setup, no troubles.
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