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
My opinion is that folding arms are useful in some applications, but they also bring with them considerable complexity and compromise strength. So I'm glad to have a nice option without folding arms. There are plenty of other machines available with folding arms if you must have that.
Dany, the arms are removable/replaceable, but it's not a quick/field operation. For people who want a folding copter, we recommend our Y6, which is designed for that.
Very nice and stiff arms!
I still think we need removable arms.... or some way to fold them.... This could be the dealbreaker for many on such platform. We would like it to be the ultimate "bring with you" copter. Is there any way you can see this done?
Dany
www.CanadaDrones.com
@ Mr. Chris Anderson;
I'm very excited about this unit, but more importantly than any other products out there that hold you hostage the moment you want to do any Autonomous flying and either they charge you to death or block you.
My question is, how do you envision for developers to build Autonomous apps and what type of software development environment is required to build this sort of apps?
I'm a .Net C# developer and would like to know if my background is sufficient for this type of development.
Thank you in advance!
..Ben
Sorry I mean Joshua, not Justin!!! :)
Thanks Justin! I originally though larger props were going to be easy but with the wide front stance how large can we go. I assume 11" props would be ok, what about 12" props?
Andy,
This ESC/Power Module will handle 4s battery voltage.
Thanks for that Info, @Chris and @Andy.
Shyam,
I think there is room for improvement with some lower kv Tiger motors and larger props on 4S (assuming the ESCs will handle 4S). I'm looking to maximize flight time with an ultralight brushless gimbal.
Shyam: It's the same flight time as a similar-sized quad with this battery. 9-14 min, depending on payload.
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