To do this, our blimp has to be able to know its current position in six degrees of freedom: x, y, z, yaw, tilt, pitch. This is hard enough outdoors, but it's especially tricky indoors, where GPS doesn't work. So what we're planning is a blimp with the following components, including a cool IR beacon-based system (shown) to simulate GPS:
- Blimp: BlubberBot envolope (46"), which can carry a 125 gram payload
- Inertial sensors: two-axis accelerometers for tilt and pitch, magnetometer for yaw.
- Position sensors: Evolution Robotics NorthStar system, which uses stationary IR beacons in the room as reference points (not unlike the way a Roomba makes its way back to its charging station)
- Altitude (Z) sensor: untrasonic sensor with 3-meter range
- Three motor system (differential thrust for left and right, and one for up/down), like the Plantraco Microblimp
- CPU: Undecided, but may well be Pic-based.
- Usual I/O, including serial/USB for programming and a servo controller for at least two micro servos (use to be decided)
- Power: 200 mah LiPos (5.4 grams)
- PCB: Approx. 1x1.5 inch board (1/32” thickness for weight savings)
- Programmable in RobotC
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