ADNS3080 Optical flow sensor now available in the DIYDrones store!

In case you're looking for an optical flow sensor, there is now one available in the DIYDrones store for a penny under $40.

This sensor is based on the ADNS3080 mouse sensor which is a good choice for optical flow because:
   high resolution: 30 x 30 pixel frames meaning it can see features that lesser mice cannot
   high speed: 2000 to 6400 frames per second update rate which contributes to better low light performance than other mouse sensors
   SPI interface meaning it can be interfaced to many micro controllers and co-exist with other sensors

Other features:

Intended to interface with a 5v microcontroller.
8mm lens with 11 deg FOV
Standard M12x0.5 lens mount meaning you can replace the lense easily if required

Instructions for connecting the sensor to your APM/Oilpan are here.

Things to be careful of:

Performs best outdoors in well lit environments
Does not play well with Fluorescent lights (the blinking throws off the sensor)
Needs a somewhat varied surface to see movement (plain carpets are not it's friend)

Uses including odometry and obstacle avoidance but I've used it mostly for horizontal position hold.

Note: integration with ACM and the existing GPS pos hold is a work-in-progress but should hopefully be completed in a few weeks. Here is a video of a slightly modified version of the ACM code using only optical flow (and sonar for altitude hold).

Inspiration and some technical help especially early on came from Marko Klein Berkenbusch and his blog on position hold with mouse sensor.

Hope you like it, all comments welcome!

You need to be a member of diydrones to add comments!

Join diydrones

Comments

sufal thakuri May 5, 2014 at 4:21am

Hi,

I am using optical flow ADNS 3080 for my project, I used python and grabbed image and all the set-up was fine but now my sensor does not work with mission planner. If I reset APM then it works for some-time and then displays no values again. I am using latest firmware for quadcopter and of_loiter mode to enable optical flow. Can someone tell me where I am wrong..any suggestions..??

Thanks in advance

Sufal
Viktor March 26, 2014 at 6:21am

Thank you! I read (translated) inattentively.
Chose option "B". Tested in two programs. In the program "Mission Planner" the test does not work.
Developer

Randy March 26, 2014 at 4:30am

B is correct I think. If you look closely on the wiki page you'll find it says, "Default mounting is lens pointing down, pins forward" although we should have made it more obvious by orienting the sensor in the picture the correct way.
Viktor March 26, 2014 at 2:24am

What direction is correct A, B, C, D.
Viktor March 25, 2014 at 8:28am

OF_Loiter test was a failure. On the product's ADNS-3080 Optical Flow V1.0 no label forward.

What should be the direction?
Developer

Randy February 16, 2014 at 10:06pm

Sufal,

Yes, it should.
sufal thakuri February 16, 2014 at 6:03am

Hi,

Does ADNS-3080 works with APM 2.6 ..?

thanks
Jose Olcese June 17, 2013 at 8:36am

I also want it!
Doug Walmsley June 10, 2013 at 9:55am

Any idea when 3D Robotics plans to sell the Optical Flow Sensor for ArduPilot 2.5? I noticed there hasn't been much discussion in the last few months.
Rui Zou April 11, 2013 at 1:00pm

Hi Randy, do you know anywhere where I can get the optical flow sensor? I really need it badly. I'm now working on some projects using the arducopters. We've got 4 arducopters with APM 2.5, and we need to hold the position without GPS. I think the optical flow sensors can satisfy our requirements, but they're no longer on 3DR's website now.

Thanks.

of 11

This reply was deleted.