I'm pleased to announce that we've joined forces with the other Arduino-based powerhouse in the aerial robotics world, the AeroQuad quadcopter team, to extend the ArduPilot platform to whirlybirds of all kinds. The project, called ArduCopter, will use the ArduPilotMega and IMU shield hardware along with a low-cost custom platform that will be available commercially to provide a full quad UAV with both stabilization and GPS waypoint navigation. It builds on the awesome work of Jose Julio in ArduPilot quad development, with the excellent full-systems integration of the AeroQuad team. We expect that first code and hardware will be available this summer.
And here's the impressive work of the AeroQuad team:
Another team is also extending this to traditional helis, starting with the Trex 450 heli (and its equivalents), which should be ready for release this fall. Along with Blimpduino, this should make for 100% coverage of all aerial robotics platforms on the Arduino platform, with shared libraries and ground stations across projects. Go Arduino!
We'll be setting up a proper microsite here, along with dedicated tab, for the project in the next few days.
If you haven't already seen this preview of what the ArduPilot/ArduIMU combo can do with quads, check this out:
And here's the impressive work of the AeroQuad team:
Here's the announcement from the AeroQuad team:
ArduCopter - The Full Featured UAV Multicopter!
Hey guys, as many of you know the AeroQuad has teamed up with DIY Drones on developing a very full featured multicopter! Chris from DIY Drones has proposed the name of this new effort to be called the ArduCopter! It will be based on the ArduPilot Pro Mega (APM) and the APM sensor board currently nicknamed the Oil Pan. Here's an initial feature list and software road map. Please chime in! Your input is valuable! I'll keep updating this front page until we agree on the first version of the ArduCopter's capabilities.
ArduCopter Feature ListSoftware Roadmap
- 6 Degree of Freedom IMU stabilized control
- Gyro stabilized flight mode enabling acrobatics (loops and barrel rolls)
- GPS for position hold
- Magnetometer for heading determination
- Barometer for altitude hold
- IR sensor integration for obstacle avoidance
- Sonar sensor for automated takeoff and landing capability
- Automated waypoint navigation
- Motor control using low cost standard PWM Electronics Speed Controllers (ESC's)
- On board flight telemetery data storage
- Mounted camera stabilization capability
- Wireless command & telemetry for long distance communication
- Capability to fly in "+", "x", hexa and octo configurations
- Battery level detection
- User configurable LED flight pattern
- Capability to use any R/C receiver
- ArduCopter Configuration and Ground Control Software
- Realtime graphs of flight data
- GUI for configuration of PID and other flight parameters
- On Screen Display integration
- Waypoint programming using Google Maps
- Mixertable view to auto configure "+", "x", hexa and octo configurations
- Initial baseline using Jose Julio's v3 software
- Provides absolute angle PID flight control
- Obstacle avoidance
- Waypoint navigation
- Generalize basic ArduCopter functions (ie. Separate PPM receiver input and motor control functions into separate libraries. Allows future coding of PWM vs. I2C ESC's)
- Emphasis on developing new capability into easy to use C++ libraries
- Integrate user defined EEPROM storage capability
- Develop/optimize AeroQuad serial real-time command/telemetry for ArduCopter
- Integrate AeroQuad Configurator for external software configuration of ArduCopter
- Rename Configurator to Ground Control Station and integrate graphical programming of waypoint navigation
- Integrate AeroQuad rate PID control
- Integrate mixertable configuration for multicopter configurations
- Integrate AeroQuad camera stabilization
- Integrate I2C motor control
- Develop capability to wirelessly control ArduCopter directly from Ground Control Station (USB joystick controller from laptop or through waypoint programming)
Comments
Today we had some small celebrations due first official ArduCopter was airborne. After finetuning it started to behave really nicely. Sure there are still minor problems with software but it is rather good already. Acro mode is for real mans and stable is more for elder people :P
Overall handling feeling was great even tho we still don't have altitude holding features working and also I did not have sonar connected. I was flying a lot indoors today and especially in corridor areas of our office. It's really narrow corridor and due that there are a lot turbulence but ArduCopter managed to fly really nicely there.
After some tweakings to landingears we managed to get it really strong, We had some "crashing" with walls and also hard landings from .5 - 2m altitudes and nothing got broken. So ArduCopter frame can handle rather nice those bumpy rides that beginners will do (and us)
Tomorrow there are plans to do more flying testing and also making some esthetic's treatments for Nr.2's cables :)
To keep you all warm.. here are few latest pics of ArduCopter 1 (back) and ArduCopter 2 (front)
Ok if your receiver and xbee are far enough interference is minimum but still be carefull...
Francis, yes you need to get that OilPAN IMU shield and then you need to get also ArduPilot MEGA from SparkFUN (This is due legal issues. yes we know we know but that's how life is in US ;) )
As optional you can get
- Magneto from DIY
- GPS from DIY, MTEK is best for Quads
- XtreamBee adapter for Xbee
You don't need airspeed, altitude sensors. Ok it would be good to have one of those Maxbotix EZ0...3 Sonars for low altitude sensing. IMU board has pressure sensor already.
Xbee modules can be found from SparkFUN and there are 900Mhz / 2.4Gmz modules.
but what's the board that goes with it? is it: http://store.diydrones.com/product_p/br-dev-09152.htm ,or: http://www.sparkfun.com/commerce/product_info.php?products_id=9710
also are there other frequencies for the xbee if I don't want to use 900mhz?
finally, can I integrate this? : http://www.sparkfun.com/commerce/product_info.php?products_id=9358
thank you!
In mean while you can play with ArduCopter or fixedwings..
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