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
https://code.google.com/p/arducopter/
go to Source -> browse
then svn -> trunk -> arducopter
copy all files on your pc and there you are
Is there a version of code for the Quad that will support this data collection.?
Excellent work.. Thanks
@Dimos, just in case 3 or disconnect + (middle wire) from 3 of your ESCs. It is only needed that one will support power for APM. I am working on with power regulator that is installed on power distributor board. I should have first protos in 1-2 weeks.
why not use the ESCs from the Mikrokopter projekt?
1) yes, I have connected all ESCs directly to APM output (+ - and s)
2) No, do not use external BEC, only by ESCs
To make it sure for everyone, here is picture of one solder wire roll that I found from internet..
On my P-PCB i have about 1mm thick layer of solder and it works great.
@Chandan, reason why so many is using Turnigy ESC's is that they are quite good. They have good FETs and also it is possible to program them directly from microcontroller. Most of ESC needs to be calibrated manually one-by-one. But with a proper program in APM or other device, we can calibrate them all at same time. AeroQuad for example uses this feature. And we might include this to ArduCopter too but first I need to find proper ESCs for us to use in future DIY KITs.
We do have already few suppliers that we are discussing but to be sure we need a lot field testings first. Same goes with motors. On my latest ArduCopter I already have future ArduCopter motors mounted (most probably). But still, we need more tests untill final combination can be locked down.
90% of beta frames are now shipped out. And people will start receiving them at end of this week/beginning of next. Rest 10% will be shipped out before end of this week.
http://search.digikey.com/scripts/DkSearch/dksus.dll?Cat=1310836&am...
or for the cheap -
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.4711
you could use the spool, i personally like the paste for a larger area. just spread it on w/ a popsicle stick, and i use a hot plate & skillet dedicated to just electronics/hobby stuff - not stuff you would eat off of to cook it. another reason is my soldering irons broke and i am waiting for a decent real soldering iron to come in, so at this very moment, this was the only way i could get this done anyway :) take about 6mins to flow completely. it stays on the metal to very well - two of the traces connected but as it turned shiny, it moved back to just the metal areas
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