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
Does anyone have any code to read the ADIS16355 Acc/Gyr from Analog Devices.. I just happen to have one.
Thanks
Richard
One thing I do not understand about the community tools for the Arducopter project. Why are we all typing comments to this Chris's blog post, instead of opening a discussion forum as it was done for the Aeroquad for instance?
(http://www.diydrones.com/forum/categories/aeroquad-1/listForCategory)
I think it would be easier to find and share information (avoiding also to retype the same questions).
In my case, I still haven't understood what is the roadmap for this project and how someone like me can start from scratch (even though it is pretty clear this version is till in a testing phase)
I still can't wait :-)
You can also use serial monitor to send those values. As in ascii string if nothing else.
i were not able to put floating values as PID values, only numbers like 1, 2, 3 and so on
is that an issue of mine, or is it the program?
ESCs are ArduCopter ESCs that we plan to use in future releases, motors are still a bit so-so. They are really nice looking mots but like most of people can hear from videos, one motor has some bearing problem so it looks like that provider has some quality problems... no thanks, next please :)
John, didn't you know. Props are meant to be flying, not making potato fields ;)
You should check your flying modes and also check xmit factor. You can play with your transmitter gain too on Configurator. My setup is that I have a bit of transmitter gain in use on ArduCopter it self and then I can also switch dualrates from my radio if i want to do really precise flying. All vids was done without D/L and transmitter gain was 0.8 if i remember correctly.
Also, flight is a bit spongy, so I am also playing with gains/PID values a bit. It is possible that the ESCs I chose are not fast enough at reacting to Arducopter's needs... We will see.
Ok videos are not the best ones but it gives idea how it looks when you have LED's on it. Furthest distance that I flew it today was about 50m away and 20m of altitude and it just glows... Tomorrow I will get some more LED's (if our shops are open again due holidays) and put few on that battery mount too. I still have some PID tunings to do on stable mode so mainly been flying on Acro but even that both modes works just great. On Stable is levels really nicely tho yaw I still have a bit "springy" feeling but like said, i have not tuned it yet and all settings are on their defaults.
*stealth mode
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