Announcing ArduCopter, the merger of the ArduPilot and AeroQuad projects!

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.

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 List
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

Software Roadmap
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)

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Comments

Sebastian Gralla August 26, 2010 at 11:42am

Mike: the stage is: "NOT FLYABLE" :)
Mathias, yes, it can do a lot of it yet, more to come
Moderator

John Church August 26, 2010 at 11:04am

You can imagine what this feature will do for pirouetting 3D on a traditional heli! :)
Moderator

John Church August 26, 2010 at 11:00am

Hey Mathias, that's pretty slick! It reminds me of the old Vectron control. Vectron was a tri-rotor tethered flying gadget that used IR to "see" where the pilot was located and reacted to controls from the pilot's perspective.
Mathias August 26, 2010 at 10:49am

hi,
i just saw this function of the mikrokopter:
http://www.mikrokopter.de/ucwiki/VideoAbspielen?id=207

is anything like that planed for the arducopter?
Mike August 26, 2010 at 9:33am

Any video of the heli version working and what stage is it at - position and altitude hold yet?
Cláudio Miklos August 26, 2010 at 8:50am

Ok Jani... the problem are this .5 :-) What radio combination do you use to test arducopter?
Developer

Jani Hirvinen August 26, 2010 at 7:11am

In generally if that device is designed for R/C use and you can connect normal servos to it... It will work with ArduCopter too. So basically all world R/C radios will work. Well 99.5% at least :)
Dan Sibisan August 26, 2010 at 5:35am

Yes Claudio , it shod work fine .
I think i getting this myself , it`s very affordable for a quick replace.
Cláudio Miklos August 26, 2010 at 3:48am

Hi John and Jani, tahnks for the reply.

I have a good offer for that: ECLIPSE 7 2.4 GHZ + OPTIMA 7

If you think that this model of radio and receptor will work... i will use it... what you say?
Tom Lanhaus August 25, 2010 at 11:21pm

I just did exactly that. I replaced Serial. with Serial3. throughout the code and I am able to get telemetry data. Thank you for your quick response.

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