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
@Cláudio, your radio is not broken. Due you have Mode 1 radio, your throttle is on right stick and that is reason why it will not return back to center. Like said, you can change modes from software too but you also need to make hardware modifications inside radio. You need to dismantle stick return mechanism from your left stick and install it on right stick.
@Chandan i'd say: wait. For now you don't need magneto so much, software works better without it and magneto is in use only when you have GPS hold switched on. On normal flying modes it is not in use at all. It will take about 2 months untill they are in stock again due global IC shortage.
Another thing is that if you get SFE magneto, you will still have problems. Ok even if you can get 3.3v out from OilPan, you still need to have another level shifter dur OilPan I2C data bus is using 5V signal levels and that has to be transferred to 3.3v too and it has to be bidirectional translator. SFE have one translator but that does not work, that's why Jordi created translator on DIY magneto. Also SFE magneto had some capasitor issues which made it unstable.
@Max, have you measured your quad weight?? I'm mounting my APM with screws directly to carrier board and not having problems with it. Yes I can see some vibrations on Configurator but Gyros/Accs what we are using on electornics are rather good, they can resist quite lot of vibrations. Other way it to use small patch of 2 side gyro tape to mount APM on carrier board.
Please helpe me....
Simo
There is a delay in the arming/disarming to prevent accidentally doing it while flying. Try again, but hold the stick in those positions for about 2 seconds.
@Antonio, we only have one version that we are working now and it is on repository. Altitude hold will come later. GPS hold is on it's early alpha and we are testing that.
We are trying to release our first official Alpha_RC1 code in next two weeks or so. This code will have tested +,x flight configurations and Acro/Stable modes including all needed Libraries etc.
So stay tuned..
Is there any version of the code which supports altitute hold or position hold yet that i could help to test.
Regards,
T
Regards,
T
In HK site i can´t find the training cabe to this unit.. anyone knows what cabe to use? and i need to an indication about a training software to helis...any info helps..
Regards,
T
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