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
T
Our video TX and RX is VTX1394S / VRX1394S (1.4GHz) from
http://www.radiodata.co.uk/Products/rdt-video.htm#14ghz
I have got a promo vid somewhere will see if i can upload it, we record on the heli (not a quad) and the video downlink is for the camera operator only. On the quad we use a 5.8Ghz system from here :-
http://www.heliguy.com/Extras/Video-Downlink/Stinger-Pro-5.8Ghz-AVD... something like this but watch for the power output for your country.
Regards,
T
Different radio controls / receivers can be on the same frequency type i.e. 35Mhz or 2.4Ghz as they only receive low power. The problems comes when you transmit say 2.4ghz telemetry and receive 2.4Ghz control receiver. Because even tho the two 2.4ghz systems are on different frequencies the transmitter swamps the receiver and can cause problems. Our camera heli has two Futaba 2.4Ghz receivers, one for flight control and one to control the mount both with seperate transmitter on the ground but our video transmitter is on 1.4Ghz and for us this is safe. Hope this makes sense.
T
I think for the privacy issues it will be better not to post any official list in here, also this forum is not the best for that purpose anyways. Sure if you guys/gals really want to do it, it can be done in our issue list rather than here. Anyways we cannot "stop" anyone to making a issue post with a text that "I want to have ArduCopter". And then others can comment with their name saying me too...
It will be much more easier to manage that list if there is some problems later. Issue list for tracking different issues can always found from http://code.google.com/p/arducopter/issues/list
I will post ETA information to there too.
From next batch there should be enough for everyone atleast for next few months or so. After that production starts to be more constant so we can fill all Santa's whishes ;)
We have some other issues to solve first and after those we can continue working with baro and others.
@Craig, yes if you put your IMU to box, it will affect on baro readings. It should be in well ventilated area and not close to propeller turbulence areas. Ok most cases it is like that but just to make sure for everyone.
Also direct sunlight to electronics is always a bit bad due sunlight can heat electronics too much and that way affect on gyro/acc/baro etc readings. Eg. don't put APM on top most mounting plates.
Do not care that NG code says, it's huge "work-on-process" program that does not work at all and many things on that will change before it's even flyable.
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