Thanks to the good ideas of Gary Mortimer and others, we're now launching a Trust Time Trial contest. The idea is simple: you set up four waywaypoints, spaced 200m apart, on your own field and time your UAV completing the course. Upload the data in the comments here. Best time on Sept 1 wins (I've got a prize this month--a new FunJet kit).
In the future, we'll add complexity and stricter standards to the trial, but this first one is easy:
1) Must complete the pattern as shown above, totally autonomously (go into auto mode before waypoint 1 and exit after you hit waypoint 1 again). The four points are arranged in a square, with 200m on a side (obviously the two diagonal paths are longer). Any aircraft/autopilot allowed. It doesn't matter how close to the waypoints you get, as long as you pass on the outside of them.
2) For this first one, altitude is not graded.
3) Fastest time to hit all points and return to 1 wins (one lap). Must provide GPS track with timestamps and on-board video. (If you don't have/can't afford a small onboard videocamera like the FlyCamOne 2, we'll let it go this time. But in the future: video or it didn't happen!)
4) Must also demonstrate that fun was had. Kids, picnics, silly hats, marching bands, something.
GPS tracks are best achieved with an onboard GPS datalogger, like the i-Blue 747 or smaller Sanav ML-7. But if you don't have one or don't want to add the weight, you can just capture the GPS track from your telemetry stream, although you'll have to figure out how to convert it to KML format to export to Google Earth (see below). If your Ground Control System has a built-in map+track function, a screen shot of that is fine, but it should be possible for people to check to confirm that your leg lengths are at least 200m.
Evidence data should include these four things:1) Total time, along with aircraft and autopilot used. A photo of the aircraft would be nice.
2) Screen capture of path exported to Google Earth or an equivalent, annotated with waypoints and where autonomy began and ended. Here's a sample from Dean Goedde (waypoints and autonomy not marked):3) GPS datalog file, any format
4) Onboard video, embedded from YouTube or Vimeo. [Not absolutely required but requested]
Yes, open to all autopilots and aircraft. So far we've had ArduPilot and Paparazzi, but I'm going to try to get my own AttoPilot flight in by the end of the month
Well here is my posted time of 210 seconds... I was not in it for speed because this is the first programmed mission for my plane other than the two loiter filghts. I also laid out the course going waaay too wide on the turns but I will say I belive I have the prettiest pattern because I actually turn outside eacy of the four points ;-).... anyway it was fun and I may just put the four points in and fly to them increasing my airspeed. So it's not a time winner but it's a pattern winner in my books!
What a great contest Chris and Gary!
Didn't see it until now but I hope to be able to play and participate!
Silly question - is this open for all autopilots? I am unfortunately not an owner of the Ardu yet...
Nice to see great examples from others like Sami and Nick so far!
Sami is still leading this competition with a time of 1minute 10seconds.
When I was flying the plane at the field, I was starting the clock when I would see the plane make the first turn into waypoint 0 and stop the clock when it exited waypoint 4. This was purely by visual observation, so I took those times to be unofficial.
The "official" times which I posted above are based on the data recorded on the flight log file, which I've also posted above in an Excel file, which are very accurate. If you have a look at the file, I've actually marked the points from which I've taken those times, and again I've taken the time just before entering waypoint 0 (notice that the column WPDist - Distance to Next Waypoint - is always a little over 200m), and just after exiting my last waypoint, and the autopilot entering in H - Loiter/Hold - mode.
Despite the fast times, I think everyone should still have a go at the contest and post their times and pictures of their flights. I really think this contest will drive further positive development of our UAVs and autopilots - both in terms of the planes we use, and the autopilots algorithms and code used- like crosstrack correction as discussed earlier.
Looking forward to seeing everyone else's attempts - well done Gary & Chris for starting this awesome contest.
My flying wing dosn't have live telematry, but i suppose I could setup steaming video from the ground with a webcam - but I don't like our chances of being able to see my 800mm wingspan wing at a distance of 300-400m on a webcam.
Hi Guys :)
Would you believe it - I've missed the best time by 1 second !!!!!!!!!
I forgot to mention earlier, that during these flights, I was also being swooped by a very angry magpy!! It was so funny I had one eye on the plane, and the other on this bird trying to knock me off my feet, and here's me swinging the aerial of the transmitter trying to fend it away!! I did get one back too though when I swooped at it with my plane!! Boy was it fun today!!! haha
I've also attached the flight log file for your perusal.
I still think I can shave a few more seconds from my P.B. time,... so stand by for more flights in the next few days!
Comments
(don't forget to upload your vid/GPS track, too)
Yes, open to all autopilots and aircraft. So far we've had ArduPilot and Paparazzi, but I'm going to try to get my own AttoPilot flight in by the end of the month
Well here is my posted time of 210 seconds... I was not in it for speed because this is the first programmed mission for my plane other than the two loiter filghts. I also laid out the course going waaay too wide on the turns but I will say I belive I have the prettiest pattern because I actually turn outside eacy of the four points ;-).... anyway it was fun and I may just put the four points in and fly to them increasing my airspeed. So it's not a time winner but it's a pattern winner in my books!
Didn't see it until now but I hope to be able to play and participate!
Silly question - is this open for all autopilots? I am unfortunately not an owner of the Ardu yet...
Nice to see great examples from others like Sami and Nick so far!
/Bjorn
Sami is still leading this competition with a time of 1minute 10seconds.
When I was flying the plane at the field, I was starting the clock when I would see the plane make the first turn into waypoint 0 and stop the clock when it exited waypoint 4. This was purely by visual observation, so I took those times to be unofficial.
The "official" times which I posted above are based on the data recorded on the flight log file, which I've also posted above in an Excel file, which are very accurate. If you have a look at the file, I've actually marked the points from which I've taken those times, and again I've taken the time just before entering waypoint 0 (notice that the column WPDist - Distance to Next Waypoint - is always a little over 200m), and just after exiting my last waypoint, and the autopilot entering in H - Loiter/Hold - mode.
Despite the fast times, I think everyone should still have a go at the contest and post their times and pictures of their flights. I really think this contest will drive further positive development of our UAVs and autopilots - both in terms of the planes we use, and the autopilots algorithms and code used- like crosstrack correction as discussed earlier.
Looking forward to seeing everyone else's attempts - well done Gary & Chris for starting this awesome contest.
My flying wing dosn't have live telematry, but i suppose I could setup steaming video from the ground with a webcam - but I don't like our chances of being able to see my 800mm wingspan wing at a distance of 300-400m on a webcam.
Hi Guys :)
Would you believe it - I've missed the best time by 1 second !!!!!!!!!
I forgot to mention earlier, that during these flights, I was also being swooped by a very angry magpy!! It was so funny I had one eye on the plane, and the other on this bird trying to knock me off my feet, and here's me swinging the aerial of the transmitter trying to fend it away!! I did get one back too though when I swooped at it with my plane!! Boy was it fun today!!! haha
Anyway...
My official times for today were:
7:17"58' - 7:19"11' = 1:13
7:21"56'.4 - 7:23"07'.2 = 1:11 (best time)
7:25"22' - 7:26"44'.4 = 1:22
7:28"55'.4 - 7:30"08'.4 = 1:13
I've also attached the flight log file for your perusal.
I still think I can shave a few more seconds from my P.B. time,... so stand by for more flights in the next few days!
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