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]
What's the point of that trial? Larger, out of sight in many cases, fast run. Even more speed-oriented than Xbox. Are we testing ariframes (Funjet would win) or autopilots?
How about replacing 200m by 50m?
Thanks Gary! I don't think any more laps are necessary for my setup as it is probably as fast as it gets with the SUperMiss. I was actually surprised that it cruised around @ 45-50 kph in spite of the short legs.
Fun competition and nice to see the other entries - bring on the next one! :).
..and finally another video from last nights best flight. I am quite happy with the Creative Vado HD and it manages well with the motor runnig in the SuperMiss.
I'm at the beach this week with both the ArduPilot and AttoPilot EasyStars, so I'll be posting some more tracks. But I'm unlikely to beat the top two times so unless Jordi brings out his Funjet I don't see radical changes in the standings.
Well done Bjorn there is only one more potential player out there that I have heard about and 8 days of the competition remaining, things will pretty much stay like this I think.
Chris - thanks - and you are right, I accidently took away too much of the pattern - here is a corrected example and flying time more exact too - 88 secs. I also agree that the SuperMiss helps here to make smooth turns Kboskak - ah my mistake, didnt know that you had to compress files - and thanks!
Ios - I have done quite a few small missions takeing photo/video of our area, my worksite etc but I have two longer missions planed with a chase boat - awaiting weather and a free day for my boat captain who is also an airline captain (appropriate wouldnt you say?)
Here are the logs from flight #2 and #3 - I think this is about as good as it gets with my setup. Video and full log files to follow!
Comments
How about replacing 200m by 50m?
Start 200m south of the first pole then follow the arrows around the poles and then finish point 200m north of the last pole.Hitting the virtual stumps as you go. A chance for a nation to retaliate ;-)
If you don't know what the ashes are you won't understand that!
Fun competition and nice to see the other entries - bring on the next one! :).
..and finally another video from last nights best flight. I am quite happy with the Creative Vado HD and it manages well with the motor runnig in the SuperMiss.
/Björn " target="_blank">
Or will they?
Chris - thanks - and you are right, I accidently took away too much of the pattern - here is a corrected example and flying time more exact too - 88 secs. I also agree that the SuperMiss helps here to make smooth turns Kboskak - ah my mistake, didnt know that you had to compress files - and thanks!Ios - I have done quite a few small missions takeing photo/video of our area, my worksite etc but I have two longer missions planed with a chase boat - awaiting weather and a free day for my boat captain who is also an airline captain (appropriate wouldnt you say?)
Here are the logs from flight #2 and #3 - I think this is about as good as it gets with my setup. Video and full log files to follow!
Cheers,
Björn
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