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]
LOL this is PRECISELY against my navigation which OBEYS the waypoint angles with great programming effort. Megafun debug guaranteed. You are evil.
For now the best time wins. How about other criteria?
I'd like to take part in this contest as well.
I've been dealing with autopoilots for 2 years now and my targets have been return to launch and automatic thermal hunting (I'm into sailplanes). I'm using custom autopilot, which is built by myself. It uses 16-bit dsPIC microcontroller, measures speed and altitude with pressure sensor, is stabilized with acceleration sensors and gyroscopes and uses GPS for finding its way home when needed. Waypoint navigation has not been in focus and also precision requirements have been quite relaxed, but I improved on that during past 7 days and now managed to complete pattern, in about 75 seconds. Autopilot's behaviour is far from perfect and I will continue to improve it, but I may not be able to achieve significant success before deadline. Anyway, its a great competition!
For the next trial, I think it would be a good idea if we have a starting line. Something like a gate defined by two waypoints outside the main course. To start the timer we would have to pass between the two waypoints, same for the end of the course. That would make calculating our times much easier (and consistently).
I also agree with Krysztof, we should be designing the trials to challenge autopilots and flight plans. BTW, thanks for taking the initiative Gary, it is a lot a fun and I am sure it will end up improving our autopilots as the trials become more challenging.
Okay, Chris, finally I got around to catching up on posts, so I will fly the course again within the next couple of days and set my "problem corner" route waypoint farther out so that it will fly outside the box.
Can the actual programmed route have as many route waypoints as desired as long as it goes outside the corners??
Comments
For now the best time wins. How about other criteria?
Time to find out what the Estonian flag looks like.
I'd like to take part in this contest as well.
I've been dealing with autopoilots for 2 years now and my targets have been return to launch and automatic thermal hunting (I'm into sailplanes). I'm using custom autopilot, which is built by myself. It uses 16-bit dsPIC microcontroller, measures speed and altitude with pressure sensor, is stabilized with acceleration sensors and gyroscopes and uses GPS for finding its way home when needed. Waypoint navigation has not been in focus and also precision requirements have been quite relaxed, but I improved on that during past 7 days and now managed to complete pattern, in about 75 seconds. Autopilot's behaviour is far from perfect and I will continue to improve it, but I may not be able to achieve significant success before deadline. Anyway, its a great competition!
Video is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKWJxHZveeA
Its recorded with Flycamone v1, so there is no quality.
Here are my autopilot-related pictures
Here are KML and gps datalogger files: (kml is cut, gps file is as is)
t3a.kml
G170627.TXT
Regards,
Andrus Kangro
I also agree with Krysztof, we should be designing the trials to challenge autopilots and flight plans. BTW, thanks for taking the initiative Gary, it is a lot a fun and I am sure it will end up improving our autopilots as the trials become more challenging.
Can the actual programmed route have as many route waypoints as desired as long as it goes outside the corners??
How about meeting sort of half way and make them 100m apart.
I'm worried about your eyes if you can't stand in the middle and see 200 and a bit metres!
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