Batto - Testing the MAV I built for mapping

Ok, I didnt build it all myself, credit goes out to my mate Kim who cut holes and spent a fair bit of time with me on the build :)

So anyway, I wanted a UAV that did something... useful...

Live video is a pain, really easy to do if you dont go the legal route, but when it comes down to it, 10mw is just no fun in the city.

The next best thing has got to be mapping, strap a camera and trigger the shutter, too easy.

Other than that I wanted something under 1kg which isnt too much of an ask if you plan the build properly.

So here is a list of the parts which I ended up using for the aircraft:

  • WindRider EleBee Flying Wing
  • High power metal gear servos... cant remember the name unfortunately
  • MicroDan motor
  • Castle 25A ESC
  • Castle 10A BEC
  • Xtend900 Radio Modem
  • AttoPilot v3.0 AHRS IMU
  • Samsung WP10 digital camera
  • Futaba R319DP RX
  • 2100mAH Lipo's

So after flying it manually we went down to some farmland to try autonomous, test the Millswood GCS / data link & give the autopilot some photo triggers.

All went very well but the photos were rather bland, blurry and meh.

I wasnt expecting too much from that camera, I thought I may have picked the wrong type. The lens was internal and small but it was shock and dust proof.

Regardless, the flight went great and as expected.

Up early the next day to go flying with the guys, brought along Batto for another test. Exactly the same flight plan as yesterday, but today the AttoPilot was setup to cut the motor, level off & snap the picture every 70 meters.

Video below.

So, very happy with the results today!

The uncompressed 12meg photos from the camera look fantastic, alot better then I would have thought.

Hopefully ill get a chance to head out to a friend’s property and let Batto loose over his crops.

If anyone can think of a better canopy than the coreflute one ive installed let me know, it works great but looks very cheap :)

Max

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Comments

  • SilverFox, yes that was the Millswood GCS, im now running HappyKillmore's GCS tho.
  • Thank you very much Max !!! 

     

     

     

  • Moderator
    Thats a Millswood GCS I think http://www.millswoodeng.com.au/
  • Great work. Which GCS are you using?
  • Brian, what do you mean? the 1st video I had camstasia recording the gcs screen, then I did a picture in picture when I edited it up... not sure if thats what you mean?
  • Moderator
    Nice, what did you use to do the video inside the video on the second one?
  • Hi Luciano,
    Thank you very much! :)
    The wing is a 48" elebee.
    Motor is a MicroDan 2510 970kv with a 10x7 APC prop.
    Camera drops into the wing VERY tight, I then cover it with some coreflute and tape it down. I use a servo to press the shutter on the camera, the autopilot takes all the photos automatically.

    Feel free to ask any more questions if you like.

    Regards,
    Max
  • hi

    that s beautiful work . I have some questions if I may ... 

    1) did you used a 48"  or a  60"  Windrider? 

    2) What motor does it has? 

    3) how did you attached the camera ? 

    thank you very much !

  • Thanks guys :)
    I used PTGui to stitch them together.
  • That second vid is really impressive, the image quality is great!!
    Thanks for sharing :)
    What software did you use to glue the pic together?
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