DogfightOSD is a custom firmware for the popular Remzibi and MinimOSD boards that allows your plane to broadcast its own position data (lat/lon/alt) and receive and display information received from a second aircraft onto the display. To this end, a RFM12 short range radio board is connected to the OSD board via some simple hardware modifications. Currently the Remzibi version is ready, watch the video above for an impression of the functionality.
We're working on the minimOSD version at the moment. Once that's finished, expect a video with a dogfight between the two versions!
For the Remzibi board the hardware modification is really simple: Just free up the additional analog pins (two of the pins had resistors connected to them on my board), and connect the pins to the SPI connections available on the bottom-center of the board. In the picture below you can see the blue wires on the Remzibi board doing just that. Then connect a Jeelabs board with an RFM12 radio on it to the five pins. That's it! (and upload the custom firmware ofcourse...)
For more information on this project, and to download the firmware, please go to http://code.google.com/p/dogfight-osd/
Currently only the Remzibi binary is available for download, sources will be released shortly.
Comments
It would be great also if you could have it follow the target at a set distance/height (relative height)
david, with IMU and GPS signals, you don't even need those IR sensors, everything can be done by software, as in ARDrone game.
I also like the idea of adding some additional dogfight elements. My original plan was to add some non-intrusive game-like features, such as awarding points for tailing the opponent at a certain distance, or formation flying challenges. And then showing the score to the players on the OSD. But adding a laser/IR emitter and some sensors is also a fun idea!
The first addition we will probably do is add a 'radar' like screen to replace the current way of showing target data. It will be much more fun to show a 'blip' on the radar in stead of the raw position data and the arrow like it is now.
very cool! it would really help flying fpv with a buddy, specially flying sailplanes and chasing termals, or just going long range together.
i've seen a dogfight system some time ago, with IR sensors. when the taget plane was hit, it shuts off motor for a few seconds, to sinalize it was hit. i haven't seen this in action, but could be very fun, with cheap epo planes. but not a good idea to fly expansive equipament too close, trying to hit each other, and powering off in that case!
This is cool. Now I guess you just need a laser gun and photo sensor target?
Yet another reason to extend Minim OSD to have it's own Mavlink System ID, so that custom mavlink packets can be sent to it. In this case, the 'opponents' position could be uploaded via an existing telemetry link.