Blogs

iDrone announced!

Posted by Ryder on June 8, 2010 at 10:30am

Yesterday, Steve Jobs announced the iPhone 4g... and to my ears, he was really announcing not the latest phone from apple, but the "iDrone". As I heard him talk about the new gyro built into the phone... I started adding the feature set... a fast CPU, lots of memory, built in GPS, compass, accelerometer and now a gyro... of course it could pilot a UAV!

With the built in cameras, it could do photo and video recon... and since it has two cameras (provided they can both be made to operate at the same time), add a couple of mirrors and the craft could do 3D images in real time... to assist in terrain mapping or landing.

It sports a good set of software development tools and on the whole, probably weighs less than all of the same components placed together, and at only $200 it's ecoconomical.

This is a project that could really get off the ground!

drone, gyro, iphone

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Comments

Ryder June 9, 2010 at 8:12am

I've closed comments to this thread.
Ryder June 9, 2010 at 7:23am

Martin, I never said I perceived a personal attic. You are confusing me with Chris.

This is about a project to get a phone to phone to fly a uav. Steering the project away from phones to custom boards does not help the project along, does it?

If all solutions to the problem of getting a phone to fly the craft are to ditch the phone, then that pretty much ends the project.

I was not aware that "the way" to make a diy drone was well established.
Overwatch June 9, 2010 at 2:08am

Ryder, once again, comparing a telephone with a high-fidelity flight computer is a case of apples and oranges. As far as I can tell (it's hard to find out since Apple's keeping all the specs under wraps) the gyro has a resonant frequency of 4.2 kHz, making it very difficult to use in an aircraft (a hex in my case). Next, I don't think it has a magnetometer, that's a $50 component right there. Or a dedicated Verlet integrator. Also, there were (justified) doubts about the $200 price tag you're claiming. I personally haven't seen an iPhone cheaper than $620 all included (here in EU).

It's not ment as a personal attack, and I'm sorry that this is how you perceived our critique. All I'm saying is that hacking a telephone when there's a perfectly well-estabilished way of doing things is a waste of time and money.

Don't underestimate the legal aspect of doing this. Apple makes it clear that they don't want you to tamper with their gear. My friend had a run-in with them when he developed an App for operating a laser ranger - they claimed that by jailbreaking his iphone he violated the DMCA (which doesn't even apply in Europe!) and was fined 2000 €.
Ryder June 9, 2010 at 12:17am

Actually, Chris... you can pull the plug on the thread now. I've got about zero interest in persuing it.
3D Robotics

Chris Anderson June 8, 2010 at 11:58pm

No more personal attacks here, please. If it doesn't get back to a civil and respectful discussion of the technical merits of the iPhone as a UAV controller, I'll have to close the thread.
Ryder June 8, 2010 at 11:57pm

Thanks Chris. I think I will watch the other discussion... at least you guys are working the problems and asking the right questions.
Ryder June 8, 2010 at 11:50pm

No, will. You can realize all you want. But you have a choice, as does everyone, on HOW they present their views. If there are technical challenges, then fine, air them. Help (as some have) to weigh the technical choices and trade offs. Acting like 8 year olds does not fill the bill.

It is one thing to say that there are some potential issues to be ready to deal with, it is quite another to say it's a stupid idea. You get the difference, right?

Behavior, gentlemen. Behavior. Get your acts together, please.

There is ZERO excuse for childish behavior. None.
3D Robotics

Chris Anderson June 8, 2010 at 10:48pm

This was already discussed here.
will y. June 8, 2010 at 10:42pm

Ryder,are you really gonna call us whiners because we realize that this might be a bad idea? If you think we're wrong, prove it, but in the mean time refrain from complaining about getting advice you don't want to hear. If you want to hear someone pretend all your ideas are good don't look to the internet. Anyway, I think that a task the iPhone might actually be suited for is advanced processing tasks like, say, stitching together images based on sensor data or maybe target tracking. I bet the iPhone could easily handle medium-resolution blob tracking.
Lew Payne June 8, 2010 at 10:36pm

Can't we just stick a CHR-6dm in an old rotary phone and call it good? A lot cheaper that way, too!