From sUASNews:
French manufacturers of the worlds most popular UA have plainly run into problems.
They issued a statement yesterday:-
AR.Freeflight 2.2 was removed from iTunes last month due to the need for patents’ clarification on accelerometer and absolute control.In the meantime, we have enriched AR.Race2 App (version 2.2) with a free piloting mode in order for our customers using iOS devices to continue enjoying flying the AR.Drone.We’ll keep you updated.Sincerely,Parrot Team
Its not noted if the patent issue affects the Android version of its software which was behind its iOS version anyway. Back in 2010 I thought that Apples TOS 4.2 changes might push the platform towards Android.
Andropilot
Tablet control and flight following for several Open Source autopilots is now a reality. Openpilot, Tau Labs andArdupilot all have working examples. Last week I started flying with free app, Andropilot created by Kevin Hester of Geeksville Industries.
The simplicity of set up was quite amazing. The app saw my3DR radios immediately, never has getting telemetry to work been so straightforward. Increased situational awareness always welcome. A voice tells me what mode I have selected on my standard RC controller and a HUD and moving map let me see what’s happening.
My sons fly our AR.Drone very well tilting the tablet, but my head is firmly stuck in the dark ages and prefers the position feedback that sticks bring to thumbs. But that’s just me, if you have known no other way then it will not be an issue. In a couple of years time I don’t believe anyone will be left flying UAS with conventional RC gear when the smartphone in their pocket will be able to cope.
Comments
The US gov needs to kill these patent nonsense just like they killed the Wright Brothers patent control for controlled flight. Its ironic that 100 years on we have the same argument over flight control. Hopefully the US gov will repeat what it did to the Wright Brothers and open everything up.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wright_brothers_patent_war
Love the Spam Oliver.
Patents were put into place to protect inventors, but now all they are is a tool to protect Corporations and to enable them to control and withhold.
Patents has lost their meaning and stopped making sense a long time ago.
For example, if you even plan on take photos using a fish-eye lens and make 360 panoramas commercial. You would have to use software with a proper license to be legal. Because the method of perspective correct and stitch (simple math) fish-eye photos into a panorama it has been patented.. I kid you not.
Yeah, my guess is that they just care about flying a drone with a phone onboard, using the phone's GPS, but it's not super clear.
I believe the term used by Steve Jobs when they visited Xerox PARC was "Rape and Pillage".
There has been no point in Apple's history where they opted for anything other than their own gain by any means necessary.
"4.2 Apps that use location-based APIs for automatic or autonomous control of vehicles, aircraft, or other devices will be rejected."
That looks to me like they're trying to prevent people from putting an iPhone on a drone. Do you guys interpret that differently? It's not hard to write a GCS that does not call any iOS location-based APIs.
BTW, AR.Drone hasn't said whether they pulled the app or whether Apple pulled it.
Patents are usually quite specific, and there isn't enough information to know whether DroidPlanner would be infringing. AR.Drone hasn't given us enough information to figure this out.
At least it doesn't use wave power.
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