Blogs

PingLocust is a Remote Control System based on 3G, 4G, or higher Internet Data Systems and is implemented on mobile devices using the Android Operating System. This results in a simple, straightforward, plug-for-plug replacement of conventional RC(Radio Control) systems and at the same time, provide instant additional functionality like enhanced range and reliability, digital real-time video, GPS tracking, telemetry, etc.

Video: Drone 20000 km max theoretical range

Rise of AI in Drones

Since PingLocust is Android-based,higher levels of functionality like machine vision functions, enhanced autonomy, subject recognition and tracking, virtual tourism, coordinated flying, etc. are easily possible as future enhancements.

PingLocust has 3 main components:
1) Controller App which serves as the RC transmitter
2) Slave App which serves as the RC receiver
3) Slave Whitebox which provides the wired interface between the Slave App and the servos (in the case of a ground/water RC vehicle) or low-level flight controller (in the case of a UAV/quadcopter/multicopter)

Features:
-Enhanced Range (Maximum theoretical range > 20,000 kilometers or 12,427 miles)
-Digital live Video Feed and recording
-Up to 12 proportional digital channels
-Up to 6 telemetry digital channels (for special versions of Whitebox)
-Wireless operation
-Enhanced signal reliability
-Live GPS data reception and recording
-Location and orientation can be displayed on Normal or Satellite Maps
-Speech warnings on Controller
-Channel Controls customization (exponential, variable rates, etc.)

Controller Screenshot

Slave Screenshot

Whitebox pic

Future Features

Since PingLocust is Android-based, enhancements in the areas of safety, autonomy, and accessibility is easier to implement. The following is a list of possible future enhancements:

-USB joystick controller support - emulating a conventional RC 2-stick controller
-Altitude hold and GPS lock for easier hovering
-More accurate hover and tracking using optical flow and other visual technologies
-Point-to-point autonomous GPS navigation
-Collision Avoidance
-Human subject recognition and tracking
-Gesture control
-Facial recognition
-Full autonomy using Artificial Intelligence (AI)
-Integration into Android Wear and other devices
-Voice control
-3D geo-fencing
-Object recognition and tracking
-Full internet integration (Virtual Tourism, remote camera hire, non-local package delivery, etc.)
-Automatic autonomous re-charging
-Coordinated flying across multiple slave/drone units
-Autonomous automatic deploy and retrieve
-Automated construction and assembly applications

PingLocust Main Page: http://preflightsim.com/plmain.html

For installing and using PingLocust apps (free versions available for evaluation): http://preflightsim.com/plinstalluse.html

PingLocust Whitebox: http://preflightsim.com/plwhiteb.html