Precision Landing w/ Pixhawk Quads: Update and Preview

IR-LOCK has been testing the latest version of our sensor/beacon hardware for precision landing, and the results are great! With an IRIS+, we achieve reliable landings at around 5-30cm from the target beacon.

Our development focus is on the reliability and accuracy of the sensor/beacon hardware, and optimal integration with control systems. One feature of the new beacon design is a modulated signal that enables the sensor to avoid false detections. Also, it can be powered by a standard 12V power adapter.

An obvious next-step is to integrate the beacons into a charging pad/station, or other small landing surfaces. A primary goal of the technology and hardware development is to enable fully-autonomous and remotely controlled systems of quads ... Imagine never changing a battery again :)

If you want to stay updated on the progress, feel free to sign up at our website. You can also find more details there.

http://precisionlanding.irlock.com

We are currently running a modified version of ArduCopter. Many thanks to the Diydrones and Drone-discuss community of developers! I don't know how to thank you enough.

Best,

Thomas

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Comments

James Slizewski March 31, 2015 at 11:24am

Can't wait for those autonomous charging stations. Maybe work it into some humanitarian venture (wasn't there someone trying to use drones to deliver medical supplies in hard to reach places in Africa? If so, hoping from station to station could make that happen).
Thomas Stone March 31, 2015 at 6:40am

@Doug

Yes, the precision drops are definitely doable. Actually, that is probably easier than the precision landing.... Extra range (50 - 100ft) can be achieved by adding a few beacons side-by-side.

And if you 'turn up the control gains', you could probably follow a moving target. We have a video of the IRIS+ landing on a car with a beacon (which we will release soon), but the car becomes stationary during the descent process. We are more focused on the accuracy of the landing right now.

Thanks for the questions!
Thomas Stone March 31, 2015 at 6:34am

Thanks Todd!
Doug Walmsley March 31, 2015 at 5:50am

Have tested this on moving platforms and boats? Like to see some tests and videos on these ideas too.
Doug Walmsley March 31, 2015 at 5:49am

Great idea for precision landing! I can see may uses for this idea. I do however have a question for you. I know this is a bit off subject, but could you design your device to allow for precision drops at higher altitudes say 50-100ft? Multi-function would add to this product as I work with hobbyists who are interested in dropping (for now) plastic eggs onto a precise point from different altitudes and I think your IR-Lock could be one way to accomplish this.
Todd Harper March 30, 2015 at 9:26pm

Very cool Thomas, looking forward to see how this progresses.

Todd H.
Thomas Stone March 30, 2015 at 8:10pm

This is possible. It requires some customization (in the code and target geometries), but I imagine this will be the typical mode of operation since payloads are usually center-mounted.
Thomas Stone March 30, 2015 at 6:39pm

Hi Marcus,

If the sensor is mounted in the center of the quad, then you can achieve very high accuracy with only one IR target. Using multiple targets will be helpful when the sensor is not center-mounted (like in the video), so that the quad's yaw orientation can be determined (wrt target).

Also, we expect to find other benefits of using multiple targets, such as height-from-target determination.
Marcus Wright March 30, 2015 at 6:27pm

Does the multi IR target have even greater accuracy and precision? If so how much?
Thomas Stone March 30, 2015 at 4:03pm

Hi Nick,

We may have a solution for you... Got your message (via the website), and will get back to you soon.

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