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A proposal for 3G control

Posted by Kevin Hester on February 18, 2013 at 9:00am

3689504133?profile=originalSo,

I recently posted in a forum about how to add 3G uplink to a UAV model.  This project seems really fun to me, so I'm thinking about writing the software to make it happen (a little web server and some new features for Andropilot).  

However, the bummer is that some uses wouldn't be legal in the USA (given the current harsh FAA interpretation we need to operate under - <400 ft, visual range of control).  

To make sure this app/feature was used 'correctly', I would have it check to see if you are in a 'long range control is legal' country.  If not legal, I'd have it automatically send a mavlink RTL command if you got more than x (1?) km away from the home location.  

My question:

  • Are there countries where unrestricted long range control are legal?
  • If you are in such a country, are you willing to put a (cheap) android phone into your plane and give this a shot?  If you are, I'd probably be willing to make the software/servers go.

Kevin

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Comments

  • Tony Raftis April 20, 2013 at 6:00am
    Happy to participate, no such limitation here in Australia
  • John April 7, 2013 at 10:31am

    The feature that I think would be the most useful.............:)

  • John March 8, 2013 at 6:16am

    Ok I am anxiously waiting! I am sick of dealing with all the trouble caused by my FPV gear, antennas, wires, tx's, rx's, etc. It's a real pain. I really with you would incorporate a stream with OSD overlay. I know latency is a problem here to replace FPV, but I don't really need that. I usually fly in auto mode. I think it would even be somewhat ok in stabilize mode too, as long as you aren't close to the ground or anything.

    Thanks so much for your work! I envy coders, someday i'll learn...

  • Developer
    Kevin Hester March 7, 2013 at 7:37am

    Yes - www.droneshare.com, but it will be a few weeks before I have bidirectional control via 3g working...

  • John March 7, 2013 at 7:29am

    Any work on this project? Im really interested in this. 

  • c j g February 26, 2013 at 5:14am

    Time to bring our babys up in the air ...

    http://www.engadget.com/2013/02/26/google-nexus-one-launched-into-s...

  • John February 20, 2013 at 4:09pm

    Hey Kevin, I have a webserver I would like you or anyone else that will strap an android device on a plane to try. just message me!

  • Josh Potter February 19, 2013 at 6:51am

    Charles.

    Thank you for pointing that out.  I was honestly getting sick of people touting that as the law, however with the new FAA changes I think we might see some changes.

  • jim C. February 19, 2013 at 6:11am

    I am also interested in this project for now I have no restrictions, I would be willing to test it.

  • c j g February 19, 2013 at 5:12am

    Like it. Andropilot is really fine, but could think about a version, which could connect to Mission Planner and/or QGroundControl as well. Both are running MavLink (TCP and/or UDP). Doing this myself, i had some problems in the past with power-levels (android-phone V+ and apm/battery V+).

    a) USB-Host (power level concerns, but maybe we could power the control part of the APM with battery of the (telemetry)phone over the USB-Host connection?)

    b) serial-USB. SerialUSB i don't know, if we could only use 3 Pins of the 4 Pins Uart-telemetry port (Ground, TX, RX) in a dual powered setup to avoid power-level troubles. If somebody has more knowledge, this could help a lot.
    c) Bluetooth (saver and easier, but strange to set up an air-connection just for 5cm)

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