Blogs

From Philly.com:

As our future robotic overlords come to enslave us, they'll be dancing the Electric Boogaloo.

Some may consider flying drones to be the pilotless perverters of privacy. Or, worse, they're heartless harbingers of death.

But one Philadelphia filmmaker has cast the small scale aircraft in a very different sort of role. Kurtis Sensenig envisions them as a graceful, agile and even comedic troupe of dancers.

In a stunning video that debuted this week at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Sensenig choreographs an aerial swarm of robot quadrotors to an electronic dance track. The automated chorus line flies in precise formations as individual drones break into flips and loops.

"It was one of the most challenging things I've ever done," said Sensenig, a Temple grad who once interned as a video producer at Philly.com. "I don't have any background in dance. I can barely step out on a dance floor."

It's not the first time Sensenig has worked with the troupe. As a video producer at the University of Pennsylvania, Sensenig was behind the camera when a similar swarm of drones - created by Penn's General Robotics, Automation, Sensing and Perception (GRASP) Lab - performed a James Bond theme on quirkily modified instruments. (See that video below.)

The Bond video went viral. It garnered more than 3.6 million views on YouTube and earned a standing ovation when Penn faculty member Vijay Kumar at the 2012 TED conference in Long Beach, Calif. The video, which made Penn's YouTube channel one of the most popular in the world, was also featured on CNN, the websites of the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal and Philly.com, among scores of other outlets.

The flying robots creators, Alex Kushleyev and Daniel Mellinger, have since graduated from Penn and founded KMel Robotics.

Sensenig hadn't worked with Kushleyev and Mellinger since the Bond video. Wanting to make a big splash at this year's CES, they called Sensenig and gave him free rein to design, produce and shoot.

"I had choreographed the robots in James Bond, but this wasn't anything like it," he said. "The James Bond video was purely mechanical. This needed to be art."

Sensenig spent hours listening to the dance track, playing it over and over, "trying to think how I could make it all look as cool as possible."

The collaborators met often, with Sensenig's suggestions pushing Kushleyev and Mellinger into new territory.

"They're geniuses," he said. "They can make these things do moves no one else has been able to do."

Last week, they shot the video in quarter-hour increments inside a rented warehouse in West Philadelphia. Those short bursts of filming don't bode well for schemes to use drones as Amazon delivery devices.

"They can only fly 15 minutes," Sensenig said. "The engineers have solved most of the issues with sensors and computing. But no one has been able to crack the problem of extending battery life."

Sensenig had planned to be at CES for his film's debut, but his flight was cancelled due to the polar vortex.

His plans for future films, however, are just heating up.

At Penn last week, Sensenig submitted his resignation to devote all his energies to his own projects at Kurtis Films.

 "I really like this niche of artistic robotic films," Sensenig said. "I'd love to do as many as possible. But I'm not banking on my success on these robotic films because I don't know if there'd be enough to pay the bills.

"But it will be the secret sauce of the company."

Interesting research from UCSD on using the innovative Sony QX100 for UAVs. 

The QX100 features a Wi-Fi interface for control via a smartphone, so we thought we’d slap it on the copter and see how far it could go.  Testing with a number of Android devices on hand, we quickly determined that that was not viable, with the liveview lagging and failing soon after the copter took off.  In an attempt to scrounge up more signal strength without adding weight to the copter, we decided to experiment with a USB Wi-Fi dongle and a directional antenna connected to a laptop.  To interface the camera to the laptop, we turned to Sony’s Remote Camera API, and wrote a python script that would allow us to command image captures, as well as display a liveview so we can frame our shots.  This was moderately successful, with some dropped frames but an otherwise stable link at 200ft, though it was not a very smooth experience.  Both the software and hardware setups have room for improvement, so this is an encouraging first result.

We are releasing the interfacing script open source so others can experiment with it, and possibly apply it to other interesting projects.  All of Sony’s Wi-Fi enabled cameras use the same interface, so the script should work on other cameras such as the NEX-5T as well, though it will likely need to be modified for the appropriate IP address, as we did not implement the device discovery.  Note that this is still under development, so it has issues and is not yet user friendly.

We had much more success with the second approach we tried, mechanically triggering the shutter button with a servo driven from the Ardupilot.  Using this method, we were able to quickly and reliably capture images, but without a liveview, framing the picture was difficult.  This is relevant for aerial photography, but not for survey missions where the camera should be triggered regularly.  Unfortunately, the QX100 has a habit of turning itself off when inactive, which seems to mean not being connected via Wi-Fi, so it cut out the last half of the attempted mapping mission.

The optimal approach we are now aiming for is to have a Wi-Fi liveview with a repeater on the copter to see what is going on while triggering captures with a servo to ensure consistent and reliable image capture.

In terms of achieved image quality, the QX100 is currently not well suited for aerial mapping missions.  Due to lack of a shutter priority mode, program auto often chooses slower shutter speeds, which causes significant motion blur from the moving copter.  The good news is that it works well while pointed forwards, as shown in the image gallery below.  Sony is releasing a new firmware update for the camera at the end of January 2014 that provides a shutter priority mode, so we will try again then.

FUTURE THINKING| 9 January 2014

To View the Video they did with Chris Anderson click on the BBC link to the Story Below:

http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20140109-drones-from-battlefield-to-farm

Pilotless drones have had the biggest impact on the battlefield, serving as eyes in the sky and even as attack aircraft. But could they find another role, helping farmers boost 

The popular image of drones is as expensive pieces of military hardware which can be used for spying – or even going on the offensive. But that's changing as robots become more integrated with our everyday lives. Farming is one of the new frontiers, as food production has become more automated – everything from GPS-guided tractors to automated milking machines - and drones are started to be incorporated into what's known as precision agriculture. Robots are being used to survey crops and help farmers manage the water and chemicals they use in vast fields. Chris Anderson, the former editor-in-chief of Wired magazine, recently switched careers to move into drone manufacturing. He co-founded 3D Robotics, which is building drones in Mexico and the US which may one day keep a beady electronic eye on the food being grown for our tables. BBC Future visited 3D Robotics' workshop in San Diego, California. (Additional footage courtesy of 3D Robotics)

Take it easy DiyDrones.com,

Joshua Johnson -  CAD Drones

Photogrammetric study of 100 ha using UAV (Airfare and DJI 550) for Digital Surface Model, Contours, and precision ground Orthoimage 20 cm in X, Y and Z.

It is the natural environment of the archaeological site of Bastida in southeastern Spain where he lived 4200 years ago Argar Culture.

 Argaric Orthoimage the wall, only 10% excavated

New kid on the blog - the Ranger Ex UAS platform.

So much has happened since the good "old" days with multiplex easystar.

Now the "hobbyworld" of drones got working advanced autopilots and platforms in all kinds of designs to fit all kinds of drone jobs.

The new kid (Ranger ex platform) will soon be ready for buying.

The platform is a 2M wingspan with a LARGE fuselage.

Wings: Strong Epo foamFuselage: molded PVC (like FPVraptor)

Will carry 10000 mAh 4S lipo and still have room for everything. :-)

What do you think about what you see?

I think I might like to have a go....

The Black Knight Transformer is designed for autonomous casualty evacuation and manned or unmanned cargo resupply missions. Its unmanned capabilities keep pilots out of harm’s way, making it the safest casualty evacuation option. The interior volume is comparable to a Blackhawk helicopter, making it well-suited for cargo missions as well. 

http://www.suasnews.com/2014/01/26857/advanced-tactics-unveils-the-at-transformer-the-future-of-roadable-vtol-aircraft-and-modular-cargo-systems/

A new year and the start of new state legislative sessions brings a new crop of absurdly broad and unconstitutional proposals to ban FPV / personal drones.

First up this year, Washington state: http://www.leg.wa.gov/pub/billinfo/2...Bills/2178.htm

HOUSE BILL 2178

AN ACT Relating to unmanned aircraft; adding a new chapter to Title 14 RCW; prescribing penalties; and declaring an emergency.BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1 The legislature finds that technological developments in unmanned aircraft have expanded the vehicles' capacity to be widely deployed in our state and in our communities. The legislature further finds that the recreational use of certain small unmanned aircraft is exempt from federal regulation under the federal aviation administration modernization and reform act of 2012. The potential for these small unmanned aircraft to be operated in close proximity to human dwellings and activities presents opportunities for widespread recreational use and enjoyment. At the same time, the recreational use of unmanned aircraft increases the likelihood of physical trespass onto private property and invasions of personal privacy. The legislature intends to prohibit the unauthorized use of unmanned aircraft in the airspace above private property.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2 The definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter unless the context clearly requires otherwise.
(1) "Person" includes any individual, corporation, partnership, association, cooperative, limited liability company, trust, joint venture, or any other legal or commercial entity and any successor, representative, agent, agency, or instrumentality thereof.
(2) "Personal information" means any information that: (a) Describes, locates, or indexes anything about an individual including, but not limited to, his or her social security number, driver's license number, agency-issued identification number, student identification number, real or personal property holdings derived from tax returns, and his or her education, financial transactions, medical history, ancestry, religion, political ideology, or criminal or employment record; or (b) affords a basis for inferring personal characteristics, such as finger and voice prints, photographs, or things done by or to such individual, and the record of his or her presence, registration, or membership in an organization or activity, or admission to an institution.
(3)(a) "Sensing device" means a device capable of acquiring personal information from its surroundings through any means including, but not limited to, cameras, thermal detectors, microphones, chemical detectors, radiation gauges, and wireless receivers in any frequency.
(b) "Sensing device" does not include equipment whose sole function is to provide information directly necessary for safe air navigation or piloting of an unmanned aircraft.
(4) "Unmanned aircraft" means an aircraft that is operated without physical human presence on board the aircraft and operated either:
(a) Pursuant to the exemption for recreational uses established in the special rule for model aircraft of the federal aviation administration modernization and reform act of 2012 (49 U.S.C. 40101 Sec. 336, "special rule for model aircraft"); or
(b) Without an experimental airworthiness certificate or other authorization by the federal aviation administration.
(5) "Washington state airspace" means all airspace within the territorial limits of this state that is within class G airspace, outside of five statute miles from any airport, heliport, seaplane base, spaceport, or other location with aviation activities, and not otherwise classified as controlled by the federal aviation administration.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3 (1) Except as provided in section 4 of this act, no person may operate in Washington state airspace an unmanned aircraft that is equipped with a sensing device.
(2) A violation of this section is a gross misdemeanor.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4 The prohibition under section 3 of this act does not apply to the operation of an unmanned aircraft that is equipped with a sensing device if the following conditions are met:
(1) The unmanned aircraft is clearly and conspicuously labeled with the name and contact information of the aircraft's owner and operator; and
(2) The unmanned aircraft is flown in Washington state airspace above private property, and the landowner and any tenants who have a right to occupy the property have consented to the operation after having received actual notice that the aircraft is equipped with a sensing device; or
(3) The unmanned aircraft is flown in the airspace above public lands in a manner that does not unreasonably interfere with the rights of others and the operation is not otherwise prohibited by law or rule.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 5 Any person operating an unmanned aircraft in the airspace of this state is liable for all damages that state or local government property may sustain as a result of illegal or negligent operation of the unmanned aircraft. When the operator is not the owner of the unmanned aircraft but is operating or moving it with the express or implied permission of the owner, the owner and the operator are jointly and severally liable for any damage. Damage to any state or local government property may be recovered in a civil action instituted in the name of the state of Washington by the department of transportation or other affected government agency. Any measure of damage determined by the state or local government to its property under this section is prima facie the amount of damage caused thereby and is presumed to be the amount recoverable in any civil action therefor. The damages available under this section include the incident response costs, including traffic control, incurred by the department of transportation or other state or local agency.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 6 Nothing in this chapter may be construed to limit a party's ability to bring an action, including an action for damages, based on rights conferred by other state or federal law.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 7 Sections 1 through 6 of this act constitute a new chapter in Title 14 RCW.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 8 This act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and takes effect immediately.

As you can see this bill is expressly targeted at hobbyists, while leaving commercial users with FAA authorization completely alone. It bans any RC aircraft from carrying any "sensing device" that is not essential for operation of the aircraft (whatever that means), except over private property where everyone with a property interest below has consented, or over public property.

The bill is authored by:
Rep. Jeff Morris
(D) 40th LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT

Olympia Office:
436A Legislative Building
PO Box 40600
Olympia, WA 98504-0600
(360) 786-7970
E-mail

The bill's current status is listed here: http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/summ...2178&year=2013

At this time, it has just been pre-filed for introduction, and is not yet assigned to a committee. Once introduced, however, it could very well be assigned to the Technology and Economic Development Committee, of which Morris is the chair, making it much more likely to pass out of committee. Morris is also on the transportation committee, which it could also be assigned to.

I hope Washington FPVers and drone enthusiasts can get on top of this. Start writing and meeting with your state representatives NOW! This bill has the same problems as similar ones last year, namely it is likely preempted by federal law since the FAA (probably) has exclusive jurisdiction over all US airspace, and even if not preempted it likely violates the First Amendment by instituting a blanket ban on amateur aerial photography using unmanned aircraft, while leaving manned aircraft and commercial unmanned aircraft unaffected. The sooner your legislators understand this, the better.

As soon as the bill is assigned to a committee, every personal drone enthusiast in Washington should try to set up meetings with each committee member to explain your concerns with this bill, and make sure to sign up to testify at any committee hearings on it. If it all possible, it is best to kill this sort of thing in committee before it even makes it to the House floor.

The DIY drone community will need to monitor this one closely....

James Williams, executive manager of the FAA Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration Office, will join AMA President Bob Brown on the main Expo stage at 3 p.m. PST, on Saturday, January 11, to sign a Memorandum of Understanding. This agreement institutes a formal relationship between the FAA and the Academy of Model Aeronautics and establishes the platform upon which the AMA and the FAA will jointly work to ensure the continued safe operation of model aircraft in the National Airspace System.

“The execution of this document puts the Federal Aviation Administration one step closer to fully enacting the Special Rule for Model Aircraft established as part of the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012,” said AMA Executive Director Dave Mathewson. “Still to be realized is FAA’s formal recognition of the AMA as a community-based organization as described by Congress and the agency’s acknowledgment of AMA’s Safety Program as a means of substantiating the safety guidelines and overseeing the operation of recreational unmanned aircraft.”

The AMA has served as the national body for model aviation for 77 years. During that time, the aeromodeling community has achieved an excellent safety record through adherence to AMA’s National Model Aircraft Safety Code and its comprehensive safety program. The efficacy of AMA’s community-based safety program was acknowledged by Congress in the 2012 FAA reauthorization bill, now Public Law 112-95.

The premier exposition for model aviation, AMA Expo 2014, takes place January 10-12, 2014, at the Ontario Convention Center in Ontario CA. Anyone with an interest in the emerging unmanned aircraft systems technology or model aviation in general is encouraged to attend. AMA Expo provides an opportunity to learn more about the hobby, view and purchase the latest in model aircraft technology, mingle with aeromodeling enthusiasts, and listen to presentations by aviation experts.

AMA Expo is hosted by the Academy of Model Aeronautics and is sponsored in part by Go Professional Custom Xtreme Cases, Aerial Media Pros, International Radio Controlled Helicopter Association (IRCHA), Castle Creations, Southwest Aerovista Hobbies, AUVSI’s Unmanned Systems, Estes Rockets, Gorilla Glue, U.S. Scale Masters, Nationwide Insurance, and others.

A complete schedule of events, ticket information, and more can be found at http://www.amaexpo.com.

The Academy of Model Aeronautics has been the nation’s collective voice for approximately 164,000 modelers in 2,400 clubs in every state and Puerto Rico since 1936. A nonprofit association headquartered in Muncie IN, AMA sanctions more than 2,000 events and competitions each year under the auspices of the National Aeronautic Association.

sUAS News will be there watch out for a special edition of Drone TV https://www.youtube.com/suasnews

In almost related news France has underlined its fine scheme for illegal UA operation. So watch out if you are in France.

• Enforcement against unlawful UAS activities: During the same meeting, France’s national aviation police (“GTA”) provided insights into enforcement activities. This follows the industry’s criticisms deploring unfair competition practices from few UAS actors. As of October 2013, around ten investigations have being carried out against French UAS actors. Those face criminal (i.e. fine up to €75,000 and/or one year of imprisonment) and/or administrative (i.e. withdrawal of authorisation) sanctions. To date, only one company based in South of France has been sanctioned.

That one company in the South of France is permitted to operate out to a distance of 100km!

http://www.suasnews.com/2014/01/26835/unmanned-aircraft-system-uas-french-legal-update/

Just launched at CES from AirDroids: the $500 Pocket Drone. Looks good! APM-based and well-engineered. From the Kickstarter listing:

We saw a lot of kits out there that were powerful and flexible, but took a long time to put together, tune, and make work correctly. There were off the shelf products that worked out of the box, but were limited in their functionality. And there wasn't anything out there that was both powerful and convenient to carry. So we decided to create something that combined the best of everything we had seen, but was more elegant and accessible.

That's how we came up with The Pocket Drone, the world's smallest heavy lift micro-copter. It's as powerful as an open source kit, works out of the box with everything you need like an off the shelf product, and is easy to take with you wherever you go, without having to bring along an extra case or bag just for your drone. We've gone through dozens of iterations to create the perfect drone product that can be used by everyone.

1. Unique cutting-edge collapsible compact design

• Innovative swing arm and telescoping tail frame
• Folding propellers
• Built-in landing gear
• Built-in camera mount
• Travel case included

2. Easy to fly and simple to maintain

• Pick your controller system
• Pilot from our included controller or bring your own DSM compatible radio controller
• Control from any Android tablet or phone with a USB port
• Simple, quick and inexpensive to maintain and repair

3. Lightweight with maximum payload  

• Flight and control is nimble, stable and accurate
• Weighs in at around 1 pound
• Carries an action camera like the GoPro(tm) with outer case (not included)
• Capable of carrying up to 1/2 pound payload

4. Ready to fly (RTF) and quick to deploy  

• Comes ready to fly right out of the box
• Deploys in less than 20 seconds
• Quick recharge system

5. Advanced software and systems with autopilot and "follow me" mode

• State of the art flight controls, algorithms and connectivity
• APM compatible flight controller 6-axis accelerometers, 3 axis gyroscopes, barometric sensor (altitude)
• Integrated onboard autopilot Flight planning with Google Maps
• Fly by GPS waypoints
• "Follow Me" mode (requires mobile device with GPS)
• Altitude Hold
• Return to home (RTH)
• Headfree mode (orientation independent flying)
• Load/Save and repeat/replay flight missions
• Real-time flight data
• Artificial Horizon
• Altitude Heading indicator
• GPS signal strength
• PC, Mac and Linux compatible
• Mission Planner or QGroundControl Compatible
• Android compatible (tablet and phone)
• iOS compatibility coming soon

6. Longest Flight times of any copter under $500

• Tricopter design means longest flight times available
• Up to 20 minute flights (fully loaded with camera)
• Exclusive propellers engineered and optimized especially for multicopters
• Built-in low power alarm

7. High quality materials and components

• Professional grade build quality and workmanship
• Extra durable and robust airframe
• Carbon fiber key components
• Highest quality components
• Advanced high-impact plastic resins
• Designed in the USA

8. Upgradeable, expandable and hackable

• Flight controller is programmable and easy to modify with open source tools
• Mobile app is customizable and configurable with open source plugins
• Designed for and by open-source enthusiasts
• Always up-to-date firmware upgrades as improvements in control, power and stability become available
• Add real-time video transmission for FPV
• Add goggles for a full bird’s eye immersive experience

9. Designed with multiple built-in safety features

• Exclusive retracting/breakaway propeller design
• Minimal damage/injury from prop strike
• Small size = lightweight vehicle = smaller props = reduced accident injury/damage potential
• Micro tricopter design means much less spinning prop area
• 33% less noise than any quad even before balancing and optimization

S.W.A.R.M. (Search With Aerial Rc Multi-rotor) is a worldwide volunteer search and rescue network of SAR Drone Pilots dedicated to searching for missing persons at no cost to the local SAR Organization or families. Our primary mission is to offer and provide multi-rotor (drone) and fixed wing aerial search platforms for ongoing Search and Rescue operations, and to create increased awareness about the benefits of RC and autonomous Drone technology.

Checkout their facebook group page HERE for more information on how to join the team.

Website - www.sardrones.org 

Hello friends,

I'm not the best person to judge, because i don't have the biggest experience with drones (working on it as hard as i can though :) ), but this could be interesting. I'm not sure if the hardware inside is the best suited for applications delivered by APM or Pixhawk, but the size and weight is definitely an upside of Edison. Same sized IMU, GPS and some other sensors and this could be the next ultimate Autopilot, couldn't it? 

I am really excited about this little guy. It could push forward a lot of new products to market, and i have a little hunch that it could be a good solution for drones.

It has an onboard WiFi and a Bluetooth, so it could improve the communication between drone and ground station (for ex.  substitution for micro usb cable, short range telemetry, or even direct drone to drone communication).

Also, it provides a low-power 22nm 400MHz Intel® Quark processor with two cores (don't know how that stands vs ARM that's on board of Pixhawk, I hope that someone with the knowledge will clear this issue for all of us)

more on the subject:

http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/do-it-yourself/edison.html

http://www.engadget.com/2014/01/06/intel-edison/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jlgmO1Keb5w

What do You think?

Best to all of You and a Happy New Year!

Sounds like sub-$1000 UAV-quality IR camera are coming soon. FLIR announced an IR camera for smartphones today, along with the low-cost sensor package (Lepton) behind it. 

FLIR Systems, Inc.announces the launch of FLIR ONE™, the first consumer-oriented thermal imaging system. Introduced today at CES 2014, FLIR ONE places the power of thermal imaging technology into the palm of the consumer via an easy-to-use smartphone accessory case.

FLIR ONE attaches to any Apple iPhone 5 or 5s* smartphone and displays a live thermal image on the phone's screen, giving users the unprecedented ability to see the world in a way the naked eye cannot, including in complete darkness. With a targeted MSRP of $349, FLIR ONE senses heat rather than light utilizing FLIR's revolutionary new Lepton™ camera core. This core incorporates the same FLIR^® thermal imaging technology that has revolutionized the way the world thinks about security, public safety, energy efficiency, nighttime navigation, industrial production, preventive maintenance, and the enjoyment of the outdoors.

FLIR ONE's unique ability to see and measure infrared energy gives consumers a versatile new tool that can be applied in a wide variety of applications. For example, homeowners and contractors with a FLIR ONE can easily identify heat or cooling leaks in buildings, find studs in walls, or locate water damage. An outdoor enthusiast can observe wildlife, day or night, navigate in the dark, determine if the day's catch is fully cooked, or make sure a campfire is out by using FLIR ONE. A family can detect intruders in total darkness, find a lost pet, or see through smoke in an emergency using a FLIR ONE.

A worldwide rollout for FLIR ONE is planned for spring 2014, and it will be available in gray, white, or gold colors. FLIR ONE houses its own rechargeable battery that can power the device for two hours of continuous use and can boost iPhone 5 battery life by up to 50 percent.

"FLIR ONE represents a dramatic step in our pursuit of 'infrared everywhere.' As the first truly consumer focused thermal imager, FLIR ONE introduces thermal imaging technology to a completely new group of customers than we currently serve," said Andy Teich, President and CEO of FLIR. "Our products have a rich history of enabling users to do things they thought impossible, and we are enthusiastic to see how consumers enable further innovation through the creation of new applications for thermal imaging."

We tried some formation flying with 2 different APM equipped planes.

Both were loaded with AP v2.76 and the same exact mission except for the chase plane flying 20m higher than the target plane. Both planes had cameras in, a Mobius HD Cam and 1.3GHz video link in the chase plane.

In the video I first flew in FBW-A mode then in full AUTO.

We found that the distance between waypoints was too close at 600m as there was not enough time to catch up before the next turn when a plane fell behind or pulled ahead. Due to the variability of the airframes, getting the airspeed synchronized was troublesome as was their turnrate.

We did manage to get some air to air video but our fun was cut short by Phil's plane stalling on the downwind turn with Ardupilot ramping up the throttle too slowly and not being able to recover from the resultant spin, the crash is in the video.

Will try again soon.

Hello,

I was touring the makgadikgadi this December in Botswana and here is some interesting Raw NIR images I have taken.

Here are some boabab trees in the NXAI salt pans

Here is of the salt pans

Here is of an elephant covered in mud, note the previous images containing people where the people is a purple as well and then look at the elephant covered in mud.

Here I took an image with a healthy bush next to a dead bush, see the difference.

You can go and download these images and process them at http://www.infragram.org/ and see the NDVI and IR Image of these images. We will be shortly adding this camera to one of hour talons to do some aerial photography. 

While working on my new autopilot control board (for quads) I realized that using 6 (or more!) MCU pins just to read data from the RC receiver is too taxing for the MCU as well as for the “real estate” on my board – there should be a better way to communicate with the receiver! A quick search on the Internet brought me to the Lemon-RX UART-enabled receiver (http://www.lemon-rx.com/shop/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=97). That same Internet search brought me to Jordi’s post (http://diydrones.ning.com/profiles/blog/show?id=705844:BlogPost:64228) – apparently Spectrum satellite receivers talking serial protocol back to main receiver. Another post (http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=922566) confirmed it.

I have a few Orange RX satellite receivers as well as Lemon-RX UART-enabled receiver, so I decided to check them for details of the serial communication.

For tests I use Orange RX 6-channel DSM2 radio with the end points on each channel configured for linear curve with the +/- 100% end points. I connected receivers to my computer using FTDI 3.3 serial cable.

The first one I tested was the Orange RX satellite; using the RealTerm application I analyzed the data stream – it is 115,200 bps serial stream with 16 byte frame. The frame starts with 0x0303 and ends with 0xFFFF; in between there are 12 bytes of the data for 6 channels:

After establishing the frame I used my Windows-based data capture program to get the data stream from the receiver and put it into Excel; the data stream was generated while I moved all the controls end to end and flipped back and force all the switches. Captured data represented in the chart where values for each channel are plotted against time:

It really looks like a digitized PPS signal – each channel has a center point at around (512 + 1024*N), where N – is the channel number starting from 0. The swing from min to max on each channel is 716, thus the Throttle goes from 0 to 100% in 716 steps and Aileron, Elevator, and Rudder channels go from 0 to +/- 100% in 358 steps – seems to be quite impressive resolution!

Then I tested the Lemon-RX UART-enabled receiver using the same settings on my radio. Serial frame for Lemon-RX provided on the documentation page – the frame starts and ends with 0x13 with 10 bytes – one byte per channel between the start and end sync bytes. Knowing the frame, I proceeded directly to capturing data stream into Excel and plotting results:

Each channel has a center point at around 127. The swing from min (38) to max (217) on each channel is 178, thus the Throttle goes from 0 to 100% in 178 steps and Aileron, Elevator, and Rudder channels go from 0 to +/- 100% in 89 steps. The resolution seems to be quite lower than the Orange RX satellite receiver, but still should be sufficient for most practical applications.

I ordered a few Lemon-RX satellite receivers and plan to test them as soon as they arrive. Meanwhile I have decided that my next control board will use serial interface to get the feed from the receiver and, probably, I will use just a satellite one.

This article is extracted project report The UAV above Amazon River

Abstract:

A group of Chinese UAV enthusiasts vista the Indian tribe living in the far Amazon tropical rainforest. An encounter between two cultures takes place...

This unprecedented cultural event originates form a documentary of the same name initiated by a Chinese filmiest.

The origin of this event:

In 2000, a Chinese photographer Zhang Yanjun and his wife came to Brazil to screen Amazon River.

Having overcome countless difficulties and obstacles, they eventually travelled across the river. This adventure took 10 years and involved the participation of 83,000 Brazilian.

In 2009, the Resource magazine made a documentary named Travel Across, using the videos and images taken in the the same year, China Ministry of Culture held a Brazilian movie exhibition named The Charm of Culture for Zhang Yanjun couple.

Beijing Film Academy invited Zhang Yanjun for intellectual lecture; Chinese Academy of Social Sciences invited them to be directors of the Centre for Research on Brazil, among many other cases of cooperation.

In 2012, the Zhang couple set up a media company EDITORA RECURSO, producing documentaries, book and TV program in both China and Brazil. In March, the company held a press conference, in which Zhang released his timing plan The UAV above Amazon River.

The documentary The UAV above Amazon River is directed by EDITORA RECURSO, co-organized by China Documentary Research Center, Brazilian Aero Club and BeePHOTO company. The documentary will produce 20×30 minutes TV documentary and a large fort film atlas.

Execution:

The UAV used should be electric powered multi-coper.

The copter should use open-source flight controller (for e.g., APM or PPZ). Only tri-copter, quad-copter, or Y6, X8 configuration are allowed. Endurance should be not less than 20 minutes. Flight modes should be stabilize or manual mode. Loiter, waypoint, flight route or flight in formation. Flight altitude should be form 30cm to 600m.

There will be 10 UAV enthusiasts participating.

From IEEE Spectrum:

A group of researchers from the Center for the Remote Sensing of Ice Sheets at the University of Kansas is right now at the sub-glacial Lake Whillans field camp on the Whillans Ice Stream in Antarctica. The team is testing a system they’ve devised that includes a 100-watt ice-penetrating radar carried aboard a small unmanned aerial vehicle.

Probing glacial ice with radar is nothing new. That’s long been done both by towing radar equipment across the ice and by flying it over the ice on airplanes. Synthetic-aperture approaches have even been used. But this is the first time anyone has obtained radar soundings of ice using a small drone.

The aircraft these researchers chose is one of their own design and has a rather peculiar appearance—at least for such an application. You might ask: Why does this pilotless UAV have a cockpit? That's because it was derived from earlier work the group did using an ordinary radio-control model that could be bought off the shelf: a 1/3-scale Yak 54. (The Yak 54, popular in modeling circles, is based on a 1990s-era aerobatic aircraft produced by the Moscow-based Yakolev Aircraft Corporation.)

The radar soundings were done using a somewhat larger airframe, but one that still very much resembles a “Yak,” as it is known to RC modelers. The plane, which these researchers refer to as the GX1, weighs 37 kilograms in all, including 2 kilograms of radar gear, which can be operated on two bands: 14 and 35 MHz.

The plane takes off and lands under the control of what some UAV operators refer to as an “external pilot,” meaning someone who is on the ground looking up at the plane rather than flying it while looking at a video feed being transmitted from the air. Once it’s airborne, though, the pilot can put the plane into a largely autonomous mode in which the plane’s autopilot takes over and flies to whatever waypoints are commanded. The little aircraft has a range of more than 200 kilometers, running on just a few liters of fuel.

The University of Kansas researchers plan to miniaturize their radar gear still further and build a small fleet of drone aircraft that can probe the depths of fast-flowing glaciers with closely spaced radar measurements taken from the air.

As we see digital radios beeing used by emergency services whithin the next couple of years here in germany, we wanted to have some experimental plattform to carry a DMO Repeater. We thought, this is a good way to learn something about the TETRA System, it's range and it's characteristics when used in the mountains.

So the sonar now is integrated to have better autolanding capabilities, some antenna is mounted on the back above a copper plate and some bracket was 3d printed to bring a handheld radio with Repeater/Gateway options up in the air.

Maybe we will put some skiers on it,

have fun in the mountains and take care,

Tom

This little gem is great for unexperienced fixed-wing pilots and people who fly fpv. The T1000FC auto pilot system with GPS is an in-line flight stabilizing system that offers auto level, tilt angle limits and return to home functionality for conventional aircraft (fixed wing, delta, etc... excluding multicopters and heli's).

Key features:

• autopilot mode (auto levels and does not let the aircraft roll or pitch past 45 degrees)
• 3D mode for sport flying
• Flight mode (stabilization off)
• Fixed high direction mode (heading hold)
• altitude hold mode (this will maintain the aircraft's altitude)
• GPS return to home

The above features can be set by the flick of a 3-position switch on your transmitter

Specifications:

• Barometer
• GPS
• Smart PID control

Comes with GPS, tool to set home position and a manual.

The price of this auto pilot is US$ 70.14. Details and a video available on the Hobbyking website.

Hi Folks,

I have been trying out a telemetry bridge setup. The main aim is to be able to use Droid Planner/Andropilot on android or even mission planner without the telemetry module hanging around the tablet or PC.

My setup is as follows:

AIRBORNE: APM with 3dr telemetry module

BRIDGE: Android Device that supports USB host. In my case, I used a tablet called ODYS running 4.2 jellybean. I installed an app called MAVCELL. Link to playstore. 

The app relays seria MAVLINK traffic from an FTDI device via a USB OTG cable through a TCP/IP connection. Includes an internal TCP/IP server or can connect as a client. Allows bi-directional communication. Developed specifically for passing MAVLink UAV traffic from the DIYDrones/3dRobotics APM2.0/2.5 drone controller telemetry through the cellular network to a Ground Control Station (GCS) such as Mission Planner.

In my trial, i set up the android tablet as a portable hotspot.

DROID PLANNER: I ran droid planner on a samsung galaxy camera. The galaxy is connected to the tablets wifi network.

In droid planner, i set up the connection type to TCP, and set up the IP address to the tablets IP address. In my case, 192.168.43.1. I set the port number to 8080. This is the port number assigned by MAVLINK.

I tested the setup on ground and I was able to get good telemetry data on the galaxy. I havent tested the wifi range, battery time on the devices, reliability etc. When i get to fly again, I will test the setup.

I also connected my laptop to the tablets wifi and connected to APM using mission planner through TCP. Same address and port number. This also worked like a charm! Infact, i had both the droid planner and mission planner connected at the same time. I got telemetry data on both devices.

Later, I want to try to set up a dynamic DNS client app on the tablet (Bridge). This might enable remote connection to the APM from anywhere on the internet.

In theory, all this should work. It would be nice if more guys try out this setup to find out whether it would be reliable. I see this as a cheap way of setting up a telemetry bridge as lots of us have spare android devices lying around.

Best regards from Kenya.