Blogs

From Seeedstudio's site:

Time frame for pre-order: Jan. 31- Feb. 18, 2013

Time of shipping: April, 25, 2013

Ever wanted a development kit that flies? Well now you can! The Crazyflie is an open source nano quadcopter kit designed for flexible development and hacking. It's among the smallest in the world, weighing only 19 grams and measuring 9 cm motor to motor.

• Small and lightweight, around 19g and about 90mm motor to motor
• Flight time up to 7 minutes with standard 170mAh Li-Po battery
• Standard micro-USB connector for charging which takes ~20min for the stock 170mAh Li-Po battery
• On-board low-energy radio@1mW based on the nRF24L01+ chip. Up to 80m range (environment dependent) when using the Crazyradio USB dongle
• Radio bootloader which enabled wireless update of the firmware 
• Powerful 32 bit MCU: STM32F103CB @ 72 MHz (128kb flash, 20kb RAM)
• 3-axis high-performance MEMs gyros with 3-axis accelerometer: Invensense MPU-6050
• Available footprints to manually solder magnetometer HMC5883L/HMC5983 or/and barometer MS5611 (sensors not included)
• Expansion header 2×10 pins 1.27mm (0.05”) pitch including power, I2C/UART, SPI/ADC. Header also contains ARM Cortex 10-pin JTAG (header not included)
• 4-layer low noise PCB design with separate voltage regulators for digital and analog supply

The PX4 autopilot now supports the Graupner HoTT telemetry system bringing live flight data right to your transmitter’s display.

Real-time Flight Data on your Transmitter Display
The latest PX4 firmware now supports telemetry for all HoTT transmitters and receivers. With the current release you are able to view Lipo voltage, altitude (barometric) and onboard temperature so you can monitor your airframe status live without needing to look at your ground control station.

Work is currently underway on supporting current sensors as well a the addition of a range of GPS properties such as heading, altitude, satellite lock, satellite count, etc.

Setup Tutorial
Getting HoTT telemetry running with the PX4 is simple to setup. To make it easier for you we have put together a step-by-step tutorial video:

For more information, take a look at the HoTT Telemetry tutorial on the PX4 wiki.

This is just a short technology preview for the mission control part of my UxV Control Station project. It does already talk to the APM but besides decoding GPS data, it has no function yet. But development is going on.

Sorry about the focus... My videocam is rather cheap... It can't handle the brightness of the TFT.

As is customary and traditional, we celebrate every new 1,000 members here and share the traffic stats. This time it's 34,000!

There were 1.95 million page views this month, which is a new record (we get over 70,000 page views a day). It took us just 21 days to get this latest 1,000 members--we're averaging about one new member every 30 minutes.

Thanks as always to all the community members who make this growth possible, and especially the moderators who approve membership applications and blog posts and otherwise answer questions and keep things ticking here. We've got about 65 moderators now, but if anyone would like to join this group, please PM me. If you've been here for a while and have been participating, you'll fit in great.

I taught History for my cadets In civil air patrol for all four years of High school, and I did do some teaching on the subject of how the Army used transport gliders. Back in the Day the Army made several gliders that could be towed by DC-10's,  piloted by an Army Airborne officer or sergeant, land on rough terrain at the same time as others, take punishment, and be picked back up by the Same dc-10 flying over head.

That's the gist of what's in the video and here is my new concept and project. drones, mostly used for military purposes now, will have a big need in the private sector and the lives of ordinary people trying to make money with the job. We could easily make a drone that could carry a drone glider transport and do the same thing as back in the day except not carry people or weapons of course. it could carry medical supplies for Search and rescue, or it could carry parts needed for a truck, or even mail. im working on a foam board cargo plane (rc for now, next year it will be a drone) and I can make a duplicate that will have no engine but the same software. iv already got ideas for how to get it dropped and how to flyover and pick it up at the same time. They did not have servos back in the day, so picking it back up and letting it go will be a cinch. it will just take some thinking and ingenuity. What do you guys think? Any ideas? fair flying friends!

Forwarded to me by a friend... no other details. If you know anything about this, follow up in the comments.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=SFvEiOP6Zm4

Firmware and Windows Client are made from a modified version of the orginal one found here : arducam-osd

Update 30 January 2013, new version include :

• Possibility to choose what parameter to tune with CH6
  

To enable this feature and display selectable parameter screen (screen 1)  :

• motors must be disarmed
• CH7 switch is engaged
• Full throttle and full pitch

After you'll we see a check screen (screen 2) where you have to :

• Put throttle in low position
• Put pitch in middle position
• Put CH6 in middle position

Then you can select parameter (screen 3) to tune with CH6, those parameters are :

• STABILIZE_KP
• RATE_KP
• RATE_KI
• LOITER_KP
• LOITER_RATE_KP
• LOITER_RATE_KI
• NAV_KP
• NAV_KI

1. Move pitch stick to move between parameter list
2. Select with full throttle a parameter to be tune with CH6
3. Quit screen and start tuning the selected paramter with CH7 switchin off position

After tuning a paramter, go back to screen 3, and save new parameter value with yaw stick to the left.

Compiled firmware : 20130129_ArduCAM_OSD_.rssi.time.status.climb.current.tuning.mavlink1.0.hex

Firmware sources : Arducam_osd_src.zip

Update 16 August  2012, new version include :

• Mavlink 1.0 support
• Flying time (count when throttle is above 20%)

Compiled firmware : ArduCAM_OSD_.rssi.time.status.mavlink1.0.hex

Firmware sources : Arducam_osd_src.zip

Windows client sources : OSD_IDE.zip

Update 23 May 2012, new version include :

• RSSI Display
• T° display (maybe useless :) )
• Climb rate
• Armed / Disarmed status (with Flight Mode)
• Speed in km/h
• No more "Charset update"
• Battery remaining (not tested)

"Charset update" was removed hardcoded, so to upload a new charset, you'll have to use the orginal firmware to do it and after you can use this firmware.

This new version need a new charset (MinimOSD_20.mcm) and the new client

Firmware : ArduCAM_OSD.rssi.amp.status.hex

Client : OSD_Config_RSSI_Status_Amp.exe

Charset : MinimOSD_20.mcm

Not science fiction anymore.

Episode 6

Drone Cafe Video Podcast - Permanent Page

Welcome to DroneCafe - DIY Heli - Part 1

Every Wednesday At 12:00AM CST I am releasing a new DIY Episode that will feature ways to modify simple R/C's that people new to R/C's and Drones can understand and preform on their vehicle.

Link to possible:FPV Camera and Controller for my Heli

Episode 4 - Newbies Guide to Diydrones.com [12:34]

Episode 5 - Diydrones.com Live Assistance via Skype [03:28]

***I hope you enjoyed Diydrones.com! If you have any suggestions for my Podcast or ideas for new episodes please let me know***

 Have constructed an enclosed ‘H’ frame carbon/Kevlar quad with soft mount front and rear arms for vibration reduction. Initially yaw was awful as the arms tilted in the wrong direction and opposed any motor torque so I had to stiffen the mounts to prevent yaw reversal. Now I have reversed the motors in the code and the tilt actually helps the yaw. The mounts on the video are very soft, just to help demonstrate the movement but I think they were bottoming out.

Am quite pleased with the lack of vibration showing on the camera.

Apart from the motor reverse all parameters are completely stock. Will tweak them when I get some time.

Vince

After I FINALLY received the eDIPTFT dev-kit today and a few missing cables arrived too, it was all wiring it up and getting them to talk. With the help of the drones-discuss list, I quickly fixed up a simple MAVLink parser which just pulls the coords and sends them to the display in terminal mode.

Now, the fun part starts - develop a nice UI and implement some meaningful features.

The eDIPTFT43 display, by the way, is incredible! If it hadn't anti-mirror coating and the touch screen, the viewing angle would be +/-90° horizontal as well as vertical. It's nicely bright and the colors are pretty vibrant. I'm gonna write a review on that display somewhen later.

Here's the project home: http://stefan.gofferje.net/projects/uav-projects/uxv-control-station
And the current features draft: http://stefan.gofferje.net/projects/uav-projects/uxv-control-station/uxv-control-station-blog/136-features-draft

We definitely trust the APM a LOT!  So we decided to create another version of our successful Aeromapper UAV....this time with a Sony Nex 7 camera, with a custom bracket so you can switch between different size lenses (Sony 16mm f/2.8 pancake lens or Voigtlander 15mm heliar len). This UAV version also comes Ready to Fly with Ardupilot Mega 2.5, with parachute recovery installed, is full composites, has the servo activated lens protective cover and it's customizable.

This UAV version triggers the camera via an infrared shutter release, controlled by a programmable intervalometer.

We plan to offer more cool products and several more versions of the Aeromapper, since we find it can fit a wide range of payloads sizes. We have many requests from customers wanting to mount different sensors.

We are also offering in our website the Pelican cases for the Aeromappers UAV, as well as some other additions to it, like a Long Range Control (Dragon Link) installed in the Spektrum DX8 or DX7, depending on the option selected by the customer.

Weather has been a bit crazy here in Canada, so we haven't gone out to fly much lately, but as soon as the weather improves we'll do a lot of flight testing of improvements and additions. One of the things we definitely want to implement this year is a launcher (car or catapult) so the UAV can carry a bit more weight (longer flight times!)

Let this be the opportunity to express a huge thanks to DIYDrones community and 3DRobotics team for their amazing work and support. Thanks to them this project is now an expanding reality!

Comments and feedback are welcome!

January 28th, 2013

We are very pleased to announce that the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food (UDAF) has contracted with DroneMapper to provide imagery processing services for the next 5 years.  UDAF collects high resolution imagery for use in conservation planning and management of natural resources. As an example, DroneMapper recently processed an imagery set as part of Utah’s effort to mitigate salinity migration into the Colorado River.

UDAF conducted an evaluation of other service providers like DroneMapper and standalone imagery processing software packages, and found that DroneMapper meets their needs in terms of quality and affordability.

We look forward to providing services to the State of Utah and its researchers to keep its lands sustainable and productive. For more information on UDAF, please visit: http://ag.utah.gov/

HobbyKing is now selling much cheaper versions of some 3DR products:

• MinimOSD v0.1
• uBlox NEO-6M GPS Module
• FPV Radio Telemetry Kit - 915Mhz *

(*This is an update of my old post which only referred to the two products available at that time.)

The latest addition to the list is especially well-timed because the 3DR Radio Telemetry Kit is currently out-of-stock, making HK the only place to get this item at any price right now. This could bring a welcome change to the tone of the DiyDrones Twitter feed as buyers stop venting their frustration with shortages and simply buy elsewhere.

HobbyKing changing strategies?

Even as HobbyKing is adding more ArduPilot accessories, the MultiWii and MegaPirate autopilots which they were selling are now being liquidated or have already been removed from the site entirely. It is easy to imagine that this pullback is the result of the rather infamous support nightmare they suffered when the entire run of MegaPirate boards shipped with an unworkable voltage regulator installed.

This shift in autopilot lineup could mean that HobbyKing has decided to get out of the autopilot business, sticking with accessories and staying away from complicated autopilots which have so many parts that can fail. A more likely explanation is that HobbyKing just wants an autopilot solution that works, and they're clearing the shelves to make room for something else, maybe ArduPilot, but probably DJI.

Personally, I like to imagine that somebody at HobbyKing is a rabid ArduPilot fan who clones a different 3DR part every time 3DR goes out of stock, just to make sure he can always get his fix.

Your ideas?

Last time I posted on this topic, I was expecting a rather dry discussion of the effect of clone manufacturing on the 3DR business model. That suggestion was rightly ignored, so this time I'll just ask: Do you plan to buy any clone hardware yourself?

For myself, I think my next purchase will be a 3DR PX4 with HobbyKing's telemetry and GPS. Frankly, buying the autopilot feels like enough of a donation to the developers without paying double for the accessories, as well.

Got the eyes installed!

The camera bracket is attached with the bolt that secures the arm. This is a camera that 3DR sells that operates in low light and normal light and auto adjusts. I am anxious to do some night FPV flying.

I finally felt with 2.9 that I was ready to equip my Ardu-copter for FPV. I flew some test flights just line of sight in a confined area, and checked the stable mode and the loiter mode and the loiter mode was much improved over 2.81.

The stable mode was fine already in 2.81 and was just as fine in 2.9.  

I tested FPV this afternoon and was very disappointed.  

I have to say though, I am a long time DJI NAZA user, I am still haven't gotten to the point of understanding the usefulness of the  the APM stable mode.  My fascination with drones are flying in FPV and creating videos.

For FPV, what I want is the GPS enabled stable mode like the NAZA gives which allows an auto-pilot mode that doesn't require the pilot to constantly fly. Being able to hold a position lets you focus on running video or taking pictures or inspecting whatever you want to take a look at.  

The Loiter mode seems to be very stubborn. when you set it, it wants to stay at that position, to change position, you have to switch back to stable mode, fly to the new location then set the loiter mode again. For FPV, this is difficult, in FPV, you only see what the on board camera sees and you don't want to be fumbling to operate switch's considering you are basically blind.

When I am in loiter mode and I use the stick to move to a new location, when I release the sticks, it goes back to where It was when I engaged loiter mode. this reduces its usefulness to an FPV flyer, to say the least...

This means you have to switch back and forth between loiter and stabile, and when in stable mode, you can drift all over the place and when seeing through the lens eye, it is easy to get too close to a tree, of other obstacle, which if you were able to move around in constant position hold that can be move around without changing modes, you can fly much safer and confidently.

This afternoon I finished setting my arducopter to use FPV and was able to test it. There was a little breeze and I found myself trying to stay in a confined area with several trees around the perimeter. I am used to flying in this area and have never had a problem with my copter with the NAZA even when it is very windy. In todays testing, I crashed twice, and once had to put it down a little abruptly once due to the behavior of the APM. 

The first time in trying to move to a new loiter position, while in stable mode, I backed into a tree.  (landed upright, no damage), the next time, when switching from loiter to stabile the throttle dropped resulting in a bounce off the ground from about 10 feet and tipped up on its side. (no damage.) the third time, I clipped tree branch's again while drifting due to the breeze in stabile mode. The main problem I was having is being able to move around, yet staying in a confined area, something I haven't had trouble doing before..

In each of these cases, if I had been flying LOS, I would have avoided any problem, but in FPV mode, copter stability is more essential due to not being able to see around you.

I could just fly in loiter mode and it would hold its new position rather than go back to the original position, I would happily continue perusing FPV, but being blind with the googles on and experiencing the unpredictable responses and having to be switching modes frequently is not what I want in an autopilot. I'm hope that a mode like loiter mode, but that can be moved and updated without switching out and back into loiter  mode will be considered, for an FPV pilot, I think it is essential

One more thing..

I also installed a minimOSD. I didn't take time to really mess with it yet, but for now, it only says "download charset". I guess I will need to search the WIKI and start figuring this out. Am I going to need anything special to configure that?

I have 3DR radios and mission planner.... 

Thanks for help from anybody!

Richard

I was testing my Maja in full manual mode this afternoon, an eagle come and join the fun of it. We flew a few round together before I realise that it actually come to defends it's airspace. A few attempt to close in with the plane and lower it's craw ready for a catch. Lucky it didn't success and I have power reserved to escape from situation. 

MY Maja 2.2 M was build as per instruction with some reinforcement. AUW is 2.8kg. A 3S 2200 battery was put in front as ballast. CG set at 75 cm from leading edge. Currently just basic RC gear without FPV equipment and telemetry. For aerial mapping purpose, I'll expect the AUW to be 3 to 3.1 KG. 

Using the Motor and ESC supplied with the kit spinning a 12 x 6 propeller, it had lot of power for easy hand lunch. I did not experience any pitch down problem during hand lunch as reported by some pilot. Just a gentle toss and it is up on its way. By the way, my battery is 4S 5000 mah.

The current configuration make the plane feel stable in roll axis but sensitive in pitch. Initially I had some difficulty to handle it because it'll pitch up quite severely and slow the plane down during level out from a turn or facing some head wind. A lot of us just can't feel comfortable to push down elevator for normal flight.

The plane glide well but keep an eye on the airspeed because of the pitch up problem. down elevator is needed to maintain safe landing speed.

I think APM will smooth out the pitch up issue. Will try it when the casing I order from 3DR shop come.  

Some GPS artistic drawings...

 Hehe, just a teaser for my yesterday's tests on VRBRAIN with latest 2.9 firmware! VRBRAIN uses the powerful ARM STM32F4 CPU and runs with the actual 2.9 firmware codebase.

This is the location of the code and DFUs: http://code.google.com/p/vrbrain/downloads/list

I have also set up a small and rather incomplete "how to" to upload the firmware into the STM32F4 ARM Microcontroller 

Man!, never had so much fun with the Auto mode! I am using a UBlox GPS on a Hexa frame with 10x4.5 APC props.

The main difference between our code and the original Arducopter one is that we drive our main stabilization loop at 400Hz (instead of 100Hz) and get samples from the Gyro and Accel at 1000Hz (instead of 100Hz) with only 10% CPU time used.

The filter of the MPU6000 is set to 98Hz, although the Alt_Hold with the accelerometers worked very well.

Here is the picture of the Waipoint path, as you can see I am not good in drawing, but the path was followed very well.

One thing that impressed me was the alitude, in all the auto mission only 1 meter between max and min.

The new altitude hold with use of accels is doing a great job also in autoland and auto-approach.

To all the AC team a big thanks for the huge work!

And thanks to Roberto and VirtualRobotix for his VRBRAIN!

Original Blog Post : http://www.virtualrobotix.com/profiles/blogs/the-future-of-uavs-is

Emile

Here is my APM2.5 at my apartment in Albuquerque NM. See the 3 waypoints and home position?

Thanks a bunch Kevin! http://www.diydrones.com/xn/detail/705844%3ATopic%3A1094076

My android tablet is a Pipo S2 at $122 from Banggood.com What a deal! There are some things you have to do to get it to work on the S2 (new firmware) but it is east.

Earl