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Madagascar Team Leader and Drone operator:
Zuzana Burivalova (PhD candidate)
Applied Ecology & Conservation Lab, ETH Zurich

See: www.conservationdrones.org for more information.

With support from:
Dr Martin Bauert, ZOO Zurich
Wildlife Conservation Society Madagascar
Madagascar National Parks
Tom Allnutt, UC Berkeley
Edward Louis, Omaha ZOO and Madagascar Biodiversity Partnership
Pierre and Maria Bester, Masoala Forest Lodge
Jao Aridy, Madagascar National Parks
Nandi Fatro, Université d'Antananarivo

Finally put my Graphite 2E together. Installed GoPro3 Black.

My next step would be installing Ardu Pilot (Graphite has plenty of space to do it).

I never used Ardu Pilot so I am open for any input whatsoever as far as programming etc.

YouTube Video

Well, I finally did it.  First in history?  Powered sideways flips (I give it a shot of negative pitch when it's upside down).

Last month Boston Dynamics released a video showing off a new feature of their Big Dog robotic mule: voice control.  I had been working on a similar project for a while, though I think it's actually cooler: voice control of a flying robot drone.

Above is a video I made last night of the current state of my project, which shows an AR.Drone doing whatever I tell it (mostly):

In the video I'm talking to my custom voice control software running on my laptop, which uses ar-drone-rest and node-ar-drone to talk to the quadrotor.

I'm currently working on doing the speech recognition on an iPhone or Android phone, so you don't need to talk into an unwieldy laptop.

All,

I just wanted to share a design we have been working on for the FPV/DIY UAV crowd.

Our goal was to design something relatively rugged, easy to build/use and affordable.  And since we CNC hot wire cut foam cores for a living it needed to be manufacturable with our current process.

The design is released under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/

General specs:

- All EPP foam construction with laminating film skin and corroplast tail.

- Span: 78"

- Length: 30"

- Weight:  Around 3.5# minus payload

- Payload: Depends on how high you want to load the wing.  About 1# is what we had in mind.

- Power: Depends on performance you are after.  We like ~75 watts per pound in this class so ~300 watts min.

- Battery: Designed around a 3s 5000 lipo but could carry more.

So far we have built and flown one model.  We are working on tweaks to the design to make it easier to assemble etc.  Hope to have a at least a short kit ready at flyingfoam.com in Feb.

Enjoy! Nurf%20MarkII%203%20View.pdf

Coby

Farnell has some nice small ABS casings that can fit both 3DR style radios as well as XBee's on their breakout boards. You can cut parts out easily with a hobby knife. I use them for both the airborne and ground radio's. Link & pics:

RX2007 ABS casing

Got everything hooked up except the sonar and i tlooks like a dry weekend coming so hopefully I can get out and do some tuning and flying. Went with 11x4.7 props since the weight is a little higher than I had planned. May swap the arms for wood if flight times are too short.

Front

Rear

Side

What I have left to do:

1. Add Digital Camo to Parts of Wing
2. add servos and connect wires to rudder and elevator
3. possibly add ardupilot
4. possibly add FPV flying

I'm looking for suggestions on any mods or upgrades I can do to this RQ-11.  I hope the Video was enjoyable and educational.  

• Part 3 coming soon. Will exclude fully operating plane with other possible surprise DIY Mods.
• Also I might make a video on how I did the digital camo 

I previously posted a BLOG about setting up the FJI F450 Flamewheel with the APM2 and the copter was a great success so I thought I'd put together a smaller and lighter version - The F330 Flamewheel.

My F500 weighs 2 pound 11 ounces ready to fly and I am shooting for 1 pound 11 ounces with the F330 and still quite a substantial battery as you can see.

This copter should fly very well outdoors, is much better suited to flying indoors than the F450 and uses the same excellent DJI motors (and in this instance ESCs) as the F450 so will have a very high performance potential.

There are a few things that it is worthwhile to know when using the excellent and robust Flamewheel and I did things a little differently as well.

I am mostly just going to point up the things you will need to know regarding the Flamewheel.

For general quadcopter construction you can refer to the Arducopter Wiki and to my downloadable PDF file Downloadable instructions I have provided there.

Rather than order the Flamewheel F330 ARF kit, I elected to order the F450 ARF kit and a separate F330 Frame kit.

This cost me an extra $40.00, but it comes with 30 amp ESCs instead of 18 amp ones and I can also use the extra frame as spare parts for my F450.

The F450 ARF kit also comes with 2 sets of props (8" and 10" and the F330 kit comes with only one set of 8" props.

You may not elect to do this, the 18 amp ESCs are probably a little smaller and the frame is lightly loaded, so going over current should be very unlikely and 10" props WILL NOT fit on the F330.

In any case, currently the ARF F330 kit is available for $180.00 and the F450 for $190.00 and the F330 frame by itself is $30.00.

The above Picture shows the prop clearance on the F330 with 8" props on it.

9" props will fit but 10" ones will not.

I will be switching to 9" Carbon reinforced GemFan props which I very much like for both their considerable strength and their higher than normal efficiency.

A 9" prop is definitely better suited to this frame and motor with  a standard 3 cell LiPo setup although 8" would be fine for a 4 cell setup.

General assembly notes.

1. Go to the DJI web site Flamewheel support section to get a copy of their "manual" none is included with the Copter kits. It is more of an assembly diagram than a manual, but the pictures are definitely useful.
2. I put the ESCs in after assembly because it allows me to fit things more closely but then does require a bit of creativity when soldering the ESC leads to the bottom plate / power distribution board. Your choice.
3. Use Blue or purple removable Locktite very sparingly on the threads of the Allen screws when you assemble the frame. Try to keep excess off of the plastic. Not actually achievable, but do the best you can.
4. The motor and frame screws have a shoulder on them and you need to tighten them all sufficiently so that the shoulder fully seats. I recommend installing all screws (with Locktite) loosely then tightening all the screws on each frame arm one at a time. Do this in one sitting.
5. When installing the motors, pre-bend the motor leads upward a bit where the exit the motor bottom so that the motor can sit flat. Have the leads exit towards the center of the copter (motor bottom screws are off set and it can only be installed 2 ways), toward the center is correct. The motor screws are short and it is tricky to start the first screw on the motor bottom, ensuring that the motor lead is not pushing the motor up helps. Use blue Locktite on each screw and install all 4 screws for a motor loosely and then tighten them.

1. I Thread the motor leads down through the first 2 large frame member holes, but you can also run them around the frame member if you wish.
2. Install the ESCs with tie wraps. I do them from front to back through the frame member of the copter and between the motor bullet connector sockets for a slightly neater and more secure installation.
3. I install the ESC power leads through the slot in the bottom of the frame member and then trim and solder them to the power distribution board. This is a little harder than the normal method of going around the outside of the frame members but it is neater and provides a little additional battery clearance.
4. When you solder the ESC and Battery power leads to the power distribution board you will need to flux and preheat both the pads and the wire in order to get a wet and properly tinned solder joint, the board can soak up quite a bit of heat so set your soldering iron hotter than you normally use.
5. You will need an external BEC because the OPTO ESC's do not contain a BEC and Castle Creations makes an excellent and very reliable 10 amp one for about $20.00. You should also be able to use the one that is supplied with the APM 2.5 board and it is smaller. Use a switching BEC in any case, they are more reliable and a lot more efficient than linear ones.
6. You do not need to and in fact can't balance the DJI ESCs as shown on the Arducopter Wiki, they are digital, optically isolated and are completely pre-balanced at the factory. Basically they work great out of the box.
7. I am probably going to use a APM 2.5 on this Quadcopter and I will either use two rows of double sided Velcro or suspended O ring mounting of the enclosed APM.
8. You can use the stock 8" DJI props and they will work OK, but I will be switching to GemFan 9" multirotor "Carbon" props which are only $2.00 each and in my opinion much superior to the stock 8" props. They are almost impossible to break and the 9" ones will be considerably more efficient with these motors and a 3 cell LiPo than the stock 8" props. The 9" GemFans are not made for the DJI hub, but you can bore them out to about .31" with an ordinary drill and they work fine (I use 11" GemFans bored out this way on my Flamewheel F450. (The bigger the diameter of the prop you can fit the more efficient it is all other things being equal and not exceeding motor or ESC maximums.)
9. The ESCs automatically disarm after 10 seconds without the motor turning, but now, the APM also disarms after 10 seconds so, there is not conflict, anytime you have sat still for over 10 seconds you need to rearm. This is a great safety feature.
10. When you are setting up the APM with only the USB connected, the ESCs may beep continuously, ignore them or throw a pillow over the top of the whole thing (our dog hates them).
11. After you have loaded and adjusted the firmware when you turn your transmitter on and plug in the battery , the ESC's should emit a short series of musical notes and then be quiet. You are then ready to arm and fly.

I have only covered the substantial differences for the DJI F330 FlameWheel from the Normal Quadcopter setup. For general quadcopter construction you should refer to the Arducopter Wiki and to my Downloadable PDF file instructions I have provided there.

If my F450 is any comparison, this F330 should be even more fun and a lot easier to use indoors - (safely).

My starting PIDs will be what  normally use on my F450: Angular Rate P = .145, Angular Rate I = .030 and Stabilize P = 4.0

I will post additions to this Blog when I finish this project and as I gain experience with the F330. Please feel free to comment or ask questions, I will monitor this BLOG and respond as best I can.

Well, as you can see, I've started with the arm.  This puppy has reduction gears, driven by a stepper motor.  I'm planning to power the forearm with metal gear servos. Of course with slight modifications to the segment ratios, this is also going to be the legs of my robot.

I need more steppers and drivers, which are on order.  This prototype is a result of several months of work, and almost 3 kg of plastic was used, in trial and error, before this stage has been reached.

Right now, all points of rotation are fitted with plastic printed bearings, but I've got some steel 26x17x5mm bearings coming from China.  Not sure if they will be needed, since everything runs rather smoothly with the plastic bearings.  Just some grease would make things run like silk.

Maybe it will help me clean up my room.

By request of Dany here's a video of it being run off my TOM's motor controller.  Excuse the scruffy attire and lack of grooming. ;-)

This one is worthy of discussion. At very least as a group we should be taking it upon ourselves to operate away from potential conflict. These guys sort of tried but perhaps could have thought about it a little longer. There is no indication of what AP this was or airframe. 

The operators of a remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) were lucky to feel only embarrassment rather than grief after their aircraft got lost near a busy aerodrome. It’s an example of why RPA operators must take them seriously as aircraft.

Aviation in itself is not inherently dangerous. But to an even greater degree than the sea, it is terribly unforgiving of any carelessness, incapacity or neglect. So said Captain Alfred Gilmer Lamplugh in 1931, in one of the first attempts to understand the risks of the air.* His words are just as resonant today. They apply even in the almost complete personal safety of operating an unmanned aircraft from a ground station.

http://www.suasnews.com/2013/01/20510/intruder-in-the-circuit/

As is customary and traditional, we celebrate every new 1,000 members here and share the traffic stats. This time it's 33,000!

There were well over 1.7 million page views this month, which is a new record (we get over 65,000 page views a day). It took us just 22 days to get this latest 1,000 members--we're averaging about one new member every 35 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.

Mentions 3DRobotics...

http://money.cnn.com/2013/01/09/technology/drones/index.html?iid=HP_LN&hpt=hp_t2

I decided to run some older imagery I came across the other day through photoscan and came up with some pretty cool results. Above is the park behind 3d Robotics where I used to fly after work. Below is an aerial shot of the 3DR neighborhood.

And here’s a model of a rural area outside Jakarta on a hazy day made with images taken during a training flight.

If you’re working on aerial photography I encourage you to just get out and start taking pictures, you’ll be surprised what comes out when you’re just flying around randomly! Just don’t fly around former employers’ offices unless they’re into drones too ;-)

EX 

Today's guest Doug Davis, Director of Global UAS Strategic Initiatives at the NMSU PSL.

Doug  has been a long time contributing member of the unmanned aviation community. This will be an excellent opportunity to hear about the Global UAS airspace integration effort past, present and future. He was head of the FAA UAPO department so should have his finger on the pulse of what might be about to happen.

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/suasnews/2013/01/09/global-uas-initiatives

Please email patrick@suasnews.com if you have any questions the link above should show the right time zone for whatever one you are in. Its in a couple of hours.

From Patrick Gevas on the Google+ DIY Drones community:

I work with Epson and wanted to share a video of Epson's Moverio BT-100 transparent wearable display that allows a user to fly a drone equipped with a camera and see the first person view, while still being aware of their surroundings. First Person View - Aerial videography using Epson Moverio glasses

We'd love to hear your thoughts, and any ideas on different or fun applications. Thanks for your time!

Please email me with your thoughts at pgevas@walt.com(I’m with Epson’s PR agency.)

Stephen Hawking, who is part machine, wants to stop the rise of the machines.

From Fast Company:

Stephen Hawking, who turns 71 today, has joined the board of an international think tank devoted to defending humanity from futuristic threats. The Cambridge Project for Existential Risk is a newly founded organization which researches existential threats to humanity such as extreme climate change, artificial intelligence, biotechnology, artificial life, nanotech, and other emerging technologies. Skype cofounder Jaan Tallinn and Cambridge professors Huw Price and Martin Rees founded the project in late 2012.

Price and Tallinn collaborated on a speech at the 2012 Sydney Ideas Festival which argued that artificial intelligence has reached a threshold that could lead to an explosion of autonomous machine dominance similar to the rise of Homo sapiens. The Cambridge Project for Existential Risk's stated goal is to establish a research center dedicated to the study of autonomous robot (and other) threats within Cambridge University.

From Paul Saffo on the Google+ DIY Drones community. (We did the same thing with ArduCopter here):

Parrot and Autodesk123 used to terrain-model a construction stockpile. Fun to see the rough-tough survey crew watching as the little red parrot takes off and flies past the Cat D8.

A Parrot AR Drone 2.0 was used to map a stockpile area on a civil engineering project. The video feed from the drone was captured at 0.5s intervals using FFMPEG and modeled using AutoDESK 123D Catch to create a 3D textured surface model.

I've noticed a trend - that many journalists are much more interested when an Editor-in-Chief of a long-respected technology and culture magazine quits his job to play with toys drones.  Also just heard a primer segment hinting at a bigger audio piece to be aired on Marketplace later today.

[audio https://googledrive.com/host/0B9L7Ju7dsRLVbEpGVlhxTkYtZFU/2013-01-08b-tcr.mp3 ]

"These days, we tend to think of "drones" in a military context. But drones are popping up in a number of fields, including firefighting and newsgathering. A new company that makes them is run by a former editor of Wired magazine and a 26-year-old engineering whiz from Tijuana. Reporter: John Rosman"

Original article