Once the airframe is tuned sufficiently the SET file will be added to the AttoPilot website for download.
When RTL is engaged the aircraft will complete a rectangular path before its return home, this can be triggered as many times as you like in the same flight.
AttoPilot's Geo-referencing / camera trigger options can be used to provide detailed overhead mapping.
This is the first AttoPilot which can be shipped without any export restrictions.
Part 1 - http://diydrones.com/profiles/blogs/testing-amp-tuning-the
I think this is the one I gave him. Glad it's being put to good use! Taken today at the Augmented Reality Development Camp, report here.
(pic from Tish Shute)
Los Angeles, June 15, 2010 /PRNewswire/ — Parrot, leader in wireless peripherals for mobile phones, today unveils at E3 Expo in Los Angeles the final version of the Parrot AR.Drone, a quadricopter using augmented reality and piloted with an iPod touch®, an iPhone® or an iPad™.
With super intuitive handling, Parrot AR.Drone achieves spectacular flights and enables consumers to play video games in augmented reality.
You are piloting a one-of-a-kind quadricopter, where real and virtual worlds meet to offer unparalleled gaming experiences…
The front-camera broadcasts and streams what the drone is seeing onto the iPod touch or iPhone screen; and the image processing allows integrating real-time special effects of augmented reality.
With its shaped cockpit driven by four propellers with brushless motors, the Parrot AR.Drone offers excellent maneuverability and stability during piloting.
Parrot AR.Drone generates its own Wi-Fi network (no need for an Internet connection nor a router) at which you simply connect an iPod touch or iPhone. Once the “AR.FreeFlight” application has been downloaded, the iPod touch/iPhone turns into a true piloting station.
Two piloting modes are available:
Touch the take-off button on the screen of the iPod touch/iPhone and the Parrot AR.Drone starts its engine, takes-off, stabilizes a few feet from the ground and waits for the pilot’s instructions.
The player needs to put his/her left thumb on the screen and a control button will position under it. The accelerometer of the iPod touch/iPhone is detecting movements. Parrot AR.Drone moves forward, back or sidewise depending on the inclinations of the iPod touch/iPhone.
Another command button on the right of the iPod touch/iPhone screen enables the pilot to make the AR.Drone rise, go down or rotate.
In Ace mode, a single button enables the pilot to fully control and pilot the AR.Drone.
Touch the landing button and the quadricopter will land and stop its engines.
Parrot AR.Drone is made of carbon fiber and high resistance PA66 plastic.
The heart of the AR.Drone contains MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanicals Systems), three axes accelerometer, two gyrometers [one axe & two axes], one ultrasound sensor and two cameras:
With the AR.Drone, Parrot is combining the worlds of video gaming and radio-controlled models.
This one-of-a-kind quadricopter enables consumers to recreate a large number of video games in the real world and also offers a multi-player possibility thanks to augmented reality.
To offer pilots unprecedented gaming experiences, three games will be available for download in the App Store℠:
Parrot AR.Drone is designed for flying inside and outside.
For a flight outside, a shaped hull reduces the area to the wind and offers an extreme maneuverability of the quadricopter.
Three hulls are available:
These vivid colors enable the pilot to easily follow the movements of his/her AR.Drone. They are also easily recognized by the front-camera of the AR.Drone, which enables the AR.Drone to identify a competitor for two-player battles.
For indoor flight, a specific hull – with a white, gray and black cockpit- surrounds and protects the propellers if the AR.Drone hits an obstacle. Stickers, with colors similar to the shaped hull, can be fixed on each arch to enable drone battles inside.
Finally, electroluminescent diodes (green at front, red on the back), are positioned on the landing gear and enable the pilot to easily position his/her AR.Drone for piloting. These diodes also activate and react according to the action from the game.
Available via www.ardrone.com, AR.Drone-Pilot Academy will be a website dedicated to Parrot AR.Drone users and fans.
This website will showcase approximately 20 videos and detailed information on the AR.Drone.
Since the introduction at CES 2010, the Software Development Kit, which was updated in May 2010, is available for developers to create games for the AR.Drone. Source code porting on other platforms is also feasible from the SDK.
To date, more than 450 developers around the world have registered on Parrot AR.Drone platform.
The only bounds of the forthcoming games for the AR.Drone are the imagination and ingenuity of the fans of Parrot’s quadricopter.
To download the SDK or get more information, visit http://projects.ardrone.org.
The development of the AR.Drone required more than four years and the creation of about 20 patents.
For the first time, a consumer product encompasses:
Parrot has worked for 15 years on wireless technologies. Engineering is the keystone of the work of Parrot and the R&D department of the company consists of 150 engineers.
Parrot concentrates on the maintenance of its investments in R&D to a high level, with an important focus on the software and the signal processing. Parrot develops complete products in taking care of their use; because of this, software, electronics, design and also manufacturing costs are the daily work of the research department.
Parrot AR.Drone will be available for purchase at selected retailers* in September in the United States for $299 MSRP.
Availability in Europe and Asia will be announced in the following weeks.
*For more information, please go to www.parrot.com
For more information, visit www.parrot.com or contact:
Haven't tried it yet, but this sounds useful:
"Now, with Google Earth 5.2, we’ve added the ability to view elevation, speed, and other data as a graph directly in Google Earth. Just connect your GPS device to upload your track, and select “View Elevation Profile” from the menu. This will bring up elevation and speed graphs. If your GPS device records additional information such as heart rate or cadence, these will also be available to view in the graph. You can also see statistics such as total elevation, maximum slope, and average speed. You can select a portion of your ride and get statistics for just that section."
More here.
New retail packaging shown here; you can follow the announcements on Twitter.
Hugin UAV platform
As you can see the platform is not a RTF kit. There will be some hours working before it will be flying.
Wingspan: 2M
Price: 325 USD.
More info on this nice twinboom UAV platform will come in near future!
