Hello Guys

I am new here in this community and wanted to spread the word on the below competition:

The ICT Fund is pleased to support and direct your attention to the U.A.E.’s Drones for Good Award and the AI & Robotics Award for Good.  Under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister of the U.A.E. and Ruler of Dubai, the awards will recognize the most innovative, implementable prototypes of drones and robotics designed to improve people’s lives with the aim of creating a hub and platform for robotics innovators from around the world.

Teams can be comprised of individuals, groups, universities, or companies. Each team must nominate a project leader and can submit up to three entries. Teams can consist of as many members as they require, however only four members of each team will be eligible for sponsored travel if selected for the semi-finals.

Participants are required to register for the awards and submit their videos and proposals using online submissions.

The winner of the international competition will receive an award for $1 million!

Registration for Drones for Good Award click here: http://www.dronesforgood.ae/enter-now

Registration for Robotics & AI for Good Award click here: http://www.roboticsforgood.ae/enter-now

When we announced earlier this year that we were going to be working with Sony to bring out the R10C, which has the best sensor in the industry, we also said we were going to do more than just strap a great camera on a Solo. And we did: we've created a custom gimbal and API interface with the R10C that allows Solo Site Scan to not only automatically control every aspect of the camera in real time during flight, but also automatically transfer full-resolution (20 megapixel) images to the cloud wirelessly in near real-time, via our new iOS app.  It's out now!

From the Verge:

GoPro might have accidentally given us a sneak peak of its Karma drone. The company announced earlier this week that it would be unveiling the anticipated aircraft for the first time later this month. A since-removed preview on several of the company’s European websites contain a thumbnail of what appears to be the anticipated aircraft.

GoPro will be holding an event on September 19th to show off the drone (and potentially its Hero5 camera). The image on its French, Italian, Spanish and German websites show off a black and white quadcopter, which links right to the company’s Karma page.

The site also showed off a previously unannounced stabilizer, which led directly to a 404 page.

We get lots of help requests from customers trying to configure the PixHawk and other flight controllers that are running ArduPilot software. The existing configuration interfaces, such as those found in Mission Planner, can be confusing, even for experienced users. We've introduced a "drone configuration" tool into our free Terminal Application (Rev 1.1.2) that provides a simpler interface to hook up our laser altimeter products.

The drone tool supports all the available protocols (serial, I2C and analog) for each laser product family manufactured by LightWare and provides live feedback of the rangefinder data to make sure that the connections are working correctly.

Some of the key features of the Terminal Application drone configuration tool include:

- Automatic detection and identification of the flight controller

- Drop down selection of the LightWare product

- Drop down selection of the interface type

- Automatic default configuration settings with user override

- Live feedback of the rangefinder distance data

The drone configuration tool will be expanded to cover future products such as our miniature scanning LiDARs for collision avoidance and mapping. Other tools in the application provide direct communication between a PC and a laser altimeter through its built-in USB port. This allows settings to be entered directly into the laser if the default values need to be changed for any reason. These changes can be made without needing either a power supply or a connection to the flight controller.

[Please note that the communications protocol between the LightWare Terminal application and an ArduPilot based flight controller is not MavLink, so it may not be directly compatible with all of the MavLink based controllers that are out there. Yet ;).]

A council in the South West is considering introducing a PSPO in order to ban the use of drones in public places. 

it would introduce the prohibition under a Public Space Protection Order (PSPO), subject to evidence and a public consultation.

The 2014 Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act introduced PSPOs to help councils tackle anti-social behaviour, defined as anything which local authorities feel may have a ‘detrimental effect’ on the ‘quality of life’ of residents.

This is also to be followed in suit by other Councils over the UK. 

The Rule of Precedent dictates legal systems place great value on deciding cases according to consistent principled rules so that similar facts will yield similar and predictable outcomes, and observance of precedent is the mechanism by which that goal is attained.

This is evident with the recent newspaper articles from all other local Councils repeating the same stance. 

As the UK is a small country very little space is available for local to fly UAV.

In my view Local Law enforced by local Police will be introduced unless we act now.

Local Law can can only be introduced if we do not complain about the action or intention. It seems that Main government is using local government to make changes without our consent which they can not make at a high level. 

Just my View. 

So I made this video for entertainment and hope people see that US drone pilots are normal people LOL just trying to make a nice video, or fly in a race. Well this is my contribution.

People take the word "DRONE" to Seriously 

(Originally posted on NOVAerial Robotics Blog)

NASA is now planning on using a UAV in addition to the Rover in order to explore Mars.  The reasons are very simple, and parallel the desire to use UAV’s on earth.  Having a camera in the air, instead of being stuck on the ground, allows for better perspective to see details of the terrain.  And also, avoids the problem that rovers have with negotiating difficult terrain.

But what is particularly interesting with this story, is that they have decided to use a coaxial helicopter instead of a quadcopter.  Why?  Multirotors on earth, already have enough trouble with stabilization due to the need to accelerate and decelerate the propellers to control their flight.  While small quadcopters do fly very well, as they get bigger, and the rotors get bigger, stabilization gets harder.  This is because the rotor inertia increases exponentially with diameter.  It takes much more energy to change the speed of a large rotor than it does smaller ones.  This is why you do not see very large multirotors flying very dynamically.

On Mars, the problem is even worse.  Due to the thin atmosphere, the rotor must be very large to be able to generate enough lift to fly. It would require a very large and heavy rotor to achieve lift, and the power required to change their speed quickly enough for flight control, would be much too large and heavy to fly.

Helicopters do not have this problem, because they use a swash plate to actuate variable pitch on each blade for flight control.  The motors do not need to be large enough to accelerate the rotors quickly for roll and pitch control.  So you can have a tiny motor spinning a large rotor in the thin Martian atmosphere.  Roll and Pitch control is achieved by cyclic pitch.  Yaw control of a coaxial helicopter is achieved via motor torque, and thrust can be controlled either by variable collective pitch on the rotors, or increasing the rotor speed.  I expect they used the former in this case, for the same reasons why fixed pitch props don’t work for pitch and roll control.  All of this also explains why large UAV helicopters fly so much better than large multirotor drones.

One interesting thing to point out, is that all of this also holds true for UAV’s flying at high altitudes on earth with thin air.  Multirotors will suffer much more than Helicopters will.  We have flown UAV’s in Colorado, both multirotors and helicopters.  The multirotors required installation of larger diameter propellers to achieve enough lift, in our case, changing from 10″ props to 12″. This negatively impacts the flight control, as the propellers are noticeably heavier.  The helicopter however, simply required a change to the motor controller to run the rotor slightly faster to make up for the thinner air.

We are excited to see that NASA is taking a novel approach to exploring Mars.  Here is a 37 minute video which goes into deep detail the system.

http://1080.plus/Mars_Helicopter_Scout/w3y7iJEe7uM.video

When you hook up a new payload to your drone and you want to configure or tune the parameters, how about just opening a web browser and getting an interface to do exactly that. You can get that with the FlytBase platform and all you need to do is write a quick code in python and HTML/JS for your custom web app. This is only a part of the story.

FlytPOD has an onboard WiFi router and FlytOS includes a web server exposing FlytAPIs as RESTful and websocket calls. This enables remote devices to easily interact with the drone. And, you can make this experience even richer by building your own onboard web apps and defining custom RESTful endpoints.

FlytAPIs cover most of the core functionality required for any drone application and we keep striving to make it richer. However, as a drone developer, you might need a very specific feature for your application and FlytOS gives you the flexibility to implement it through onboard web apps.

Why is this helpful?

• If you are a web developer or you know how to write simple web apps then, with FlytBase, you can also write apps for drones.

• You can have a custom web app served directly from the drone. This gives you an interface that is cross-platform and is accessible from any ground device without needing a separate server or a native app

• You can integrate the web app with the onboard driver for a new payload and get data or send commands to the payload by accessing the app in your mobile/laptop

• You can build a fully featured app for your domain e.g. Agriculture or build a custom GCS or a quick Client demo or build simple utilities to expose new features through your app routes e.g. get onboard CPU % utilization, get console output (status messages), assign/get custom drone ID, transform position data to a custom coordinate frame and so forth.

FlytOS uses lightweight Flask microframework for onboard web apps. Custom user apps can be added as blueprints using the existing samples and documentation. You can write a complete web app with server side code in Python and Static content with HTML, CSS, JS.

FlytVision App

FlytConsole App

Currently, FlytConsole and FlytVision are available as onboard web apps which provide good demonstration of the use case and also serve as reference for building new apps. We also use the onboard web app option for quickly building demos e.g. April tags, Joystick etc

          AR Tags Demo App

          JoyStick Demo App

Visit www.flytbase.com and docs.flytbase.com for more information.

Web Apps Documentation: http://docs.flytbase.com/docs/FlytApps/WebApps.html

If you would like to Pre-Order FlytPOD, please visit - http://igg.me/at/flytpod

When we released a bunch of new smart shots for Solo on iOS in June, we promised that they would be coming to Android, too. I'm pleased to report that the new Android app is now out. 

WHAT'S NEW

We’re proud and very excited to announce the release of the newest version of UgCS ground station software for drones – UgCS 2.9 Update 1. We’ve put in a lot of work to make sure this is the most polished version of UgCS ever. Along with changes in UgCS desktop version, the users of “UgCS for DJI” mobile app will also notice some useful improvements.

Here are some of the changes in UgCS desktop version:

• User-specified speed between waypoints is now treated as the speed along the 3D vector between two waypoints. This change leads to the drone flying closer to the specified flight trajectory and thus – higher flight precision.
• For Pixhawk / APM autopilots take-off point altitude is now set automatically
• Previously if the vehicle speed in the mission exceeded the allowed max speed in the vehicle profile, the mission would not calculate. Now, in this case, the mission is calculated with the maximum vertical / horizontal speed components set in the vehicle profile and the user gets a warning message.
• Support for Ubuntu 16.04 LTS has been added!
• Camera trigger now works correctly in Photogrammetry missions with DJI A2
• Speed vector in Telemetry window is now proportional on smaller screens
• Area scan calculation above complex terrain profile has been optimized
• Yaw action has been removed from DJI Wookong-M waypoint actions
• “Continue” command has been disabled while in “Click & Go” mode for Wookong-M, Naza-M V2 and Phantom 2
• Fixed “Camera Trigger” button and “Camera trigger by time” action not working in some cases
• “No actions in last point” flag behavior has been fixed, no additional trigger actions are generated

“UgCS for DJI” Android app has been updated to work with the latest version of UgCS. Some of the new features of the mobile app include:

• Using Adaptive turn type the maximum corner radius can be adjusted in the app under “Drone Specific Settings”
• Minimum safe altitude parameter has been added to applications preferences to prevent the drone from flying straight to the target waypoint from the ground. Now the drone climbs to safe altitude before flying to the first waypoint
• Support for Land waypoint has been added
• Notifications have been made more user friendly

Get UgCS 2.9 Update 1 now at www.ugcs.com

Safe flights,
UgCS Team

Hi All.
Atlas Dynamics is proud to announce the launch of its first consumer drone, made in cooperation with Yi-technology. Our unique tricopter design and full carbon fiber hull create a new standard for quality and performance in the consumer drone space. We have reached a 40 min of flight time and have made some new features like Virtual Stick and one hand control.

Our App will be available for IPhone and Android devices. In the future we plan to release free app for IPhone and Android, so all APM users will be able to enjoy new features.
Also we have plan to release SDK for IPhone and Android platform, so everybody can make their own GCS apps easily.
We are going to make efforts to support all APM community and provide new software and hardware solutions.

The CORS is an appealing way to do RTK due to its convenience and large coverage area. While Precis-BX305 currently does not support build-in NTRIP client feature, there is an alternative way to connect CORS network by employing external Bluetooth module and a cellphone. Check it out.

From PrecisionHawk's post on its milestone FAA approval to fly beyond visual line of sight, in which they describe their interesting LATAS system:

To further mitigate risk, PrecisionHawk uses an airspace display technology called LATAS to help track the aircraft and avoid potential hazards such as trees, powerlines or manned aircraft. While it is not a required to receive an EVLOS waiver, LATAS plays a key role in PrecisionHawk’s own operations. The LATAS web application is a free tool available on www.flylatas.com and provides an extra layer of safety and protection for any operator flying under Part 107.

Parrot launched some fun new mini drones this morning that are about to make your drone educational programs even more awesome, particularly access to the Parrot SDK for app development.  Here is a nice writeup in TechCrunch and more details on the Parrot webpage.

Introducing 'Swing',  a new vertical takeoff, transitional vehicle. This thing is really fast and comes with a nice new bluetooth controller that makes piloting mini drones even easier.  Swing is definitely unique!

'Mambo' is an upgraded quad with power out of the Lego-style bricks to run accessories, including a little cannon for light plastic pellets and a claw for picking up and dropping things.  For you DIY folks, the interesting thing here is that power is available to solder on other accessories (think Raspberry Pi, LEDs, etc...).  

For the educators out there, when combined with the Tickle app for programming, this should make your drone classes even more interesting (e.g. whichever team drops the pin the closest to the target on an autonomous mission through an classroom obstacle course wins).

So while you are studying for your Part 107 exam, lets remember to have a little fun! 

SUAS News posted an article today about the Kespry Drone 2.0, a commercial drone that is advertised as requiring minimal human input during a mission. It has a forward looking LiDAR sensor specifically for obstacle sensing and collision avoidance. This might be that first commercially available drone to have LiDAR as standard equipment.

Looking at their website, I see that Kespry is offering cloud services to go with their new drone. This fits nicely into the business model that CA has suggested is essential for the long term sustainability of a modern drone company. Lasers and cloud services, I wish I'd thought of that! 

Hi everyone,

We're announcing Zubax Babel - an advanced USB-CAN and UART-CAN adapter designed for use with UAVCAN and other CAN bus protocols. It can be used either as a complete standalone tool, as a development platform for UAVCAN-centered applications, or as an OEM component in larger systems.

The adapter has a number of important features that are rarely seen in competing designs:

• Low latency - cumulative latency between the USB CDC ACM interface on the host system and the CAN bus is under 1 millisecond.
• High throughput - the device handles over 5000 frames per second in either direction continuously.
• Standard DroneCode connectors.
• Proper prioritization of outgoing CAN frames. The adapter schedules outgoing frames properly, avoiding inner priority inversion in the transmission queue.
  
• Large RX buffer allows the device to handle short-term traffic bursts without frame losses when interfaced via low-speed UART.
• Software-controlled 120 Ohm termination resistor.
• The CAN bus can be powered from USB via a software-controlled power switch. This enables, among other things, easy testing and configuration of UAVCAN-interfaced peripherals.
• Quasi-standard SLCAN interface (a.k.a. LAWICEL) to the host system makes the adapter compatible with a variety of software products available on the market.
• No drivers needed for Windows 10+, OSX, Linux.
  

Zubax Babel is primarily intended for UAVCAN applications, although other CAN bus protocols are supported equally well. We recommend the UAVCAN GUI Tool for use with Zubax Babel; however, there is a wide selection of software products that can talk with SLCAN adapters and therefore are compatible with Zubax Babel too.

UAVCAN GUI Tool is a cross-platform open source (sources here) application for UAVCAN bus management and diagnostics. It runs on Windows, OSX, and Linux; read the installation instructions here.

We are currently preparing a tutorial that will show how to develop a simple servo controller interfaced via UAVCAN using Zubax Babel. Stay tuned!

Links:

• Documentation
• Purchase
• Get help

We have published a new tutorial in hackster !

This tutorial demonstrates how to build a low cost Linux drone with the Raspberry Pi Zero and the PXFmini autopilot.

The PXFmini is totally compatible with the Raspberry Pi Zero, and it provides different kind of sensors which allow, for example, autonomous missions. The drone uses a real-time capable Linux kernel, a Debian-based file system and Dronecode’s APM flight stack compiled for the PXFmini autopilot board. All these components have been put together by Erle Robotics in their OS image for the PXFmini.

All the components of the Pi0Plane can be seen in the image below. All the assembly of each component can be found in the tutorial.


Hope you like it, and feel free to ask!

Coinciding with FAA's Part 107 going into effect we at insitu are releasing Inexa Control, our ground control station software with the Unmanned Vehicle Plugin for ArduCopter which enables control of all Arducopter / APM:Copter based quadcopters.  This is very exciting for us at Insitu bringing professional aviation tools to all of you in the DIYDrones community.

You can buy Inexa Control here: insitu-web-store.myshopify.com/products/inexa

In the next few weeks I'll be posting various videos and documentation on Inexa Control covering the basics of Inexa Control, using simulation mode with the Augmented Video Overly System, and using Inexa Control with quads using Arducopter / APM:Copter.

That's all for now!

May your GPS always synchronize with your barometer

I ordered these motors and this gimbal controller some time ago to make a gimbal for the Raspberry Pi camera. This weekend I managed to model, print and test it.

It weights ~65 grams, is very compact and fits perfectly on my new quad (more on this some other time).

Here’s a timelapse video of the modelling process:

And here’s a video with me mounting it:

It works on 6-8.4V (2S), and is very quick to print.

The total cost is ~50e for the controller and motors. In the future I’ll model some extra motor mounts for some more micro gimbal motors.

The STL + Design Spark files will be very soon on github.

Blog: https://jeanleflambeur.wordpress.com/

Hi all,

NVdrones just released our mobile app today, NVDash Mobile! Some of you have been beta testing our web app and we've gotten great feedback that led into the development of our Android app. 

Based on conversations with many of our customers, here are a few problems we set out to solve with this initial release: 

• Checklists are difficult to manage with paper because different teams, drones, and projects, require different checklists
• Checklists currently exist in a vacuum — they are difficult to integrate well with the rest of your team’s data and workflow.
• Looking for real-time weather and airspace information requires checking individual standalone apps.
• Other mobile apps don’t work offline, which is prohibitive for many of you doing work in remote areas.

What our mobile app does that other drone management apps do not focus on is the system of checklists. We did this because the vast majority of drone teams implement some sort of checklist system, with the vast majority of those still going down the paper route. 

With that mind here are some of the features we implemented into NVDash Mobile: 

· Fly safely with comprehensive and real-time airspace map provided by AirMap

· Know the flying conditions with real-time weather information

· Manage your entire team by easily on-boarding team equipment and personnel

· Optimize your team's workflow by creating checklists directly on the app (e.g. create a charging, pre-flight, and post-flight checklist). You can add checkboxes, custom text entries, and other items to checklist templates.

· Increase efficiency by executing checklists directly from the app

· Stay on the same page as team members with a full history of completed checklists

· Operate without cell service or wi-fi - Does not require internet connectivity (excluding AirMap features)

Over the next releases we are going to be implementing other things like flight logging, integration with our web app (where you can upload flight logs from DJI, 3DR, Yuneec, Freefly, etc.), as well as AirMap's D-NOTICE. D-NOTICE will allow you to electronically notify major airports/ATC of your flight directly from NVDash Mobile. 


Here is a short video demo of the app: 





You Can Download NVDash Mobile from the Google Play Store


To become a beta tester, please visit nvdrones.com!