Comments

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  JB March 9, 2013 at 8:22pm

  Hi Guys....sorry I haven't been around for a while.

  On the outback challenge: I would be interested, provided there is enough of a support mechanism. For instance; that there are enough people that can commit to it and sacrifice enough time to make it happen...and that of course we win it!

  Secondly I think those combined efforts should also result in a spin off project to provide flying platforms for SAR and environmental monitoring. That way we can ensure that the development work being done can be a success regardless of if we win the UAV challenge.

  I suppose the first question is "who" can bring "what" to the "team". As I have mentioned before here we have our own micro controller development going on atm, and are currently in the prototyping stage. The microcontroller is based on a ARM Cortex core and includes the typical acc/gyro/mag, altitude and GPS functionality all on a SD card sized PCB (with ext.GPS ant.) It also includes a 433Mhz LRS radio  onboard (up to 1Mbps at +20dB, with up to+ 30dB possible) for two way telemetry, RC, and even mesh networking capabilities built in for "aerial antennas".

  On the video side I'm currently exploring a hi-speed 5.8Ghz Ubiquiti wifi type solution, with the possibility of using multiple high res. digital cameras at the same time,to achieve a higher altitude pass with greater resolution, which in turn will reduce flight/search times. I believe in search and rescue time should be of the essence, so a slow low-level multiple pass drone is pointless.

  That obviously leads on to what type of air frame to use and if we would have payload delivery capacity. Typically i go for small efficient air frames like wings, but in this case and given the range required by the UAV challenge, maybe a larger air frame will be required. If it's a larger aircraft I don't think it is worthwhile to do it electric, fuel has a much better range and endurance without the weight penalties. I don't think a small hybrid fuel/electric version is out of the question though, which will provide some redundancy as well.

  So maybe as a next step, and once everyone has decided, we can set up our own "group" to make progress on this. I'd actually prefer to keep most of the discussions more private (ie a google group) as to avoid the "competition" from making good use of our ideas! Overall I think it's a worthwhile use of our time, provided we really can produce a product that can be employed for SAR and environmental monitoring.

  Regards JB

   
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  Stephen Gloor March 8, 2013 at 8:57pm

  2014 Outback Challenge announced:

  http://www.uavoutbackchallenge.com.au/index.cfm?contentID=5

  Anyone in?
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  Stephen Gloor February 28, 2013 at 8:48pm

  Just ordered my APM - could not resist the 25% beta testing discount on the new site.  Saved nearly $60 - I got the 2.5 and the telemetry modules.
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  Stephen Gloor February 25, 2013 at 10:29pm

  Hope to have the Penguin equipped with a camera and APM within a month.  WIll send a video of Barbegello raceway that is just north of the flying site.

  Given any thought to the OBC?  I was thinking of a stills camera sending back images for processing on the ground.  Sill have an FPV camera however the still could be sent via TCP/IP.
• James masterman February 25, 2013 at 8:47pm

  Sounds good. It's hard to find a large open space in the metro area that is not inhabited by dog walkers!

  I have seen dolphins, seals, kayakers, boats, but not sharks yet. I read that manned aircraft only spot around 17% of sharks that are actually there, based on some tests with dummy sharks that were done in NZ.

  It has given me a good appreciation of how close you need to be to the ground to spot things. Wide angle lenses like the standard gopro are useless for that kind of work. I've been using an upgraded 8mm lens on a security style camera that gives me a reasonable view from 50m altitude. Also playing with live feed from a compact camera and the "narrow" view from a GoPro. 

   

  I am trying to do this live/realtime so I don't want to go high megapixel and post process the image back at home as others have suggested for game spotting. It's all a bit too late by then!

  I'm flying a 2m FPV raptor right now, but will upgrade to a Techpod when it arrives (which should be soon).
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  Stephen Gloor February 25, 2013 at 8:17pm

  Hi James - it is a good flying site as I cannot hit anything - no houses and far enough from the road.  I did think I was going to plant my Bearcat as I cannot fly it very well yet and it got away from me.  I waggled the sticks at random and pulled it level 1 meter from the ground.

  Sharks are hard to spot.  Not sure the IR would work except very close to the surface.  What plane are you flying?
• James masterman February 25, 2013 at 5:18am

  Looks like an interesting flying site Stephen - is it near a sand quarry? The cheapest fuel in Perth is just up the road, too!

  I've been flying over the ocean a lot lately, down at Coogee or up at Lancelin. Still working on shark spotting from my UAV. They are a lot harder to find from the air than you would think. Altitude and camera lens choices matter a lot. A polarizing filter helps see further into the water.

  I'm also going to try a modified NIR camera as apparently their body temp is a bit above the water temp so they may show up better that way.
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  Stephen Gloor February 25, 2013 at 4:23am

  Hmmmm might pick me up a cheap android tablet.  Going to Singapore in two weeks - will have a look around
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  Stephen Gloor February 25, 2013 at 4:20am

  No - no video from the plane.  I have a short video:

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9e3kb3S056I

  The stupid cheap camera I fitted looked good on ground however when the plane landed there was nothing on it.  My 'cameraman' also missed the landing.

  Anyway the plane is fantastic.
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  John Cousins February 25, 2013 at 3:16am

  Good to hear you got the Penguin airborne! Any video yet? II still would like to get one but will have to save a little longer.

  I have just been playing with Andropilot! Seriously guys, this looks to be great GCS option. If you have an android device and want to try something different, then give it a go. You just need to build (or buy) an OTG USB cable (http://tech2.in.com/how-to/accessories/how-to-make-your-own-usb-otg...) and your xbee or 3dr radio plugs straight in! Updates are coming thick and fast (daily at this stage) so give it a go and share your experiences. The more people on board the quicker the software will be improved. Don't get me wrong, I think i'll always be a Windows Mission Planner guy.. but this is easy to use and means you don't have to lug a laptop around if you want to go out for a quick test flight.