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AR.Parrot drone Question (Flight, Robotics).

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Patrick

Wed Oct 05 2011, 03:03AM

Registered Member #2431 Joined: Tue Oct 13 2009, 09:47PM
Location: Chico, CA. USA
Posts: 5639

Im thinking of snagging one for 320$ but it has no native controller like every other RC devive, its menat to fly via a iPad, Iphone, Android or Ipod touch, none of which i have.( via Wifi ).

An SDK was released so im wondering if a "simulator RC heli controller" can be connected via USB cable to laptop or router then feed that via wifi to the drone in the air. In North Dakaota at IARC #6, one of the college teams did use there laptop to autonomuosly fly theremachine, though there was no conventional human interface.

Any ideas, has anyone a better idea?

lightlinked

Wed Oct 05 2011, 08:17AM

Registered Member #2087 Joined: Tue Apr 21 2009, 08:32AM
Location:
Posts: 115

what do you want to do with it? as a robotic platform you would presumably want to add gps and a compass, which would depend if they have i/o avalible. its still cheaper than a good diy quadracopter.
if you just want to fly something around your local hobby shop would be worth a visit. the thing about rc flight is that you have to WANT to fly. otherwise its just an expensive toy and your better off getting something you know you will use.

Patrick

Wed Oct 05 2011, 05:25PM

Registered Member #2431 Joined: Tue Oct 13 2009, 09:47PM
Location: Chico, CA. USA
Posts: 5639

I need stability, GPS is not allowed in the IARC competition, and the AR.Parrot drone is already equipped with a forward and a downward looking camera, which makes off-board optical flow anaylsis fairly easy.

lightlinked

Thu Oct 06 2011, 01:12AM

Registered Member #2087 Joined: Tue Apr 21 2009, 08:32AM
Location:
Posts: 115

in that case you can get a cheap rc transmitter and usb simulator adapter for less than $50 for manual control. one of your friends probably has an android or i-thing device you can borrow to try out it's normal operation. you probably would still want a compass since the gyro probably drifts more than you would want. and something to tell altitude like ultrasound or laser. you could even just point two lasers at the ground and have the downlooking camera figure out altitude from that

Patrick

Thu Oct 06 2011, 01:15AM

Registered Member #2431 Joined: Tue Oct 13 2009, 09:47PM
Location: Chico, CA. USA
Posts: 5639

lightlinked wrote ...

in that case you can get a cheap rc transmitter and usb simulator adapter for less than $50 for manual control. one of your friends probably has an android or i-thing device you can borrow to try out it's normal operation. you probably would still want a compass since the gyro probably drifts more than you would want. and something to tell altitude like ultrasound or laser. you could even just point two lasers at the ground and have the downlooking camera figure out altitude from that

Im already trying to get an ipod touch.

Patrick

Tue Oct 25 2011, 04:06AM

Registered Member #2431 Joined: Tue Oct 13 2009, 09:47PM
Location: Chico, CA. USA
Posts: 5639

Ive got a parrot now!

But im trying to fly it via laptop, however using this program ( here ->

) i get some time out error not sure if my laptop wifi is configured right?

let me post a screen cap...

Was i supposed to do something with those .dll's?

i like this crazyFlie too...

Patrick

Tue Oct 25 2011, 05:17AM

Registered Member #2431 Joined: Tue Oct 13 2009, 09:47PM
Location: Chico, CA. USA
Posts: 5639

ITs in my appartment...!!!!!!!!!!!!!! how do i turn it off? its just hovering damit! the e-stop keys dont work!1!

how do i turn it off?

how do i turn it off? ah shit... this may not end well...

EDIT:
Ok --- batteries died after 8 minutes, Auto landed. That was scary...
lesson learned, dont trust keyboards. I need real flight controls...

Patrick

Wed Oct 26 2011, 05:52AM

Registered Member #2431 Joined: Tue Oct 13 2009, 09:47PM
Location: Chico, CA. USA
Posts: 5639

OK im thinking i need more than 8-12 minutes of flight, i was wondering about making a SMPS that plugs into the 120Vac socket then puts out 11.5vdc at 8 or more amps... via a tether.

Most of the time we dont need unrestrained flight, were doing sensor and programming evaluation, which means a lot of hovering while we figure out why stuff doesnt work... since the batteries last less than 20 minutes and take more than 90 minutes to charge, the tether sounds tempting.

here are some pics...

Batteries and charger.

label on the drone, 12Vdc @ 8 Amps.

Im still getting the time out error... on the murdoch download.
Im thinking the 1.5.1 firmware is incompatible with the previous SDK releases. I just dont want to change it for fear of bricking the whole drone.

lightlinked

Thu Oct 27 2011, 02:39AM

Registered Member #2087 Joined: Tue Apr 21 2009, 08:32AM
Location:
Posts: 115

1000mah is tiny. a 450 size heli uses 2200 which are quite cheap and very common now because of 450 size helis being popular. get some bigger lipos from someplace like hobbyking. you wont need the super expensive ones since the current draw isnt outragous. but dont cheap out either, you dont want it falling out of the sky. quads tend to have a good payload ability. can you upgrade the motors to brushless? i'd cutoff their proprietary connector and switch to powerpoles or deans connectors. get a computerized charger with built in balancer while you are at it, the nice ones will charge any chemistry and alot of them are now firmware updateable which is handy.

Patrick

Thu Oct 27 2011, 03:04AM

Registered Member #2431 Joined: Tue Oct 13 2009, 09:47PM
Location: Chico, CA. USA
Posts: 5639

I cant fly it from my laptop neither murdoch3d or stephen Hobleys software seems to work. i really need my keyboard and joystick to effectively fly.

I really wish Parrot corporation would cooperate with thier customers instead of being jerks.

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