Planet Multicopter

Shrediquette Super SloMo Shreddererer

2010-07-30T14:06:26+00:00

Der UAV Überflieger Willa zeigt in einem seiner neuen SloMo Videos wie man seinen süßen kleinen Shrediquette Kopter mit Hilfe eines wassergefüllten Ballons artgerecht zerschrottet. Yeah Baby!
~~Leider nicht in seinem Blog aufgeführt und deshalb gibts auch keinen Trackback. Selbst schuld.~~ Grad eben, gabs ein Update im Blog von Willa. Wie Sloooow 8-)

Shreddiquette Blog via Vimeo (Danke Basel)

Insitu Awarded Small Tactical Unmanned Air System/Tier II Contract

2010-07-30T11:12:53+00:00

BINGEN, Wash., July 29, 2010—Insitu Inc. today announced it has been awarded the Small Tactical Unmanned Air System (STUAS)/Tier II contract from Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) for its Integrator unmanned aircraft system (UAS).
In partnership with The Boeing Company, Harris Corporation, Corsair Engineering and Black Ram Engineering Services, Insitu will begin the 24-month engineering, manufacturing and development phase to build and test its Integrator UAS satisfying STUAS/Tier II system requirements.
Under the contract, Integrator will support two operational assessments. The first will determine if an early operational capability option will be exercised leading to the fielding of up to five systems in fiscal 2011. The second will support low-rate initial production of two systems, one each for the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps. Initial operating capability is expected in fourth quarter fiscal 2013. Integrator is then expected to move to full-rate production of up to 56 systems.
“I’m looking forward to fielding the capabilities of STUAS to our forward deployed forces,” said Capt. JR Brown, PMA-263 Program Manager. “This critical system will greatly increase their intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities in theater.”
Integrator provides battlefield commanders with 24/7, real-time, actionable intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) products via Hood Technologies’ electro-optic and infrared sensor package. High-resolution imagery is transmitted through an encrypted line-of-sight digital data link provided by L-3 Communication Systems-West. Harris Corporation will provide the next generation communications relay payload to support secure ground communications.
“We are extremely honored to be awarded this contract and we look forward to partnering with NAVAIR PMA-263,” said Insitu Vice President of Emerging Programs and STUAS/Tier II Program Manager Bill Clark. “Integrator provides unsurpassed growth capability for expanding into new and future missions. With the award of this contract, Integrator will continue the Insitu legacy of supporting our troops in harm’s way.”
The field-proven Insitu ScanEagle UAS has served the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps since 2004 and will continue supporting U.S. and allied forces as customer needs require.
“ScanEagle has played a vital role in protecting our warfighters by providing them with the ISR products they need,” said Director of Unmanned Airborne Systems for Boeing Vic Sweberg. “We see the STUAS contract as a big step forward as Boeing expands its presence in the UAS market.”
Insitu Inc., located in Bingen, Wash., is a wholly-owned independent subsidiary of The Boeing Company. Insitu designs, develops and manufactures UAS and provides associated services for commercial and military applications. With a small footprint and expeditionary focus for both land and sea operations, the company’s family of UAS solutions serves the needs of the global defense community. To date, these systems have accumulated more than 340,000 combat flight hours and 41,500 sorties. For more information, visit www.insitu.com.

Quadrokopter balanciert im Flug eine Stange

2010-07-29T08:59:00+00:00

ETH Zürich strikes back. Deren Quadrokopter balanciert im Flug eine Stange und hält sie fast schon ziemlich sicher eigenstabil. Ich bin beeindruckt.

Youtube Direkt-Kopter via BotJunkie

UAS / UAV job searches

2010-07-27T08:49:48+00:00

Here’s how Simply Hired has seen the requirements for unmanned aerial vehicle employees pan out over the last year. What projects needed people in March?

With many UAS pilots returning from conflict zones and rejoining civilian life the emerging civilian market will not be short of qualified people to hire in the larger end of the UAS weight category. Its a pity regulation in most countries won’t allow them to fly.

From here on in we shall add a UAV/UAS jobs feed just for interest to see what’s out there

MITs powerline percher.

2010-07-26T15:21:45+00:00

A plane that lands like a bird

An innovative control system allows a foam glider to touch down on a perch or a wire like a pet parakeet.

Larry Hardesty, MIT News Office

Everyone knows what it’s like for an airplane to land: the slow maneuvering into an approach pattern, the long descent, and the brakes slamming on as soon as the plane touches down, which seems to just barely bring it to a rest a mile later. Birds, however, can switch from barreling forward at full speed to lightly touching down on a target as narrow as a telephone wire. Why can’t an airplane be more like a bird?

MIT researchers have demonstrated a new control system that allows a foam glider with only a single motor on its tail to land on a perch, just like a pet parakeet. The work could have important implications for the design of robotic planes, greatly improving their maneuverability and potentially allowing them to recharge their batteries simply by alighting on power lines.

Birds can land so precisely because they take advantage of a complicated physical phenomenon called “stall.” Even when a commercial airplane is changing altitude or banking, its wings are never more than a few degrees away from level. Within that narrow range of angles, the airflow over the plane’s wings is smooth and regular, like the flow of water around a small, smooth stone in a creek bed.

A bird approaching its perch, however, will tilt its wings back at a much sharper angle. The airflow over the wings becomes turbulent, and large vortices — whirlwinds — form behind the wings. The effects of the vortices are hard to predict: If a plane tilts its wings back too far, it can fall out of the sky. Hence the name “stall.”

The smooth airflow over the wings of a normally operating plane is well-understood mathematically; as a consequence, engineers are highly confident that a commercial airliner will respond to the pilot’s commands as intended. But stall is a much more complicated phenomenon: Even the best descriptions of it are time-consuming to compute.

Reap the whirlwind

To design their control system, MIT Associate Professor Russ Tedrake, a member of the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, and Rick Cory, a PhD student in Tedrake’s lab who defended his dissertation this spring, first developed their own mathematical model of a glider in stall. For a range of launch conditions, they used the model to calculate sequences of instructions intended to guide the glider to its perch. “It gets this nominal trajectory,” Cory explains. “It says, ‘If this is a perfect model, this is how it should fly.’” But, he adds, “because the model is not perfect, if you play out that same solution, it completely misses.”

So Cory and Tedrake also developed a set of error-correction controls that could nudge the glider back onto its trajectory when location sensors determined that it had deviated from it. By using innovative techniques developed at MIT’s Laboratory for Information and Decision Systems, they were able to precisely calculate the degree of deviation that the controls could compensate for. The addition of the error-correction controls makes a trajectory look like a tube snaking through space: The center of the tube is the trajectory calculated using Cory and Tedrake’s model; the radius of the tube describes the tolerance of the error-correction controls.

The control system ends up being, effectively, a bunch of tubes pressed together like a fistful of straws. If the glider goes so far off course that it leaves one tube, it will still find itself in another. Once the glider is launched, it just keeps checking its position and executing the command that corresponds to the tube in which it finds itself. The design of the system earned Cory Boeing’s 2010 Engineering Student of the Year Award.

The measure of air resistance against a body in flight is known as the “drag coefficient.” A cruising plane tries to minimize its drag coefficient, but when it’s trying to slow down, it tilts its wings back in order to increase drag. Ordinarily, it can’t tilt back too far, for fear of stall. But because Cory and Tedrake’s control system takes advantage of stall, the glider, when it’s landing, has a drag coefficient that’s four to five times that of other aerial vehicles.

From spy planes to fairies

For some time, the U.S. Air Force has been interested in the possibility of unmanned aerial vehicles that could land in confined spaces and has been funding and monitoring research in the area. “What Russ and Rick and their team is doing is unique,” says Gregory Reich of the Air Force Research Laboratory. “I don’t think anyone else is addressing the flight control problem in nearly as much detail.” Reich points out, however, that in their experiments, Cory and Tedrake used data from wall-mounted cameras to gauge the glider’s position, and the control algorithms ran on a computer on the ground, which transmitted instructions to the glider. “The computational power that you may have on board a vehicle of this size is really, really limited,” Reich says. Even though the MIT researchers’ course correction algorithms are simple, they may not be simple enough.

Tedrake believes, however, that computer processors powerful enough to handle his and Cory’s control algorithms are only a few years off. In the meantime, his lab has already begun to address the problem of moving the glider’s location sensors onboard, and although Cory will be moving to California to take a job researching advanced robotics techniques for Disney, he hopes to continue collaborating with Tedrake. “I visited the air force, and I visited Disney, and they actually have a lot in common,” Cory says. “The air force wants an airplane that can land on a power line, and Disney wants a flying Tinker Bell that can land on a lantern. But the technology’s similar.”

My first onboard Video

2010-07-25T21:43:59+00:00

Recently I bought the nice GoPro HD digital camera. This week I mounted it the first time on my quadrocopter and flew around with it. But with the last battery the motor dissolved itself from its basement. Luckily my quadrocopter and the camera survived the crash without serious damage.

Onboard Video

By the way, I made this video using PiTiVi, which seems to evolve to a very easy to use video editor. The features are a bit limited at the moment, but there is much effort in the community improve this drawback.
I’m still working on my second quadrocopter. I decided to solve the current distribution better than I did at my first quadrocopter. I going to use a blank board with 70µm copper on each side. Each side has one pole and its mounted directly above the center plate.
There is also lot going on in the whole community: Two weeks ago the third NG UAVP Meeting took place in Zurich. We worked a lot on the new DCM based controller. Watch this footage from Robert. Also ludiwawa did the maiden flight of his Klappa Hexacopter.

After 14 Nights in the Air, QinetiQ Prepares to Land its Zephyr Solar Powered Unmanned Aircraft

2010-07-23T13:29:00+00:00

QinetiQ will today bring Zephyr, its solar powered high-altitude long endurance (HALE) Unmmaned Aerial System (UAS) back to earth after two weeks in the air – smashing a number of long-standing official and unofficial world records.

Zephyr was launched on 09 July and is currently still flying above the US Army’s Yuma Proving Ground in Arizona. Today Zephyr will have been aloft for 14 nights continuously, achieving the objective of the trial and setting a number of performance and altitude records. At this point QinetiQ’s Zephyr team in Yuma will bring the aircraft back to earth.

An official from the Federation Aeronautique Internationale (FAI) (http://www.fai.org/), the world air sports federation, has been monitoring progress at the Yuma Proving Ground and when Zephyr is back on the ground he looks set to be able to confirm a number of new world records. This includes quadrupling its own unofficial world record for longest duration unmanned flight (82 hours, 37 minutes set in 2008) and surpassing the current official world record for the longest flight for an unmanned air system (set at 30 hours 24 minutes by Northrop Grumman’s RQ-4A Global Hawk on 22 March 2001). Zephyr will also have flown longer, non-stop and without refuelling, than any other aeroplane – having significantly passed the Rutan Voyager milestone of 9 days (216 hours) 3 minutes and 44 seconds airborne, set in December 1986.

“Zephyr is the world’s first and only truly persistent aeroplane,” said Neville Salkeld, MD of QinetiQ’s UK Technology Solutions Group. “We are really proud of the team’s achievement which has been supported by expertise from across the QinetiQ business and beyond. We’ve now proved that this amazing aircraft is capable of providing a cost effective, persistent surveillance and communications capability measured in terms of weeks, if not months. Not only is Zephyr game-changing technology, it is also significantly more cost effective to manufacture and deploy than traditional aircraft and satellites.”

Easy to transport in a standard road transport container, once launched Zephyr can remain above a general area for weeks, if not months, at a time delivering vital capability at a fraction of the cost of satellites and significantly more cost effectively than other ‘conventionally powered’ manned or unmanned aircraft. Zephyr also does not need to return to base at regular intervals for re-fuelling or servicing which helps minimise the logistical supply chain, extending its operational capability and appeal. Its zero emissions also make it exceptionally environmentally friendly.

For the trial in Yuma Zephyr is carrying a communications payload configured to meet the needs of the UK Ministry of Defence. In addition to the obvious defence and security applications, commercial uses include environmental research; monitoring crops and pollution; providing tactical intelligence over disaster zones or forest fires; plus delivering mobile communications capabilities in remote areas.

Chris Kelleher, QinetiQ’s chief designer said: “We have designed, built and delivered what will be remembered as a milestone in aviation history. Zephyr will transform the delivery of current services such as communications, and lead to many new applications which are not possible or affordable by other means.

“The brand-new ‘production ready’ Zephyr airframe incorporates totally new approaches to aerodynamics, structures, propulsion, avionics, flight controls, power system management, thermal control, ground control station design and payload, as well as overall operating processes. Our outstanding team has brought this entire ‘one-shot’ flight together at the first time of asking, demonstrating we can operate both the aircraft and its ultra-light utility payload routinely for long duration flights.

“We’ve also had to design for temperatures of around plus 40 degrees C on the ground to below minus 75 degrees C at altitude, ever changing weather systems including storms and high winds – and Zephyr took them all in its stride. It is a truly fantastic achievement.”

Launched by hand, the aircraft flies by day on solar power delivered by amorphous silicon solar arrays, supplied by Uni-Solar ( http://www.uni-solar.com/), no thicker than sheets of paper that cover the aircraft’s wings. These are also used to recharge the lithium-sulphur batteries, supplied by Sion Power Inc (http://www.sionpower.com/), which are used to power the aircraft by night. Together they provide an extremely high power to weight ratio on a continuous day/night cycle, thereby delivering persistent on station capabilities.

Around 50% larger than the previous version, Zephyr incorporates an entirely new wing design with a total wingspan of 22.5m to accommodate more batteries that are combined with a totally new integrated power management system. The entirely new aerodynamic shape also helps to reduce drag and improve performance. Zephyr’s ultra-lightweight carbon fibre design means it weighs in at just over 50Kg.

- Zephyr launch video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CT-DYeEP8dg)

- Zephyr pages on QinetiQ.com (http://www.qinetiq.com/home_farnborough_airshow/unmanned_air_systems/zephyr.html)

- Zephyr launch release with additional hi-res photos (http://www.qinetiq.com/home/newsroom/news_releases_homepage/2010/3rd_quarter/zephyr_2010.html)

Mini Swift

2010-07-23T12:13:42+00:00

Heute kam mein neuer Flieger, wollte mal RTF ausprobieren.
Eine ganz neue Erfahrung für mich.

Da sind sogar 2 Flieger in der Verpackung, aber nur einer ist mit Servos, BLC und Motor bestückt.

Schnell mal zusammengebaut.

Kleines Koptertreffen in Braunschweig 21.7.2010

2010-07-23T11:31:45+00:00

War eine nette gesellige Runde, ganz ohne den Forums und chat Stress.
Und man wurde auch nicht zensiert.

Neuer Hexakopter für das VideoMediaTeam

2010-07-22T11:50:25+00:00

Die letzten 2-3 Wochen habe ich für das VideoMediaTeam einen Hexakopter gebaut. Im Wesentlichen besteht der ganze Kopter aus Standardbauteilen aus dem Mikrokopter Shop mit Ausnahme der Motoren (AXI).

Sender

Als Fernsteuerung ist die MX16s (35MHz Band) von Graupner im Einsatz, welche später auch noch mit dem Jeti System auf 2,4 GHz umgerüstet werden könnte. Zu beachten ist, daß der Senderakku das erste Mal mit 150 mA über einen Zeitraum von 12 Stunden geladen wird. Um den Sender mit dem Mikrokopter verwenden zu können muss noch auf dem Linken Stick die Feder ausgehängt bzw. montiert werden, damit der Stick nicht selbstständig zurück in die “0-Stellung” gelenkt wird. (Es gibt ja kein Negativ Gas/Pitch beim Mikrokopter, also ist der Stick ganz unten auch Gas Null)

Ladegerät

Als Ladegerät ist das ULTRAMAT 14 plus von Graupner in Verwendung welches mit jeglichen Akkutypen zurecht kommt. (Senderakku: NiMH, Flugakku LiPo)

AXI Motoren

Der erste Schritt war die Montage der Motoren. Dazu wurden die LED, Motor und Buzzer Kabel in die jeweiligen Ausleger eingezogen.

Kamerahalterung HiSight II

Zur Erholung nach dem Kabelwirrwarr und hin- und herquetschen der Kabel wurde die Kamerahalterung HiSight II mit Nick- und Rollkompensation zusammengebaut und geklebt.

Montage der Ausleger, FlightCtrl, BlCtrl

Ein weiterer Schritt war die Montage der Ausleger und das sortieren der verschiedensten Anschlusskabel.

Als nächstes wurde die FlightCtrl ME vervollständigt

Montage der BlCtrl an die Verteilerplatine

Montage der Verteilerplatine sowie der FlightCtrl an die Rahmenkonstruktion

Nach dem Anlöten der Motor, LED und Buzzer-Kabel an die Elektronik wurde dann noch die NaviCtrl sowie das GPS montiert.

Anschließend ging es ans lackieren der Abdeckhaube, dremeln der Ausnehmungen der Haube und bohren der Befestigungslöcher – fertig ist der HEXA

Natürlich wurde dieser Mikrokopter auch für die kommerzielle Nutzung für Luftbilder und Videos von HiSystems bzw. Holger und Ingo vom Mikrokopter Shop lizenziert.

Will the Zephyr land on Friday?

2010-07-21T17:18:44+00:00

The Zephyr is now on day 12 of its mission and flying well. I’m no expert on the subject but I do know they need pretty calm conditions for the landing. A quick look at the forecast for Yuma on Friday morning, the two week point, shows a touch of wind and calming. From Monday the surface winds are picking up again, so if they don’t get safely on the ground over the weekend will they have enough power to fly until better weather arrives??

Would be a great shame if such an historic flight came to a sticky end. No doubt a safe landing during Farnborough 2010 with the worlds press in attendance and wanting to talk aviation would do Qinetiq no end of good!

Farnborough first for YellowPlane

2010-07-21T16:36:26+00:00

Tim Walker launching the flying wing.

UK based YellowPlane flew a flying wing unmanned aerial system (UAS) on Monday creating a UK aviation first. Their craft was the first in the air in a group of five, two rotary and three fixed wing.

George Duncan of the UK CAA was on hand to observe the flights and it is hoped that by the Farnborough 2014 event larger airframes will be permitted to fly.

The UK CAAs enlightened attitude towards UAS flight outside of regulated airspace is contributing to the rapid expansion of the UAS sector in the United Kingdom.

Zephyr

2010-07-16T15:56:16+00:00

You heard it here first!!! Well we thought you might hear something soon. The Zephyr has smashed its previous record and at this time been in the air for 7 days and 2 hours and 12 minutes. The craft took off at 1440 BST (0640) local time from the US Army’s Yuma Proving Ground in Arizona last Friday, the 9th of July. This means that on the first public day at Farnborough 2010, next Friday the craft will have been in the air for two weeks.

Congratulations to the team from Boscombe Down, lets hope they found some room for some real ale in the luggage that went over with them.

Qinetiq Zephyr might already have flown for several days.

2010-07-15T14:56:52+00:00

sUAS news hears that the Qinetiq Zephyr may already have been airborne for at least 6 days on its current attempt to fly for two weeks. Expect a big announcement in time for Farnborough we think.

The 50kg solar powered launched from the US military range at Yuma and will first have to break the unofficial record that they previously set in 2008 of 82 hours and 37 minutes in the air. This new version of the Zephyr is 50% larger than the previous model.

Its 22 m long wings have improved wingtips and tail design that dramatically improve aerodynamics.

Good luck to this very British record attempt and its very real task in the future.

Experimental UAVs Fly at Farnborough 2010

2010-07-14T05:17:20+00:00

The UAV display will focus on experimental platforms and technology demonstrators, Due to safety considerations, the flight displays will include small and ‘micro’ UAVs. Among these is the Vigilant mini-UAV from UTSL, SR30 robotic helicopter from Advanced UAS Technology and Robomotion, the Blue Bear ‘Blackstart’ research vehicle, the Aeryon Scout quad-copter from the Canadian company Aeryon Labs, the Fanwing STOL aircraft, the Boomerang from YellowPlane sUAS, and the Israeli MicroB micro-UAV from Blue Bird. Elbit Systems will also display the Guardium autonomous ground vehicle, designed for airport perimeter security.

Teamwork Quadrocopters lifting something together

2010-07-12T11:41:51+00:00

Die Jungs vom GRASP Lab an der UPenn zeigen wie man mit einigen Quadrokoptern im Schwarm Weightload packt und durch die Gegend fliegt. Beeindruckende Studie die zeigt, wie flexibel die Quadros eingesetzt werden können.

Youtube Direktflug via BotJunkie

Project Voyager

2010-07-10T08:46:10+00:00

For my backpacking trip I was in the need for a new kopter. My old one was too cumbersome for transport and not reliable enough because I crashed it a lot when testing software or by brutal fun flying. At home this was no problem, but on the trip I can only carry few tools and spare parts. I decided to build an koax y6 because:

is good collapsable
has some redundancy
has good orientation visibility

On my trip there where minimum 5 flights with a plane planned. And I know that they sometimes handle the baggage

very roughly, so I had to build a good case. I decided to use an KG tube which is normally used to transport fecals under the earth. These tubes are available in DIY superstores, but not in the size I needed them. My centerplate

is 180mm so I needed the

200mm tube (they are available in 50mm steps). The maximum sized tube I found in the local DIY superstore

s where 100mm. I luckily got the tip by djrobby to look in a civil engineering shop

for tubes that size

and was lucky there. These tubes are very stable (I can even use it as a chair) but that comes with the cost of heaviness. The tube with caps for both sides weight 3.5 kg which is very heavy when you carry it some kilometers.

I call this Kopter Voyager mainly because when I collapse it - it looks like a NCC and I really like Star-Trek ;-) Beside that this Kopter is for traveling purposes and voyager reflects that very good.
Here are some aerial Pictures taken with this MK.
And Here is the ( sorry german - but you can look at the images or use google translate ) blog of this trip.

Happy Birthday Blog

2010-07-09T12:51:00+00:00

Ich stelle jetzt mal für alle Besucher in meinem kleinen Blog einen kühlen Kasten Pfungstädter in den Kanal und proste mit jedem der möchte an. 1 Jahr ist geschafft und ich freu mich drüber.

Am Tag lesen ca. 100 Besucher den Blog und ich bin jedesmal Happy, wenn ein Tag mit mehr als 100 Besuchern abschließt. Irgendwie ist man da ein klein wenig stolz drauf – aber nur ein wenig. 8-)

Gestartet ist der Blog im Umfeld von Elektronik, Mikrokopterei und meinen selbsterstellten Videos. Doch ist irgendwie mit der Zeit alles gebastelt, was es zu basteln gibt – also habe ich letztes Jahr Content dazugenommen, der mich persönlich interessiert.

Ein großes Danke geht an meinen “fast” einzigen Kommentator Fabio. Danke für jeden Comment – so weiß man das die Inhalte doch von lebenden Personen gelesen werden und nicht nur von den großen Bots.

Ich bin gespannt was die nächsten Jahre bringen werden – aufgeben werde ich nicht. Mein persönliches Ziel ist es, im nächsten Lebensabschnitt, mehr eigene Inhalte zu bringen und weg vom Gefühl das man was “altes” gepostet hat.

Ich habe im letzten Jahr viel gelernt und abgeschaut. Danke den Vorbild-A-Bloggern die das schon seit mehreren Jahren machen. Dabei geht mein Respekt an zwei meiner Lieblingsblogger. Mister Honk und dem Kloni mit seinem KlonBlog. Danke das ihr da seid, das ihr schreibt, das ihr Vorbild seid, das der Honki seine Mixtapes macht, der Kloni unheimlich klar schreibt und der Fabio mir die Apple-Bundles-dieser-Welt zeigt. Yeah Babys.

Danke und Grüße an alle meine “treuen” Leser/Durchklicker… (auch wenn es nur wenige sind) Danke, danke.

Und bevor es hier jetzt pornös depressiv wird, nehme ich mir ein Bier und stosse ausnahmsweise mal mit mir auf die große runde 30 an… Happy Birthday.

der ooschni

ARDi – Aerial Research Drone One

2010-07-09T05:31:55+00:00

ARDi, a micro-UAV, weighs less than 1kg when flying without carrying a payload. With a payload of onboard cameras and sensors the micro-UAV can fly missions of up to 20 minutes. The current applications for ARDi include, Aerial Photography, Aerial Videography, Wildland Fire, Tourism and much much more. WWVi and ARDi are currently engaged in Project FireEye.

Project FireEye is a joint project between Western Willow Ventures Inc. and The Government of the Northwest Territories, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Forest Management Division, Fire Sciences. The project aims to explore the application for micro-UAV to the tasks of detection, observation, mapping and monitoring of wildfire.
WWVi and ARDi joined the scientists at the Canadian Boreal Research Community FireSmart Project in Fort Providence, NT to perform missions in the areas that are high risk to human life, high cost, aircraft availability and fuel costs. All missions flown were successful. ARDi returned home in time to be the “eye in the sky” on Fort Smith’s Canada Day Parade.

AFRL “Bird-Sized” UAV Project

2010-07-09T05:24:26+00:00

Theiss Aviation, Inc. has been awarded a contract to assist the Air Force Research Laboratories in achieving their near-term small UAV goals. By 2015, AFRL intends to demonstrate a biomimetic bird-sized UAV platform with the capability of sensing weapons of mass destruction, and semi-autonomous operations for a week.

Rumbolzen im HH-Mode

2010-07-06T09:24:32+00:00

Dank der Software von MartinR (http://forum.mikrokopter.de/topic-10670.html) kann man im Flug zwischen HH und ACC-Mode umschalten. HH-Mode eignet sich hervorragend fürs Rumbolzen!

Click here to view the embedded video.

Arduino als Thermometer

2010-07-02T10:05:10+00:00

Vor einiger Zeit habe ich mir einen Arduino Nano gekauft und bisher nur die Samples nach programmiert. Bei der Hitze macht aber programmieren überhaupt keinen Spaß! Außer man will wissen, wie warm es wirklich ist. Also bauen wir uns einen Digitalen Thermometer Was braucht man? Einen digitalen Temperatursensor DS18B20 (Datenblatt) Ein LCD Display Ein Arduino [...]

Internet Tethering bei iOS 4 und iPhone 3G mit Bob

2010-06-30T20:34:34+00:00

Gerade iOS4 auf mein iPhone 3G gespielt und abgesehen davon dass das Gerät jetzt so gut wie nicht mehr zu bedienen ist (sehr langsam) hat sich auch der Tethering Button verabschiedet.

Da ich ein unlocked iPhone aus Italien besitze bin ich vor einigen Wochen von A1 auf bob.at umgestiegen und spare nicht nur bares Geld sondern bin auch noch sehr zufrieden damit. Vor allem weil ich jetzt auch noch zusätzlich eine wirklich faire Datenoption habe. (Telefonieren tu ich ja sowieso nicht mehr, wenn dann mache ich einen Skype Anruf)

Bob Tarif im Kurzüberblick

4 Cent in alle Netze
4 Cent pro SMS
4 Euro pro angefangenem GB

Da gibt es ja nichts mehr auszusetzen. Jetzt möchte man jedoch auch noch Internet an seinem Notebook und da hilf einem die Tethering Funktion des iPhones weiter.

Über Bluetooth oder über USB kann man die Internetverbindung des iPhones an das Notebook weiterleiten.

Dazu muss man in den Einstellungen > Allgemein > Netzwerk > Mobiles Datennetzwerk folgende Daten hinterlegen:

Mobile Daten

APN: bob.at
Benutzername: data@bob.at
Kennwort: ppp

Weiter unten im Menü dann bei:

Internet-Tethering

APN: bob.at
Benutzername: data@bob.at
Kennwort: ppp

Nun sollte im Netzwerkmenü der Button “Internet-Tethering” auftauchen. An dieser Stelle kann man das Tethering ein- und ausschalten. Sollte dieser Button nicht gleich erscheinen, sollte man kurz in den Airplane-Modus wechseln und wieder zurück.

Nachdem man das iPhone über Bluetooth mit dem PC gepaired hat, kann man über den PC eine Internetverbindung mit dem iPhone herstellen ohne es aus der Hosentasche zu nehmen. Dazu muss man einfach nur in der Bluetoothumgebung mit der rechten Maustaste auf das Bluetooth-Symbol klicken und kann sich mit dem iPhone verbinden.

Und schon steht der Internetverbindung am PC nichts mehr im Wege

Project Andromeda reveal airframe

2010-06-30T13:12:18+00:00

Outback Challenge entry, Project Andromeda have unveiled a slightly modified airframe for the September UAV search and rescue challenge. Read more at their blog http://www.projectandromeda.com.au/blog/

Boeing to Demonstrate Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Cooperative Control Technologies for U.S. Air Force

2010-06-30T13:05:38+00:00

SOURCE Boeing

ST. LOUIS, June 10 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — The Boeing Company (NYSE: BA) has received a three-year, $9.8 million contract from the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory to further develop and demonstrate technologies that will enable multiple small unmanned aerial vehicles to coordinate with each other and a manned airborne control station to more safely and effectively carry out intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions.

The Foxhunt Multi-Small Unmanned Aerial System Cooperative Control Demonstration will leverage Boeing’s networked systems expertise and technology advancements to directly support an emerging and challenging U.S. Air Force need.

“The focus of the Foxhunt program is the airborne control of a varied mix of unmanned aerial vehicles,” said Patrick Stokes of Boeing Research & Technology, the company’s advanced, central research, technology and innovation organization, who will manage the research effort. “It’s part of a grander vision outlined by the Air Force Research Laboratory to include the air launch, command-and-control and airborne recovery of unmanned aerial systems – all from an airborne mothership.”

Stokes said the unmanned aerial systems are intended to be an extension of the manned mothership’s sensor and weapon suites, improving situational awareness and intelligence, as well as surveillance and reconnaissance reach, allowing for safer stand-off distances.

The team working on this effort includes researchers from the Boeing Research & Technology and Boeing Test & Evaluation groups of Boeing’s Engineering, Operations & Technology organization; Boeing Defense, Space & Security’s Phantom Works organization; and Insitu, a wholly owned independent Boeing subsidiary. Jonathan How, a renowned researcher from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the area of unmanned aerial vehicle cooperative planning, also is on the team.

“This research project is a good fit within Boeing’s overall research-and-technology strategy,” said Jim Paunicka, a Boeing Technical Fellow and the program’s principal investigator. “It supports research and technology roadmaps in many Boeing programs, helping to further the development of technologies involving airborne communications and networking, unmanned aerial systems, control station architecture, multi-mission planning, and command-and-control.”

Boeing Research & Technology collaborates with Boeing business units, as well as with external customers and suppliers, universities, and other research-and-development agencies, to provide a broad base of innovative and affordable technologies not only for developing future aerospace systems and services but also for improving current ones.

Einige müssen immer übertreiben

2010-06-29T18:17:40+00:00

Was man nicht so alles zu sehen bekommt wenn man durch kleine Dörfer im Osten fährt

OpenPilot project reveals plug and play replacement for MK multicopter controllers.

2010-06-27T12:02:26+00:00

Developers at the Open Source UAV autopilot, OpenPilot this week announced their intention to make the board a straight replacement for the Mikrocopter control board. This then removes the current 250m waypoint distance restriction and of course provides free navigation software for MK multicopters.

AeroVironment says DOJ probes its billing Defense contractor AeroVironment Inc.

2010-06-26T08:08:01+00:00

The Associated Press
MONROVIA, Calif. —
Defense contractor AeroVironment Inc. said Friday that the Justice Department is investigating its billing practices.

The company, which designs and produces unmanned aircraft systems for the military, said that investigators from the agency’s civil fraud section are looking at billing rates for maintenance work and time and materials on government contracts. The probe also focuses on expenses from 2006.

AeroVironment said in a statement that it is voluntarily cooperating with the investigation, but that it believes there will be no material impact on its business. The company said the Defense Contract Audit Agency looked into its billing practices in February and deemed them adequate.

The company also said it has not been barred from government contracts due to the action.

AeroVironment shares tumbled $1.83, or 7.9 percent, to close at $21.43. After the stock market’s close Thursday, the company issued a weak outlook for fiscal 2011.

Automated NERF turret

2010-06-18T16:35:25+00:00

So, exams are finally over and I’ve had time to get playing with something again. Some friends bought me a NERF Vulcan for my birthday (cheers!) and of course I had to mod it up. The gun itself is now running off a 3-cell lipo pack, which about doubles the rate of fire, and has three ammo belts chained together to give 74 rounds in one continuous burst of fire.

I then hooked up an Arduino and servo motor to a series of cabletied pencils, which can pull the trigger on command. The Arduino and a USB webcam then connect to a laptop which is running motion and a small python script which interfaces to the Arduino and plays sound clips from Portal turrets when motion is detected/no longer detected.

The whole thing works very nicely, shooting down anyone who walks into my room with a rapid burst of darts, and terrifying them with the portal turret sounds.

Check out http://www.flickr.com/photos/randomskk/sets/72157624178093055/ for more photos!

I modified Principia Lab’s servo code from here and motion and Portal turret sounds from Valve’s Portal and the code below for controlling motion and the arduino and playing the sound files:

Rogov Design’s Breakthrough LCD Displays Give Unmanned Aircraft System Operators Better Eyes in the Sky

2010-06-18T10:08:34+00:00

SAN DIEGO, June 15 — /PRNewswire/ — Forging a better connection between human and machine has long been the inspiration for internationally acclaimed industrial designer Vladymir Rogov. With his latest success, he faced the challenge of improving the interface between Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), one of the military’s most strategic tools, and the human pilots that translate their captured data. Rogov’s breakthrough LCD display system forever changes the way human hands interact with these critical aircraft.
Unmanned Aircraft Systems have myriad military applications, but they are increasingly used in the civilian world in areas from firefighting to surveillance of offshore pipeline operations. Rogov knew that despite its many high-tech applications, a UAS is only as good as its human pilot and camera operator. Maximizing their eyes in the sky was Rogov’s charge.
His resulting LCD display design creates a more seamless relationship between a leading Ground Control Station (GCS) and its Unmanned Aircraft Systems. “The purpose of an unmanned system is to allow a human being to project their senses and their ability to affect things into the battle-space,” stated Mark Bigham, director of business development for GCS supplier Raytheon, in an industry magazine. “The operator interface is a critical element, and its next big area of improvement.”
From their terra firma homebase, pilots look at their world through an array of LCD displays that curve around them, displaying maps, terrain, navigation and inter-communication. The UAS flies in relays, with a new person taking the helm every few hours while the UAS remains in mid-flight. Rogov’s revolutionary LCD display system allows the next person to adjust the LCD array to optimize personal settings, ramping up both personal comfort level and technical efficiency.
The GCS’ vision systems, a new fully articulating, user-adjustable LCD display array system, meets MIL-STD 1472F human factors guidelines and accommodates the 5th to 95th percentile of male and female flyers to provide an expansive window on the action.
Z Microsystems was selected to deliver these display panels by an undisclosed UAS manufacturer. The company successfully completed its first shipment on the subcontract supporting a UAS program. “This contract validates that our technology is meeting the need for higher fidelity visualization in UAS surveillance,” said Jack Wade, Z Microsystems’ chief executive officer.
Rogov added, “As pilots and sensors begin to increase the number of unmanned systems they operate at once, the future points to a new breed of control stations, particularly in performing peace-time functions. The military has always been an early adopter of cutting-edge technology. However, the quality of technical savvy is measured by the fact that it becomes less visible as it is integrated as a human-machine user interface.
“We’ve done it with cars,” continued Rogov, whose designs have hit the road in Fords, Fiats and Aston Martins. “This LCD system brings some of the experience of sitting in the ultimate flying machine to UAS flyers.
“This was indeed a worthy project for the right-brain skills of an industrial designer. We have solved bigger problems involving people who are much less interested about their work than these conscientious UAS flyers.”
Photo:

http://www.ereleases.com/pic/Rogov-GCS-displays.jpg

About Rogov Design Studio
Founded by internationally acclaimed industrial designer Vladymir Rogov and headquartered in San Diego, Rogov Design Studio is a multi-disciplinary design house focused on human-centered innovation dedicated to advancing people’s needs, with technological and commercial viability. Rogov’s award-winning designs have been applied across mega-brands but also have reached into the military market, serving Department of Defense programs such as Cobra Ball, Rivet Joint, A2C2S and SPAWAR.
Contact:
Vladymir Rogov
CEO/Design Director
619 567 5133
vrogov@rogov.com

http://www.rogov.com

Fresno State students gain flight test experience at Edwards

2010-06-17T07:53:58+00:00

by Tony Rubino
F-22 Combined Test Force

6/16/2010 – EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. — Fresno State engineering students gained valuable flight test experience as they demonstrated their unmanned aerial vehicle project June 11 to several Air Force Flight Test Center engineering representatives.

The Lyles College of Engineering at CSU Fresno received funding to stimulate interest in technologies and techniques that would prepare students for careers in test and development upon graduation.

This project helped the students understand requirements, then develop and execute a plan and associated tests and then test against the requirements. They then determined if the requirements were met and documented the results. Future work could include conducting research for future applications and implementation.

The faculty and students organized and defined the project during fall of 2008. The team was composed of sophomore through graduate students studying in the fields of electrical, computer, and mechanical engineering. Students researched various motors, planes, power sources, sensors, video equipment, and data acquisition systems before deciding which equipment would be suitable for integration into the project. The students encountered many problems during the course of the UAV project that required them to systematically identify and understand each of the problems as well as implement the best solutions.

The project team had several questions about UAV technologies and sensors during the project and said they appreciated the technical support they received from base workers during the Fresno State UAV project.

During their visit, students were able to meet and interact with the AFFTC engineers that had given them guidance on the UAV project. At the conclusion of the phase one demonstration in June 2009, which included radio-controlled flight, students expressed their gratitude for the opportunity to gain invaluable engineering experience while participating in the project and having a chance to demonstrate their UAV at Edwards.

This demonstration of the second phase of the project included an onboard laser tracker plus additional environmental sensors and totally autonomous flight.

After the Fresno State UAV demonstration, students were given the opportunity to learn about some of the flight test activities going on at the AFFTC. Led by Tony Rubino, F-22 Combined Test Force chief engineer, CSU Fresno students were treated to tours of the 452nd Global Vigilance CTF, the Benefield Anechoic Facility and received a planeside briefing at an F-22.

During the students’ lunch break, weapons engineer Leslie Van Peteghem gave a presentation encompassing the various engineering opportunities at the AFFTC including college internship positions, graduate school funding and engineering careers.

Honeywell T-Hawk™ Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Reaches 10,000 Flight Milestone

2010-06-16T12:22:37+00:00

Hover and Stare Capability Provides Real-Time Surveillance

PARIS, June 14, 2010 — Honeywell (NYSE: HON) announced that its T-Hawk™ Micro Air Vehicle, the only fielded unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) with hover and stare surveillance capability, has recorded its 10,000th flight since introduction.

The 10,000th flight was part of an Explosive Ordinance Disposal evaluation exercise in Iraq.

Honeywell’s T-Hawk micro air vehicle is a 17-pound vehicle that can hover and stare and offers an option of electro optical or infrared camera sensors for real-time surveillance without exposing soldiers to enemy fire.

“The T-Hawk is combat-proven in Iraq,” said Prabha Gopinath, Strategic Director, T-Hawk, for Honeywell Aerospace. “Honeywell’s T-Hawk has been used successfully to search for improvised explosive devices, to protect convoys and to hover over an objective area for continuous monitoring in advance of war fighter units.”
T-Hawk was introduced and fielded in Iraq with the U.S. Army in 2007.

At just 14 inches in diameter, the Honeywell T-Hawk vehicle is small enough for a backpack and can be deployed within five minutes. The T-Hawk features vertical take-off and landing and can fly up to 10,000 feet at 46 miles per hour, in winds up to 20 knots. Honeywell delivered the first production T-Hawks to the U.S. Navy in August 2009.

Based in Phoenix, Arizona, Honeywell’s aerospace business is a leading global provider of integrated avionics, engines, systems and service solutions for aircraft manufacturers, airlines, business and general aviation, military, space and airport operations.

Honeywell International (www.honeywell.com) is a Fortune 100 diversified technology and manufacturing leader, serving customers worldwide with aerospace products and services; control technologies for buildings, homes and industry; automotive products; turbochargers; and specialty materials. Based in Morris Township, N.J., Honeywell’s shares are traded on the New York, London, and Chicago Stock Exchanges. For more news and information on Honeywell, please visit www.honeywellnow.com

This release contains certain statements that may be deemed “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, that address activities, events or developments that we or our management intends, expects, projects, believes or anticipates will or may occur in the future are forward-looking statements. Such statements are based upon certain assumptions and assessments made by our management in light of their experience and their perception of historical trends, current conditions, expected future developments and other factors they believe to be appropriate. The forward-looking statements included in this release are also subject to a number of material risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to economic, competitive, governmental, and technological factors affecting our operations, markets, products, services and prices. Such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, and actual results, developments and business decisions may differ from those envisaged by such forward-looking statements.

FPV-Copter wird fertig

2010-06-15T21:34:03+00:00

Der Beitrag ist etwas spät dran, der Copter ist schon so gut wie fertig Aber wie immer, Bilder sagen mehr als tausend Worte:

Die Verkabelung des Stromverteilers ist recht einfach. Ich benutze MPX-Stecker zur Verbindung mit der FlightCtrl. Die Kamera hat auch schon eine Halterung bekommen. Diese wird beim Endaufbau an zwei Punkten mit der Centerplate verlötet.

Die Lötpads sind so platziert, dass sie genau in dem Raum zwischen den Auslegern liegen. So können die Kabel schön verlegt werden. Die Motorregler werden fest verlötet und eingeschrumpft.

Der GPS-Empfänger musste nach Empfangsschwierigkeiten (MK-Forum) aus dem Deckel raus. Ich habe das Teil einfach nach aussen verfrachtet und habe den Original-Deckel ein wenig zurecht gefräst.

Telemetrie (868 MHz) und Video (5,8 GHz) bekommen zwei SMA-Buchsen. Diese werden per U.FL-Stecker mit den entsprechenden Modulen verkabelt.

Parrot AR.drone launches at E3

2010-06-15T21:11:30+00:00

In a slick high profile launch at the Electronic Entertainment Expo. The annual video game conference and show at the Los Angeles Convention centre the French Parrot company launched there quadrocopter.

Expected to come in for less than $300 the camera equipped quad is tasked with playing Augmented Reality the AR part of the name, games.

How they will work is well explained on there swish website along with the chance to win one! http://ardrone.parrot.com/parrot-ar-drone/en

The quad itself is not going set the load lifting world alight nor is it going to have a tremendous range. It will use inbuilt accelerometers present in iPod touch/iPhone to control the quad via a wifi link. This innovation might lead us quickly to more intuitive control of UAS that non pilots will quickly learn. That could be the game changer.

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:

The first camera, located underneath, is connected to an Inertial Measurement Unit. Thanks to this unit, the AR.Drone is capable of measuring its horizontal speed and performing mind-blowing stationary flights. The system of images comparison enables it to compensate turbulences due to the wind during outside flights.
These technologies are usually used for professional or military applications and have been adapted to gaming universe for the first time.
The second camera, at the front of the quadricopter, broadcasts and streams on the iPod touch/iPhone screen what the drone is seeing as if the player was in the pilot’s position.
This camera plays a major role for video gaming thanks to the use of form recognition: it enables augmented reality.

For example, the front camera will recognize another AR.Drone in the game battle between two quadricopters, or tags which will turn into obstacles, monsters or robots on the screen of the iPod touch/iPhone.

Video streaming has been enhanced compared to the development version of AR.Drone introduced at CES. Also, the front of the hull has been strengthened to better protect the camera.

The players can choose the camera they prefer or display the two cameras simultaneously on the screen of the iPod touch/iPhone.

Video: LandKamp 2010 Part 2

2010-06-15T17:45:45+00:00

Schon vor ein paar Tagen auf Vimeo released aber hier noch nicht gebracht. Ich hols mal spontan nach. Das zweite, etwas ausführliche LandKamp Video. Danke nochmal an die Leute, die vor Ort gefilmt und rumfotografiert haben. Waren ein paar super Tage.

Wer nicht weiß warum es bei der Geschichte geht, soll sich am besten sofort in das Video reinklicken.

Massive airship order

2010-06-15T08:45:18+00:00

Slightly off topic for this space as they are not small, but an announcement yesterday by Northrop Grumman of $517 million order for three airships is great news for the UK UAS sector. Hybrid Air Vehicles and Northrop won the long-endurance multi-intelligence vehicle (LEMV) programme despite a strong rival bid led by Lockeed Martin Skunk Works division. I can’t help being excited by this one having seen a demonstrator airframe flying from Cardington last year. Well done Hybrid!

ZALA AERO launches new VTOL UAV ZALA 421-21

2010-06-14T08:48:51+00:00

On Tuesday 8st June, 2010 ZALA AERO officially launched its new VTOL ZALA 421-21 with its unique six rotor design. The unmanned complex based on the helicopter UAV ZALA 421-21 is designed for remote landing and monitoring at altitude 10-1000m at a distance of 5km from the ground control station with maximum endurance of 25 minutes. The unique design permits the UAV to be extremely quiet in any environment. UAV transmits real-time video and photographs. The UAV is fully autonomous which requires minimal operator input for any mission and semi-autonomous without GPS mode is available for use inside buildings. The UAV can land on structures to preserve power while still monitoring and listening in on the target. Easy application and transportations are key elements that this platform offers.

Payload capacity of 0.5 kilograms offers the VTOL ability to integrate payloads of small UAVs but at much closer range and zero movement. Infrared payloads are currently being implemented for night time reconnaissance.

Future developments are being focused on increasing endurance to around 40 minutes and increasing the range to around 15km. Payload modification include combining day video camera and infrared camera for multi-purpose missions. New model is due to be released before the end of the year.

sUAS move into the spotlight at Washington symposium

2010-06-14T07:23:43+00:00

Military and civilian experts will come together next week for what looks to be an interesting symposium at Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory., Kossiakoff Center. The first day is open to all but security clearances are required for day two and three.

For more information:- http://www.precisionstrike.org/SmallUAS.htm

Aeryon Scout Aids Central American Drug Bust

2010-06-10T19:35:57+00:00

Waterloo, ON – The Aeryon Scout, a small man-packable flying robotic system, manufactured by Aeryon Labs of Waterloo, Ontario, gave law enforcement officers the break they needed in a recent drug bust in Central America.
The Aeryon Scout — a small, lightweight mini-helicopter that is remote-controlled from the ground by computer — was able to provide visual surveillance of a suspected narcotic trafficker’s compound deep in the jungle. The Scout provides the features of larger unmanned aerial systems (UASs) in a small package, at a fraction of the cost.

“This might sound like a plot from a TV show like CSI or 24, but it’s a real-life application of our robotic technology,” said Dave Kroetsch, President of Aeryon Labs. “This is what the Scout was designed for: providing aerial intelligence in settings too challenging or dangerous for humans to venture into.”

Kroetsch said the law enforcement officers took the Aeryon Scout into the jungle, in hostile territory, under the cover of darkness. At first light they cleared a small launch area, took the Scout out of its suitcase-sized case, and snapped it together. Measuring only 80 cm by 80 cm when assembled and weighing just over a kilogram, the Scout was easy to transport. They then set the robot’s target by selecting the location of the drug compound using a touch-screen satellite-map interface on a portable computer tablet. The target location was approximately 1 km from the operator. For security reasons the actual date and location of the operation cannot be publicized.

The Scout, which can quietly travel as far as three kilometres from the operator’s location and up to 500 metres off the ground, is ideal for this type of beyond line-of-sight surveillance as the officers did not need to see the unit to control it. Once at the target location, the Scout’s motion-compensated camera took digital still images and streamed encrypted digital video in real-time to the operator’s computer, with no risk to the investigating officers.

The images enabled the enforcement team to determine the interior layout of the compound, establish what vehicles were inside, identify possible escape routes, and assess what security measures were in place. Most importantly they were able to see a gap in the wire surrounding the compound that was then used as the entry point for the raid. The successful bust resulted in the arrest of the drug gang members. Before the use of the Aeryon Scout, law enforcement officers would typically drive an armoured vehicle through the wall of the compound and face unknown circumstances on the other side.

The drug bust is just one of the scenarios where the Aeryon Scout is useful to police and similar agencies. Easily carried in a backpack, the Aeryon Scout assists with documenting accident scenes, following fleeing suspects, and aiding in search and rescue operations in day or night, especially beyond line-of-sight of the operator. Military units can use it to scope out areas with dangerous or rugged terrain. There are also industrial applications such as inspecting the exterior of buildings or gathering air samples from exhausts and smokestacks.

“The Scout’s low noise, radar, visual and heat signatures make it an ideal platform for covert tactical imagery collection. You can set it up in a couple of minutes out of its case, fly the mission, and be gone without ever alerting the target. And if you can play a simple video game, you can fly the Scout,” said Charles Barlow, President Zariba Security Corporation and former Canadian intelligence officer.

Aeryon Labs designed the Scout system to be easy enough for even non-technical people to use with minimal training. Its on-board computer system supervises all aspects of the mission, allowing the operator to focus on completing a task.

“We’re excited to have developed robotic technology which is practical and affordable for law enforcement, military and security forces, and can save lives. And that’s priceless,” said Kroetsch.

About Aeryon Labs Inc. – www.aeryon.com

Aeryon Labs provides robotic solutions to real-world problems through the design and manufacture of small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and related systems. With a background in robotics, control systems, and digital imaging, the Aeryon team is able to bring leading-edge products to market and provide custom solutions. Aeryon Labs was recently named one of Canada’s Top 25 ICT Up and Comers in the Branham Group300 ranking of Canadian Information and Communications Technology (ICT) companies.

UAV Challenge Outback Rescue 2010 off to a flying start

2010-06-09T06:47:45+00:00

The 2010 UAV Challenge is shaping up to be the most exciting Challenge yet, with a record 41 teams successfully completing the first deliverable in the Search & Rescue Challenge.

Teams from ten different countries across five continents will compete to rescue Outback Joe and collect A$50,000 in prize money:

Australia
Brazil
Canada
Estonia
Hong Kong
Iran
Israel
Netherlands
Switzerland
USA

With teams from the four corners of the Earth converging on Kingaroy in September, Joe stands his best chance yet of being rescued!

More details

http://www.uavoutbackchallenge.com.au/2010/

UK CAA approves segregated airspace for UAS

2010-06-03T21:24:31+00:00

The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has approved a request from the Ministry of Defence to establish additional segregated airspace for the use of Unmanned Aircraft operating from the Wiltshire aerodromes of Upavon and Boscombe Down. The new segregated airspace, designated as Danger Areas by the CAA, will be connected to the existing Salisbury Plain Training Area complex, but will only be activated when Unmanned Aircraft flying is scheduled.

The MoD requested the change to accommodate the training requirements for military Unmanned Aircraft. In line with CAA requirements, the MoD conducted a full public consultation as part of its proposal. In approving the new airspace design, the CAA stated that its primary duty to safety had been met.

However, the CAA has attached several operational conditions to its decision; this reflects its measured approach to progressively introduce Unmanned Aircraft operations into UK airspace. Environmental considerations were also taken into account. The CAA is confident that there will be minimal noise disruption, as the Unmanned Aircraft will be routinely operating above 9,000ft.

The MoD has also made a commitment to providing access for GA aircraft to the new segregated airspace when it is safe to do so.

The revised airspace will become effective from 1 July 2010, however flights within the airspace will only commence once the MoD’s ‘Watchkeeper’ Unmanned Aircraft System has been accepted into service. The new Danger Areas will be identified as EG D120 and EG D122A/B/C.

Aeronautical Information Circular

Details of the revised airspace is contained in AIC: Y 022/2010, which was published on 20 May 2010 and is available here (the document also contains a map of the new Danger Area):
Danger Area

Source UK CAA

Centerplates

2010-06-01T21:00:16+00:00

Carbon fiber centerplates

For my next Quadrocopter I plan a bit nicer frame. Because construction isn’t my strong point I prefer something simple but reasonable priced. These out of the box frames were too expensive. Construction one by myself was not an option. Fortunately Robert made some very nice Frames and Centerplates. At first I wanted to build a CargoNG. I opted for centreplates only but in exchange with carbon fiber. Without a full frame it is easier to build and I have more freedom In terms of adding more circuit boards or a digital camera. Also if once I test some newly developed code and undergo a heavy bug, its not that expensive to repair the Quadrocopter

Centerplates arranged in AutoCAD

But where can I let it mill? Several team members have a mill by them own, but sending plates around, over the frontier, was a bit too complicate. I found the little company Keiro located in Switzerland which makes kits for air planes and also has a CNC mill service. I found carbon fibre plates at suter swiss-composite group at reasonable prices. To minimize wasting of space I descided to mill two 340mm x 300mm, 1.5mm thick prepreg plate in one procedure. I never used a CAD software, so I’m an absolute noob! I tried to put together the dxf files with QCAD, which is open source, but I didn’t succeeded. It was the control concept which I could not work with, the simple functions like moving and coping weren’t at places I expected them. And once I found one item, I had to try several times until it worked as I wished and I searched it again the next time. AutoCAD is a very popular software, so I tried it with a trail version of it. Even with AutoCAD I needed some time to arrange all parts. But as you can see, I finally succeeded. Two weeks later my brand new centerplates arrived. As you can see, there are also some landers and some spare parts for crashes or another Quadro-/Hexacopter!

Epi-Tester: FW 0.9.0.1 beta

2010-06-01T07:04:28+00:00

Die Firmware für den Epi-Tester wurde nun freigegeben.

Stand: 01.06.2010

1.	PPM-Out Summensignal und 4 Servos	OK	Beta
2.	I2C Test	OK	Beta
3.	DMX Out	Testphase	Alpha
4.	PPM In	Testphase	Alpha

ASTM and you…

2010-05-30T15:55:16+00:00

ASTM International Committee on Unmanned Aircraft Systems Cooperating with FAA on Small UAS Standards Development

ASTM International Committee F38 on Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) was recently requested by the Federal Aviation Administration to assist with the development of industry consensus standards to support the integration of small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS) into the U.S. national airspace system (NAS).

Following a model that was successfully used for the integration of light sport aircraft some years ago, the FAA is considering the issuance of a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) first, followed by a Special Federal Aviation Regulation (SFAR) that would permit sUAS to fly in the NAS for compensation or hire. Prior to any such sUAS operations, the FAA would require operators to comply with rules and standards to ensure the safety of other airspace users as well as persons and property on the ground. In August 2009, the FAA queried standards development organizations for their willingness, capacity and competency to create a finite set of standards that would be uniquely applicable to this and ASTM Committee F38 was one of only two bodies approved to perform this groundbreaking work.

The work that F38 has now embarked upon is a natural extension of efforts recently completed by an FAA sUAS Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC). In April 2008, FAA Order 1110.150 chartered an ARC to “conduct a formal safety analysis of small UAS” with an ultimate objective to “promulgate federal regulations for their design, operation and registration.” ARC participation included a broad range of interests from the aviation sector (both manned and unmanned), including aviation associations and unions, manufacturers, academia and expected sUAS end-users. Committee F38 participated on the ARC as a voting member of the main committee and provided five subject matter experts (SME’s) to serve on the various ARC subcommittees.

During an F38 strategic planning meeting held in February 2010, FAA representatives provided preliminary guidance and desires for a suite of priority standards. The members of F38 then built a framework for this standards work, assigned technical leads and committed to an execution timeline. The result is an aggressive standards development program that includes 14 new standards to be forged by October 2010, as well as a list of additional standards that have been placed in the queue. Technical personnel from all disciplines, including pilots, sensor operators and engineers, are being sought to assist us in this process.

“This is an exciting time in F38’s six-year history. We are energized and moving quickly to forge new standards in order to meet our industry’s ambition for routine commercial access to the NAS for sUAS within the next 18 to 24 months. This vitally important work will help unleash the economic engine and job creation that commercial UAS flight promises, but this work must be accomplished with rigor and a focus on safety,” says Jim Jewell, F38 membership secretary. “Therefore, we need all stakeholders to participate and are actively recruiting technical points of contact and committee leaders to guide the development of these standards.”

ASTM International welcomes and encourages participation in the development of its standards. For more information on becoming an ASTM member, visit www.astm.org/JOIN.

Technical Contact: James Jewell, UAV MarketSpace Inc., Phone: 516-238-5604; james@uavm.com
ASTM Staff Contact: Daniel Schultz, Phone: 610-832-9716; dschultz@astm.org
ASTM PR Contact: Barbara Schindler, Phone: 610-832-9603; bschindl@astm.org

Release #8587/May2010

Fuzzy Fibre, one to watch?

2010-05-30T10:14:33+00:00

THIRD FRONTIER AWARD WILL SUPPORT PRODUCTION
OF ‘GAME-CHANGING,’ MULTI-TASKING NANOMATERIAL

A $3 million Ohio Third Frontier award to the University of Dayton Research Institute will fund the scale-up and production of a “game-changing” new nanomaterial that will allow composites to multitask – a wind turbine tower that can de-ice its own blades in winter, or store energy to release on a calm day, powering a grid even when its blades are not moving. Or a military vehicle whose armor can serve as a battery – powering some of the vehicle’s electrical components.

Nicknamed “fuzzy fiber” by its inventor at UDRI, Nano Adaptive Hybrid Fabric (NAHF-XTM) is the first tailored nanomaterial capable of being produced in sizes and quantities large enough to make them affordable and viable for large-scale commercial use. When incorporated into resins, fuzzy fibers enable composites to be tailored for electrical and thermal conductivity, chemical and biological sensing, energy storage and conversion, thermal management and other properties.

“This is going to disrupt the way we think about materials,” said NAHF-XTM inventor Khalid Lafdi, Group Leader for Carbon Materials at the Research Institute. “From now on, instead of thinking ‘mono,’ we will think ‘multi’ – multiscale, multifunctional, multitasking.” Aside from serving simply as structural material, composites made with fuzzy fiber can work as batteries, sensors, heaters, supercapacitors, structural health monitors and other systems whose operations are normally performed by additional components, Lafdi added. “By manufacturing structural material that can serve multiple functions, fewer parts are needed for any given application, which means reduced cost, lighter weight and greater efficiency.”

Lafdi called the material “game-changing” because of its ability to be produced in continuous sheets to desired sizes like other fabrics. “Everybody is growing carbon nanotubes on substrates,” Lafdi said. “We’re the only people who are producing them on a large-scale and continuous process, and not just in batches. This means we can produce the material at a low cost, and it also means we can produce pieces big enough to cover an aircraft.”

Lafdi and his team have been producing 500 feet of 12-inch-wide fabric per day at a pilot plant in UDRI’s Shroyer Park Center. The Third Frontier award, announced May 26 in Columbus, will be matched by UDRI and Ohio collaborators Goodrich, Owens Corning and Renegade Materials to fund the creation and equipment of a full-scale production facility for the hybrid fabric. The new facility, to be located within Dayton’s Aerospace Hub, will be equipped to produce 60-inch-wide fabric. Goodrich expects to apply the technology in the marketplace first in commercial aerospace applications.

The NAHF-XTM technology was pioneered and perfected over seven years with funding from the Air Force, Army, aerospace industry and Third Frontier, said Brian Rice, Division Head for Multi-Scale Composites and Polymers at UDRI. After successfully controlling growth of carbon nanotubes on individual carbon fibers, researchers accomplished the same on a type of carbon-fiber yarn and eventually on engineered textiles. The breakthrough was in overcoming issues of uniformity and precisely controlling growth of the nanotubes, Rice said.

“Various industries have been replacing metals with composites in structures and components because of their lighter weight and durability. But in doing so, electrical and thermal conductivity inherent to metals is lost. By growing nanotubes on carbon fibers used in composites in a very specific manner, those properties are built back in – and the composites also can be tailored for specialized mechanical properties.”

Rice said the hybrid fabric production facility will serve as a cornerstone for Ohio’s Aerospace Hub in Dayton by helping to attract and connect new and existing businesses related to aerospace, sensing technologies and advanced materials. One targeted application will be unmanned aerial vehicles weighing less than 150 pounds. “We’d like to begin making ‘smart’ structural materials for UAVs that also serve as the plane’s communication, power and sensor systems. Not having to add a battery or external sensors means less weight on the plane.”

The program is expected to create 70 high-tech jobs in Ohio during its first three years and 165 jobs in the second five years.

http://www.udri.udayton.edu/News/2010/Pages/FuzzyFiber.aspx

Grassroots Mapping needs you… they are looking to raise $5000 fast.

2010-05-29T15:47:52+00:00

Its not cheap taking images to help keep a big oil company honest. The grassroots mapping team has released the following.

We are a group of citizens and activist mappers who are documenting the effects of the BP oil spill in the Gulf Coast with a set of novel DIY tools — we send inexpensive cameras up in helium balloons and kites, and take aerial photos from up to 1500 ft. The data we’re gathering will be vital in both the environmental assessment and response, as well as in the years of litigation following the spill. All the imagery we capture is released into the public domain and is free to use or redistribute.

We need support to keep a supply of helium, and to pay for gas, kites, cameras, and protective gear for our volunteers. We’ve already captured a great deal of amazing imagery which is available online:

http://grassrootsmapping.org/

http://grassrootsmapping.org/gulf-oil-spill

Louisiana Bucket Brigade, our collaborators and the local HQ, are sending volunteers out to affected coastal sites almost daily, and conducting training sessions for new volunteers in New Orleans and elsewhere along the gulf coast. Our imagery is being published across the web – not just photographs, but stitched maps like these:

http://maps.grassrootsmapping.org/may-9-chandeleur-balloon/

http://maps.grassrootsmapping.org/chandeleur-may8-plane/

Our photography is of higher resolution and greater coverage than much of what the press has, and we’re now coordinating a nationwide effort to stitch the imagery into map overlays, which are viewable in Google Earth and OpenLayers. Our images are up to 10,000x higher resolution that the daily satellite images posted by NASA!

Help us get out there and record some evidence!

Sharkskin for airplanes, ships and wind energy plants

2010-05-26T07:15:17+00:00

To lower the fuel consumption of airplanes and ships, it is necessary to reduce their flow resistance, or drag. An innovative paint system makes this possible. This not only lowers costs, it also reduces CO2 emissions.

The inspiration – and model – for the paint‘s structure comes from nature: The scales of fast-swimming sharks have evolved in a manner that significantly diminishes drag, or their resistance to the flow of currents. The challenge was to apply this knowledge to a paint that could withstand the extreme demands of aviation. Temperature fluctuations of -55 to +70 degrees Celsius; intensive UV radiation and high speeds. Yvonne Wilke, Dr. Volkmar Stenzel and Manfred Peschka of the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Applied Materials Research IFAM in Bremen developed not only a paint that reduces aerodynamic drag, but also the associated manufacturing technology. In recognition of their achievement, the team is awarded the 2010 Joseph von Fraunhofer Prize.

The paint involves of a sophisticated formulation. An integral part of the recipe: the nanoparticles, which ensure that the paint withstands UV radiation, temperature change and mechanical loads, on an enduring basis. „Paint offers more advantages,” explains Dr. Volkmar Stenzel. „It is applied as the outermost coating on the plane, so that no other layer of material is required. It adds no additional weight, and even when the airplane is stripped – about every five years, the paint has to be completely removed and reapplied – no additional costs are incurred. In addition, it can be applied to complex three-dimensional surfaces without a problem.” The next step was to clarify how the paint could be put to practical use on a production scale. „Our solution consisted of not applying the paint directly, but instead through a stencil,” says Manfred Peschka. This gives the paint its sharkskin structure. The unique challenge was to apply the fluid paint evenly in a thin layer on the stencil, and at the same time ensure that it can again be detached from the base even after UV radiation, which is required for hardening.

When applied to every airplane every year throughout the world, the paint could save a volume of 4.48 million tons of fuel. This also applies to ships: The team was able to reduce wall friction by more than five percent in a test with a ship construction testing facility. Extrapolated over one year, that means a potential savings of 2,000 tons of fuel for a large container ship. With this application, the algae or muscles that attach to the hull of a ship only complicate things further. Researchers are working on two solutions for the problem. Yvonne Wilke explains: „One possibility exists in structuring the paint in such a way that fouling organisms cannot get a firm grasp and are simply washed away at high speeds, for example. The second option aims at integrating an anti-fouling element – which is incompatible for nature.”

Irrespective of the fuel savings, there are even more interesting applications – for instance, with wind energy farms. Here as well, air resistance has a negative effect on the rotor blades. The new paint would improve the degree of efficiency of the systems – and thus the energy gain.

Wolverine UAS engine

2010-05-25T15:06:34+00:00

Ricardo today announced that it is developing a new purpose-built family of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) engines called Wolverine for both civilian and military applications.

The first engine in the family – the Ricardo Wolverine 3 – is designed to power lightweight aircraft and use military-spec heavy fuels. It is a 3.1-horsepower, two-cylinder, two-stroke, air-cooled engine with spark ignition, direct fuel injection and 500 watts of on-board power, thanks to an integrated starter-generator. Ricardo is studying plans to develop Wolverine engines to power UAVs with heavier payload and greater range and endurance requirements.

“UAVs are extremely versatile and give our soldiers tactical and operational advantages on the battlefield. That’s why the Pentagon’s investment in UAVs has more than doubled to $4 billion since 2006,” said Kent Niederhofer, president of Ricardo’s North American subsidiary Ricardo, Inc. “In addition, UAVs are becoming an increasingly valuable tool for border protection, drug interdiction, fire-fighting and more. Whatever the mission, Ricardo will engineer Wolverine engines that are far more capable and vastly more reliable than what’s in use today.”

Engineers at Ricardo’s Detroit Technology Campus in Van Buren Township have taken the Wolverine 3 from concept to production readiness in six months, and they successfully completed the engine’s “first fire” on a dynamometer test stand in early May. Next, the Wolverine 3 will be installed in a small tactical UAV in preparation for its first flight, which is scheduled for summer 2010 at the Nevada test site. Ricardo is currently in talks with over a dozen UAV integrators about putting the engine into series production.

Ricardo’s lightweight, heavy-fuel solution
Over the last decade, military UAVs have been developed to carry out a wide range of missions, from surveillance to heavy-ordnance delivery. Since 2006, the U.S. military’s UAV operations have grown from about 165,000 hours to more than 550,000 hours annually, according to the U.S. Department of Defense. Today, the U.S. Air Force actually trains more unmanned than manned aircraft pilots.

According to Dr. Ron Storm, director, military market development at Ricardo Inc., smaller UAVs routinely carry multimillion-dollar systems of cameras, sensors and other electronics, but are typically powered by gasoline engines originally designed for lawn and garden equipment, or model planes. “Today, the engine is the weak link in the UAV system, especially in these smaller aircraft,” said Storm. “The military and aircraft integrators worked with off-the-shelf engines and adapted them for UAVs so they could deploy the technology to war fighters rapidly. However, the engines weren’t designed as part of a complete system around the needs of soldiers in the field, so failures have been unacceptably high.”

To understand the specific needs of UAV customers and pilots, Ricardo worked with military and civilian experts, including Rick Scudder, director of the University of Dayton (Ohio) Research Institute’s Center for UAV Exploitation, and Larrell Walters, director of the University of Dayton-led Institute for Development and Commercialization of Advanced Sensors Technology.

“This program has been an exciting collaboration,” said Stephen Cakebread, Ricardo Inc. project director, unmanned systems, and architect of the Wolverine 3. “As we learned more from people with hands-on UAV development and in-field experience, we realized that an engine that isn’t purpose-built for aviation is going to be inherently compromised from the standpoint of performance, weight, package efficiency and durability.”

In particular, relying on gasoline creates logistical and reliability problems in the field, Ricardo learned.

“Most military vehicles and stationary power sources use heavy fuels, so gasoline is often shipped in at enormous expense or sourced locally, which means that octane and purity levels can vary widely,” said Ricardo’s Tom Howell, chief engineer. “It’s not uncommon for engines to fail after only a few hours of service, and poor fuel quality is often the culprit. Our heavy-fuel design will help reduce these costly failures that put lives at risk.”

Ends

Key specifications of the Wolverine 3:

Configuration: 2-Cylinder
Cycle: 2-Stroke
Cooling: Air
Power: 3.1hp/2.3kW
Displacement 5.37cu in/88cc
Max. Speed 6,000 rev/min
Ignition: Spark
Fuel Injection: Direct
Starting: Starter Generator 500W
Width: 10.5″ / 267mm
Height 6.9″ / 175mm
Length 7.6″ / 193mm

CooeeUAV, formula one style advertising for UAVs

2010-05-24T15:31:09+00:00

Adelaide based Nick Peppas of team CooeeUAV Outback Challenge entry has come up with an inventive method of attracting sponsorship.

During the forthcoming Sheppard group Heli & UV Pacific 2010 exhibition attendees will be able to contribute towards advertising space on Mr Peppas UAV. The airframe is set to compete in the popular and ground breaking UAV search and rescue competition, the Outback Challenge in September.

Just like a formula one car companies can place their brand on parts of the airframe and get their message soaring above the rest. The big money is for space on the wings, plainly an area able to carry a sizeable ad.

But you just don’t get the chance of a spot on an airframe destined for great things, there is a “but wait there’s more” angle. The highest contributer in each category will also receive some great prizes, the star prize is an AttoPilot autopilot, an example of which will be steering Team CooeeUAVs entry in the Outback challenge. Should a sponsor decide to go wild and brand the entire airframe they would walk away with all the electronic equipment required to create a cutting edge UAV.

The Millswood Failsafe device, or as its known in the UAS world, the crashinator, is a flight termination device its the prize for contributions over $750. It shot to fame at the 2009 Outback Challenge, when it worked as advertised and terminated the Team Melbourne UAV entry. The aftermath is apparent at the end of this clip.

It might seem perverse to end a flight in that manner if the UAS has only lost communications for a few seconds, but rules are rules. This year things are expected to be different. The failsafe not only ends flights, it is also able to control pan tilt and zoom video cameras on-board the UAV and speaks very nicely to its own ground control station.

Heli and UV Pacific has been running since 2004 and is the biggest industry event of its kind in Australia. It runs May 26, 2010 – May 27, 2010 at
RACV Royal Pines Resort, Queensland, Australia.

Bus Pirate

2010-05-23T00:34:24+00:00

Bus Pirate

As I wrote yesterday I bougth the Bus Pirate from Seeedstudio and a nice case. Another team member found this nice tool. It can be used to prototype and test electronic deviecs with buses such as UART, SPI or I2C. As I saw the ability to work as an AVR programmer and even a JTAG adapter I was persuaded of it as well. It looks like a perfect devleoper device for the NG UAVP.
With delivery I paid about 55$ for both parts. The case from US arrived way faster then the Pirate itself from China, but finally both made their way to Switzerland! I needed to alter the case with a nail file a little bit to make sure the USB connector has enought space. Built into its case it looks very nice!
The firmware on the delivered device was not that up to date:

HiZ>I
Bus Pirate v3 (Seeed Studio)

http://dangerousprototypes.com

Firmware v2.4-Seeed
DEVID:0x0447 REVID:0x3043 (B5)

First I had to upgrade to V4 Bootloader. I connected the PGD and PGC pins of the ICSP header to trigger the bootloader. Then I changed bitrateindex to 8 (for 115200):

vi P24qp.ini

bitrateindex=8

Afterwards I could do the firmwareupgrade (just ignore the verification errors in the output, its a bug in v2 bootloader):

$ unzip v2tov41-bootloader-update-va3.zip
$ cd upgrader
$ sudo python P24qp.py --serial=/dev/ttyUSB1 -v --auto=BPv3-v2blupdaterVa3-v4.1.hex
....
Writing 256 bytes to address 0x0000AB80
Reading 256 bytes from address 0x0000AB80
Write operation complete.
Verified Okay.
Verification complete, switching to user mode

Now I removed the jumper and restartet the Bus Pirate. Pressing enter produced this output:

Upgrade cancelled.

Universal DS30 Loader installer v0.3 (C)hris 2010

Released under Creative Commons null license.
Found bootloader v unknown (probably v2)
Will install bootloader v4.1

Type 'Yes' to program the new bootloader.
Disconnect power if unsure (no harm done).

“Yes” started the upgrading

Erasing 0xA400... done
Erasing 0xA800... done
Writing row 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 done
Erasing 0x0000... done
Writing row 0... done

Success!
Upload new firmware with the ds30 Loader app to complete the upgrade.

When the update is complete, the MODE LED will blink and the upgrader will prompt you to upload a v4+ firmware. I connected the PGD and PGC pins of the ICSP header to trigger the bootloader once again and restarted the Bus Pirate. I then uploaded the v4.2 firmware directly (you can’t install the v4.2 bootloader since its only a version for programm with PIC directly):

$ unzip BusPirate.firmware.v4.2.zip
$ sudo ./pirate-loader_lnx --dev=/dev/ttyUSB1 --hex=BPv3\&v2go/BPv3-Firmware-v4.2.hex

Removed the jumper again and the Bus Pirate has a shiny new software version on it:

HiZ>I
Bus Pirate v3
Firmware v4.2 Bootloader v4.1
DEVID:0x0447 REVID:0x3043 (B5)

http://dangerousprototypes.com

AVR programmer (STK500v2)

One of the features I needed most was the AVR programmer. For that purpose you have to flash a special firmware:

$ sudo ./pirate-loader_lnx --dev=/dev/ttyUSB1 --hex=BPv3\&v2go/BPv3-STK500v2-v0b.hex

Afterwards you can use it like an STK500v2:

$ avrdude -p m328p -c stk500v2 -P /dev/ttyUSB1 -v -V -U flash:w:sb-ctrl.hex

Just a small performance comparission showed positive results. I wrote an Intel hex with 30178 bytes to an Atmel ATMEGA328P. These are the flash times:

Bus Pirate	STK500v2
10.75s	42.55s

Note: These are both out of the box configuration, with correct STK500v2 configuration you can probably gain more performance…

New blog appearance

2010-05-22T02:16:28+00:00

After several weeks of silence I could finally find enough motivation and time to update my blog. I renamed it to “Envolving NG UAVP”, because, you might have heard it, I joined the development team of the NG UAVP in between. Now I try hard to help evolving this wonderful multicopter platform! To address the international community I decided to switch the language of this blog to English. The old NG UAVP from Scratch blog posts stay in german and are archived under its own category NG UAVP from Scratch.

Currently we work on several things for the NG UAVP: First of all we improved GPS support. We also tested new build toolchains and think about new control algorithm. All in all, its very interessting and I’m very happy do be part of the team!

I also bought new equipment: I have now a maas SPS-30 II power supply to load my LiPo’s quickly. I also bought a Bluetooth Bee, a serial extender with X-Bee pin alignment, but I could not test it yet. Also from Seedstudio I bought the Bus Pirate, an universial bus connector, programmer and even debugger.

My NG UAVP is still flying! But nevertheless I plan to build a second NG UAVP: I want to use nicer Centerplates, better motors and, finally, the TowerPro BLC’s with Quax firmware. But I still build it as simple as reasonable possible, I prefer to spend my time on developing software than building nice frames!

Synchrone LED Stripes

2010-05-21T20:54:07+00:00

Mit Version 2.3 der LED Stripe Firmware ist es nun möglich mehrere Platinen untereinander zeitlich zu synchronisieren. Die neue Funktion zur Generierung eines Synchronisierungssignals wird von der neuen LED Stripe Tool Version 1.3 unterstützt.

Weitere Infos zu dieser Funktion gibt es unter Elektronik - LED Stripe im Abschnitt ‘Synchronisierung mehrerer LED Stripes’. Dort ist auch ein kurzes Demo-Video zu finden.

Another exiting LandKamp 2010 Video

2010-05-20T19:41:29+00:00

Hier der HiQ Kandidat von jamiro. Best as it is… Mehr gibts dazu nicht zu sagen.

LandKamp 2010 Video

2010-05-19T08:09:28+00:00

LandKamp 2010 ist vorbei. Alle sind irgendwie Happy, Fertig oder haben ihren Kopter in Schrott verwandelt. Für mich war es die Highlite Veranstaltung ever. Einfach nur der Wahnsinn.

Die schönsten Momente habe ich in diesem Video verpackt. Danke an die Kameramänner Steff_WOB, MarCopter, Basel und jamiro ohne deren Hilfe dieses Video nicht entstanden wäre. Ich selbst habe nur einmal ganz kurz die Kamera geschwungen. Danke euch!

Die Music ist von PeerGynt Lobogris mit dem Titel Drop In The Universe. Zu finden ist der Song im Album Outworld III auf Jamendo.

Es gibt noch weiteres Footage und mit Sicherheit nocheinmal ein neues Video. Es haben ja noch spassige Contests stattgefunden die erzählt werden wollen. Coming soon.

Viel Vergnügen bei dem Gemeinschaftsvideo und über Kommentare und Meinungen hier im Blog oder auf Vimeo würden sich alle Beteiligten sicherlich freuen. Und für alle Daheimgebliebenen – Ihr habt wirklich was verpasst. Wooohoow.

Weiteres Videomaterial und Fotos von anderen Quadrokopter Nerds gibt es auf der LandKamp Sammelseite!

Aktuelles auf plischka.at

2010-05-19T04:29:25+00:00


letztes Update: 18.05.2010


Infos
Auf dieser Seite werde ich versuchen, darüber zu berichten was gerade passiert oder welche Projekte gerade aktiv sind.











	18.05.2010

Der LiPo-Saver MP11A.

18.05.2010

Das MK Basis RECOM/OPTO Modul mit 1A/32V Spannungsregler.

Alles geht in Richtung 6s fliegen.

18.05.2010

Das FTDI USB to TTL RS232 Modul gibt es jetzt mit Mini-USB Anschluß und 5V Jumper.

16.05.2010

Unser Octo in der “Long-Edition”.

So sind die Propeller geschützt wenn mal etwas im Weg ist und man kann “auf der Seite” landen. .

02.05.2010

Ein neuer Dualkopter.

Nein, es ist eine Vorrichtung um den Kompass zu kalibrieren.

25.04.2010

Der MK11octo mit Robbe ROXXY 2827-35 Motore und EPP1045 Propeller.

Die Schwebestromaufnahme beträgt nur 23A bei 2330g Koptergewicht.

Alles hat seinen Preis. Der ROXXY 2827-35 kostet 45 EUR! 05.04.2010

Die Graupner Propellern sind scharf wie Rasierklingen, machen aber einen guten Sound. Details

22.03.2010

Seit Anfang 2010 arbeiten wir an einer verbesserten Edition unserer Hexakopter und Octokopter.

Zahlreiche Prototypen wurden gebaut, verschiedene Motore getestet und diverse Wechselkuppelsysteme probiert.

Im Mai/Juni 2010 hoffen wir die ersten Systemkopter der PT-Serie vorstellen zu können.

22.03.2010

Das MK-Basis Moduls hat einen Schaltausgang für die Kameraauslösung über einen Optokoppler bekommen.

Details

06.03.2010

Test der AHM-Motore. Weitere Infos hier.

Der AHM 30-6 mit APC Propeller. 05.03.2010

Mit einer vernünftigen 868 MHz Antenne lassen sich doch größere Reichweiten mit dem Wi.232 Modul erzielen.

Im Gegensatz zur “Drahtstummellösung” wird wesentlich mehr Leistung abgestrahlt. Und es sieht besser aus.

Hier wird die Antenne mit einem SMA-Stecker auf die vergoldete SMA-Buchse aufgeschraubt.

01.03.2010

Es gibt die Rev.5 des Wi.232EUR-R Funkmoduls.

21.02.2010

Es hat doch noch geschneit und die Temperatur lag bei 5 Grad, aber das sollte uns nicht vom Fliegen abhalten. Um 12.00 Uhr standen wir auf dem Fluggelände.

Heute wollten wir uns ein wenig im Umgang mit Mission Cockpit fit machen.

Das war ein Riesenspaß. Ich hatte Zuhause ein paar Wegpunkte auf die Karte gesetzt, alle schön nah bei mir um den Kopter besser beobachten zu können.

Ein Druck auf die Spacetaste des Notebooks leitete den Parkour ein. Brav flog der Kopter von einem Wegpunkt zum anderen. Wau, klappt Perfekt.

Plötzlich bricht der Kopter aus und rast auf den nahe liegenden Wald zu. Das wars dachte ich.

Hinter mir höre ich meine Tochter lachen.

Was war passiert: Sie hatte ein wenig mit dem FollowMe Bärchen gespielt und dieses ans Ende des Flugplatzes gestellt.

Aber mit dem nächsten Druck auf die Spacetaste kam der Hexa zurück und setzte seinen Rundflug fort.

20.02.2010

So sieht das MK-Wi.232 to Bluetooth Modul aus.

20.02.2010

Heute hatte ich endlich Zeit das MK-Wi.232 to Bluetooth Modul in ein Gehäuse einzubauen.

19.02.2010

Wenn das Wetter mitspielt wollen wir am Sonntag mit Mission Cockpit ein wenig Wegpunktfliegen.

Der Acer Aspire Timeline 1810TZ-412G25n mit dem Wi.232 Telemetriemodul. 13.02.2010

Heute ist der Cellpro 10s angekommen – ein Spitzenlader.

Passend zum Lader ein 13,8V 20A! Schaltnetzteil 06.02.2010

Für die neue Software – das Jeti-Telemetriekabel.

02.02.2010

Das bewährte MK-Basis Modul gibt es nun in einer Luxusausführung

MK-Basis Rev.2 RECOM

31.01.2010

Im Jeti-Jeti-Menü gibt es jetzt ein Status-Display mit 6 Werten auf einem Blick:
- Spannung
- Entfernung vom Start
- Himmelsrichtung nach Hause. 180° bedeutet: der MK ist im Norden und seine Home-Position ist auf 180° (also Süden)
- verbrauchte Kapazität
- Flugzeit
- Höhe

28.01.2010 OT

Gestern ist mein Nexux One angekommen. Ein echt tolles Handy.

Das Nexus One läuft mit Android 2.1, einer 1GHz Snapdragon CPU, verfügt über ein 3,7-Zoll großes Display mit einer 480 x 800er Auflösung, 512MB ROM, 512MB RAM und eine 4GB microSD-Karte, die aber auf 32 GB aufgestockt werden kann. Außerdem gibt es eine 5-Megapixel-Kamera mit LED-Blitz, Lichtsensor, Entfernungssensor und Accelerometer.

Mittlerweile hat Ligi sein geniales DUBwise auf Android umgestellt, es ist eine wahre Augenweide geworden.

Ein paar Winterimpressionen aus Düsseldorf hinzugefügt 08.01.2010

Jetzt sind 12 funktionierende Kanäle mit der Graupner mx-22 auf dem Kopter möglich.

Hier

07.01.2010

Immer wieder kommt die Frage auf: Welche Last kann ein Kopter tragen.
Wir haben ein paar Tests gemacht.

zum Belastungstest

07.01.2010

Zur Zeit arbeite ich an einer erweiterten Version des Ambient-Movement Moduls.
Sie ist jetzt seit einer Woche erfolgreich in meinem Wohnzimmer im Einsatz.

Nächste Woche mehr.

06.01.2010

Schnee bei -3 Grad. Aber es macht Spaß. In der Nähe des Hauses kann man sich schnell die Finger wieder aufwärmen.

30.12.2009

plischka.at ist auf einen neuen Server umgezogen.
Ich hoffe, alles funktioniert wie gehabt.
Durch die immer höher werdenden Besucherzahlen, wurde der alte Server zu teuer.

02.12.2009

frisch eingetroffen:

oben 5000 m/Ah 14,8V Turnigy 5000mAh 4S 35C Lipo Pack Gewicht 550g
unten 5000 m/Ah 18,5V Turnigy 5000mAh 5S 40C Lipo Pack Gewicht 660g

Die 5000er Turnigys sind bisher die besten Akkus die ich geflogen bin.

01.12.2009

Das bewährte BTM-222 Basis Modul gibt es jetzt in der Rev. 3 Version 2.8.

Eigentlich ist alles beim alten geblieben, die Platine ist noch etwas kleiner geworden und die Anordnung der Bauteile hat sich geändert. Die grüne Led für die Anzeige der Versorgungsspannung gibt es nicht mehr.

Details

27.11.2009

Seit Tagen möchte ich mal einen Belastungstest von Hexa und Octo machen.
Alles ist vorbereitet, aber das Wetter spielt nicht mit.

30.11.2009

Heute konnte ich einen kurzen Test machen, das Ergebnis ist hier zu finden.

19.11.2009

Das Ambient-Movement-Modul versorgt mit dem integriertem Ledtreiber bis zu 5 High-Powerleds mit einem Strom von 350mA.
Auf dem Modul befindet sich ein PIR-Bewegungssensor, ein Umgebungslichtsensor, ein Infrarot-Empfänger für eine Fernbedienung
und ein Mikroprozessor zur Steuerung aller Komponenten.

Die Platine wird ab dem 7. Dezember verfügbar sein.

17.11.2009

Im MK-Shop gibt es einen neuen Motor:

Der MK2832/52 ist ein speziell für den MK entwickelter Motor

Die Leistungsklasse entspricht dem Roxxy 2827-35

Der MK2832/52 ist komplett schwarz, Wicklung ist vergossen, hat lange Anschlussleitungen, eine kurze Welle und kommt mit einem passenden Mitnehmer für die EPP1045.

Durchmesser: 28mm, Wellenlänge 32mm, Kabellänge 52cm
Gewicht mit Anschlussleitung ist ebenfalls gleich: 68g

Hier sieht man den MK2832/52 auf dem MK12hexa montiert.

16.11.2009

Add-on für den Mikrokopter:
das MK-Basis Modul

Mehr Infos unter MK-Basis Modul

13.11.2009

Akkuwarner für LiPo-Akkus (LiPoBlitzer)
für Quadrokopter, Helis, Modellflugzeuge
mit CAT4201 Ledtreiber

Mehr Infos unter Akkuwarner für LiPo-Akkus

28.10.2009

Heute wurde der wohl längste Betatest für die neue MK-Software abgeschlossen.
Die aktuellen Versionen heißen nun:

FC: 0.76
NC:0.17e
MK3Mag:0.22c
Koptertool: 1.66b

27.10.2009

Eine Neuauflage des Ledtreibers mit dem CAT4201

Mehr Infos unter Ledtreiber mit CAT4201

30.09.2009

Der Vdo Dayton MM2700 7 Zoll TFT-LCD Monitor (480 x 234 Pixel, 500 cd/m2) in der Cullmann Kameratasche.

Ein 4s LiPo Akku versorgt über einen LiPoSaver den Monitor und den Videoempfänger.

Das reicht für 7 Stunden Betriebszeit bis zur nächsten Ladung.

Mehr Infos unter Video und Fototechnik im Modellbau

18.09.2009

Der Tranflective LILLIPUT 7″ EBY701-NP/C/T VGA TOUCHSCREEN Monitor auf dem Graupner Pultgehäuse montiert.

Endlich ist das Kameragestell und die Videoübertragung fertig.

Mehr Infos unter Video und Fototechnik im Modellbau

18.09.2009

Ein riesiger 10.000mA/h Akku für den Hexakopter ist heute angekommen.

oben 3000 m/Ah 14,8V
mitte 5000 m/Ah 14,8V Turnigy 5000mAh 4S 25C Lipo Pack Gewicht 550g
unten 10000 m/Ah 14,8V

13.07.2009

Anfang Juni eingetroffen:

Full HD Camcorder HDC-SD10

Macht Aufnahmen in Full High Definition mit 1.920 x 1.080.

Er hat 16x optischen Zoom, einen optischen Bildstabilisator sowie eine intelligente Automatik und Touchscreen-Bedienung.

to be continued…

Back from LandKamp

2010-05-16T23:07:52+00:00

Zurück, geduscht und total müde… Ich meld mich mal im Bett an und hier ab. Gn8 Gf8

Impressionen vom MK-Landkamp

2010-05-16T09:07:31+00:00

Unter Sonstiges - MK Landkamp Mai 2010 sind einige Bilder und Videos vom Mikrokopter-Treffen in Nienburg zu finden.

LandKamp 1. Tag

2010-05-14T20:13:08+00:00

Die Anreise erfolgte ohne besondere Probleme.
16:00 bin ich da aufgeschlagen.

Einige Impressionen mal vorab.

Man traf auch alte Bekannte

Und Holger und Ingo beim Zeltaufbau

So und jetzt kommt der gemütliche Teil.
Ein Prost auf alle Daheimgebliebenen.

Outback Challenge 2010 open for entries.

2010-05-14T08:29:29+00:00

With a slick new website and positive message for UAS tasking the Outback Challenge once again opened its doors for competitors today.

Split into several tasks as follows, taken from the official site.

AIRBORNE DELIVERY CHALLENGE

This category is only open to students in Australian High Schools.

The Mission

An emergency package (shape and size specified in rules) will be made available to competing teams, for use on the day of the competition.

Participants must develop an airborne delivery system that can deliver this package to a lost bushwalker.

The airborne vehicle will be remotely controlled by a human operator, known as the “UAV controller”.

On the test day, two hurdles will map out the course. The pilot must ensure that the UAV flies above these hurdles. The target zone will appear between the hurdles.

The delivery of the payload will be controlled by a human operator, known as the mission manager. The mission manager’s zone will be marked on the test day and will be a 2m x 2m square. The mission manager and associated equipment must be located within this square at all times during the mission. The mission manager’s area will be enclosed with a barricade around the edges and covered from the top for safety. The mission manager will NOT be able to see the target zone during the competition and will NOT be able to communicate with the UAV controller during the drop sequence. The control of the delivery mechanism must be made by the mission manager, independently of the actions of the UAV controller. The mission manager must remotely deploy the package such that it lands in the centre of the target zone.

ROBOT AIRBORNE DELIVERY CHALLENGE

The Mission

An emergency package (shape and size specified in rules) will be made available to competing teams, for use on the day of the competition.

Participants must develop an airborne delivery system that can deliver this package to a lost bushwalker.

On the test day, two hurdles will map out the course. The pilot must ensure that the UAV flies above these hurdles. The target zone will appear between the hurdles.

Teams will receive points based upon the level of autonomy their UAV demonstrates. Teams can choose to autonomously drop the emergency package to receive maximum points.

Points will be awarded based on the time required to complete the mission and the proximity of the package to the target. A total of three drops will be allowed in 30 minutes. The participant’s best result will be used for judging.

SEARCH AND RESCUE CHALLENGE

This category is open to Australian and international university students and aerospace enthusiasts.

The Mission

Outback Joe is lost in the Australian outback and desperately needs assistance. You must develop a UAV that is capable of locating Outback Joe and delivering an emergency package to him.

Where’s Outback Joe?

Your system must be capable of searching an area of at least 2nm x 2nm, up to 5nm from the aerodrome. The target for your search will be a human (or dummy) positioned in a typical resting pose in a rural setting.

The GPS coordinates representing the four corners of the search area will be provided in the days leading up to the competition. The air vehicle must not travel outside of the search area or transit lane, for its flight will be terminated if it does so. The search area will be not more that 5nm from the aerodrome.

Over a 60 minute period, teams must deploy their air vehicle systems and conduct the search. Once the search has been conducted a decision must be made as to where Outback Joe is located. A GPS coordinate, representing Outback Joe’s location, must be provided to the judges.

Rescue Outback Joe!

Once Joe has been located with the judges’ approval, the air vehicle must be tasked with delivering its emergency package. The emergency package will contain 500ml of ‘life saving’ water. The package must be dropped as closely as possible to Outback Joe, without landing on him. The UAV will then return to the Kingaroy airport for recovery.

The minimum requirements for the air vehicle are as follows:

The air vehicle must not weigh more than 100 kg (rotary) or 150kg (fixed wing) in the competition configuration

Points will be awarded based on the time required to complete the mission and the accuracy of the emergency package delivery.

DOCUMENTARY CHALLENGE

The challenge

In order to record the events leading up to the 2010 UAV Challenge – Outback Rescue, the organisers will offer a prize to the film maker/s that create the best documentary about their team.

The documentary should show the full story of a team preparing for the Challenge. Teams will submit their documentary to the challenge organising committee.

The winning entrants may be featured in the official documentary of the event.

It is not compulsory for teams to enter the documentary competition component of the UAV Challenge. However, teams may be required to produce video evidence of flights as part of the submission process outlined in the UAV Challenge Rules document.

Neue LED Stripe Software

2010-05-13T19:13:58+00:00

Es ist eine neue Firmware-Version für die LED Stripe Platine verfügbar. Die neue Version 2.2 behebt einen kleinen Fehler bei der Ausführung eigener Skripte und bietet im Wesentlichen zwei neue Features:

- Beim Sprung-Kommando kann die Anzahl der Durchläufe/Sprünge angegeben werden. Damit können Teile des selbsterstellten Skripts eine definierte Anzahl von Malen durchlaufen werden, so dass sich zusätzliche Möglichkeiten bei der Skripterstellung ergeben.

- Für die Visualisierung der Akku-Spannung als Bargraph kann nun angegeben werden bei welcher LED-Anzahl der Farbwechsel für den kritischen Akkustand erfolgt. Bisher war dies fest auf 4 LEDs eingestellt.

Die Nutzung dieser Erweiterungen wird vom neuen LED Stripe Tool Version 1.2a. unterstützt. Die neue Firmware sollte in jedem Fall zusammen mit der neuen LED Stripe Tool-Version verwendet werden.

Nachtrag: Im LED Stripe Tool V1.2 war ein kleiner Bug bzgl. der Anzahl der Schleifendurchläufe, daher habe ich gerade Version 1.2a hochgeladen.