Drones
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So does anyone here own a quadcopter or hexicopter - a 'drone'? My hexicopter frame arrived this morning, so all I need to do now is add motors, motor controllers, RC stuff, batteries and write some software for the Arduino Mega board I've got for it. I've already got the GPS module and ultrasonic ground detector. All good classic nerd stuff. But I do have a concern in my head, what if I lose control and it takes out a 747, or falls out the sky and kills a badger or something? Not helped by an article in today's paper about the first prosecution going through the UK courts. There's also this: http://droneflight.co.uk/pages/summary-of-uk-legal-requirements[^] So a risk evaluation is in order. Whichever way you cut it, 6 350W bladed motors hurtling around on the whim of some half-arsed coding could have consequences. I don't want to end up in Court charged with not writing unit tests. Alternatively perhaps I should throw caution to the wind, ignore the nanny state and make something cool. Thoughts/experiences welcome.
Regards, Rob Philpott.
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So does anyone here own a quadcopter or hexicopter - a 'drone'? My hexicopter frame arrived this morning, so all I need to do now is add motors, motor controllers, RC stuff, batteries and write some software for the Arduino Mega board I've got for it. I've already got the GPS module and ultrasonic ground detector. All good classic nerd stuff. But I do have a concern in my head, what if I lose control and it takes out a 747, or falls out the sky and kills a badger or something? Not helped by an article in today's paper about the first prosecution going through the UK courts. There's also this: http://droneflight.co.uk/pages/summary-of-uk-legal-requirements[^] So a risk evaluation is in order. Whichever way you cut it, 6 350W bladed motors hurtling around on the whim of some half-arsed coding could have consequences. I don't want to end up in Court charged with not writing unit tests. Alternatively perhaps I should throw caution to the wind, ignore the nanny state and make something cool. Thoughts/experiences welcome.
Regards, Rob Philpott.
Write the code in VB - nobody expects you to test that at all... :laugh:
Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay...
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So does anyone here own a quadcopter or hexicopter - a 'drone'? My hexicopter frame arrived this morning, so all I need to do now is add motors, motor controllers, RC stuff, batteries and write some software for the Arduino Mega board I've got for it. I've already got the GPS module and ultrasonic ground detector. All good classic nerd stuff. But I do have a concern in my head, what if I lose control and it takes out a 747, or falls out the sky and kills a badger or something? Not helped by an article in today's paper about the first prosecution going through the UK courts. There's also this: http://droneflight.co.uk/pages/summary-of-uk-legal-requirements[^] So a risk evaluation is in order. Whichever way you cut it, 6 350W bladed motors hurtling around on the whim of some half-arsed coding could have consequences. I don't want to end up in Court charged with not writing unit tests. Alternatively perhaps I should throw caution to the wind, ignore the nanny state and make something cool. Thoughts/experiences welcome.
Regards, Rob Philpott.
Yep, Got an X-Aircraft X650, (First big crash video: here[^]) You can get RC aircraft liability insurance via some of the flying clubs. It is recommended if you are planning to fly in public areas. Flying in a field or park with nobody around or lightly populated areas, don't see the point. You aren't going to get high enough to worry planes. You could always program a ceiling limit or a loss of comms fly back to home.
Dave Find Me On:Web|Facebook|Twitter|LinkedIn Folding Stats: Team CodeProject
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So does anyone here own a quadcopter or hexicopter - a 'drone'? My hexicopter frame arrived this morning, so all I need to do now is add motors, motor controllers, RC stuff, batteries and write some software for the Arduino Mega board I've got for it. I've already got the GPS module and ultrasonic ground detector. All good classic nerd stuff. But I do have a concern in my head, what if I lose control and it takes out a 747, or falls out the sky and kills a badger or something? Not helped by an article in today's paper about the first prosecution going through the UK courts. There's also this: http://droneflight.co.uk/pages/summary-of-uk-legal-requirements[^] So a risk evaluation is in order. Whichever way you cut it, 6 350W bladed motors hurtling around on the whim of some half-arsed coding could have consequences. I don't want to end up in Court charged with not writing unit tests. Alternatively perhaps I should throw caution to the wind, ignore the nanny state and make something cool. Thoughts/experiences welcome.
Regards, Rob Philpott.
Sounds cool, but my question is what have you got it for... (I know I suffer from the cool I want to play with one of those syndrome, but I always have an idea of a use it can be put to). If you live near an airport or airfield be very careful, if not try to avoid heavily built up areas. As Griff says avoid VB like the plague! go and build something cool.
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Yep, Got an X-Aircraft X650, (First big crash video: here[^]) You can get RC aircraft liability insurance via some of the flying clubs. It is recommended if you are planning to fly in public areas. Flying in a field or park with nobody around or lightly populated areas, don't see the point. You aren't going to get high enough to worry planes. You could always program a ceiling limit or a loss of comms fly back to home.
Dave Find Me On:Web|Facebook|Twitter|LinkedIn Folding Stats: Team CodeProject
DaveAuld wrote:
Flying in a field or park with nobody around or lightly populated areas, don't see the point. You aren't going to get high enough to worry planes.
That may be true however I wouldn't skip insurance. e.g. I haven't had an accident in 10+ years so why bother paying for car insurance?
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So does anyone here own a quadcopter or hexicopter - a 'drone'? My hexicopter frame arrived this morning, so all I need to do now is add motors, motor controllers, RC stuff, batteries and write some software for the Arduino Mega board I've got for it. I've already got the GPS module and ultrasonic ground detector. All good classic nerd stuff. But I do have a concern in my head, what if I lose control and it takes out a 747, or falls out the sky and kills a badger or something? Not helped by an article in today's paper about the first prosecution going through the UK courts. There's also this: http://droneflight.co.uk/pages/summary-of-uk-legal-requirements[^] So a risk evaluation is in order. Whichever way you cut it, 6 350W bladed motors hurtling around on the whim of some half-arsed coding could have consequences. I don't want to end up in Court charged with not writing unit tests. Alternatively perhaps I should throw caution to the wind, ignore the nanny state and make something cool. Thoughts/experiences welcome.
Regards, Rob Philpott.
Sounds entirely too dangerous to the community and puts you at severe financial and criminal risk. Stop! Stop immediately. Just so you're not tempted to continue, feel free to send all the parts to me for safe keeping: Mike Mullikin 123 Main St. Metropolis USA
Government is not reason; it is not eloquent; it is force. Like fire, it is a dangerous servant and a fearful master. ~ George Washington
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So does anyone here own a quadcopter or hexicopter - a 'drone'? My hexicopter frame arrived this morning, so all I need to do now is add motors, motor controllers, RC stuff, batteries and write some software for the Arduino Mega board I've got for it. I've already got the GPS module and ultrasonic ground detector. All good classic nerd stuff. But I do have a concern in my head, what if I lose control and it takes out a 747, or falls out the sky and kills a badger or something? Not helped by an article in today's paper about the first prosecution going through the UK courts. There's also this: http://droneflight.co.uk/pages/summary-of-uk-legal-requirements[^] So a risk evaluation is in order. Whichever way you cut it, 6 350W bladed motors hurtling around on the whim of some half-arsed coding could have consequences. I don't want to end up in Court charged with not writing unit tests. Alternatively perhaps I should throw caution to the wind, ignore the nanny state and make something cool. Thoughts/experiences welcome.
Regards, Rob Philpott.
Rob Philpott wrote:
for the Arduino Mega board I've got for it
what do you use that for ?
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Sounds cool, but my question is what have you got it for... (I know I suffer from the cool I want to play with one of those syndrome, but I always have an idea of a use it can be put to). If you live near an airport or airfield be very careful, if not try to avoid heavily built up areas. As Griff says avoid VB like the plague! go and build something cool.
Gatwick, Biggin Hill. Shouldn't be a problem. Why? Because a computer controlled flying thing is awesome. I'd dearly love to ditch the radio control and have it fully autonomous. Also, the more mischievous side of me would like to put weird lighting all over it and make people think the aliens have arrived.
Regards, Rob Philpott.
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DaveAuld wrote:
Flying in a field or park with nobody around or lightly populated areas, don't see the point. You aren't going to get high enough to worry planes.
That may be true however I wouldn't skip insurance. e.g. I haven't had an accident in 10+ years so why bother paying for car insurance?
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Gatwick, Biggin Hill. Shouldn't be a problem. Why? Because a computer controlled flying thing is awesome. I'd dearly love to ditch the radio control and have it fully autonomous. Also, the more mischievous side of me would like to put weird lighting all over it and make people think the aliens have arrived.
Regards, Rob Philpott.
I must admit the thought of something flying around that I had coded fully autonomously is cool... also put a paint ball gun on and straff the locals... Hmmmm... :-D
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So does anyone here own a quadcopter or hexicopter - a 'drone'? My hexicopter frame arrived this morning, so all I need to do now is add motors, motor controllers, RC stuff, batteries and write some software for the Arduino Mega board I've got for it. I've already got the GPS module and ultrasonic ground detector. All good classic nerd stuff. But I do have a concern in my head, what if I lose control and it takes out a 747, or falls out the sky and kills a badger or something? Not helped by an article in today's paper about the first prosecution going through the UK courts. There's also this: http://droneflight.co.uk/pages/summary-of-uk-legal-requirements[^] So a risk evaluation is in order. Whichever way you cut it, 6 350W bladed motors hurtling around on the whim of some half-arsed coding could have consequences. I don't want to end up in Court charged with not writing unit tests. Alternatively perhaps I should throw caution to the wind, ignore the nanny state and make something cool. Thoughts/experiences welcome.
Regards, Rob Philpott.
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Rob Philpott wrote:
for the Arduino Mega board I've got for it
what do you use that for ?
Ah well, that's the 'flight computer' it takes PCM data from the remote receiver, GPS data from the GPS, distance data from the ultrasonics, inertial data from the 'IMU' (tilt, acceleration and rotation) and continually in real time sends out 6 control signals to the motors. I haven't figured the logic out yet. 3 motors spin one way, the other 3 the other. Slow one set and the thing rotates, increase the one's at the back and it tilts and moves forward, overall power takes you up and down. These are my *assumptions* - hence the danger of low altitude decapitation until I get my coefficients correct.
Regards, Rob Philpott.
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Why thank you very much. It's designed for heavy loads.
Regards, Rob Philpott.
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Why thank you very much. It's designed for heavy loads.
Regards, Rob Philpott.
Rob Philpott wrote:
It's designed for heavy loads.
Like the batteries it's gonna have to carry? :omg:
Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay...
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Yep, Got an X-Aircraft X650, (First big crash video: here[^]) You can get RC aircraft liability insurance via some of the flying clubs. It is recommended if you are planning to fly in public areas. Flying in a field or park with nobody around or lightly populated areas, don't see the point. You aren't going to get high enough to worry planes. You could always program a ceiling limit or a loss of comms fly back to home.
Dave Find Me On:Web|Facebook|Twitter|LinkedIn Folding Stats: Team CodeProject
Well that's my thinking, in a remote area the chances of actually hitting anything are slim. Video will have to wait to tonight - no youtube here :( Indeed, fly home and height limiting are in the brief, but what if the board crashes? Need to check the specs but I think the PCM signals are hardware generated and hence there's a danger of the instantaneous power becoming a continuous power and dreadful things happening.
Regards, Rob Philpott.
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Ah well, that's the 'flight computer' it takes PCM data from the remote receiver, GPS data from the GPS, distance data from the ultrasonics, inertial data from the 'IMU' (tilt, acceleration and rotation) and continually in real time sends out 6 control signals to the motors. I haven't figured the logic out yet. 3 motors spin one way, the other 3 the other. Slow one set and the thing rotates, increase the one's at the back and it tilts and moves forward, overall power takes you up and down. These are my *assumptions* - hence the danger of low altitude decapitation until I get my coefficients correct.
Regards, Rob Philpott.
:cool: I guess with all of that you need a flight computer - I remember the days of 1 motor and a few servos (planes), primitive by comparison but fun all the same have fun Rob 'g'
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Rob Philpott wrote:
It's designed for heavy loads.
Like the batteries it's gonna have to carry? :omg:
Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay...
Yes, that as well. Ah, the lithium polymer. People bang on about how Apple 'invented' the smartphone but the enablers were low power CPUs and a new generation of battery, really. Actually I read somewhere that a LiPo volume for volume can contain about 1/4 of the energy of petrol. That's pretty cool. They also enable the rather wonderful e-cigarette too which could, if they let it, save millions of lives.
Regards, Rob Philpott.
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So does anyone here own a quadcopter or hexicopter - a 'drone'? My hexicopter frame arrived this morning, so all I need to do now is add motors, motor controllers, RC stuff, batteries and write some software for the Arduino Mega board I've got for it. I've already got the GPS module and ultrasonic ground detector. All good classic nerd stuff. But I do have a concern in my head, what if I lose control and it takes out a 747, or falls out the sky and kills a badger or something? Not helped by an article in today's paper about the first prosecution going through the UK courts. There's also this: http://droneflight.co.uk/pages/summary-of-uk-legal-requirements[^] So a risk evaluation is in order. Whichever way you cut it, 6 350W bladed motors hurtling around on the whim of some half-arsed coding could have consequences. I don't want to end up in Court charged with not writing unit tests. Alternatively perhaps I should throw caution to the wind, ignore the nanny state and make something cool. Thoughts/experiences welcome.
Regards, Rob Philpott.
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Simplest solution is to attach a label of some sort - "If found, please return to "
We won't sit down. We won't shut up. We won't go quietly away. YouTube and My Mu[sic], Films and Windows Programs, etc.
And on the other side "If decapitated, please return to " with a different address.
Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay...
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Yes, that as well. Ah, the lithium polymer. People bang on about how Apple 'invented' the smartphone but the enablers were low power CPUs and a new generation of battery, really. Actually I read somewhere that a LiPo volume for volume can contain about 1/4 of the energy of petrol. That's pretty cool. They also enable the rather wonderful e-cigarette too which could, if they let it, save millions of lives.
Regards, Rob Philpott.
Rob Philpott wrote:
They also enable the rather wonderful e-cigarette too which could, if they let it, save millions of lives make billions of dollars a year for the tobacco companies.
http://www.drugfree.org/join-together/tobacco-companies-move-into-e-cigarette-business/[^]
Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay...
