This is the first post for the Fab Flight teams working out of: -The Champaign-Urbana Community Fab Lab -The Wanger Family Fab Lab at the Museum of Science and Industry Chicago -Anyone on the Phlat Forum should feel free to participatie and help out with this project! We want this to be a community project, so we can get as many ideas as possible and develop the best system. Our goal is to develop a low cost high altitude scientific UAV system that can be built in any Fab Lab in the world. The goal of this UAV system is to allow any community to be able to launch their own UAV to collect important scientific data that will help them, without the expense and complexity of a traditional scientific UAV system. The UAV system will be designed and stored digitally, so it can be sent electronically to any Fab Lab in the world. Using the digital files any Fab Lab will be able to fabricate their own scientific UAV system on location. The system should be easy to pilot, control, or program, so a person new to radio control aircraft would be able to launch and fly the system home with minimal practice. The aircraft should contain payload space to allow custom scientific sensors to be installed for different community needs. Let us know your ideas on how you imagine the parts of system like this might look like.
For the airframe we are thinking a 5 foot version of this wing design would keep things simple and easy for other Fab Labs to build. The KF airfoil will be increased in thickness to allow for payload areas. The nose may also be notched out for a pan and tilt camera to be mounted in a pod as proposed by a student on the project. RC control will be with 72mHz with a directional j pole or similar antenna to increase range and prevent interference with other radios on the same channel. Attached files
Team member Omar has been investigating cameras. Does anyone on the PhlatForum's have any experiences with these cameras or have suggestions for a low cost camera? http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%253Daps&field-keywords=mini+camera&x=0&y=0
The old saying "you get what you pay for" is especially true with cameras, Are you wanting to do fpv or just AV? If you just want to record your flight I would highly recommend using the HD GO Pro Hero. If you are doing FPV take a look at rangevideo.com or Hobbyking.com. Have a look here http://www.rcgroups.com/aerial-photography-128/ and http://www.rcgroups.com/video-piloting-fpv-rpv-469/ for more info. Good luck and post your progress Ken
I love that wing design Dan! Also, the J-Pole is omni-directional and has immense range. Thanks for the opportunity to work on this project! -Ankur
Here's some more information on J-Pole Antennas: http://www.iw5edi.com/ham-radio/?j-pole-antennas,76 http://www.hamuniverse.com/jpole.html http://www.dxzone.com/cgi-bin/dir/jump2.cgi?ID=7573 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J-pole_antenna
Really good to see a project like this . As far as radio, I would use the 2.4 radio as there not to expensive and you would avoid any radio problems with others. I'd have second thoughts on the 72mHz. HobbyKing is selling 2.4 radios really cheap , however I do not know how there quality is. http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/stor ... stems.html
Hey guys got some more info on a 40" wing made out of foam and will be for FPV. See: Portable/Modular 40" wing. Questions/Experiments http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1569621 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Same page: Also check out the "Peace Drone" a canard version (small wing in front big wing in back). Theory is the canard will have a gentle stall. -----------------------------------------------------------
Thomas here. I've found a pretty cheap IP video server: http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?InvtId ... 00A-PLUS-N http://www.amazon.com/IP-Video-9100A-Ne ... B000HBVTCA Hopefully it doesn't sell out before we buy one.
Thomas, did you read the review on Amazon. It seems that the unit gets hot and cuts off and, because of the heat, doesn't last long.
Hey Blindflight that Portable/Modular 40" wing is pretty sweet, I think I'll integrate some of the design elements of this wing into our wing design for sure!
The reason we are sticking with 72mHz (and 35. 36 MHz etc overseas) is that we would like to eventually make our own radio controls from scratch. 72mHz circuits are way easier to design and build. Most Fab Labs can make their own circuit boards using the following processes and machines since they are readily available in each lab: https://picasaweb.google.com/104970090897975710716/RM555Workshop?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCPaSiKTgidmuaA&feat=directlink http://www.rolanddg.com/product/3d/3d/mdx-20_15/mdx-20_15.html http://fab.cba.mit.edu/content/processes/PCB/vinylcut.html http://fab.cba.mit.edu/content/processes/PCB/modela.html
So we are looking at the EZ OSD (http://www.nghobbies.com/cart/datasheet ... Manual.pdf) system for our drone, as well as the ardupilot. They seems to haev some overlapping features (such as sensors and telemetry), does anybody have any suggestion for an OSD that would work with an ardupilot? (http://diydrones.com/notes/ArduPilot)
Does this mean that I can use the ardupilot for controls and telemetry and use the dragon for OSD "only"? thanks! mercedes
I'm really not sure. I just looked and see the Dragon OSD works with an Ardu IMU. I thought the IMU and Ardupilot were the same but I'm seeing different now. I'm not the right person to answer your question and would suggest checking out the Dragon OSD site for better info.
Bold project. I'm going 2.4 rx/tx and 5.8 on the video link. The first bird is the shake down project. Just to see it if sticks
Ok we have started back up on this project again after a break for the summer. This kit cut on my phlat printer is being shipped to the team at the CUC Fab Lab for assembly and test flights! Attached files
Here is an 3D eDrawing of the wing to help with assembly of the kit: the file will install eDrawings software on you computer and then allow you to view the file in 3D. Attached files kesl.exe (4.6 MB)
if your looking for a big range of cams you carnt go past where i get all of mine from http://www.securitycamera2000.com/ PS i am not affiliated with them in any way and get nothing from them i dont pay full price for