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Results
06/01/2018 at 15:32 • 0 commentsDespite significant alterations to the accessory bay and magnetometer, the drone functioned as normal, flying perfectly in position hold in both wind and rain. All original controls still functioned, and the drones compass performed remarkably well, with the I2C extension not causing any failures or brownouts. Autonomous flights and automissions worked perfectly as well, and I was able to connect the aircraft’s Pixhawk autopilot via wifi through Mission Planner software, and upload code, as well as change settings to enable sensory input to the I2C extension bus.
Item
Qty.
Unit Price
Description
Total Price
3DR Solo Quadcopter
1
$249.00
3DR Solo Quadcopter (No Gimbal)
$249.00
3D Robotics #DR Solo Compass Antenna Cable for Drone
1
$28.99
External Magnetometer compass for 3DR Solo
$30.00
3DR Solo Accessory Bay Breakout Board
1
$19.00
Standard 30 pin breakout 3DR Solo Accessory Bay Breakout Board with male headers
$20.00
Total: $299.00
Discussion and Conclusion:
Although I didn’t get as far as I had wanted, this project was largely a success. Similar hacks of the 3DR drone by others have produced mixed results. There is an entire community on Facebook dedicated to sharing different ways of making this aircraft more open-source. Although people attempting a similar hack to mine have reported brown-outs to the companion computer due to the magnetometer alteration, my drone worked perfectly. My final product is relatively inexpensive, open source, and highly customizable. Once equipped with sensors, it could be used for numerous purposes. Distance sensors or Lidar could be used to map the earth’s topography, caves, or mine shafts, as in the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization project. Servos and thermal imaging could be used for search and rescue. However, my project’s largest strength lies in how quickly the drone can be modified and reprogrammed. For under $300, this aircraft can be used for a host of research applications, and sensors and servos can be changed from mission to mission. Over the coming weeks, I intend on attaching some servos to test the practicality of my design. If I were to perform this hack again, I would find a way to utilize the CH 8 input, and attach a frame to the bottom of the Solo for maximum part modulity. That way, sensors and servos could simply be snapped into place, making it even easier to swap out parts.
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February Update
03/13/2018 at 15:02 • 0 commentsI have revised my build to adapt the existing 3DR Solo drone, as it comes with its own onboard computer which I can SSH to. This completely eliminates the need for Raspberry pi integration. Instead, I will be constructing a breakout board and hacking the Solo so that I can get it to respond to sensors of my own choice- in this case LIDAR.
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December Update
01/05/2018 at 23:41 • 0 commentsI am having difficulty getting rotors to spin through Maverick, although I updated firmware on the Ardupilot. Mission Planner works, so an alternative may be taking off in Mission Planner and switching to an automated mission programmed on the Pi. -
12/4 Project Log
12/04/2017 at 14:17 • 0 commentsCurrently, the Hokuyo LiDar has been tested, and provides correct serial data. I have successfully connected the aircraft to the Pi running Maverick and received reports on battery, GPS, and position. However, I have been unable to arm it solely using Maverick commands. Additionally, I have not resolved the issue of localization indoors and without GPS. Any comments with ideas are welcome. -
Projected Timeline
11/08/2017 at 13:43 • 0 commentsProjected Timeline:
I hope to have completed Raspberry Pi, Maverick, and Dronekit integration by 11/9/17. By this point, the Pi should be able to respond to rangefinder inputs. By 11/30/17, I plan on having the Ardupilot connected to a pre-constructed drone which can respond to distance inputs by stopping. The velocity calculations should be done by 12/7/17. A new micro quad should be built by 4/12/17, and it should be able to generate maps by 5/1/17.