We are now in the testing phase of the electronics that will allow the previously driver-controlled Bionic Bird to fly autonomously. We are currently using a 3.3v Trinket Pro by Adafruit as our microcontroller. Soldered on, is a Tiny Circuits 9-Axis IMU. The benefit of this specific model is its extremely lightweight, which is just 1 gram. This allows us to minimize the weight of the bird, allowing for a smoother flight. We have also purchased and attached a LiPoly Backpack for the Trinket, which allows us to give power to the microcontroller and IMU with a battery. We are also able to charge the battery by plugging the USB port to a laptop while the battery is still attached.

Unfortunately, the Trinket does not have a "Serial Console" capability. Thus, for testing purposes only, we have wired a LCD display to output the IMU’s values for further programming and testing.

After testing, we plan on replacing the Bionic Bird current microcontroller with the Trinket, LiPoly backpack, and IMU to allow for autonomous flight.