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New customer application: Hoverfly Technologies! — Parallax Forums

New customer application: Hoverfly Technologies!

Ken GraceyKen Gracey Posts: 7,401
edited 2010-11-23 12:58 in Propeller 1
Here's a new product around the Propeller - you must see the image on their home page. Hoverfly Technologies

Wonderful to have a customer where we can showcase their application in plain view!

Ken Gracey
Parallax Inc.

Comments

  • Dr_AculaDr_Acula Posts: 5,484
    edited 2010-11-19 15:30
    That is very impressive!

    I've been teaching myself to fly helicopters over the last year but this would make it a lot easier.

    There are commercial add-ons for stability control on standard helicopters eg http://cgi.ebay.com/KDS-Flymentor-3D-Stabilizer-and-Setup-Card-PPC-Combo-/200544837939?pt=Radio_Control_Parts_Accessories&hash=item2eb1676133 and video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_toKfLlD8nk

    I think that one uses a video camera to lock the position on the ground, and gyros for heading and roll lock.

    Hoverfly looks very clever - I see he let go of the transmitter and that is a big no-no with most helicopters!

    I'm thinking I might need to get me one of these!
  • ElectricAyeElectricAye Posts: 4,561
    edited 2010-11-19 16:02
    Awesome. Congratulations!

    Sell it to building inspectors. You'll make a fortune.

    :)
  • BigFootBigFoot Posts: 259
    edited 2010-11-19 16:25
    Very nice work and a clean design.
  • HarleyHarley Posts: 997
    edited 2010-11-19 17:10
    Wow! Impressive. Though I had no idea about the cost of 'this' hobby. $360 for the board, just the beginning of the investment. Must be lots of fun. Two Propeller 1 to provide all the control, probably not pin limited but I'd guess cogs, huh?

    The programming probably doesn't also include the source, or does it? Interesting design.
  • Cluso99Cluso99 Posts: 18,069
    edited 2010-11-19 23:35
    Congratulations! Nice job and a very professional looking pcb.
  • Toby SeckshundToby Seckshund Posts: 2,027
    edited 2010-11-20 01:50
    I know I had a very rudimentry education but, isn't that a tri/hex-copter rather than a quad ...

    Could it hold height at about 3 inches, and fly upside-down? It would be a major advance in my Propeller guided, empty beer can powered lawn mower project.


    Over here in the UK, they are trying drones for city centre policing and the councils would love this for property tax revaluations (updates/proof of Google maps)
  • John KauffmanJohn Kauffman Posts: 653
    edited 2010-11-20 09:56
    The imagination runs wild!

    A cool and probably easy next step would be to program a unit to completely sweep a given GIS polygon. Autonomously it would re-cover any area missed. It would keep returning to base for battery swap-out until it says the job is done, or the PC tile-integrator says the job is done.

    Program to not only get data from below, but also additional data at an angle specified by the program. Use existing software into integrate and match the tiles of data returned.

    What about two or a flock of these that work in concert to do a sweep over a given area, reassign themselves routes to cover any missed places, and avoid collisions. Then the images sent to PC can be tiled together for a complete image, even with alternate angle shots. I think a lot of the communication and coordination of bots is worked out in two axis.

    Since frame size is flex, make big enough to attach a laser range finder to each member of the flock. With the GPS that gives a topo map at whatever detail is needed.

    As battery voltage drops in one member it is programmed to come back to base for battery swap-out (and the one with next lowest battery is instructed to come home).

    (rhetorical) At what size unit is a RC gas motor coupled to generator possible to power the electric motors? That gives huge possible range, if electric motors can operate for a few hours.

    I'll bet the army would be interested in such fine-scale info on a village prior to entry, especially the low-altitude angle views that would not be possible from higher altitude
    UAVs.
  • Greg GlennGreg Glenn Posts: 17
    edited 2010-11-20 18:39
    If you want stabilization for a standard helicopter, you can build one of these for about $90, and it's open source.

    http://code.google.com/p/phubar/
  • GadgetmanGadgetman Posts: 2,436
    edited 2010-11-22 01:23
    Nice.

    I once started on something similar, even got a body(Silverlight X-UFO, Gyro, sensors and stuff) but never had the time to really start working on it.
    time to start tinkering again?
  • LoopyBytelooseLoopyByteloose Posts: 12,537
    edited 2010-11-22 08:18
    Great video demonstration - an obviously windy day, a rather heavy video cam, and it still demonstrates quite stable handling. The pilot seems not at all worried about being near a busy road.
  • KaosKiddKaosKidd Posts: 296
    edited 2010-11-23 12:58
    This stuff is awesome!
    :)
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