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ELEV8 Quadcopter - Test Flight — Parallax Forums

ELEV8 Quadcopter - Test Flight

Jen J.Jen J. Posts: 649
edited 2014-06-10 09:49 in General Discussion
Look who I found outside. Ken and Nick taking the ELEV8 Quadcopters for a twirl.

Cheers, Jen J.
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Comments

  • PublisonPublison Posts: 12,366
    edited 2011-10-24 17:24
    Jen J. wrote: »
    Look who I found outside. Ken and Nick taking the ELEV8 Quadcopters for a twirl.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jD_ubmvk0Y

    Cheers, Jen J.

    Rut Row..

    Is the name going to be a problem:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WANRPqQt7QI

    J    im
  • RDL2004RDL2004 Posts: 2,554
    edited 2011-10-24 18:41
    I don't think it should be a problem because it's two different markets, fashion/clothing vs quadcopters. A Google search on elev8 gets about 149,000 results, all kinds of stuff - non-profit organizations, web design business, fitness centers, health clinics, etc. A Google search on elev8 quadcopter gets less than 20 results, all from Parallax.
  • Matt GillilandMatt Gilliland Posts: 1,406
    edited 2011-10-24 20:10
    We also did some "Landing Gear" Testing today...

    -Matt
  • W9GFOW9GFO Posts: 4,010
    edited 2011-10-24 20:37
    I like that you switched to "x" configuration. The landing gear seems to work well too.
  • Ken GraceyKen Gracey Posts: 7,392
    edited 2011-10-24 21:13
    W9GFO wrote: »
    I like that you switched to "x" configuration. The landing gear seems to work well too.

    Hey Rich, we've been quietly doing lots of different tests around here to get this project closer to a production version. Two or three of us are now building quadcopters. The most difficult part is when MattG shows up and asks me to crash on purpose - something just doesn't feel right about that but with his latest version of landing gear it's not a problem to skid in sideways on pavement. As long as we don't hit the HR manager's BMW any wreck is welcome.

    The biggest discussion tends to be around the tubes. We're obviously using 5/8" round tubes but most every design uses square tubing. Clearly, square lets you cut a few more parts out because motors can mount right on top of them but these .035" wall aluminum tubes are lighter. Perhaps the weight savings is offset by the addition of extra screws in the motor mount. Aesthetically most people prefer round, perhaps because I'm coaxing them into the right answer while holding a quadcopter in front of them. Are you also "sold" on square? We're trying to close up this issue inside of Parallax but it's become a real case of waffling.

    Tonight I took a night flight - amazing! I'm over at my dad's house and he couldn't believe the performance. The atmosphere is still and with the bright LEDs it was super easy to spot the quadcopter a few hundred feet up in the sky.

    Ken Gracey
  • W9GFOW9GFO Posts: 4,010
    edited 2011-10-24 21:19
    The Home Depot 5/8" towel bars are .025" wall thickness and weigh 32g/ft.
  • Ken GraceyKen Gracey Posts: 7,392
    edited 2011-10-24 21:36
    Hmm. I can envision our buyer going into Home Depot and saying "I need 100 of these zinc-coated towel bars". Would like to identify the actual source.

    It's important to keep buyers and accountants close to you in Parallax. They seem to have ways of making everything go really well or really not so well.

    Ken Gracey
  • Dr_AculaDr_Acula Posts: 5,484
    edited 2011-10-24 21:43
    There really are some tough jobs in the world, but I guess someone has to fly quadcopters!

    Great work. How easy are these to control for a beginner?
  • Ken GraceyKen Gracey Posts: 7,392
    edited 2011-10-24 21:58
    Dr_Acula wrote: »
    There really are some tough jobs in the world, but I guess someone has to fly quadcopters!

    Great work. How easy are these to control for a beginner?

    Hey Dr. A! Well, that video was taken at 5:02 pm. Being a clock-watcher I promptly gathered up the others and marched them to the parking lot. Since we have disregard for our work we look forward to that 5:00 pm mark every day!

    But to answer your question truthfully, the ease of flight depends on the board choice. The Hoverfly SPORT has a gyro and barometric pressure sensor, but the PRO version adds an accelerometer. So, depending on what's present it can be silly easy to fly these. Activate auto-leveling and altitude hold on the 5th and 6th channels and anybody can fly one with a few minutes of instruction. My kids crashed mine a couple of times when I was still learning how to configure the Hoverfly system but today they'd take flight as easy as anybody. Experienced R/C helicopter pilots report that the quadcopters are a pleasure to fly.

    Ken Gracey
  • Dr_AculaDr_Acula Posts: 5,484
    edited 2011-10-24 22:07
    Great to hear they are that easy to fly. One thing I've found learning to fly model helicopters is that as you get better you get more confident and start taking more risks, and sometimes you need a "help" button that you could push and the device goes back to a hover. Or even better, slowly descends to the ground. Is this what auto-levelling is?

    Looks like I need to get a parallax quadcopter!
  • Roy ElthamRoy Eltham Posts: 3,000
    edited 2011-10-24 22:10
    That latest design look really good, Ken.

    As for square vs round tubing, I like the round setup you have, but I can certainly envision a simpler design with square tubes (for the reasons you stated already). I'm just not sure it would look as nice.

    Roy
  • RonPRonP Posts: 384
    edited 2011-10-24 23:31
    Hello Ken,

    I also like the round tube design, for me it seem's natural as RC Heli boom's are round. I also like simplicity, but I don't think much is gained by using square tube, quad air frames are simple as it is. I don't know how much air flow influences a Quad or if it really matters aerodynamically but I would imagine round tube would have the least resistance flying through the air. And if the round tube design is not that much more complicated to manufacture I would vote for round(less drag).

    -Ron
  • Cats92Cats92 Posts: 149
    edited 2011-10-25 01:16
    Hello,

    I like the square tubing : it is easier to mount , put foam rubber for antivibration and have the propellers in the same plane

    which is better for the stability of the quad.

    In the Hoverfly video tutorial they choose this square tubing and explain why.

    Jean Paul
  • Nick ErnstNick Ernst Posts: 138
    edited 2011-10-25 10:58

    My first night flight with the new platform. After the video, and mostly after not crashing the first time up at night, I stayed out and drained the battery! It is super easy to see at night, even when I flew it down to the end of the court, about 300 feet away and 40 feet in the air! FPV here we come!!
  • Roy ElthamRoy Eltham Posts: 3,000
    edited 2011-10-25 11:28
    Nernst: that video doesn't work (says it's a duplicate).
  • Nick ErnstNick Ernst Posts: 138
    edited 2011-10-25 12:31
    I'm not quite sure what it means about a duplicate, but here is a link to the video on youtube that works!

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPU79OzASRk
  • jdoleckijdolecki Posts: 726
    edited 2011-10-25 12:42
    UFO Spotted over Parallax HQ

    Is what the headlines are going to read

    The night lights look great
  • RavenkallenRavenkallen Posts: 1,057
    edited 2011-10-25 13:12
    Wow!!! Ok, i want one. Maybe for Christmas:) Those LEDs are so cool, plus the buzzing sound it makes is likened to a swarm of angry hornets. I remember somewhere it said that these would be sold for $250? And that would include the radio, control board and battery?

    PS. Awesome job, they look like something you would see in a movie.
  • PublisonPublison Posts: 12,366
    edited 2011-10-25 14:32
    Ravenkallen wrote: »
    Wow!!! Ok, i want one. Maybe for Christmas:) Those LEDs are so cool, plus the buzzing sound it makes is likened to a swarm of angry hornets. I remember somewhere it said that these would be sold for $250? And that would include the radio, control board and battery?

    PS. Awesome job, they look like something you would see in a movie.

    Well Rav,

    Prepare to be let down.

    The Radio Setup is about $300.00

    The Hoverfly onboard computer is $450.00

    That's before you put another $200, (or more) into the motors, ESC's, and Batteries.

    The frame is going to be the less costly of them all.

    $250 is not going to get you something that Ken is flying today.

    But, with enough input from this community, we might be able to pool our sources and get the prices down.

    Jim
  • RavenkallenRavenkallen Posts: 1,057
    edited 2011-10-25 14:59
    Whoa... never mind:) So we are looking at $1,000+. I wonder why the flight computer costs so much? You could get a nice Laptop for 450 bucks!
  • PublisonPublison Posts: 12,366
    edited 2011-10-25 15:24
    You could fly it without the computer, just like a regular R/C plane. Minus $450.00.

    The Hoverfly will give you the ability to hover at a predetermined altitude, and as I understand it; it will be able to recover to stable flight, due to the gyro's and accelerometers.

    Jim
  • ratronicratronic Posts: 1,451
    edited 2011-10-25 16:03
    I would love to see the code to see how they are accomplishing this.
  • W9GFOW9GFO Posts: 4,010
    edited 2011-10-25 16:28
    The HoverFly Sport (what Ken uses) is considerably less. There are other options too, some as low as $30. Ken had also mentioned a board in the works.

    I have not seen anyone fly without some form of stability system.
  • W9GFOW9GFO Posts: 4,010
    edited 2011-10-25 16:39
    The Radio Setup is about $220

    The Hoverfly Sport is $225.00

    Quad frame, motors, props, ESCs is about $250.00 (maybe)

    and Batteries. $50.00

    Charger $100.00

    Total is about $850.

    Many users will already have a radio and charger that they can use. Many will have batteries as well.
  • Roy ElthamRoy Eltham Posts: 3,000
    edited 2011-10-25 16:44
    My understanding was that the kit Ken was looking to sell would be the frame + motors + ESCs + Propellers. You would just need to get a hoverfly sport and a tx/rx unit.

    Also your $300 price for the tx/rx units is super high. You can get ones that will work just fine for ~$50 bucks from HobbyKing (2.4Ghz 6 Channel).

    So Ken's kit ($200-$250??) + hoverfly sport ($225) + hobbyking tx/rx ($50) + batteries ($50) is $525-575

    Also, chargers don't have to be $100... HobbyKing has several for Sub $50... I've used a few, they work fine.
  • PublisonPublison Posts: 12,366
    edited 2011-10-25 17:10
    Roy,

    I agree you can get the cheaper Chinese items, but when I put a $500-$600 bird in the air, I tend to use my time tested Hitech Optic 6, or Spektrum 6 transmitters.

    I may try the cheaper units with a $50 Park Flyer.

    I was just trying to give Rav an idea of total cost. And with all R/C, it is an ongoing coast. :)

    (Like owning a boat).

    Jim
  • W9GFOW9GFO Posts: 4,010
    edited 2011-10-25 17:53
    For radios, since 2.4ghz is the norm now you should be able to find dirt cheap (yet high quality) 72mhz systems.
  • Cluso99Cluso99 Posts: 18,069
    edited 2011-10-27 01:22
    Wow, that night flying looks spectacular. Got me thinking...

    If I place a thin plate on edge in a circle supported on the outer arms. Then some LEDs in an arrangement around this so that they can flash round in sequence (controlled by another cog :) ) and an output speaker for extra sound effects (another cog) I could build a really nice UFO ;)

    BTW I like the square tubing for simplicity of mounting the motors and electronics. While the round tube is no doubt nicer, the square is so much easier.

    BTW2: What size props are you using? I bought 8x4 - I have lost some lift from my 10x4.7 (but only normal rotation) but I had plenty of throttle in reserve.
  • LoopyBytelooseLoopyByteloose Posts: 12,537
    edited 2011-10-27 08:49
    Just out of curiosity, are the motors set up to have two pairs rotating in opposite rotation? That would require two different propellers as well. From what I understand, this enhances stable flight as the machine doesn't try to rotate counter to the torque of the propellers.

    I presume a basic 4 channel R/C radio setup will be adequate, or does this require additional channels?
  • W9GFOW9GFO Posts: 4,010
    edited 2011-10-27 12:29
    Correct about the rotation.

    I think you can get by with four channels but then you have no control over gain or other things.
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