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So does anyone here own a quadcopter or hexicopter - a 'drone'?
My hexicopter frame arrived this morning, so all I need to do now is add motors, motor controllers, RC stuff, batteries and write some software for the Arduino Mega board I've got for it. I've already got the GPS module and ultrasonic ground detector. All good classic nerd stuff.
But I do have a concern in my head, what if I lose control and it takes out a 747, or falls out the sky and kills a badger or something?
Not helped by an article in today's paper about the first prosecution going through the UK courts.
There's also this:
http://droneflight.co.uk/pages/summary-of-uk-legal-requirements[^]
So a risk evaluation is in order. Whichever way you cut it, 6 350W bladed motors hurtling around on the whim of some half-arsed coding could have consequences. I don't want to end up in Court charged with not writing unit tests. Alternatively perhaps I should throw caution to the wind, ignore the nanny state and make something cool.
Thoughts/experiences welcome.
Regards,
Rob Philpott.
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Write the code in VB - nobody expects you to test that at all... 
Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay...
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Yep,
Got an X-Aircraft X650, (First big crash video: here[^])
You can get RC aircraft liability insurance via some of the flying clubs. It is recommended if you are planning to fly in public areas.
Flying in a field or park with nobody around or lightly populated areas, don't see the point. You aren't going to get high enough to worry planes.
You could always program a ceiling limit or a loss of comms fly back to home.
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DaveAuld wrote: Flying in a field or park with nobody around or lightly populated areas, don't see the point. You aren't going to get high enough to worry planes.
That may be true however I wouldn't skip insurance. e.g. I haven't had an accident in 10+ years so why bother paying for car insurance?
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That is different. For one Car insurance is a legal requirement.
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I can see the same thing happening with these "toys" too. I would prefer compulsory club membership and insurance over a total ban on model flying or new laws regarding their use.
I do belong to a couple of clubs and have BMFA membership/insurance.
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So an unlimited liability is only worth insuring against if it is a legal requirement?
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No, it's about assessing risk.
Hazard effect, probability, controls and residual risk factors. If you deem it necessary then insurance. Legal aspects only swing that decision in some case. for example Nobody says you have to take Fully comprehensive, you could just as easy take 3rd party, it is an assessment.
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It's the third parties I'd be worried about.
Imagine the front page of Daily Wail:"Irresponsible Drone Flight Ruined My Life!"
Pouting teenager with bound-up head in picture, embraced by pouting mother.
"Their case has been taken up by the solicitor behind the cruise ship class action, Sir Barrabus Gob-Bollock, of Gob-Onn-Eeww and Company. He is pressing for unlimited damages and a ban on unsupervised drone flights unless the operator has a British Membership Of Membership Associations Certification Award (Part II)."
As you may imagine.
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Well that's my thinking, in a remote area the chances of actually hitting anything are slim. Video will have to wait to tonight - no youtube here 
Indeed, fly home and height limiting are in the brief, but what if the board crashes? Need to check the specs but I think the PCM signals are hardware generated and hence there's a danger of the instantaneous power becoming a continuous power and dreadful things happening.
Regards,
Rob Philpott.
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Rob Philpott wrote: ndeed, fly home and height limiting are in the brief
And make sure the latitude and longitude are properly set for your craft.
An uninitialized latitude and longitude of 0', 0' is off the coast of Africa
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I suppose you'd just use the watchdog timer. If it crashes, the timer isn't reset and thus reaches zero. At this point, the board can be reset.
See here: http://www.megunolink.com/how-to-detect-lockups-using-the-arduino-watchdog/[^]
Also, probably worth checking out the source code for the Multi-wii multi-rotor control software that works with the Arduino Mega and others.
http://www.multiwii.com/[^]
https://code.google.com/p/multiwii/[^]
If you're going to write the firmware for radio(transmitter unit, _not_ the module) also, there's a bunch of different projects that can be flashed to commercial sets like the (~$53, 2km range) 9ch Turnigy 9x and other cheap diamonds.
http://www.os-rc.com/en/[^]
Finally you can go really crazy and check out this thread http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1916558[^] for a bloke that's made a 4ch multi-copter controller that's just 190mg and 8x10mm!!
"When I was 5 years old, my mother always told me that happiness was the key to life. When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down 'happy'. They told me I didn't understand the assignment, and I told them they didn't understand life." - John Lennon
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Rob Philpott wrote: but what if the board crashes?
That's why the aerospace industry is so extreme about all the testing and analysis. In their case, lives are on the line. In yours, they only could be on the line.
Drones should be legally classified as clay pigeons. I'm all for people getting them and playing/learning with them. I'm not for people putting cameras on them and invading my privacy. Unfortunately, those can't be separated. Clay pigeons.
We can program with only 1's, but if all you've got are zeros, you've got nothing.
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Sounds cool, but my question is what have you got it for... (I know I suffer from the cool I want to play with one of those syndrome, but I always have an idea of a use it can be put to). If you live near an airport or airfield be very careful, if not try to avoid heavily built up areas. As Griff says avoid VB like the plague! go and build something cool.
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Gatwick, Biggin Hill. Shouldn't be a problem.
Why? Because a computer controlled flying thing is awesome. I'd dearly love to ditch the radio control and have it fully autonomous. Also, the more mischievous side of me would like to put weird lighting all over it and make people think the aliens have arrived.
Regards,
Rob Philpott.
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I must admit the thought of something flying around that I had coded fully autonomously is cool... also put a paint ball gun on and straff the locals... Hmmmm... 
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Rob Philpott wrote: the more mischievous side of me would like to put weird lighting all over it...
Now you're thinking!
Add a Tesla Coil and set the machine loose flying autonomously!
I am not suggesting this (  ), but it seems like a good idea would be to not start the initial flight from your hometown, and set the emergency return point to also be in a different location, except off the coast of Africa.
I'm glad that I don't have a mischievous side.
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Rob Philpott wrote: Also, the more mischievous side of me would like to put weird lighting all over it and make people think the aliens have arrived.
Something like this: http://www.newscientist.com/blogs/nstv/2013/03/psychedelic-plasma-wings.html[^]
Or, if you're really up for mischief, something like this?: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plasma_stealth[^]
"When I was 5 years old, my mother always told me that happiness was the key to life. When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down 'happy'. They told me I didn't understand the assignment, and I told them they didn't understand life." - John Lennon
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Sounds entirely too dangerous to the community and puts you at severe financial and criminal risk. Stop! Stop immediately.
Just so you're not tempted to continue, feel free to send all the parts to me for safe keeping:
Mike Mullikin
123 Main St.
Metropolis USA
Government is not reason; it is not eloquent; it is force. Like fire, it is a dangerous servant and a fearful master. ~ George Washington
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Rob Philpott wrote: for the Arduino Mega board I've got for it
what do you use that for ?
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Ah well, that's the 'flight computer' it takes PCM data from the remote receiver, GPS data from the GPS, distance data from the ultrasonics, inertial data from the 'IMU' (tilt, acceleration and rotation) and continually in real time sends out 6 control signals to the motors.
I haven't figured the logic out yet. 3 motors spin one way, the other 3 the other. Slow one set and the thing rotates, increase the one's at the back and it tilts and moves forward, overall power takes you up and down. These are my *assumptions* - hence the danger of low altitude decapitation until I get my coefficients correct.
Regards,
Rob Philpott.
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 I guess with all of that you need a flight computer - I remember the days of 1 motor and a few servos (planes), primitive by comparison but fun all the same
have fun Rob
'g'
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6 350W bladed motors hurtling around
That's a mighty big chopper you have there.
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Why thank you very much. It's designed for heavy loads.
Regards,
Rob Philpott.
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Rob Philpott wrote: It's designed for heavy loads.
Like the batteries it's gonna have to carry? 
Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay...
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