Quadcopter - newbie

Forum 2005-2010 (read only) General Frequently-Asked Questions
1

Hi there. Not sure if I have come to the right place but im currently doing a school project and I am concidering creating a quadcopter.

For starters I dont have a clue about arduino except that my school is starting to get into it and spending alot of money on the components.

Just wondering if anyone could give me a basic idea of how hard a project like this would be and if it has been done before?

I understand excactly how a quadcopter works and id know how to create it if I was to buy a pre made board but that would defeat the purpose.

what hardware and skill is required to make the neccesary board to power 4 motors and take gyro and reciever inputs?

btw sorry if i posted this in the wrong spot

2

Google is a wonderful tool :

http://www.aeroquad.info/bin/view
http://code.google.com/p/quaduino-ng/

(sorry nachtwind :wink: )

3

My personal equipment idea for a arduino quadcopter:

Quadcopter Frame:
http://www.smdv.de/products/22612/Ersatz-Komplett-Rahmen.html?WT.mc_id=googlebase&utm_source=google&utm_medium=base&utm_campaign=A78078

Walkera UFO-4# Motor-Set:

Rotorblade-Set:
http://www.1topstore.com/product_info.php?language=de&currency=EUR&products_id=2074

Arduino Duemilanove:
http://www.watterott.com/de/Arduino-Duemilanove

Arduino Motor/Stepper/Servo-Shield (Adafruit):
http://www.watterott.com/de/Adafruit-Motor-Shield
It can serve four 4 dc-Motors !

3 sensors, possible infrared:
Sharp GP2Y0A21YK0F
http://www.watterott.com/de/Sharp-GP2Y0A21YK0F

or ultrasonic:
Parallax PING))) Ultrasonic
http://www.watterott.com/de/Parallax-PING-Ultrashall-Entfernungsmesser

One sensor at the center of the bottom, looking to the ground.
One sensor at the center of the top, looking to the ceiling.
The third on one of the four sides of the quadcopter, as the face.

... and, yes, a gyro !

Turndirection of the 4 motors:

CW NCW
\ /
Center
/
NCW CW

CW= Clockwise, NCW = Not clockwise

A good idea is to implement a 10 seconds wait command. You start the robot and he waits 10 seconds before he powers the motors. Enough time to go some meters away, before he lift of ! To avoid a start into the face !