I'll soon be taking up a new project, i want to make a fully autonomous Quadcopter (without anyone controlling it from the ground).
Long story short it will evaluate via image processing a certain task , when finished it will come back to it's base.
Many mentioned as Open-Source still make me wonder if they really are.
Can anyone suggest any good flight-controllers or even sofware of which source files can be altered so i can do the necessary changes for it to flight without a pilot ?
What do you mean by autonomous? Do you intend that it just fly around avoiding obstacles, with no guidance at all (like GPS waypoints)?
If you do intend it to follow waypoints and return to base, Ardupilot already does that.
By autonomous i mean there will be none controlling the UAV.
If you do intend it to follow waypoints and return to base, Ardupilot already does that.
That's exactly what i want to do.
Via some pre-programmed route (GPS based) i want to make the UAV follow that route long with avoiding obstacles (of course).
The only thing im worried about is if i'll be able to make changes to the code according to my project.
For instance, once the image processing is done i don't want it to continue to the next GPS point i want it to stop there and hover (just an example) or maybe return to the base , so basically i want it to act according to the camera/image result.
DeathByCh0c0:
i want it to act according to the camera/image result.
That's a pretty important requirement. Doing image processing is likely to need human input and/or considerable computing resources and is not something the flight controller will do. You would need to either include some sort of computer to do that for you, or include a radio link so that the analysis can be done remotely.
You would need to either include some sort of computer to do that for you, or include a radio link so that the analysis can be done remotely.
That's very true, i've put quiet some thought on this and most boards dont have that much power. Raspberry Pi was my initial thought but it even that doesn't suffice. Maybe a DSP board could do the job but i'll have to take into account my budget and the actual weight of the UAV should be as low as possible. Otherwise remote analysis is the best option , i can use my pc for that.
This is slightly off topic though, my real concern is if i can make changes to the software of the ardupilot to meet my requirements.
Coding a flight controller from scratch isn't the best option obviously.
DeathByCh0c0:
my real concern is if i can make changes to the software of the ardupilot to meet my requirements.
You have the means to do it. The software is open source and there is an active community of people using it who may be able to advise. Whether you have the knowledge and skill to make the changes you want, only you can say. It seems to me that the changes would mainly affect the mission planning rather than the real time flight control aspects, so there should not be any need to fiddle with the more complicated parts of the autopilot.
Below is part of CAA rules on this in the uk.
You might check FAA regs before continuing.
My local club does not permit except indoors.
Insurance would also be invalid.
6.3.2
6.4 6.5
6.6 6.7
Detect and Avoid
An approved method of aerial collision avoidance is required and, therefore, UAS operations will not be permitted in the United Kingdom in non-segregated airspace, outside the direct unaided visual line-of-sight of the pilot, without an acceptable Detect and Avoid system. Details on how Detect and Avoid criteria may be arrived at can be found at Section 2, Chapter 2.
NOTE: The use of 'First Person View R/C' equipment (see CAP 658) is not considered to be acceptable for use as a Detect and Avoid solution.
Edit this bit added by club member
Rc equipment may be used provided the aircraft remains in view of the operator.
PeterH thanks for your reply , i will change the code according to my project, i haven't seen the Mission Planer first hand so i can't really say how many changes i will have to make, from what i've searched on google though, the mission planer is really more of what i was expecting, i have quiet some time to complete my project.