Category Archives: On the news

A failsafe algorithm that avoids crash when a propeller fails on a multirotor: quadcopter automatic fault detection

We have recently discussed the importance of security in the world of quadcopters and multirotors and indeed security is at the heart of the ongoing debate on FAA regulations of the US airspace in relation to RC models, that of course include our beloved multirotors.

In our previous article we had noted how, in a presentation of Prof. Raffaello D’Andrea from the ETH Zurich, there is a bit of extreme interest for the security of quadcopter flights: Prof. D’Andrea showed that on cutting out two propellers from a quadcopter, the machine can still fly by adopting a different flight pattern, in which the quad continuously rotates on itself (yaws). Not very practical for shooting some stable video, but possibly great to avoid a crash.

And indeed the team of Prof. D’andrea now expanded on this part of the research and presented a video in which the same mechanism, a failsafe algorithm, is activated automatically during flight on a propeller failure.

Hopefuly we might see this as a selectable option on the next generation of flight controllers. DJI, what about implementing this on the next NAZA update? We might read some less news on quadcopters falling from the sky of Manhattan maybe and flying a quadcopter near people could become slightly less of a concern.

Next we’d like to see some efficient automatic avoidance mechanism. This would be another piece of the puzzle that needs to be completed to make multirotors really secure in a near future.

Stingray 500: an helicopter/quadcopter hybrid with 3D flight capabilities, made for acrobatic FPV

Just stumbled upon a video from Flite Test that features the Stingray 500, a full collective pitch 3D quadcopter Curtis Youngblood. The photos posted below are from the Flite Test review page on the Stingray 500.

The Stingray 500 by Curtis Youngblood
The Stingray 500 by Curtis Youngblood

Here’s the Flite Test Video on youtube that features an interview to Curtis Youngblood and test flight of the Stingray:

If you look closely at the propellers, you will see that these look more that helicopter blades than normal multirotor propellers.

Indeed the propellers have a variable orientation that is the secret of the 3D flight capabilities of this beautiful flying machine. If you are familiar with the way a normal quadcopter flies you will see from the videos below that the maneuvers that can be  performed with the Stingray are plain impossible with a normal multirotor.

Stingray Acrobatics
Stingray Acrobatics – Source

The total freedom of movement in the 3D space make the Stingray suitable for Acrobatic flight.

The frame cover is designed to carry 2 cameras at the same time (fpr example a GoPro and a board camera), making this quad great for acrobatic FPV and for taking some very special aerial video.

Stingray 500 with Horizon HD camera
Stingray 500 with Horizon HD camera – Source

In the video above Chris Youngblood displays amazing piloting skills, I wonder how easy or difficult is it to fly and perform some basic acrobatics with such a particular machine, so different from a “traditional” quad.

The quad is currently on sale on Curtis Youngblood web site for 799$.

Here’s some more Stingray flying video:

 

A new announcement of a multirotor/drone based delivery service: Amazon Prime Air

We have recently reported about new possibly upcoming drone/multirotor based delivery services for books and pizza.

How about extending multirotor deliveries to the full amazon catalogue (limited to small sized items)? Direct delivery from Amazon to your doorstep in under 30 minutes from the moment you place the order online with the new Amazon Prime Air service.

Here’s the Amazon YouTube video that totalized slightly less than 12 million visits since december 1 2013. In just 5 days this is an amazing page views score. This shows a huge interest from the public that will possibly support the development of the project.

Amazon is realistic and acknowledges that actual implementation of the project could well take a few years. This is a statement on the Amazon page:

“Putting Prime Air into commercial use will take some number of years as we advance the technology and wait for the necessary FAA rules and regulations.”

However right below, in the same page FAQ section, we read:

“Q: When will I be able to choose Prime Air as a delivery option?
A: We hope the FAA’s rules will be in place as early as sometime in 2015. We will be ready at that time.”

Amazon Prime Air octocopter
Amazon Prime Air octocopter – Click for high res version
Amazon Prime Air
Amazon Prime Air – Click for high res version

Indeed, the development of such a multirotor based service will have to deal closely with FAA and it’s regulations. Current rules allow flying any RC model, with a number of restrains, but commercial services require an explicit permit from FAA to be carried out. This is the base for the well know story of Raphael Pirker and the FAA commercial flying ban, where Raphael Pirker aka “Trappy”, funder of Team Black Sheep, was issued a 10.000$ fine by FAA for taking some aerial footage, for money, of the University of Virginia. We covered the story here.

Would FAA allow Amazon to launch such a service, as described in the promotional video above, tomorrow? Likely not for a number of very good reasons in my opinion.

Jeff Bezos presents the new Amazon Prime Air multirotor based delivery service
JAmazon CEO Jeff Bezos presents the new Amazon Prime Air multirotor based delivery service

A number of safety concerns are involved in such a project. The machine itself must be full proof with redundant control and power systems. Research required in this field as the technology is still relatively new. What kind of avoidance systems will be in place? Camera/video based? Sonar based? Both? Research required. How do you deal with the dogs welcome committee at landing? (see here). How do you ensure reliable and secure delivery, after all a packet is just left on a front yard, a number of things could happen before the customer actually get it in his hands.

Here’s a video that discusses a number of potential issues:

Despite all these problems to be solved, some kind of minor issues, other more serious, It looks to me that it’s just a matter of time before we get to see drones delivering items to our doorstep. The questions is not really if we are going to see this, but when.

 

Multirotor used to smuggle tobacco inside prison – Drone technology opens new routes for contraband

Staff member from the Calhoun State prison in Georgia spotted a suspicious “helicopter” flying over the prison.

Calhoun State prison
Calhoun State prison

Rather than an helicopter, it looks like something visitors of this site are very familiar with: a DJI F500 hexacopter with a NAZA flight board, controlled by a Spectrum DX radio:

DJI hexacopter used for contraband in an attempt top smuggle tobbacco inside a Georgia prison
DJI hexacopter used for contraband in an attempt top smuggle tobbacco inside a Georgia prison – source

This unusual visit prompted a search on the premises surroundings, and after an hour Deputies noticed a suspicious Dodge car with 4 people onboard, two males and two females, and the multirotor.

“Everybody had several cell phones with different contacts. People try different things but the helicopter was something new. It is a surprise I’ve never seen a helicopter. They were in the woods flying it they had binoculars evidently so they could watch it,” Hilton said.

Multirotor tobacco smugglers - source
Multirotor tobacco smugglers – source

Read the full story at walb.com

This had to happen sooner or later. Quadcopters and multirotors are an obvious easy way to bypass any kind of wall, perimeter, country border et-cetera, and maybe deliver illegal items such as drugs for example.

After all, with multirotor deliveries for books and pizza to start soon, the use of this technology for both law enforcement (12) and all sorts of illegal purposes is just a matter of time.

New version of the Volocopter from e-volo – The first Manned multirotor flight device

We have probably all seen the original volocopter video that totalized more than 8 million visits (!!) on youtube since it was uploaded on October 28, 2011.

Volocopter: 18-propeller electric helicopter takes flight

Volocopter from e-voloVolocopter from e-volo

Here’s the October 2011 video:

Since then, also thanks to a huge crowdfunding effort, e-volo now presents a prototype the first battery powered manned multirotor. The cockpit is reminiscent of helicopters but the flying mechanism is exquisitely multirotor based.

Here are a few pictures of the new volocopter, from the e-volo website.

The new manned volocopter from e-volo
The new manned volocopter from e-volo

 

Volocopter
Volocopter
e-volo volocopter
e-volo volocopter
It flies!
It flies!

And here are a few specs, from a KSL article:

  • Battery: 100Kg, 17.5 kilowatt-hour battery
  • Passengers: 2
  • Total weight: 300 Kg
  • Propellers: 18
  • External circular frame diameter: 10m
  • Price tag: 338.000$
  • Current flight time: 20-40 mins depending on load and wind conditions

See it in action in this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CzP0Zqxam7E

Edit 11/12/2013: for more details check out this updated article on EarthTechling

Lady Gaga Volantis: the first multirotor driven flying dress

On November 10 2013 Lady Gaga introduced the first multirotor based flying dress at her ArtPop album release in Brooklyn, NY.

Lady Gaga Volantis - source
Lady Gaga Volantis – source

The flying machine was piloted by Gus Calderon (source), a Carlsbad resident, certified pilot by FAA and owner or ISIS copter, a firm that “combines the expertise of naval engineers and FAA-certified commercial pilots to bring you the strongest, finest quality aerial platforms available on the market“.

I’d very much like to have one of those to go to work in the morning, any chance?

Which reminds us the notorious world’s first manned multicopter flight video by Thomas Senkel of e-volo. Here’s the Volocopter V1. The flight lasted 90 glorious, long seconds:

 

Blackout mini H quad for FPV: a small but powerful personal drone

Blackout's Mini H QuadBlackout’s Mini H Quad – source

Multirotors and quadcopters come in all sorts of sizes and shapes that will reflect their main purpose and usage. In order to lift heavy reflex cameras or cinematography equipment, tipycally huge multirotors (>650mm) are used, while for indoors flying fun, some quadcopters are reaching ridiculously small sizes these days:

estes-proto-x-quadcopter
The Proto-X-Nano quadcopter – source
Proto X nano quad - source
Proto X nano quad – source

Flying FPV, First Person View, can be performed from all sorts of aircrafts (or other RC  controlled moving devices). For quadcopters, unless you are very skilled in DIY related to video equipment (see the nice blog from FPVGuy), a decently sized frame (330-450 mm minimum) is usually required as the quad has to have a decent payload in order to carry with ease all the equipment required for FPV, such as video transmitter, wide angle camera, possibly onboard DVR to record video.

See for example a DJI F450 equipped with camera and transmitter for FPV:

DJI Flamewheel F450 NAZA V2 equipped for FPV with FoxTech Horizon HD camera and video transmitter TS832, 5.8 GHz, 600Mw
DJI Flamewheel F450 NAZA V2 equipped for FPV with FoxTech Horizon HD camera and video transmitter TS832, 5.8 GHz, 600Mw

A while ago a guy called “Blackout”, from Australia, started posting some amazing videos with very aggressive, sporty style FPV flights on his youtube channel, and reporting and writing about his newly designed frame called the Mini H Quad.

This is a very contained size frame (220 mm), very robust and yet extremely lightweight, designed to be able to carry full size FPV equipment usually mounted on larger multirotor frames.

Here are a few pictures from Blackout’s post on the openpilot forums

Blackout's Mini H Quad
Blackout’s Mini H Quad
Blackout's Mini H Quad with 2 cameras - detail
Blackout’s Mini H Quad with 2 onboard cameras – detail

In our quest toward the perfect personal drone we could not skip this one. The box arrived a few days ago and the quad is currently under assembly. I’ll be posting a build report soon.

Beyond the gear it is interesting to see Blackout’s approach to flight. He has a number of videos labeled “proximity” in which he explores very busy paths, such as trees dense in branches, and flies sometimes very close to ground level, with some breathtaking “spikes” in altitude at times. Many of his videos look like a style exercise, precisely executed. The small size of the quad also seems to allow to pass through narrow paths that would be otherwise unaccessible.

See for example this video:

or this one:

Find all blackout videos here

And get your own mini h quad here

Gizmag DJI Phantom vision review

Gizmaz has published a nice review of the new DJI Phantom vision quadcopter.

The new DJI Phantom Vision quadcoper
The new Phantom Vision quadcopter from DJI

With it’s on board wide angle, high resolution camera, and the 25 plus minutes of flight time, the Phantom 2 brings a wealth of new features to the lucky owners.

Here are the Phantom Vision camera specs:

Phantom vision camera specs - source
Phantom vision camera specs – source

Click on the image below to go to the DJI Innovations web site.

dji-phanto-vision

Let’s see the new features in detail in this Gizmag video:

If you plan to buy one of those you might also want to check out this video from the Roswell Flight Test Crew that covers unboxing and all you need to setup your new little personal drone:

And here’s a solid 28 minutes uncut flight (ok, from DJI) with the new phantom:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELZrc7poHsc

Raphael Pirker and the FAA commercial flying ban

We already reported the story about Team Black Sheep funder Raphael Pirker aka “Trappy” challenging the FAA 10.000$ fine in court.

Raphael Pirker AKA "trappy", funder of Team Black Sheep
Raphael Pirker AKA “Trappy”, funder of Team Black Sheep

There is now a beautiful detailed article from Scientific American that tells the story in great detail, including the evolution of FAA rules on model aircrafts first, and then “drones”, that ended up banning the use of these devices for commercial purposes without the express authorization of FAA.

Read the Scientific American article “Drone Pilot Challenges FAA on Commercial Flying Ban”

PARS: a rescue multirotor drone that will save lives

A multirotor was developed by the Teheran based RTS Labs  that is able to take off from a boat and drop flotation aids to people in distress in sea water.

From the site:

“Pars is an Aerial robot designed and made for saving human lives. The first purpose of building the robot is the relief of people drowning near coastlines. By developing its applications, it can be used in ships and off shore reliefs. It can also be used in other applications such as monitoring of marine and off shore structures, recording films and pictures from dangerous path ways for rescue missions, precise positioning. One of the features of this robot is Ability to save more than one life in a mission it can also track its path by GPS positioning and at the end of its mission it can come back home without the need of user guidance.”

Here are some pictures from the RTS Labs site:

9caa2793658f3cc387f216157300b1ce_XL

pars_rescue_robot_4_20130615_1009121721

pars_rescue_robot_1_20130615_1554236539

The level of autonomy of the machine is probably still limited at the moment, from what can be understood from the web site. The inventors state:

“It’s noteworthy to mention that this robot is designed for the first time and can make a huge revolution in robot applications for saving human lives.”

And here is a video that illustrates the capabilities of PARS.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0BOq2Y0Ngk#t=30