Science fair, due now!

[mecevans]

Thanks to all that help me answer my questions and take the time to explain it all to me. the judging is in 30 minutes, and the results ill be reviled tomorrow.wish me luck!




if anyone want to give advice or input on my project, send me your email and i will send my powerpoint to you.the help is greatly appreciated

i am using 2 methods of testing my hypothesis. mathimatically proving what should happen, and collecting real data from IR sensors and comparing error to an IMU.

i need a graph or something with real angle vs calculated angle in any IMU to compare my data too.

i need help with an application for the county science fair that i am just going to do for the heck of it. its due tonight. ya i procrastinated. :o it will be using my current paparazzi autopilot project. i need
EDIT: it has to be filled out online on the 4th. a signed copy sent out by the 11th. :D

Project Title: Alternitve methods of attitude sensing for UAV

Category:Electronics & Electromagnetics

Abstract:The purpose of this project is to develop alternate methods of sensing position in small UAV's while in flight. UAV's today are big, complex, and expensive flying machines. Currently they use accelerometers and gyroscopes to calculate there position using complex kalman filtering. IR sensors, which use the earths infrared light, are a much more elegant solution to a complex problem. IR sensors will be developed and tested to either match or outperform current IMU's, and at a lower cost. Testing of the sensors will be done with precise measuring devices, such as bubble and angle gauges. A gyro based measuring device will also be used to compare the data to IR sensors.


Summary Statement:Application of IR sensors, rather than IMU-based methods of attitude sensing in small UAV's

Help Received in doing project: David conger,.........


i might not have the autopilot flying by then but it will be able to demonstrate the concept, either with a test rig (stick)
or a plane. thanks to our crappy school system,i have never written an abstract or even done a science fair project before! i know there are allot of bright people here on rcgroups that have done this before, care to help me
out? :(

http://www.ifp.uni-stuttgart.de/publications/phowo01/Reid.pdf

[mecevans]

http://www.usc.edu/CSSF/Info_Genl/Categories.html


the only catagory that would fit my project is

8. Electronics & Electromagnetics: Experimental or theoretical studies with electrical circuits, computer design, electro-optics, electromagnetic applications, antennas and propagation, and power production.

if you have help me so far with my tiny or anything let me know so i can give you some credit! i know i have asked you all a million questions :D

[mecevans]

come on guys!

[mecevans]

well i hope i did it right, sending it in now

[willhaney]

deleted

[KatanaGuy]

Hold on, its coming....

I don't have access to my old science fair abstract or media at the moment, but I can put that on later tonight to show you a bit of what it all looks like.

-Steve

[KatanaGuy]

Nevermind, not tonight. Sorry.

-Steve

[KatanaGuy]

Mecevans,

Sorry. Better late than never.

What follows is the abstract statement that I used for my project. Hope this helps. Recently, I learned that abstracts on a professional level are usually one paragraph (at least in the AIAA style guide.) But, whatever works. The abstract needs to be self-explanatory and cannot contain any graphics, formulas, or other kinds of artwork.

2005 ISEF Abstract

The motivation behind my project was to create a portable, easy to fly, unmanned aerial vehicle capable of carrying electronic payloads, such as video surveillance equipment. This was a 2nd year project in which I made significant steps and advances over my former project. Advancements over the previous year's project included an auto stabilization system and a totally new aircraft design that could be collapsed for transport.
As the autopilot and aircraft development processes required the use of different disciplines of engineering, this project came to be from essentially two projects: Aerodynamic and Mechanical Engineering for design of the vehicle, while Electrical and Computer Engineering were required for the autopilot. Implementing such disciplines required interaction with students and professors in their respective fields.
The ultimate result of the project was a vehicle capable of flying for a suitable amount of time and carrying payloads, such as Wireless and Digital Camera Systems. The vehicle also met the criteria for being collapsible and user friendly. The autopilot was not completed. However, it was becoming an attitude and altitude stabilization system. The ability to follow GPS way points and other autonomous parameters were also becoming feasible possibilities.

/End of Abstract

Looking back at this, I see that I was very ambitious. I was able to indeed build and fly a working plane, but at the cost of the autopilot, which ended up only being a couple pages of notes and several PCB designs. I was trying to program PIC chips from scratch, so it is easy to see why I didn't make it. You will probably go where I came short, with the paparatzi, etc.

Good Luck! You'll go far!

-Steve Carlson

[mecevans]

anyone want to give input on my project? send me your email, and ill send my powerpoint .its due in 6 hours! :eek:

[ShadesOfGray]

Send it my way and I'll take a look. If you wanna compare it to my senior design project, check it out:
http://www.vanderbilt.edu/USLI

Our most recent powerpoint presentation (given this morning in a telecon) can be found here:
http://www.vanderbilt.edu/USLI/documentation/2008-2009/2008_2009_USLI_FRR_ppt.pptx

Email me:
w.runge@vanderbilt.edu

[mecevans]

well guys,

I didn't win ANY awards, but it was allot of fun. I met allot of people including one of the ORIGINAL creators of SpaceShipOne :cool: . many people,even people who won, where disappointed by the judging of my project.I explained my project perfectly and demonstrated my test rig using my hand in front of sensors, but got "satisfactory" on verbal presentation. I received "needs improvement" on data, even though I solved it with equations. most project's were judged on what "hot"(coke and mento's) and how fancy your graphs were. i am not disappointed at all, i did a good job. im disappointed with the judges. some even thought other kids next to me did the project :confused: .once i have a "flying" autopilot, i bet the results of next year will be very different. :rolleyes: