Congrats to Chris and Jordi for winning the Sparkfun Autonomous Vehicle Competition

[waqa]

Awesome win guys! :D

[zlite]

Thanks waga! It was a nail-biter!

This was a stock ArduPilot 2.1 on an EasyStar, with added airspeed sensor and throttle control.

Here's how it went:

--First run (http://diydrones.com/profiles/blogs/sparkfun-contest-report-round) (cut two corners, disqualified).

--First time stuck in a tree (http://diydrones.com/profiles/blogs/three-cheers-for-chris-and) (bad landing in manual mode)

--Second run (http://diydrones.com/profiles/blogs/sparkfun-contest-report-round-1) . Missed one corner on the first lap (which was the only one that counted, did five more perfect ones that didn't count)

--Second time stuck in a tree, this time a much higher one (http://diydrones.com/profiles/blogs/diaster-plane-in-tree) (even worse landing in manual mode). Fire department to the rescue! (http://diydrones.com/profiles/blogs/yay-fire-department-plane)

--Third run, last team, last run of the day. Wind picking up, gusting to 20 Mph. It's all down to this....and success! (http://diydrones.com/profiles/blogs/we-won) 36 seconds, made the fourth waypoint by a matter of a few feet. But a clean win, beating the rovers by nearly a minute.

BoingBoing coverage here (http://www.boingboing.net/2009/04/15/congrats-to-chris-an.html) , more reports as they come in.

[patrickegan]

I didn't read the story, but thats great. :)

[CenTexFlyer]

You have GOT to be sh&%^$ng me.......

We've been doing this with SAR efforts for the last few years. We're shut down and this goes on?!?!?!?!?

[zlite]

You have GOT to be sh&%^$ng me.......

We've been doing this with SAR efforts for the last few years. We're shut down and this goes on?!?!?!?!?

Could you explain what you mean?

(Needless to say, the Sparkfun contest was entirely within the 400ft AGL, line of sight etc. All the embarrassing stuff about flying into trees was just during regular RC flying.)

[hg1]

SAR = search and rescue

Don't understand why he's tweaked that someone gets fly in an "amateur" event.

[patrickegan]

Maybe because the FAA has shut him down for pro bono SAR work on multiple occasions.

[zlite]

Maybe because the FAA has shut him down for pro bono SAR work on multiple occasions.

What does that have to so with Sparkfun's competition?

[jbourke]

Great job!

Jim

[Jack Crossfire]

Yeah. What happens when it gets too popular, $parkfun makes zillions of dollars off it, awards cash to UAV fliers, & the FAA finds out. Off to Australia with U.

Actually, if your government devalues money to 0 to bail out mortgages, flying UAV's for money isn't a problem, is it.

[zlite]

The official Sparkfun wrapup and results are now out. Very entertaining writeup and pics: http://www.sparkfun.com/commerce/news.php?id=259

[mhaun5]

What does that have to so with Sparkfun's competition?

I highly doubt his comments were intended for any negativity towards Sparkfun or ArduPilot; rather the relation to a "Fun" UAV promotion event compared to the frustration that government regulations have all but closed the door for most companies looking to either provide pubic service or even profit in our so-called Capitalism of a country. Rather, it is the rude awakening that these fun events like SparkFun promotes within this industry brings a reality check to only to be smacked right in the face.

Personally, I think there needs to be more of these events. This only promotes the hobby / industry, bringing the balance to what is truly needed. I applaud SparkFun for promoting this.

Mike

[CenTexFlyer]

I highly doubt his comments were intended for any negativity towards Sparkfun or ArduPilot; rather the relation to a "Fun" UAV promotion event compared to the frustration that government regulations have all but closed the door for most companies looking to either provide pubic service or even profit in our so-called Capitalism of a country.

Thank you, sir.... pardon my exasperation.......you are right on the money.

[fly_boy99]

Absolutely Nothing

If you wanted to get into the CAP space and do SAR legitimately you should have contacted the proper authorities in the first place Centex.

Don't ask me how I know...


What does that have to so with Sparkfun's competition?

[fly_boy99]

Wow tough crowd in here.

Does this country owe you guys 5 Billion dollars for putting together a UAV?

Comeon, I know that there are hurdles to overcome but that is no reason to threadcrap on this thread. Start your own thread to whine about the "unfairness" of it all.

Geesh,

B

[CenTexFlyer]

Absolutely Nothing

If you wanted to get into the CAP space and do SAR legitimately you should have contacted the proper authorities in the first place Centex.

Don't ask me how I know...

You speak out of school sir. I have been involved with the ASTM and the FAA for the past five years or so in the use of UAs for SAR. I wrote one of the first accepted COA's for a county and keep an emergency COA application available in all my travels. I would wager you don't know as much as you think.

[fly_boy99]

Then I'll be the first to congratulate you on being able to be shut down by the FAA for doing SAR work without COA authorization. Show me your authorization and then we'll talk otherwise it's all bs.

Having an emergency COA application is as useful as :censored: on a boar.

Besides all your belly aching about the subject gets you nowhere.

You speak out of school sir. I have been involved with the ASTM and the FAA for the past five years or so in the use of UAs for SAR. I wrote one of the first accepted COA's for a county and keep an emergency COA application available in all my travels. I would wager you don't know as much as you think.

[fly_boy99]

Multiple occasions eh? Hmmmmm :p

Maybe because the FAA has shut him down for pro bono SAR work on multiple occasions.

[bmw330i]

Hey that's cool, I was following that since I'm always on the SparkFun site buying stuff and oogling the "New Items" page.
EasyStar and was it a stock ArduPilot with special code? I'm laughing about the manual landings in the tree...I can relate. One of my first DLG flights in a park I put it in a tree. They seem so easy to avoid when you look at them...but damn it they seem to be always in the way when you're flying. :)

[patrickegan]

Most us "whiners" are trying to make a legal go of this. I know it may come as a big surprise to some, but pushing the limits for your own gain or fun ultimately only hurts everyone.

Multiple occasions eh? Hmmmmm :p


Anytime it makes cable news and AOPA calls the FAA and wants to know what the hell is going on. I can only imagine that it must be a real heart breaker to tell a mother you can't legally search for their missing 8 year old. :(

[13brv3]

I'd like to add my congrats to Chris and Jordi :cool:

Is this a cool hobby or what? I love Sparkfun too. It's like an electronic candy store. Nothing wrong with a little fun SAFE competition either, and I hope it's an annual event.

Cheers,
Rusty

[fly_boy99]

Pat

Tell me how threadcrapping here in a Sparkfun thread helps out anyone?

B

p.s. Besides searches don't stop because a UAV can't get into the air. Please stop with this insane line of thinking. My point is that if you want to "make a go" of this then DO SOMETHING instead of whining on here.

nuff said...


Most us "whiners" are trying to make a legal go of this. I know it may come as a big surprise to some, but pushing the limits for your own gain or fun ultimately only hurts everyone.




Anytime it makes cable news and AOPA calls the FAA and wants to know what the hell is going on. I can only imagine that it must be a real heart breaker to tell a mother you can't legally search for their missing 8 year old. :(

[patrickegan]

I don't know what you mean guy.

[fly_boy99]

If you look at the thread title maybe you'll find a clue eh?

:rolleyes:


I don't know what you mean guy.

[bmw330i]

Agreed, how did a congrats to DIY turn into a bitch session so fast? Seems now there's a new thread to take it into guys. Anyone else want more details of the DIY winning aircraft? :)

[zlite]

Agreed, how did a congrats to DIY turn into a bitch session so fast? Seems now there's a new thread to take it into guys. Anyone else want more details of the DIY winning aircraft? :)

Thanks for asking ;-)

--EasyStar with brushless upgrade
--Original ArduPilot 168 board
--ArduPilot 2.1 code (which will be released tomorrow), which adds support for a diagonally-mounted XY sensor, the Z sensor and a differential pressure sensor/pitot to measure airspeed for throttle control. Also supports a desktop setup utility for autopilot configuration and waypoint entry via a Google Maps point and click interface.
--Full ground station (http://diydrones.com/profiles/blogs/ardupilot-201-released) powered by Xbee telemetry stream.
--Standard 1Hz EM406 GPS in binary mode.

[CenTexFlyer]

My apologies Chris, it was a one line vent and I shouldn't have done it.

Congrats to all involved in the SparkFun contest!