Poll NEW! QuadCopter platform - QuadPowered

[S11D336B]

Guys,
For the last year and a half I have been working on an autonomous quadcopter. In order to raise capital for more research, I have decided to release a board I designed which would be used to drive a remote control quadcopter. Before I go though the trouble of rewriting the software and printing new boards, I wanted to guage your interest in this. I have successfully demonstrated this board using brushed and brushless motors.
Website: http://www.quadpowered.com
This board is capable of the following:

-Plug and Play use (just hookup to your quad and fly)
-Using Brushed or Brushless motors
-Fixed or variable pitch motors
-Almost any size motor or frame (e.g.) capable of running a very large motors for carrying more weight
-Position holding gyros on all axes
-Fully 3D capable with variable pitch motors
-Gain adjustments for all 4 axes
-Fully reprogrammable software (for when I release new features/upgrades)
- + or X orientation selection
-Altitude hold via barometer
-Future Implementation of GPS hold.
-Auto leveling
-Automatic Pitch,Roll compsensation for AV cameras.
-Built in control for pan/tilt when in altitude hold mode
-Comprehensive instructions to ensure your success
-Board will be labled to help you find the right connectors
-Emergency landing sequence incase of signal loss.
-Simple and Advanced mode. Simple uses accelerometer to keep the quad level when the sticks are centered. It limits the maximum bank angle achievable. Advanced allows the user to rely on the gyros only for neutrally stable, but more extreme performance.
-Board is 100% extensible. Modules can be purchased to add features. Base board is just RC capable. From there Altitude hold, auto leveling, magnetic heading hold, and GPS position hold can be added by plugging additional modules into the board.

The only thing you need to provide are
4x motors
4x matching ESCs
1x Quadcopter frame
1x Lithium Polymer batttery
1x receiver for your transmitter

For the time being I'm calling the board "QuadPowered"

Since I am developing something, I can pretty much add whatever features I want to it. What features would you guys like to see on this product?


Demonstration of my work

2009 10 10 QuadPowered - Self stabilized with gyros only (1 min 32 sec)

Very stable quad test (1 min 10 sec)

Proof a new guy can fly it

QuadPowered 2009 09 15 (6 min 55 sec)

QuadPower QuadCopter Windy Flight (2 min 51 sec)

a944734's Flight:

Quadpowered Flight 3 (1 min 8 sec)

Receiver compatability: This board is 100% compatible with any standard hobby receiver. I have tested around 15 different models so far. I have not found a receiver that does not work. Theoretically I should not ever find one.


Video Tutorials
Also available on the website: http://www.quadpowered.com/index.php...d=56&Itemid=78

Arming and Disarming

QuadPower Tutorial. Arming and Disarming (1 min 43 sec)

[lazer155]

Very interesting. You should wire it up to a gps and program a gps position hold into it. How large is the board?

[S11D336B]

Originally Posted by lazer155

Very interesting. You should wire it up to a gps and program a gps position hold into it. How large is the board?

The board is 1.9" x 2.5". I do have GPS on the autonomous version, but this version I want to sell now is for RC control. Adding GPS to this version would add to the cost and development time significantly. For now the goal is a cheap, stable platform for AP or fun. I will be adding GPS at a later date.

[lazer155]

30 min flight times! WOW! thats impressive.

[khaled_abobakr]

Please provide more information and some close up photos here

http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showt...7#post12397277

http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showt...85325&page=121

http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showt...68115&page=312

I am sure you will have plenty of very useful feedback from the experienced pilots in there

Good luck

Khaled

[S11D336B]

Originally Posted by khaled_abobakr

Please provide more information and some close up photos here

http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showt...7#post12397277

http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showt...85325&page=121

http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showt...68115&page=312

I am sure you will have plenty of very useful feedback from the experienced pilots in there

Good luck

Khaled

Thanks, I did see those threads. But it seems to me that many people are having problems getting those to work properly and some of them are really expensive. The goal of my board is to be very easy to use while being cost effective. Just plug 5 channels from your receiver into 5 headers for Throttle, Pitch, Roll, Yaw, Option. Then plug 4 motors and escs into the other end. The board takes care of the rest. I'll make a post that I have something new later today.

[bob.titus]

@S11D336B : do you have photos of the board?
What kind of equipment are we talking about? Gyros, accels, gps, possibilities of upgrade?
I'm interested as you probably saw my posts on some other boards, I need a reliable board fast ;-)
Tell me more, tell me more ;-)

PS : beta-testing? Sounds good to me

[S11D336B]

Originally Posted by bob.titus

@S11D336B : do you have photos of the board?
What kind of equipment are we talking about? Gyros, accels, gps, possibilities of upgrade?
I'm interested as you probably saw my posts on some other boards, I need a reliable board fast ;-)
Tell me more, tell me more ;-)

PS : beta-testing? Sounds good to me

Awesome! glad to hear it. Here are some pictures of the beta board. Sorry for the quality, I didn't want to remove it from the case it's currently in. I will be exchanging some of the components for the production board to make them all through hole and to reduce the cost.
The first revision board will have gyros and a barometer as well as an ADC capable of handling upto 8 channels. This means the possibility for upgrading in the future. I'll write some more in the first post about this.

I decided to add some new features that will be cost effective and very cool. Basic version will come with the micros and gyros only. You'll be able to add other sensors by simply plugging them into the board. Just flick the option in switch and the quadcopter will maintain it's current height. Should have an accuracy of approximately +-10ft. I may be able to do better once I start playing with that feature. Also, I figured out a way to do position hold with GPS relatively easily. Because of this I will be including headers in the board for the GPS module I plan to implement in the future. So when I get to writing the software for it it will be as easy as reflashing the firmware onboard and plugging in the GPS Module.


One more really awesome thing is that I plan to take care of 90% of operations usually handled with hardware in my code. This means that the board will be 100% upgradeable and reprogrammable with new features and updates. It will be as simple as getting the bin file from me, plugging in a usb cord, and pressing the program button on the flashing utility.

[S11D336B]

Reserved for future use

[bob.titus]

all this sounds very good! What about accels and position hold though?
What about compatibility with receivers controlers and so on?
When do you think it will be available? For beta-testing?

Originally Posted by S11D336B

Awesome! glad to hear it. Here are some pictures of the beta board. Sorry for the quality, I didn't want to remove it from the case it's currently in. I will be exchanging some of the components for the production board to make them all through hole and to reduce the cost.
The first revision board will have gyros and a barometer as well as an ADC capable of handling upto 8 channels. This means the possibility for upgrading in the future. I'll write some more in the first post about this.

I decided to add some new features that will be cost effective and very cool. Standard will come with a barometer for doing height hold. Just flick the option in switch and the quadcopter will maintain it's current height. Should have an accuracy of approximately 10ft. I may be able to do better once I start playing with that feature. Also, I figured out a way to do position hold with GPS relatively easily. Because of this I will be including headers in the board for the GPS module I plan to implement in the future. So when I get to writing the software for it it will be as easy as reflashing the firmware onboard and plugging in the GPS Module.


One more really awesome thing is that I plan to take care of 90% of operations usually handled with hardware in my code. This means that the board will be 100% upgradeable and reprogrammable with new features and updates. It will be as simple as getting the bin file from me, plugging in a usb cord, and pressing the program button on the flashing utility.

[bob.titus]

Originally Posted by S11D336B

I have a few requirements for beta testers.

1. You must be a competent RC heli pilot
(e.g. able to comfortably perform backflips consistently without crashing as well as flying nose in comfortably)
2. You must be willing to work with me on rcgroups and potentially over the phone to work out bugs or problems you find with the software.
3. Though I will do my best to test each release before I send it to you and will personally and throughally test each release, I am not responsible for any damage as a result of pilot error or software bugs.

I may edit these requirements in the future as I come up with new things I think may be necessary for persons performing this role.

If you are interested, PM me or post here.

ok, count me in, we can discuss all this on the phone if you wish.
Where are you located, I'm in France (but I could call you).
It's now almost 2am, I went to bed at 5am last night, I thing I'm not gonna last to long before I close my pretty eyes

[S11D336B]

Originally Posted by bob.titus

all this sounds very good! What about accels and position hold though?
What about compatibility with receivers controlers and so on?
When do you think it will be available? For beta-testing?

Upgrade's are available through add-on boards the plug-into the base board.

As far as receivers, I will provide standard servo headers for you to connect your reveiver by. So you can use any receiver you wish. Will fly exactly like a helicopter. I'll need a couple weeks to get every thing ironed out and should have a prototype by then as well

[bob.titus]

Originally Posted by S11D336B

As far as receivers, I will provide standard servo headers for you to connect your reveiver by. So you can use any receiver you wish. Should fly exactly like a helicopter.

I'm not speaking about mecanical link, but software compatibility.
See, I have tried for almost two weeks to get my Aeroquad Arduino based board to work with my radio set, but no luck. The code is "designed" for Spektrum AR6100/6200 (/7000) and won't work with anything else

[S11D336B]

Originally Posted by bob.titus

I'm not speaking about mecanical link, but software compatibility.
See, I have tried for almost two weeks to get my Aeroquad Arduino based board to work with my radio set, but no luck. The code is "designed" for Spektrum AR6100/6200 and wont work with anything else

Ah I get it. You won't have that problem with this board. It is likely that the board you are talking about requires that the PWM inputs come in a particular sequence. Because of the nature of the microcontroller I am using I am not limited by this. So any receiver can be used with this board. Not just mechanically but software wise too.

[bob.titus]

Originally Posted by S11D336B

It is likely that the board you are talking about requires that the PWM inputs come in a particular sequence.

Yes, you are absolutely right, this is the problem and it has not been sorted yet. I spent no less than 50 hours a week for 2 weeks to try and sort this out, but the coding of the Arduino is very new to me, and the forum could not come with solutions, so I stayed pretty stuck.