At Terabee we did some intensive experiments with TeraRanger Tower and Pixhawk running ArduCopter. The purpose of the experiment was to explore the obstacle avoidance indoors using rangefinders only.

In our setup we used TeraRanger Tower with 8 sensors (in a separate test we used 4 sensors in a + configuration. It worked flawlessly) and a single TeraRanger Evo looking down as an altimeter (without GPS the obstacle avoidance works in altitude hold mode).

One of the things we learned … Read the rest

Really impressive demos from Skydio in Redwood City. Quad copter startups have been hit or miss & it looks like the same pile of plastic scrap that every startup besides Apple produces, but what they showed here was exactly what I wanted to do for years, with ground vehicles. It looks like it could really navigate most of the mobs I have had to navigate manually. They showed it briefly flying in front of the athlete, despite not having prior … Read the rest

I didn’t have a Canon C500, 5D Mk III, or Blackmagic Cinema Camera on me, but Shane Hurlbut & Co. had all that and much, much more at the Philly stop of Shane Hurlbut’s Illumination Experience Tour.

On the other hand, I did have an old iPhone to capture one helluva learning experience courtesy of Mr. Hurlbut, an ASC director of photography whose work includes NEED FOR SPEED, ACT OF VALOR, TERMINATOR SALVATION, SWING VOTE, SEMI-PRO and many more.… Read the rest

We recently reported on the Melbourne, Victoria-based Online Video Awards (OVAs) designed to spotlight Australian online moviemaking talent and showcase it to the world. The OVAs award event is zooming up fast – October 14 and 15 – and tickets are now available online.

Australian moviemakers have worked on the front line of movie production since the first feature-length narrative movie ever made, The Story of the Kelly Gang.

Hordes of Australian cast and crew have worked overseas on a … Read the rest

It’s ElecFreaks’ latest project.

Our ultimate goal is to make ELF the pocket copters affordable, carry high quality camera and virtual reality functionality. The project is in process. Here’s to get the updates: ELF project page.

Features

• Virtual reality compatibility
• Nimble, compact size, stable, affordable
• Smartphone APP control
• One key take-off
• Firmware upgrade wirelessly
• Open source
• 3D printed

Timeline

June, 2014   >>>>>>>>>>

• Initiate the project
• 3D modeling

The 3D modeling went through these versions:

Problems encountered:

1. Size minimization
2. Cost reduction

… Read the rest

Introduction

 

                From more than a month from now Aug 2014, I posted a blog titled ZERO_PID Tune for Multicopter, It was about an algorithm I developed that allows quadcopter pilot to reset Gyro PIDs to ZERO, and fly! Using this algorithm, the quadcopter was able to generate valid values for P & I, and can successfully fly, the demo was on Multiwii code. Since then I was working on enhancing this algorithm, as I discovered some opportunities for improvment.

 Multiwii_GTune1.0.2.zip… Read the rest