Well, someone did it...

(05-Jan-2021, 02:24 AM)SnowLeopardFPV Wrote: Well, someone did it...

Yep, good for him. However, while I applaud his efforts, I disagree with Terry's motivations behind this whole thing. This is not to sat that MrIampete did not do something really, really cool though! 

(05-Jan-2021, 02:35 AM)raspberrypi33 Wrote: Yep, good for him. However, while I applaud his efforts, I disagree with Terry's motivations behind this whole thing. This is not to sat that MrIampete did not do something really, really cool though! 

It's not clear if he actually did any custom coding for this or if he just configured mixer(s) in a standard build of ArduCopter. I've never used the ArduCopter firmware so I don't know if it's possible to do this sort of thing with it out-of-the-box with just configuration alone.

strange... it flys :-o
looks pretty ok, i would like to see how he use the sticks, wouldnt be 5 channels needed to stear it over all directions?

(05-Jan-2021, 02:49 AM)hugnosed_bat Wrote: looks pretty ok, i would like to see how he use the sticks, wouldnt be 5 channels needed to stear it over all directions?

Apparently he's using switches to rotate the frame.

seems he is using t-motor f40 ? 3d-props, the lipo seems a usual about 1500mah?
what flighttime could that give on this craft? 3min flight in the video, still crazy?? i thought there will be much less efficiency.

Maybe he could use sliders to change the rotation, add in some more software mixing. Or even use some external gyro, like how the TX16s has a gyro (or at least I think)

it reminds me on a pc-joystick. stearing could be done by an ability to turn the sticks :-) all could be done by the two sticks but can only work for pinchers :-) could give good los training :-)

this give new possibilities for cinematic footage :-)

This guy deserves the prize and all he can get from this. It flies really well.

(05-Jan-2021, 02:40 AM)SnowLeopardFPV Wrote: It's not clear if he actually did any custom coding for this or if he just configured mixer(s) in a standard build of ArduCopter. I've never used the ArduCopter firmware so I don't know if it's possible to do this sort of thing with it out-of-the-box with just configuration alone.

Here is the answer. The guy has added custom code to the ArduPilot project and made it Open Source for all which means no one can own the IP of the actual control code that allows the model to be flown like that. The motor mix algorithm however seems to be something generated by a MATLAB script that hasn't been included, so maybe that is what is considered to be the IP for this (?)

https://github.com/ArduPilot/ardupilot/pull/16105

(05-Jan-2021, 03:15 PM)SnowLeopardFPV Wrote: The motor mix algorithm however seems to be something generated by a MATLAB script that hasn't been included, so maybe that is what is considered to be the IP for this (?)

https://github.com/ArduPilot/ardupilot/pull/16105

Looks like he released the mixer now as well: https://github.com/ArduPilot/ardupilot/p...-757355382

(10-Jan-2021, 05:14 AM)V-22 Wrote: Looks like he released the mixer now as well: https://github.com/ArduPilot/ardupilot/p...-757355382

So this now means that none of the source code or mixer configuration is Open SOurce so can't have any IP attached to it. So anyone can make use of it including someone wishing to compete with whatever it is Terrence Howard is/was planning on trying to make money out of his new "invention". It will be interesting to see if the guy still gets the $25k prize money. Of course there may also be other competitors who have managed to achieve the same using closed source code which we've not yet seen the results of, but that would take far more time and effort than just adding some code changes to existing flight control firmware.

Amazing someone actually managed to do this Especially in such short time!

Imagine that thing covered in LED's. You could fly it at night near Roswell, NM and watch the UFO reports come in!

The tutorial :-)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=bsiZ6G9d1A...e=youtu.be