Horus Quadcopter Robot

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This page is dedicated to my robotics project for the class:
EEL 4665
Intelligent Machine Design Lab (IMDL)
Taught by Drs. Arroyo and Schwartz

My robot is an autonomous aerial drone in the shape of a quadcopter. Its name is Horus, after the "all seeing eye". The purpose of this drone is to be able to hover or navigate to and from waypoints, collecting information as it goes. The information can be from any number of sensor modules. As it collects the data, it is able to associate it with geographic locations obtained from its onboard GPS. In addition to automatically following pre-programmed waypoints, it will be able to track an object from above which is carrying a tracking beacon.

My list of goals to be met are as follows:
1. Airframe Mechanically Designed
2. Airframe Built
3. Electronics mounted, tested, and working on airframe
4. Airframe in the air through human control
5. Altitude hold replacing throttle channel; still under human position control

6. Sonar based obstacle avoidance replacing human position control
7. GPS position hold
8. GPS waypoint navigation

9. Following land based tracker/beacon
10. Auto takeoff/landing



I have written weekly reports detailing my progress. These can be found here:
8/26/2010
9/2/2010
9/9/2010
9/16/2010
9/23/2010
9/30/2010
10/7/2010
10/14/2010
10/21/2010
10/28/2010
11/4/2010
11/11/2010




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GPS waypoint navigation is now working!