In the news about the wars being fought in Iraq and Afghanistan mentions of the Predator drones are fairly common. With no pilots on board there are many more options. Of course it’s all high-tech and expensive military technology and nothing any civilian would ever use, right? As it turns out, civilians are flying their own drones and if you wanted to you could join them.
This article is one in a series of Instructables articles about DIY technology. The full list can be seen here.
All photos here taken by Tim Trueman. Used with permission. More can be seen here.
This article is one in a series of Instructables articles about DIY technology. The full list can be seen here.
All photos here taken by Tim Trueman. Used with permission. More can be seen here.
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So why would anyone be interested in drones? Well, you can add a payload of a still or video camera to the drone to get aerial photos and footage of an area, which is pretty awesome. But really it's just an awesome challenge to get a drone to fly around on its own. It’s a new and growing area with people making additions and improvements all the time and a lot of this action is happening at DIY Drones, a site filled with info, forums, and a store to get started.
The drones are also known as UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicle) and are essentially remote control planes with an extra computer brain, the autopilot, to control the flight. There are a few choices for the autopilot and prices for a full kit range from $200 to $800. Different kits have different abilities. Some are better in worse weather, or more accurate, or are open-source. It all depends on your intended use.
Chris Anderson, from DIY Drones, gives an intro to a drone here:
The UAVs a ren’t completely automatic, though. They still need a RC pilot to take over the controls for takeoffs and landings. So before there’s any consideration of what to do with the UAV in the air, the first goal is to get some good RC skills or partner up with someone else who’s already good at it. If you’re completely new to this, it’s a good idea to find a local RC club and get some advice from the members. You’ll probably find them soon enough anyway if you do decide to continue with UAVs as any hobby is more fun with fellow enthusiasts.
The drones are also known as UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicle) and are essentially remote control planes with an extra computer brain, the autopilot, to control the flight. There are a few choices for the autopilot and prices for a full kit range from $200 to $800. Different kits have different abilities. Some are better in worse weather, or more accurate, or are open-source. It all depends on your intended use.
Chris Anderson, from DIY Drones, gives an intro to a drone here:
The UAVs a ren’t completely automatic, though. They still need a RC pilot to take over the controls for takeoffs and landings. So before there’s any consideration of what to do with the UAV in the air, the first goal is to get some good RC skills or partner up with someone else who’s already good at it. If you’re completely new to this, it’s a good idea to find a local RC club and get some advice from the members. You’ll probably find them soon enough anyway if you do decide to continue with UAVs as any hobby is more fun with fellow enthusiasts.
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I built one of the Hexacopters.
Auto take off and land, way points with built in GPS, auto tracking antenna for FPV flying, remote telemetry, etc.......
They can lift 1lb + depending on motors and props
But I believe that substituting a robot's death for a humans, is always the right way to go. Think of it as disarming a bomb, robots do that for us, why shouldn't they disarm a terrorist sect?
I think the article is about using drones for aerial photography. This discusion is about nothing other than weaponry.
It would be pretty awesome just to cruise your neighborhood on a calm sunny day, from in front of your computer. Another thing to think about is law enforcement monitoring traffic, tracking perps or speeders etc. Anyone who's used "Google Earth" realizes how cool it is to see your neighborhood from the air. Could be very usefull in search and rescue operations, or looking for your dog, or kids etc. I have a few years experience with microprocessors and analog circuitry, I'm thinking "flight stabilization" or automated take off and land for autonomous missions. This whole thing could really "take off" in the near future!
http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/uh_viewitem.asp?idproduct=16544
Look at bootlegging, it started car racing. What they learn by racing the cars they put that technology in the cars we drive. You have to give something if you want something.