Quadcopter Overview
The UAV is a custom quad-rotor helicopter consisting of off-the-shelf parts from two suppliers. This system is optimized in cost and flexibility, and can be built for $280 including battery, GPS, telemetry, and control board. The weight is 800g w/o battery, 1200g w/ battery. Maximum efficient additional payload is 1400g.
Here's some photos:
Hexacopter Version 1 - Overview
The UAV is a custom multi-rotor helicopter that consists of off-the-shelf parts. Six DJI 2212 motors connected to a DJI Flame Wheel F550 hexacopter frame and connected via 30A electronic speed controllers (ESCs) to the ArduPilot Mega 2.5 (APM 2) autopilot system. The ArduPilot handles low-level control of the ESCs, input and output from sensors (3-axis gyro, 3-axis accelerometer, 3-axis magnetometer, barometer, GPS), autonomous stabilization, GPS-based navigation, and hardware failsafe (fallback to Spektrum 7-ch remote / AR8000 receiver). The APM 2 is connected via MAVLink protocol to an embedded PC. The embedded PC is responsible for executive control of the aircraft (i.e. running the tracking software itself). A camera is mounted on a servo-stabilized gimbal underneath the UAV and is also connected to the embedded PC. A 3DR 900 MHz Telemetry module is attached to the embedded PC to enable two-way communication with ground vehicles and forwarding of MAVLink messages to the APM 2.
Hexacopter Version 1 - Detail Parts List
All prices reported in USD. The robot costs approximately $2,000.
| Quantity | Price | Description | Purchased Where | Function | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electromechanical Parts and Components | |||||
| 1 | 318.00 | DJI Flame Wheel F550 ARF Kit (Frame, 6x Motor, 6x ESC, 6x 10" Props) | Heli-World | Frame and Motors | |
| 2 | 24.00 | DJI 2212 Electric Motor | Heli-World | Extra Motors | |
| 2 | 3.00 | DJI 10" Propeller | Heli-World | Extra Propellers | |
| 1 | 193.99 | Naza FlameGear X468 Landing Gear and Camera Mount (w/2 Hitec HS-65MG Servos) | RC Drones | Camera Mount and Landing Gear | |
| 1 | 6.74 | 5-Pack 15CM Twisted 22AWG JR Servo Extensions | eBay | Wiring Supplies | |
| 1 | 7.95 | 10-Pair Deans Ultra T-Style Connectors | eBay | Wiring Supplies | |
| 1 | 4.99 | 5ft 10 Gauge Red/Black Pair Wire | eBay | Wiring Supplies | |
| Flight Control, RC, and Sensor Electronics | |||||
| 1 | 249.99 | APM 2 Flight Controller w/ uBlox LEA-6H external GPS Module and related cables | DIY Drones | Multirotor Autopilot / IMU / Controller | |
| 1 | 74.99 | 3DR 915 MHz Radio Telemetry Kit | DIY Drones | Wireless Telemetry Module | |
| 1 | 299.99 | Spektrum DX7s 7 CH Transmitter and AR8000 Receiver | DIY Drones | Remote Control Unit | |
| 1 | 39.99 | Optical Flow Sensor | DIY Drones | Optical Flow Sensor (For more precise position hold) | |
| 1 | 44.95 | MB1200 XL-MaxSonar-EZ0 High Performance Ultrasonic Range Finder | DIY Drones | Sonar (Altitude Sensor for altitudes less than 10m) | |
| Power | |||||
| 1 | 179.99 | 5000 mAh 4S 14.8V G6 65C Lithium Polymer Battery (Thunder Power TP5000-4SPP65) | Heli-World | Battery | |
| 1 | 119.99 | 1-6 Cell Lithium Polymer Charger with Balancer (Thunder Power TP610C-ACDC) | Heli-World | Battery Charger | |
| 1 | 59.26 | Castle Creations CC BEC | Castle Creations | Power Regulator | |
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