Helicopter/Howard Community College/Fall2011/550 Helicopter/Weekly Reports

Link to 550_Helicopter team page.

Week 1
Week 1 started with the team learning to use the Parrot AR Drone. It took time to find the necessary batteries and the correct charger with a power supply with a proper connector. One or two test flights were connected indoors and one of the team members took a drone home over the weekend. In addition, two other members took home an arduino, ESC, and brushless motor to wire up and control. Our last member thought of ways to improve the safety of the drone as the rotors have no protection for people accidentally getting their fingers in the way.

Week 2
This week consisted of practice flying with the quadcopter and continuing work on controlling a motor and ESC combo with a arduino. Indoor flights revealed that while the drone is stable most of the time, there are some odd tendencies for it to react to unsent commands, takeoff into the ceiling, and then crash back down. Working with the motor indicated that controlling it took trial and experimentation to find the right commands to send to the ESC that could be translated into commands the motor understood. With the currently developed program, the motor took more than a minute to respond to commands.

Week 3
Mounting the esc and motor while also improving upon the code was the focus this week. Different methods were used in the approach to the mounting problem with one member attempting to use a wooden block but discovering that this motor has both a top and bottom that spin which makes it necessary to recess the motor. The alternate method was to use an empty box which worked better. When connecting the motor, esc, and power together it didn't work because duct tape was used and was preventing the power from reaching the components.

To create a safer environment for flying the drone, especially for newcomers, one member worked on creating a area outside with a safety net to house the area in which the drone will be flying. Measurements were taken and possible materials were suggested to use as netting material and as the framework for the cage.