Hello, you need to enable JavaScript to use this network.

Please check your browser settings or contact your system administrator.

DIY Drones

Latest Activity

JAYDEEP GHOSE JAYDEEP GHOSE replied to the discussion AUTONOMOUS ROBOT HELICOPTER 5 hours ago
thebret thebret started a discussion called Long range flight using new DMD 868Mhz RC equipment 8 hours ago
Jack Crossfire Jack Crossfire replied to the discussion AUTONOMOUS ROBOT HELICOPTER 9 hours ago
jordi jordi added the blog post 'Open Source MUX (AntiFail) V2 by Me Again' 9 hours ago
Chris Anderson Chris Anderson commented on the blog post Introducing ArduPilot: the world's cheapest autopilot! 9 hours ago
JAYDEEP GHOSE JAYDEEP GHOSE started a discussion called AUTONOMOUS ROBOT HELICOPTER 10 hours ago
Chris Anderson Chris Anderson commented on the blog post DIY @ Where 2.0 18 hours ago
Tom P Tom P commented on the blog post Introducing ArduPilot: the world's cheapest autopilot! 19 hours ago

Forum

AUTONOMOUS ROBOT HELICOPTER
2 Replies

Hello people this my first post in the forum , i needed help from you experts regarding a project which iam interested in building, i want to make an autonomous robot helicopter which can have some... Continue

Started by JAYDEEP GHOSE. Last reply by JAYDEEP GHOSE 5 hours ago.

Long range flight using new DMD 868Mhz RC equipment

http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=79 love this site, it is very inspiring. I just joined so that i could post this... I came across this forum through a different site, I'm not sure i... Continue

Started by thebret 8 hours ago

Cheap and eazy airframe to be made available to all
6 Replies

If any has any plans, drawings, ideas, or other for airframes that they wish to make public please post them. To further drop the cost of home made UAVs and to make airframes that are better suited... Continue

Tagged: plans, airframe

Started by Wylie. Last reply by Christian Ledermann 1 day ago.

Questions from a beginner
6 Replies

This was my dream to fly UAV's since my childhood. I used to envisage myself flying those marvelous miniature aircraft's. Now I am 29 , wanna make my dreams a reality. SO can anyone please give me ... Continue

Started by Ajay. Last reply by Brian 1 day ago.

Blimp Gondola Sources
24 Replies

Hi, I've been lurking long enough and want to build myself one of these blimps. First step is buying the envelope and gondola. I saw that earlier versions used the Plantraco but the newer version u... Continue

Tagged: blimp, supplier

Started by Peter Klemperer. Last reply by Wayne Dancer 1 day ago.

quadcopter help
1 Reply

Drone components Hello, I am building my first quad copter and wondered if anyone could recommend any specific motors and ESC for my project? I have a may pay load of around 2Kg. I am also looking ... Continue

Started by ryan blackley. Last reply by Howard Gordon May 14.

first time quadcopter project
2 Replies

Hello, first of all I would just like to say I am completely new to all of this flying business! I am a university student studying robotics and wish to built an autonomous quad copter/drone (not s... Continue

Started by ryan blackley. Last reply by Chris Anderson May 13.

UAV helicopter
17 Replies

Hi. I have a RC helicopter and I would like to convert it to semi-autonomous flight. I have a Spartan AP2000i, which works great for stabilising the heli; but now I want to be able to tell the heli... Continue

Started by uzi1978. Last reply by uzi1978 May 11.

IC engine cut-off
2 Replies

Hi guys can you help in giving some ideas to prevent the cut-off of a petrol engine in mid air

Started by Govindabalan. Last reply by Daniel Paulson May 10.

Question about confusing Datasheet: TB6552FL
5 Replies

I've trying to find some motor controllers for my UAV blimp and I ran across the TB6552FL by Toshiba(Datasheet @: http://www.semicon.toshiba.co.jp/docs/datasheet/en working on a Eagle library for t... Continue

Started by Harrison Jones. Last reply by Howard Gordon May 10.

Photos

Loading…

Videos

DIY Drones Badge

Spread the word. Get your own DIY Drones badge for your website or MySpace page. (Get Code)

Get More Badges

 

Welcome!

This is a site for all things about amateur Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs): How-to's, videos, discussion and more. You can read more about us here. Sign up and post your own articles and discussion topics!

Among other things, this is where we'll be listing all the parts, software and instructions to build each of our UAVs. Here are instructions for the first five (and a PDF/poster that shows how they compare to military and commercial drones):

* GeoCrawler 1 (Based on a LEGO Mindstorms autopilot. Less than $1,000)
* GeoCrawler 2 (Based on a cellphone autopilot. Less than $500)
* GeoCrawler 3 (Based on a custom BASIC Stamp embedded processor autopilot. Between $700 and $900)
* GeoCrawler 4 (Based on the PicoPilot off-the-shelf autopilot. Total setup $1,000 to $1,500 depending on imaging options)
* GeoCrawler 5 (Predator airframe [shown] and PicoPilot autopilot. Less than $1,000)

Other DIY Drones UAV projects are here.
Autopilot projects and code, by processor and OS type, are here.
Interviews with interesting UAV and autopilot experts are here.
Are amateur UAVs legal? Read the FAQ!

You can find a list of external UAV resources, including commercial UAVs and other open source UAV projects and code here.

(Note: we're not selling UAVs or parts here; this is simply a site to show you how to assemble your own UAV using off-the-shelf parts within these target budgets):

Creative Commons License All content is free to use under a Creative Commons license.

Blog Posts

Open Source MUX (AntiFail) V2 by Me Again

This is the new version of my antifail system... (same that will be used in my new autopilot based on the ARM Cort… Continue

Posted by jordi on May 15th, 2008 at 8:30pm — No Comments (Add)

DIY @ Where 2.0

Chris, I was intrigued by your presentation yesterday at Where 2.0 (the same goes for your friends at Pict'Earth). I am curious as to whether the DIY drone concept has been applied in rugged terrain? If so, what were some of the lessons learned from these trials? Also, are there examples of use by farmers/ranchers for keeping an eye on cattle or herds? I wonder if hackers who already have the skills like those in Nairobi's "… Continue

Posted by Ben Truscello on May 15th, 2008 at 10:57am — 1 Comment (Add)

HOW-TO: Make your own PCB

Confused by all this talk about Eagle PCB files, schematics, "fabs" and all that? Until about three months ago, so was I. But with a lot of late nights and hand-holding from Jordi, I finally figured it out and now find the fast-growing DIY hardware world mind-blowingly cool. Now you can zip up the learning curve a lot faster than I did by checking out this excellent new… Continue

Posted by Chris Anderson on May 14th, 2008 at 2:50pm — 1 Comment (Add)

Clever helmet for monitoring your wireless video feed

From our friends at Pict'Earth, a… Continue

Posted by Chris Anderson on May 14th, 2008 at 2:30pm — 2 Comments (Add)

A GPS simulation for the Outback Challenge UAV contest

Dave from UNAV sent over the above GPS… Continue

Posted by Chris Anderson on May 13th, 2008 at 11:00pm — 2 Comments (Add)

UAV #1

This was my first UAV.

It was the simplest, cheapest UAV possible: a magnet. It couldn't fly very high, it couldn't follow waypoints, it couldn't carry much of a payload, it was even more unstable than a helicopter, but it could fly as long as PG&E didn't have a rolling blackou… Continue

Posted by Jack Crossfire on May 13th, 2008 at 10:00am — 1 Comment (Add)

The Current Project

So my current project is to scratch build a small QuadCopter. The physical structure is allready built in a preliminary form, and it will do just fine for preliminary testing. Currently, its made of square wood dowel and Speed 400 size motors with an old NiMH pack. Its too heavy to hover with the battery, but I can still get it all working with low altitude testing. When I've got the software stable, then Ill invest in some proper hardware and do it right. The software is the real challenge. I'… Continue

Posted by Borgel on May 12th, 2008 at 2:33pm — 7 Comments (Add)

Introducing ArduPilot: the world's cheapest autopilot!

The decision to port the… Continue

Posted by Chris Anderson on May 11th, 2008 at 9:00am — 12 Comments (Add)

Goo Tube blowup

Blowup of the stationary hover video for the ultimate flying feeling.

Posted by Jack Crossfire on May 9th, 2008 at 3:16pm — No Comments (Add)

Using a mouse chip to measure optical flow

For very small UAVs, especially those used indoors, an interesting way to navigate is using a technique called "optical flow"…

Continue

Posted by Chris Anderson on May 8th, 2008 at 10:00pm — 3 Comments (Add)

 
 

About DIY Drones

Chris Anderson Chris Anderson created this social network on Ning.

Create your own social network!

UAV News elswhere

Boldly Going Where No Man (or Woman) Goes: USGS Unmanned Aircraft

The U.S. Geological Survey - long known as an authoritative source of aerial photography and satellite-based imagery - announced that it is establishing a new program for earth observation using unmanned aircraft systems (UAS).

Fire Scout to be Tested Early on Air-Capable Ship

The U.S. Navy has decided to integrate Northrop Grumman Corporation's MQ-8B Fire Scout Vertical Takeoff and Landing Tactical Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (VTUAV) onto another air-capable ship before it reaches the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS).

UAS in the National Airspace: Safety Board Takes a Look

U.S. government agencies and other enthusiasts are eager to get unmanned aerial vehicles into the National Airspace System, (NAS) but many regulatory hurdles remain and other airspace users stress that safety should trump technology.

U.S. State Department Reacts to UAS Shoot-Down

The U.S. State Department has reacted to the shooting down of an unarmed, unmanned aircraft system over Georgia, apparently by a Russian MiG-29. The full text is below.

Pakistan Deploys UAS

Pakistan announced the deployment of unmanned aerial systems as part of its air force this week, systems it says were produced indigenously.

Navy Awards Northrop Grumman Unmanned Aircraft System Contract

The Department of the Navy announced today that the Northrop Grumman Corp. has been awarded the system development and Demonstration (SDD) contract for the Broad Area Maritime Surveillance Unmanned Aircraft System (BAMS UAS).

NASA Testing Large UGV for Moon Mobility

To prepare for America's return to the moon, NASA engineers are testing a large unmanned vehicle intended to give mobility to future bases on the moon.

DARPA Chooses Vulture Contractors

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has selected Aurora Flight Sciences, Boeing and Lockheed Martin as contractors for the first phase of the Vulture program.

Gates: Military Dragging its Feet on Boosting UAS Use

The U.S. military "can do and should do more" to get unmanned aircraft systems into the field, Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates said April 21 at Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base in Alabama.
 

DIY Drones brought to you by Chris Anderson © 2008 Report an Issue | Feedback | Privacy | Terms of Service

Spread the word. Get your own DIY Drones badge