SkySeer's flight path, monitored on a notebook.

click and drag an icon on the topo map, and the drone follows. you steer with your mouse.

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Comments

The Rocketeer says:

I wonder how they keep the laptop from overheating, since it is embedded in that foam.
Posted 46 months ago. ( permalink )

xeni says:

Heh, good point!

The gear you're seeing in the truck is really just a temporary setup for the prototype demos.

The production model the LASD will actually be using doesn't include all these laptops and stuff, just one compact monitoring unit "toughened" for field use. Also, consider that eachcof the drones can only remain airborne for like 70 minutes. So yeah, no overheating, breakable notebooks.
Posted 46 months ago. ( permalink )

The Rocketeer says:

That makes total sense, Xeni. Thanks for the explanation. Nice job covering this!
Posted 46 months ago. ( permalink )

xeni says:

Thanks for listening/clicking!
Posted 46 months ago. ( permalink )

gareth.ky says:

I am a bit concerned about what frequencies they are going to use to control the drones. From the pics it looks like they are using standard R/C aircraft radio gear. This would make sense, its cheap (less than $500 for the transmitter, reciver & servos), standardized and widely available.

If a hobbyist turns on their transmitter on the same frequency they could loose control of the drone. What frequency band/channels they are using?
Posted 46 months ago. ( permalink )

sdltrc says:

please note that almost all the equipment shown for the ground station is is temparary. the finnished GS will have a fan cooled, embedded PC.it will be placed in a Pelican 1500 case. the joy stick will be removable with a tether and will double as the aircraft's control stick as well as the camera pan tilt control selectable from the GS.
the system will operate on one frequency for telemetry and RC control it will be similar to hi power WIFI protcol. currently we are using rc frequencies for our development only. rc control is only used to land and takeoff the aircraft. the system has built in fail safes that place the aircraft into full auto pilot mode in the event of a transmitter turning on on the same freq.
this is one of the reasons we test in remote undisclosed locations...
Sam de la Torre/Chang ind Inc

P.S. i was placing tube cameras on
monster RC gliders with enouph nicad batteries onboard to sink a ship more than 20 years ago.
Posted 46 months ago. ( permalink )

gareth.ky says:

Good to know. Old school AP hu? Things sure have gotten smaller in the past few years. Lithium Polymer batteries are just amazing.
This is pretty interesting from a technical standpoint too. Writing the code to control the drones in autonomous flight mode would be pretty fun stuff to write.
I am sure there must be some search and rescue aspects to this as well. Think infa-red cameras searching for avalanche victims or for environmental survey etc.
Posted 46 months ago. ( permalink )

ldighera says:

As an FAA certificated airman, I'm a little concerned about the potential hazard to flight this may cause.

Given:

While the drone's purpose may be serious, it looks a lot like a
radio-controlled hobby aircraft. Sam De La Torre and Victor
Torres, two of the drone's designers, told me they both grew up as
big RC buffs.

What does this mean?:

"We're not flying it anywhere we're not already allowed to fly a
helicopter," said Heal, ...

Does it mean the a Sheriff's Department helo escorts the SkySeer through the NAS?

Surely the FAA doesn't condone the flight of RC model aircraft wherever it permits the flight of helos.

Incidentally, the story has sparked debate among pilots on Usenet: groups.google.com/group/rec.aviation.piloting /browse_frm/...
Posted 46 months ago. ( permalink )

sdltrc says:

As the designer of this system, i can ashure that we stay within the guidliines set by the FAA And AMA. keeping a distance of no less than 3 miles from an airport and not exceading 400 feet AGL. we normally fly at 250 AGL becouse of the limitations of the onboard camera optics. plus at 250 the engine is about 98% mute. the aircraft is capable of much higher altitudes as proven to date only in controlled airspace over federal military bases.
the end user of the system will be given a one week training course. one of the items given will be to identify the NO-FLY zones within there juristictions or field of operation.
Although i am not an FAA certified airman i do on accasion step into a full scale aircraft and the last thing i want to worry about is having a collision with any object big or small.

Sam de la Torre/Chang ind inc
Posted 46 months ago. ( permalink )

ldighera says:

Dear Mr. de la Torre:

Thank you for your response to my comments.

The FAA's position on the operation of model aircraft is on-line here: www.airweb.faa.gov/Regulatory_and_Guidance_Li brary/rgAdvi...

Can you please explain how you intend to comply with paragraph 3 section d?

"d. Give right of way to, and avoid flying in the proximity of,
full-scale aircraft. Use observers to help if possible."

Specifically, what method do you employ to assure that right-of-way will be given to full-scale aircraft? How many people comprise the team operating SkySeer?

Larry Dighera
LDighera@att.net
Posted 46 months ago. ( permalink )

sdltrc says:

Idighera,
perhaps i should start by defining the intended mission of SkySeer.
the market up until now has been bombarded with larger high atlitude, high speed, high payload cap, long duration UAVs. these are the guys that realy make full-scale pilots nervous...and they should.
today ther is a need for a small,less than 5lbs,backpack able, low altitude
UAV.that is only required to fly an hour or so. and need only to carry it's own sensor bayload.
SkySeer fills this void. the airframe folds up into a 4 inch dia x 48 long tube and the ground station is a 10 lbs 1500 Pelican case.
the aircraft is designed allways to fly within line of sight of the operator at distances of hundreds of feet not miles.
a good example of use could be if a warrant is being served at the home of a suspect who is believed to be armed and dangerous. SkySeer could be deployed to look around the perimeter quickly before making entry. this without giving up the officer's location with noise from a motor or rotor.
SkySeer has two onboard cameras.one on the pan and tilt the other looking forward thru the prop. if there is a loss of telemetry link the aircraft automaticly returns to it's take off point. the operator has the obility at any point of the mission to flip a switch and deploy a parachute recovery system from the aft of the fuse. bringing the aircraft down at a rate of 14 ft/sec.
the operator can also take manual control at any point and fly the aircraft line of sight or POV thru the forward camera.
so the key is that the operator should never loose line of sight with the aircraft in normal urban operation. if this is maintained right of way to full-scale aircraft will not pose a problem.
if there was a near mis or worse my concern first as a citizen or if i where an FAA official would be why a full-scale aircraft was flying over a populated area at an altitude of less than 400 ft AGL and more than 3 mile from an airport.
the system is designed to be operated by one person. however we have found it is better to have a two man team. and since most agencies police and military travel in pairs it works out.
i hope this answers you're concerns,
Sam de la Torre/Chang Ind Inc
Posted 46 months ago. ( permalink )

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SkySeer's flight path, monitored on a notebook.

Comments

The Rocketeer says:

xeni says:

The Rocketeer says:

xeni says:

gareth.ky says:

sdltrc says:

gareth.ky says:

ldighera says:

sdltrc says:

ldighera says:

sdltrc says:

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