How I built an autonomous drone using open-source software

As a boy flying line-control RC planes in my front yard, I would spend hours spinning in a dizzying circle perfecting the art of line-control flight. Eventually, I graduated to gas and battery powered, wireless RC aircraft. Fast-forward to adulthood… and an interest in software and mutli-rotor quadcopters. I built many (dozens actually) RC controlled quadcopters… but autonomy kept calling. For a drone to fly autonomously… sensors, processing power, and communication chips must be on-board. While that may not seem like much, it actually requires a considerably powerful flight controller and associated sensors. In this presentation, the necessary steps required to build an autonomous drone using custom and open-source software will be discussed. All of the failures and the eventual success will be demonstrated.

1. how I built an autonomous drone using open-source software
2. dj daugherty dj@pillartechnology.com @ddaugher
4. hiring.yeah!
6. name: comment:
7. drones? why
8. drones? why I’m a kid trapped in an adult’s body!
9. drones? why I’m a kid trapped in an adult’s body! It irritates my wife
10. drones? why I’m a kid trapped in an adult’s body! It irritates my wife It’s my job.
11. drones? why I’m a kid trapped in an adult’s body! It irritates my wife It’s my job.
14. GPS Data
16. 12 MPH… boring !
18. - ReSTful API
19. - ReSTful API - streaming API
20. - ReSTful API - streaming API - real-time GPS
22. much faster!
26. disclosure! I will not be talking about SpaceX
27. drone! who owns one?
29. FAA registration or at least my thoughts.
34. so… how did I get here? #codemashdrone
35. your own byod drone build multi-rotor copter, that is. 2015
36. autonomous? what does it mean to be
37. 365 days later
38. story
39. how I built an autonomous drone using open-source software
40. As a boy flying line-control RC planes in my front yard, I would spend hours spinning in a dizzying circle perfecting the art of line-control flight. Eventually, I graduated to gas and battery powered, wireless RC aircraft. Fast-forward to adulthood… and an interest in software and mutli-rotor quadcopters. I built many (dozens actually) RC controlled quadcopters… but autonomy kept calling. For a drone to fly autonomously… sensors, processing power, and communication chips must be on-board. While that may not seem like much, it actually requires a considerably powerful flight controller and associated sensors. In this presentation, the necessary steps required to build an autonomous drone using custom and open-source software will be discussed. All of the failures and the eventual success will be demonstrated.
41. As a boy flying line-control RC planes in my front yard, I would spend hours spinning in a dizzying circle perfecting the art of line-control flight. Eventually, I graduated to gas and battery powered, wireless RC aircraft. Fast-forward to adulthood… and an interest in software and mutli-rotor quadcopters. I built many (dozens actually) RC controlled quadcopters… but autonomy kept calling. For a drone to fly autonomously… sensors, processing power, and communication chips must be on-board. While that may not seem like much, it actually requires a considerably powerful flight controller and associated sensors. In this presentation, the necessary steps required to build an autonomous drone using custom and open-source software will be discussed. All of the failures and the eventual success will be demonstrated.
44. As a boy flying line-control RC planes in my front yard, I would spend hours spinning in a dizzying circle perfecting the art of line-control flight. Eventually, I graduated to gas and battery powered, wireless RC aircraft. Fast-forward to adulthood… and an interest in software and mutli-rotor quadcopters. I built many (dozens actually) RC controlled quadcopters… but autonomy kept calling. For a drone to fly autonomously… sensors, processing power, and communication chips must be on-board. While that may not seem like much, it actually requires a considerably powerful flight controller and associated sensors. In this presentation, the necessary steps required to build an autonomous drone using custom and open-source software will be discussed. All of the failures and the eventual success will be demonstrated.
47. As a boy flying line-control RC planes in my front yard, I would spend hours spinning in a dizzying circle perfecting the art of line-control flight. Eventually, I graduated to gas and battery powered, wireless RC aircraft. Fast-forward to adulthood… and an interest in software and mutli-rotor quadcopters. I built many (dozens actually) RC controlled quadcopters… but autonomy kept calling. For a drone to fly autonomously… sensors, processing power, and communication chips must be on-board. While that may not seem like much, it actually requires a considerably powerful flight controller and associated sensors. In this presentation, the necessary steps required to build an autonomous drone using custom and open-source software will be discussed. All of the failures and the eventual success will be demonstrated.
50. anatomy of an drone.
51. autonomous? what does it mean to be
57. autonomy levels of
58. the human flyer is in complete control of all functions level 0 one function is automated level 1 more than one function is automated at the same time level 2 flying functions sufficiently automated - engage in other activities level 3 self-flying - no human pilot required level 4
59. the human flyer is in complete control of all functions level 0 one function is automated level 1 more than one function is automated at the same time level 2 flying functions sufficiently automated - engage in other activities level 3 self-flying - no human pilot required level 4
60. the human flyer is in complete control of all functions level 0 one function is automated level 1 more than one function is automated at the same time level 2 flying functions sufficiently automated - engage in other activities level 3 self-flying - no human pilot required level 4
61. the human flyer is in complete control of all functions level 0 one function is automated level 1 more than one function is automated at the same time level 2 flying functions sufficiently automated - engage in other activities level 3 self-flying - no human pilot required level 4
62. the human flyer is in complete control of all functions level 0 one function is automated level 1 more than one function is automated at the same time level 2 flying functions sufficiently automated - engage in other activities level 3 self-flying - no human pilot required level 4
63. the human flyer is in complete control of all functions level 0 one function is automated level 1 more than one function is automated at the same time level 2 flying functions sufficiently automated - engage in other activities level 3 self-flying - no human pilot required level 4
64. the human flyer is in complete control of all functions level 0 one function is automated level 1 more than one function is automated at the same time level 2 flying functions sufficiently automated - engage in other activities level 3 self-flying - no human pilot required level 4
65. research my
66. sdk
71. 3-axis Gyroscope 3-axis Accelerometer magnetometer
74. github. target rich !
78. landed. where i
79. 3-axis Gyroscope 3-axis Accelerometer pressure sensor/altimeter magnetometer gps
82. finds some interesting
86. Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zurich Cirque du Soleil
88. math
94. direct and inverse solutions of geodesics on the ellipsoid with application of nested equations http://ddaugher.github.io/oss/groovy_vincenty.html
96. invited. you’re
100. changes. and… the story
121. anatomy of an autonomous drone.
124. auto-level auto-altitude auto-takeoff and auto-landing loiter return to launch waypoints programming while in flight
125. auto-level auto-altitude auto-takeoff and auto-landing loiter return to launch waypoints programming while in flight
126. auto-level auto-altitude auto-takeoff and auto-landing loiter return to launch waypoints programming while in flight
127. auto-level auto-altitude auto-takeoff and auto-landing loiter return to launch waypoints programming while in flight
128. auto-level auto-altitude auto-takeoff and auto-landing loiter return to launch waypoints programming while in flight
129. auto-level auto-altitude auto-takeoff and auto-landing loiter return to launch waypoints programming while in flight
130. auto-level auto-altitude auto-takeoff and auto-landing loiter return to launch waypoints programming while in flight
136. notes and… the
137. http://djdaugherty.com
142. back to the farm
152. thanks. dj daugherty dj@pillartechnology.com @ddaugher http://djdaugherty.com