6/10/10:
New source code update with bug fixes. Tri rotor
has proven the most useful platform.
6/30/09:
Now flying tri rotors, sonar position sensing,
3DOF IMU's, pressure sensors, C language scripting & a ground station
instrument panel. You can now build a complete indoor autopilot for
under $100, including the positioning system. Tri rotors have been the
most successful platform.
12/29/08:
The autopilot has been moved to quad rotors.
Everything is done by VicaCopter. Just get 4 motors, 4 ESC's, 4
propellers, & fly. A UAV programming language has replaced the table of
waypoints. Automated takeoffs & landings, curved paths, turning towards
a point are supported.
10/30/08:
The autopilot has been moved from an embedded
Gumstix to a ground based laptop. Ground based autopilot had a lot of
advantages over the embedded version, mainly more clockcycles & less
damage. This is the last single rotor version. Future versions will be
quad rotors.
7/3/08:
Upgraded to a 4Hz uBlox 5 for GPS. The result is
much more stable in the wind. Neural networks aren't required for
navigation anymore. New source code has all the 1Hz GPS parts
disabled but they can be resurrected with enough .
4/30/08:
We have declared the current tarball version
1.0. The next steps would be $600 for carrier phase GPS, a gas
airframe, $80 for 900Mhz video. The economic wall for the next step
has become impassable, but it won't be someday.
3/24/08:
VicaCopter has become quite capable since last
month. Operator directed movement, waypoint following, & Google Earth
output have appeared.
2/21/08:
The autonomous, flybarless T-Rex 450 lives.
Software now supports all rate damping, collective & CCPM. Vibration
without the flybar is reduced.
11/12/07:
The source code which can hover the HD camera
has been released. It has smarter A/D conversions to reduce gyro drift
and 3 more ground station channels for camera, autopilot control.
11/05/07:
The source code which has been doing autonomous
hover for the last month has been released.
4/11/07:
The Vicacopter world headquarters went live today.