VR Copter Landing Gear now we have a new Option for our new frame. (raw video from VR LAB)

This video is doing by our VRGimbal user VR Gimbal with Sony 3D HXRNX3D1U ( 720 gr)  in handeld mode

This is a video using complete VRGimbal with Panasonic GH2

..and this is another video of the same copter (in HD)

Dear Friends,

after first batch of board available only for developer and hard work on firmware , hardware and software  we are ready for end user :)

These are specification of our : VR Gimbal :

Micro Controller is STM32F1 at 72 mhz.

3 Axis Brushless Direct Drive gimbal :

• Roll    (MOT1)
• Pitch  (MOT2)
• Yaw    (MOT3)

For each channel we have 3 high power pwm 5 Amp output .

I2C IMU that support 3 axis . It  is on camera module , so we can know exactly the position of camera and control in realtime the 3 Brushless motors. MPU6050 (6 DOF) + HMC5883 (3 DOF)

1 USB port.

1 Serial port that support mavlink protocol.

1 Power module that support until 3S battery.

4 Radio RC Input for :

• Control ROLL Setup.
• Control Pitch Setup.
• Control YAW Setup.
• IR control repeater.

4 Analog Input 0-3.3v

1 IR Out , so is pssible to control a remote camera by its ir receiver.

On new revision 2.0 we add :

• customizable push buton.
• support for motors ampere  monitor for each motors.
• Very intuitive Firmware update tools.
• Simple and powerfull VR Gui for VR Gimbal configuration.
• Serial driver on USB port.
• A complete and updated wiki repository with media gallery with last video from our user.

In this video is possible see the utility available for measure the current used by different kind of motors. This feature is very usefull for evaluate the specification of motors.

Is available a new tools for firmware update you can found more detail here  :

https://vrgimbal.wordpress.com/quick-start-guide/firmware-upgrade/

Last revision of code is 1.0.5 this is good for end user all function of standard brushless gimbal is available and is possible also to manage the 3th axe using rc radio. This firmware is a porting and BruGi_049B_r161

• Completed PID mode on Roll and Pitch, with support of RC commands.
• Manual (RC) mode (to be used on Yaw for now) working but requires improvement.
• USB serial support (see vers. 1.04)

more info is available here :

https://vrgimbal.wordpress.com/download/vrgimbal-1-05/

The firmware is opensource the repo is available here :

http://code.google.com/p/vrgimbal/

So if you want to join in development you are welcome .

This is a screenshot of VR Gimbal Gui developed using .net technology, so could be work also using mono on mac and linux , test on that platform is welcome ,you can connect directly by usb to VR Gimbal or by radio link as 3dr module , blueetooth or other ttl wireles adapter :

With VRGimbal is possible to control this kind of gimbal ;

Handheld and Air Drone Gimbal 2-3axis Entry level gopro gimbal.

Handheld and Air Drone Gimbal 2-3axis Heavy dslr gimbal.

This is an example of video doing by our user of VRGimbal on heavy dslr gimbal :

This is official thread in virtualrobotix community is here join us for have more info and support :

http://www.virtualrobotix.com/group/vr-gimbal-user-group?xg_source=activity

For reserve and pre order your VR Gimbal 2.0 board send a mail here :

info@virtualrobotix.com

The first board will be available in begin of September we have only 70 boards available at stock for our user.

We can also support our user in custom development  on oem - odm gimbal hardware or firmware contact us for more detail.

Straight from Marco Robustini's UAV piloting school here is the first video of his new pupil: Valentina Russo.

Must say she earned Marco's bravery in flying such a big Quad...

She is Flying VRBRAIN of course on Marco's custom quad.

Bravi Valentina and Marco!

Cercherò di spiegare come sono riuscito a configurare il debugger Jtag.

I will try to explain how I managed to configure the JTAG debugger.

Youtube video : http://youtu.be/AAGP1Vnus58

Prerequisiti:

1)Sistema di sviluppo VrBrain (eclipse etc.) installato e funzionante

2)Il debugger Jtag OLIMEX ARM-USB-OCD-H

3)Cavo di collegamento debugger -> Vrbrain.

Prerequisites:1) System development VrBrain (eclipse etc.) Installed and running2) The JTAG debugger OLIMEX ARM-USB-OCD-H3) Connection cable for debugger -> Vrbrain.

Incominciamo dal cavo, il pin-out da seguire e il seguente :

Let's start from the cable, the pin-out to follow and the following:

VRBRAIN                                            DeBugger

3V3  (01) --------------------- (01) VREF
GND  (03) --------------------- (04) GND
GND  (05) --------------------- (06) GND
GND  (07) --------------------- (08) GND
GND  (09) --------------------- (10) GND
TMS  (02) --------------------- (07) TMS
TCK  (04) --------------------- (09) TCK
TDO  (06) --------------------- (13) TDO
TDI  (08) --------------------- (05) TDI
TRST (10) --------------------- (03) TRST 

Il secondo passaggio e configurare Eclipse per poter utilizzare il nostro debugger.

Per cui

1° HELP-->Install New Software installare dalla sorgente :  Zylin - http://opensource.zylin.com/zylincdt il plugin Zylin Embedded CDT

2° Installare il pacchetto Olimex ODS IDE scaricabile dal sito olimex

3° Scaricare la verione 0.7 del OpenOCD dal sito http://www.freddiechopin.info/pl/download/category/4-openocd?download=99%3Aopenocd-0.7.0  (Questo perche le Openocd fornite da Olimex non sono aggiornate a questa versione che supporta il processore della vrbrain.)

4° Sconpattare il file appena scaricato nella cartella C:\OlimexODS\openocd-0.6.1 (Se avete mantenuto i path standard) in questo modo sfrutteremo le nuove librerie e file di configurazione della cpu.

5° Aggiungere al Path di sistema "C:\OlimexODS\openocd-0.6.1\scripts\chip\st\stm32"

The second step and configure Eclipse to use our debugger.whereby1° HELP -> Install New Software install from source: Zylin - http://opensource.zylin.com/zylincdt the plugin Zylin Embedded CDT2° Install the package Olimex ODS IDE downloaded from the website olimex3° Download the 0.7 version of OpenOCD from the site http://www.freddiechopin.info/pl/download/category/4-openocd?download=99 3Aopenocd-0.7.0

(This is because the OpenOCD provided by Olimex are not updated to this version that supports the processor vrbrain.)4° Unzip the file you just downloaded into the folder C:\OlimexODS\openocd-0.6.1 (If you kept the standard path) in this way we will use the new libraries and configuration files of the cpu.5° Add to System Path "C:\OlimexODS\openocd-0.6.1\scripts\chip\st\stm32"

Adesso Iniziamo a configurare il Debugger di Eclipse :

1° -->External Tool Configuretor

2° New Launch Configurator ... vi allego le immagini delle varie schermate e copiatevi i parametri.

Now begin to configure the Eclipse Debugger: 1° --> External Tool Configuretor2° New Launch Configurator ... I am attaching pictures of the various screens and copy the parameters.

3° Inpostiamo il Debug Configurator ... vi allego le immagini ... copiate i parametri.

3° Set the Debug Build ... I am attaching pictures ... copied parameters.

Initialize:

target remote localhost:3333
monitor reset halt
monitor wait_halt
monitor sleep 100
monitor poll
monitor flash protect 0 0 11 off
load build/laserlab_MP32V1F4.elf
monitor sleep 200

Run:

symbol-file  build/laserlab_MP32V1F4.elf
monitor soft_reset_halt
monitor wait_halt
monitor poll
set breakpoint auto-hw on
info breakpoint
continue

4° Ora create nella directory C:\vr-universal-ide\workspaces\UF4_AP\ACopter32_2.7_Beta1_VRBRAIN un file project.cfg con il notepad il testo seguente

4° Now create the directory C:\vr-universal-ide\workspaces\UF4_AP\ACopter32_2.7_Beta1_VRBRAIN project.cfg a file with notepad the following

# Find the board config file in the scripts/board/  directory

gdb_memory_map enable
gdb_flash_program enable

source [find scripts/board/olimex_stm32_e407.cfg]

(per inciso questo file di conf richiama soltanto il scripts/target/stm32f4x.cfg che e quello che ci serve ... )

5° ora editiamo il file C:\OlimexODS\openocd-0.6.1\scripts\target\stm32f4x.cfg  perchè i nostri amici di Openocd si sono dimenticati due volete un '3' ... quindi vi allego il testo del file da sostituire all originale

(this conf file only addresses the scripts/target/stm32f4x.cfg and that what we need ...)5° now edit the file C:\OlimexODS\openocd-0.6.1\scripts\target\stm32f4x.cfg because our friends OpenOCD they forgot two want a '3 '... then I am attaching the text of the file to be replaced to original

# script for stm32f4x family

if { [info exists CHIPNAME] } {

set _CHIPNAME $CHIPNAME

} else {

set _CHIPNAME stm32f4x

}

if { [info exists ENDIAN] } {

set _ENDIAN $ENDIAN

} else {

set _ENDIAN little

}

# Work-area is a space in RAM used for flash programming

# By default use 64kB

if { [info exists WORKAREASIZE] } {

set _WORKAREASIZE $WORKAREASIZE

} else {

set _WORKAREASIZE 0x10000

}

# JTAG speed should be <= F_CPU/6. F_CPU after reset is 8MHz, so use F_JTAG = 1MHz

#

# Since we may be running of an RC oscilator, we crank down the speed a

# bit more to be on the safe side. Perhaps superstition, but if are

# running off a crystal, we can run closer to the limit. Note

# that there can be a pretty wide band where things are more or less stable.

adapter_khz 1000

adapter_nsrst_delay 100

jtag_ntrst_delay 100

#jtag scan chain

if { [info exists CPUTAPID] } {

set _CPUTAPID $CPUTAPID

} else {

# See STM Document RM0090

# Section 32.6.2 - corresponds to Cortex-M4 r0p1

set _CPUTAPID 0x4ba00477

}

jtag newtap $_CHIPNAME cpu -irlen 4 -ircapture 0x1 -irmask 0xf -expected-id $_CPUTAPID

if { [info exists BSTAPID] } {

set _BSTAPID $BSTAPID

} else {

# See STM Document RM0090

# Section 32.6.3

set _BSTAPID 0x06413041

}

jtag newtap $_CHIPNAME bs -irlen 5 -expected-id $_BSTAPID

set _TARGETNAME $_CHIPNAME.cpu

target create $_TARGETNAME cortex_m3 -endian $_ENDIAN -chain-position $_TARGETNAME

$_TARGETNAME configure -work-area-phys 0x20000000 -work-area-size $_WORKAREASIZE -work-area-backup 0

set _FLASHNAME $_CHIPNAME.flash

flash bank $_FLASHNAME stm32f2x 0 0 0 0 $_TARGETNAME

# if srst is not fitted use SYSRESETREQ to

# perform a soft reset

cortex_m3 reset_config sysresetreq

OK FINITO!

OK FINISHED!

Ora per fare il debug lanciate dal menu di eclipse "external Tool" la configurazione creata prima con il nome ARM-USB-OCD-H, ricordatevi che il debugger deve essere collegato alla vr-brain sul connettore jtag, la vrbrain deve essere alimentata ... e il ponticello per entrare nella modalità "download firmware" non deve essere rimosso.

Fatto questo lanciate da Eclipse il debugger STM32 che abbiamo creato prima e voilà ... compilazione del codice, creazione del file, download del firmware su vrbrain, reset tutto in automatico .... e ... buon debug a tutti.

P.s I breakpoint non si possono mettere nei file arduino .pde ... per ora io sto inserendo i breakpoint nella main.cpp che e un file cpp nativo e che viene generato in automatico dal make ... in pratica unisce in un unico file tutt i file arduino. Messi li i breakpoint funzionano correttamente e potete interrompere dove volete l'esecuzione della vrbrain e controllarvi le variabili etc.

Con l'ausilio di Roberto e Emile stiamo cercando di ovviare al problema.

Now to debug launch menu eclipse "external tool" created before the configuration with the name ARM-USB-OCD-H, remember that the debugger must be connected to the JTAG connector on the vr-brain, the vrbrain must be supplied. .. and the bridge to enter the mode "download firmware" should not be removed.Once this is done run the debugger from Eclipse STM32 we created earlier and voila ... compiling your code, create the file, download the firmware on vrbrain, reset all automatically .... and ... good debugging at all.Ps. you can not put breakpoints in files arduino. Pde ... for now I'm inserting breakpoints in the cpp file main.cpp which is a native that is generated automatically by the make ... in practice combines into a single file tall files arduino. In this way the breakpoints work properly and you can stop where you want the execution and control you vrbrain and variables etc..With the help of Emile and Roberto we are trying to remedy the problem.

In the video we present the development process of new technologies within the VR Lab.

The first step is to evaluate different potential ideas at this stage and a lot of importance 'given to the design, Italy  known for great design studios and even within our group we have creative people who represent the future of italian design, the best choice is to be able to develop a mechanical level the product, check through the simulation that the drone is able to withstand the stresses to which it will be subjected during the flight and then verify the integration of the mechanical components with electronic ones.

Once you've designed the drone virtually, we make the first prototypes with 3D printers and carry out flight tests and validation.

A long and complex process but in the end a great satisfaction to see a materialized our dream.

more info will be available in the next weeks

Best

Roberto Navoni

Inspired by Robertos "open top" frame I have modified my CTX4 frame design to get open top and top mounted LiPo CTX4 V2

Some Pictures created using SketchUp

The frame uses 16mm carbon tubes and tube clamps from flyduino.net

Have moved the LiPo plate to show the open top.

In this frame I plan to use a GoPro or other small camera in the front as FPV cam.
If I want to use it for film/photo, I mount a landing gear that have a brushless gimbal and VR Gimbal Controller.

Here is my CTX4 V1 that was used in my loiter test video

I plan to use:

Step 1

VR Brain 4.5  (+ external IMU when it is supported)
APM 2.5 Power module to get 5V and measure LiPo voltage and ampere usage
UBLOX Lea 6 GPS

3DR 433Mhz telemetry radio modules
30A SimonK ESC

Step 2
FPV camera and 5,8Ghz TX

Step 3
Landing gear
Brushless gimbal (GoPro)
VR Gimbal Controller

Step 4
2 way video switch, so I can switch between FPV and GoPro using a radioswitch.

Step 5

?

If any interest, I plan to create a build log where I describe things step by step in a way so new user may find some help + make a forum thread where you can ask questions or give me hints about what I should do another way (I´m not a pro)

Dear Friends
in this video I present the first flights made ​​with the new frame designed by Virtualrobotix.
The frame drawn using last generation 3D Cad , is made of carbon fiber and aluminum.
The frame is designed for users who want to have a frame strong, lightweight, reliable and easily customizable.
The version presented in the video and 'the naked version, we are also ending the production of the cover.

This is a render of cover developed for VR Copter X4-8

The current configuration of the drone is:

• VR Brain 4.5
• GPS 3DR
• Arducopter32 rev 3.0.4 Firmware
• 4 ESC Turnigy 30 AMP with firmware SIMONK
• 4 Engines MK 3638
• 4 Props APC 12 can 'mount up to helices 14-15
• Zippy 5800 mah battery support until 10000 mah 3S 
• GoPro hero3 white.
• Futaba radio module with Jety 7-channel PPM.
• Is possible to implement the VR Copter also as coaxial X8 as in the render 

All electronics  mounted on six dampers it is easily removable and can be inspected.
The battery is mounted above the distribution board to limit the vibrations transmitted to the VRBrain 4.5

Weight without GoPro and 1490 grams without battery
Take-off weight of 2068 grams including battery and GoPro
Flight time from 5800 mah battery with 14 min of flight with 70% of battery used.
The final version of the frame should weigh 150-200 grams less.

The maximum payload is 1 kg .
The frame will be available in kit form in the month of September.

We are working also to some option as VR Gimbal frame for GOPRO and small DSLR.

I Fly this frame for 2 hours with my VRBrain 4.5 and firwmare Arducopter32 rev 4.0 

The results is very impressive , the loiter is great , return to home ,too :) 

See the video .... 

If you have some suggestions about the frame are welcome :)

for more info : http://www.virtualrobotix.com/profiles/blogs/vr-copter-a-new-frame-for-your-vrbrain-with-fantastic-arducopter3?xg_source=activity

Best

Roberto

In the video I tested Loiter mode

Tested normal manual flight, alt hold, loiter and land - all Works fine

Alt hold and Loiter was impressive

In this test I used PPMSUM from my RX module

The CTX4 quad used in the test


T-motor 10" prop used. The motor Mounts/tube clamps have rubber rings to help reduce vibrations form the motors.

The VR Brain Controller is separated/vibration isolated from the frame using rubber Mounts (like the ones used on many camera gimbals, but smaller and softer) + soft pads

The motors are iPower MultiMate 2012 1000kv.
When using 4000mAh 3cell LiPo I get 12-14 min before the VR Brain LiPo alarm starts.

I plan to make one more frame CTX4L (large) - that have larger motors and can use up to 12" props. Have ordered the New VR Brain 4.5 + IMU to use on this one.
On that frame I´m going to Mount my VR Gimbal Controller and GoPro gimbal.

Dear Friends,

this is the first images from VR Lab . In these pictures you can see our entry level frame VR CopterX4-8

The frame make using good materials as Carbon Fiber and Ergal .

The frame configuration was an idea of Flavio Taborelli , that inside Virtualrobotix.IT  is the CTO of  mechanical department. This frame doing 2000 hours of flight without chrash so we decide to use this approach for develop our affordable frame.

On a Ready to Fly revision of Drone you can put :

• VR Brain 4.5 as flight controller .
• VR IMU Gold.
• UBlox GPS
• 4 or 8 x 30 Amp SimonK VR ESC
• 4 or 8 T-Motors
• 4 or 8 Propellers until 13''
• 3DR telemetry link
• Battery until 10'000 mah 3S-6S

FPV version

• Video TX for FPV
• Micro Camera for FPV with servo motor for control the pitch of view.

Observer revision .

• Full VR Gimbal 3Axis
• Battery 2-3S for gimbal.

The production of this  frame will be start at the end of August .

The main advantage is that is a fully customizable and available as DIY KIT on in RTF configuration. This kind of frame is very good for hacking is possible to customize the cover with your color or layout : 

or fully customize your frame  this is an example :

All the frame is developed inside VR Lab using advanced mechanical 3D Cad.

In the next week will be some updates about the status of the project.

If you need more info or have suggestions we are happy to disucss with you about our  last VR Copter

if you like our project Support our work and join us on facebook community :)

https://www.facebook.com/pages/VirtualRobotix-wwwvirtualrobotixcom/149125448465971

Best

Roberto

This video is doing by our VRGimbal user VR Gimbal with Sony 3D HXRNX3D1U ( 720 gr)  in handeld mode

This is a video using complete VRGimbal with Panasonic GH2

..and this is another video of the same copter (in HD)

Dear Friends,

These are specification of our : VR Gimbal :

Micro Controller is STM32F1 at 72 mhz.

3 Axis Brushless Direct Drive gimbal :

• Roll    (MOT1)
• Pitch  (MOT2)
• Yaw    (MOT3)

For each channel we have 3 high power pwm 5 Amp output .

I2C IMU that support 3 axis . It  is on camera module , so we can know exactly the position of camera and control in realtime the 3 Brushless motors. MPU6050 (6 DOF) + HMC5883 (3 DOF)

1 USB port.

1 Serial port that support mavlink protocol.

1 Power module that support until 3S battery.

4 Radio RC Input for :

• Control ROLL Setup.
• Control Pitch Setup.
• Control YAW Setup.
• IR control repeater.

4 Analog Input 0-3.3v

1 IR Out , so is pssible to control a remote camera by its ir receiver.

On new revision 2.0 we add :

• customizable push buton.
• support for motors ampere  monitor for each motors.
• Very intuitive Firmware update tools.
• Simple and powerfull VR Gui for VR Gimbal configuration.
• Serial driver on USB port.
• A complete and updated wiki repository with media gallery with last video from our user.

In this video is possible see the utility available for measure the current used by different kind of motors. This feature is very usefull for evaluate the specification of motors.

Is available a new tools for firmware update you can found more detail here  :

https://vrgimbal.wordpress.com/quick-start-guide/firmware-upgrade/

We release a Major release 1.0.9 we add a lot of new functionality and full support of pan stabilization with 1 IMU sensor  or two sensor .

rev 1.0.9

• Experimental Stabilize mode on Yaw (good with small pitch values)
• Experimental Follow mode on Yaw (need motor steps calibration and PID reconfiguration)
• Experimental support for second IMU for precise Yaw measurement (contact us for more info)
• Added support for analog/digital input (like joysticks and buttons) to be used in alternative to RC:
  • configure channel 100 to 105 to use analog input 1 to 6;
  • use the “JYC” serial command and follow the instructions to calibrate the inputs.

rev 1.0.5

• Completed PID mode on Roll and Pitch, with support of RC commands.
• Manual (RC) mode (to be used on Yaw for now) working but requires improvement.
• USB serial support (see vers. 1.04)

more info is available here :

http://vrgimbal.wordpress.com/download/vrgimbal-1-09/

The firmware is opensource the repo is available here :

http://code.google.com/p/vrgimbal/

So if you want to join in development you are welcome .

This is a screenshot of VR Gimbal Gui developed using .net technology, so could be work also using mono on mac and linux , test on that platform is welcome ,you can connect directly by usb to VR Gimbal or by radio link as 3dr module , blueetooth or other ttl wireles adapter :

We Upgrade also the VRGui with new functionality , slider full support of Pan axis and Full Frame.

With VRGimbal is possible to control this kind of gimbal ;

Handheld and Air Drone Gimbal 2-3axis Entry level gopro gimbal.

Handheld and Air Drone Gimbal 2-3axis Heavy dslr gimbal.

This is an example of video doing by our user of VRGimbal on heavy dslr gimbal :

This is official thread in virtualrobotix community is here join us for have more info and support :

http://www.virtualrobotix.com/group/vr-gimbal-user-group?xg_source=activity

For reserve and pre order your VR Gimbal 2.0 board send a mail here :

info@virtualrobotix.com

Is possible to buy our board on our new ecommerce store here :

http://www.radionav.it/vrshop/index.php/en/167/frame-gimbal-2/vrgimbal-3-axis-detail

or if you prefer you can contact us at : info@virtualrobotix.com

We can also support our user in custom development  on oem - odm gimbal hardware or firmware contact us for more detail.

Dear friends,

after hard work on firmware doing by Arducopter and Virtualrobotix Dev Team , we are happy to present the result of this incredible test ... this is only first test VRBrain vs DJI Wookong .

The firmware is ARducopter32 rev 3.0.3 , this revision of firmware use AP_HAL library to interface the Arducopter application . The firmware is mantain by Arducopter devteam , the last improvment doing by Leonard that solve some glitch in loiter , and gps override mode.

The result of work doing by Randy and the other member of the team is incredible , we fly the quad in gps mode and it fly as robot ... as Dji Wookong .

This is a video doing during VR Lab test of new VR Lifter frame.

But if you like fly in stabilize mode you can enjoy you a lot. :) I prefer a lot fly my quad in stabilize and acro mode it's nice.

The power of VRBrain with its  STM32F4 microcontroller  have 164 mhz of clock with internal dsp have a more  power of DJI Wookong cpu that use SAM3X micro processor at only 96 mhz and don't have dsp processor for hardware math processing.

Now the new revision of VRBrain 4.5 can support also an external IMU so we can solve the vibration problem with mechanical patch.

Whe have a great new wiki page for support the user :

https://vrbrain.wordpress.com/

A new tools for update the firmware is available and will be release in the next days , so you can choose your code download local and program the board without problem.

We are very happy of VRBrain performances :)

p.s.

Thanks to Marco Robustini for his great video :)

Best

Roberto Navoni

This is the first picture of VR BRAIN 4.5 + VR IMU GOLD.

Thi new imu expand the number of imu available for VRBrain .

With this addon is possible to have two active imu controlled by VR Brain.

On VR IMU Gold there are 3ACC 3GYRO 3 MAGN and a EEPROM for store temperature drift correction table.

With this kind of option we intend to improve a lot the quality of VRBrain for GOLD (Prosumer version ) and VRBrain PRO.

Now we are in development stages :) This is a good hack for your VR Brain 4.5 ;) 

Best

Roberto 

original url : http://www.virtualrobotix.com/group/armcopterdevgroup/forum/topics/vr-brain-4-5-vr-imu-gold-is-coming?xg_source=activity

B.O.D is a VR Copter with this configuration :

• VR Brain 4.5 with Arducopter 32 rev 3.1rc3 on board
• 1 3DR Ublox GPS
• Use 4 VR ESC prototype 30A with MultiWii ESC .
• 4 T-Motors
• 12 APC Inch Propeller.
• 1 Lipo 5.800 Zippy compact.
• 1 3DR Telemetry Module.
• GoPro Hero 3 Black on board

With this configuration i doin 3 hours of fly test , normally the drone fly for 20 minutes with this configuration this is a good result for us.

With Arducopter32 rev v3.1rc3 our drone fly very well i testing all functionality :

Stable mode.

Loiter - Atti GPS mode with ovverride of position.

Return to landing point work fine .

Waypoint navigation work fine , too 

I found only a problem on hard stop when reach waypoint and RTL , some suggestion about the reconfigure parameters for have smooth stop instead of hard ?

Do you like our first RTF drone ? 

Best

Roberto Navoni

Visual Micro has released an update to their IDE for Atmel Studio and Visual Studio that supports APM SITL, HAL and Arduino. The plugin is a simple 10 minute install with no complex setup instructions.

In addition to simple setup for all users, the plugin also extends the Arduino build process in many different ways providing more flexibility for experienced developers.

Read more about the Arduino plugin for Visual Studio and Atmel Studio

An optional usb debugger is also available

The VR Gimbal DEV Board #1 is going in germany :)

Ludwig Färber will be the developer that will receive the first VR 3 axis Gimbal is  this is our donation for his great work on :
http://code.google.com/p/brushless-gimbal/
What there is in kit :
Hardware :

VR Gimbal :
Micro Controller is STM32F1 at 72 mhz.
3 Axis Brushless Direct Drive gimbal :

•     Roll    (MOT1)
•     Pitch  (MOT2)
•     Yaw    (MOT3)

For each channel we have 3 high power pwm output .

1 USB port.
1 Serial port that support mavlink protocol.
1 Power module that support until 3S battery.
4 Radio RC Input for :

•     Control ROLL Setup.
•     Control Pitch Setup.
•     Control YAW Setup.
•     IR control repeater.

4 Analog Input 0-3.3v

VR 9DOF I2C IMU

Inside the VR IMU there are :  MPU6000 (6 DOF) + HMC5883 (3 DOF)

I2C IMU that support 3 axis . It  is on camera module , so we can know exactly the position of camera and control in realtime the 3 Brushless motors.

Cable for inteconnect the VR Gimbal Board with VR 9DOF I2C IMU

A Jumper for put the VR Gimbal in bootload mode.

Firmware :

The bootloader we use maple bootloader ported on VR Gimbal board.
On board we put first 32 bit release of BruGi 049B r69 (Martinenz board's firmware) . This version of firmware ,  support only 2 axis gimbal , the 3axis version is coming. All the boards is yet ready and tested for 3 axis managment.

Software :
We develop a VRGimbal Gui .net it's compatible with Windows 32 and 64 bit.

What do you need :

You need to download the Universal ide  follow this link  :

https://vrbrain.wordpress.com/installing-and-compiling-the-code/

And also need a ttl <-> usb converter

as this one :

https://www.olimex.com/Products/Components/Cables/USB-Serial-Cable/USB-Serial-Cable-F/

We are working on usb serial will be available in the end user product. The hardware will be the same will be only update the serial library.

Today we open pre order for first 20 pcs  of board . We'll send a  mail to first 75 developer that ask me to reserve the VR Gimbal.
The revision for end user will be available in some weeks a new batch is in production .

Some usefull link :

The code repository here you can find workspace with library and code and also VR Gimbal GUI.

http://code.google.com/p/vrgimbal/source/browse/#svn%2Fbranches

This is official VR Gimbal User Group join us for updates about the project:

http://www.virtualrobotix.com/group/vr-gimbal-user-group

for buy or reserve your VR 3 Axis gimbal send a request here : info@virtualrobotix.com

You will be inform about the status of the stocks .

The price for developer is updated to a promotional price of  95 euro for fist 20 VR Gimbal Dev Kit .

The end user price will be for 2 Axis Gimbal of 120 euro and for 3 Axis Gimbal of 165 euro.

Best
Roberto Navoni

Dear Friends,

this is the first test of VR Gimbal that control 3 axis ... it's only pre alpha revision of code. 

At the end of this week 31 / 05 / 2013

We finish to implement the VR Gimbal LT library .

• The i2c imu with mpu6000 + hmc5883 work fine .
• The SPI imu with mpu6000 + hmc5883 work fine.
• The 3 driver motors work fine : we check at different refresh rate and with different qty of force.
• Radio decoder library work fine : with ppm and ppmsum.
• AP_LIB work good and save the parameter on internal eeprom .

Now start to implement 

PID control and FORCE control lib ... in this video is possible to see the first revision of firmware with the pre alpha code . Not yet available PID only P control and we are using same code used in the past for contol servo with external potentiometer.

In the next week start to work on complete PID control and absolute control approach.

with this version of firmware we are testing : 

• if imu on i2c work fine .
• if the hardware motor work fine .
• if the 3° axis control work togheter with other axis without problem.
• if the serial port for setting parameter working fine . We test also wireless control of gimbal and all work fine.
• if the radio encoder work fine.
• if the ap_parameter work and is serialize right in eeprom.

All is ok so the board is ready for prodution :) That's good step for us :)

So in this early test on 3° axis we found that we need more force on 3° motor on yaw respect of other 2 axis when we are in limit situation . So wee need to use bigger motors with more couple. 

About the developer sorry for delay but before to confirm the start of pre order we prefer finish to test electronic board of first batch .

For more info check here :

http://www.virtualrobotix.com/group/vr-gimbal-user-group/forum/topics/vr-gimbal-3-axis-32bit-direct-drive-gimbal-controller?xg_source=activity

Best

Roberto Navoni

This is the video of first fly test

Dear Friends,
with great pleasure we present the latest developments of the prototype # 1 of our first drone RTF.

The idea for this drone , began when Carlo a student  of the faculty of Industrial Design in Milan came to us to do her thesis ... we tried to think of something completely new and that it was not the classic drone MK or DJI 450.

In addition to the aesthetic aspect ,appreciated by the community, we have especially tried to make the drone in a very functional, easy to maintain, expandable with options which will be released in the future.
The frame initially was made with 3D printing, combined with inserts from epoxy glass and carbon fiber .

Our designer Carlo ... ,now officially came into VRI , with Flavio  studied the FEM of the drone to achieve a good level of resistance to twisting of the drone. Particular attention was held for the theme of the vibrations.

This is the BOD Logo.

The BOD have inside : 

• VR Brain 4.5
• GPS Ublox 6H
• 3DR Radio
• 4 30 Amp ESC with WiiEsc firmware.
• use 4 T-Motord engines.
• with 12 inch propelles.
• 3S - 4S 4500 mah battery
  

The feature available are the same available in arducopter32 rev 2.9.3

• Flight in acro and stable mode.
• Loiter , return to home and auto navigation.
• Auto landing and takeoff

After making the first  hovering Emile will take care to test it in order to put a little 'under pressure the drone.

Thanks to all the time for this great results :)

Best Regards
Roberto

Dear Friends,

VR Lab is happy to present our last updates in the project  in last week we doing a great upgrades :

The entry level mechanical GoPro gimbal is ready , in the video you can see the first test, It's very simple to balance the camera to obtain better result.

The VR Gimbal is ready for developer we put online the opensource repository , in the next days will be update with recent workspace : library and code the code is compatible wit VR Universal IDE .

https://code.google.com/p/vrgimbal/

Today we finish to implement the first version of code that manage motors on pitch , roll and yaw . In the first test we are using only P not yet ID for improve corretion but  the result is yet very good , in the nexts days put online new video:)

Now is possible to setting the parameter with a serial port interface : sensor calibration , PID , on and off of motors , power for control the motors , step / degree ecc ecc . We start to develop a console for end user. We would use mavlink for interconnect the Gimbal to Console application ... in our test we are yet using also 3DR Radio and it work fine !

For more info and live update check here :

http://www.virtualrobotix.com/group/vr-gimbal-user-group?xg_source=activity

Best

Roberto

Dear Friends, 

a new member of our VR Gimbal Test Team, start to test a VR Copter Fly Cam configuration. This is his hexacopter, used for shooting this video :

The Hexa configuration uses :

• VR Brain 4.0 as Flight Control
• Pulso Motor
• 40A  ESC
• 12" Graupner Propeller.
• Prototype Version of 2 Axis Direct Driver gimbal , for VR Gimbal 3 axis testing and developing.

To reach the best flight performance from VRBrain, out tester used this kind of trick for solve the issue vibration.
This is the result of vibration during the flight. It's very good :)

Our tester use acro mode during his first fly test and he's very happy of result have with VR Brain Flight control. 

http://www.virtualrobotix.com/page/vr-brain-v4-0

for more info about the status of the project join here :

http://www.virtualrobotix.com/group/vr-gimbal-user-group?xg_source=activity

 
When Richard Van As, a master carpenter in Johannesburg, South Africa, decided to make a set of mechanical fingers, it wasn’t just for fun. He’d lost four of the fingers on his right hand in an unfortunate work accident. For a tradesman like Rich, having a disabled hand is a big professional detriment, so Richard decided on the day of his the incident that he would use the tools available to him to remedy his situation. Watch the inspiring video above to hear how Richard’s project, Robohand, is changing lives with patience, spirit, and a MakerBot Replicator 2.

Getting Started

MakerBot heard about the Robohand project in January 2013. Richard had been trading ideas with Ivan Owen, a collaborator in Washington State, for several months. Ivan used his prior experience with mechanical prop hands to make design suggestions, while Richard attempted to replicate the designs in his workshop.

The process was taking weeks and months per cycle. For us here at MakerBot, that was too much wasted time. We knew our 3D printer, the MakerBot Replicator 2, could take this important work to new heights. We saw their collaboration and the work they were doing as groundbreaking, and we asked Ivan and Richard to accept a donation from us: a MakerBot Replicator 2 for each of them, one in Washington, and another in South Africa.

If the tool was useful to them, we hoped they would share their work on Thingiverse.com for the world to download. It turns out the MakerBots were incredibly useful, and the guys have followed through on their promise. Just hours after they received their packages from us here in Brooklyn, the two collaborators were sharing files back and forth, testing the design in one place and doing another iteration on the other side of the world. Richard says it took the prototyping process down from weeks to just 20 minutes.

But that’s only half the story.

Giving A Hand

Robohand has grown far beyond the goal of making a set of fingers just for Richard. When the power of desktop 3D printing and MakerBot entered the picture, Richard began to realize how quickly he could refine a design for other people who have lost their fingers, or who were born without fingers. After posting his own story, he received emails and Facebook messages from parents whose children were candidates for a Robohand of their own. One of these children was five-year-old Liam.

The condition Amniotic Band Syndrome is poorly understood, but the effects of it are pretty clear. Children are often born without extremities, especially fingers and toes, when fibrous bands in the womb prevent these parts from developing normally. It’s this condition that caused Liam to be born with no fingers on his right hand. The cost of purchasing a traditional prosthesis was far too much for the family, especially since Liam is a young and fast growing boy who would outgrow a prosthesis in a few months.

Liam was given a Robohand just days after Richard and Ivan received their MakerBots in January, 2013, and he has already been fitted for his second. The word spread, and other kids in the Johannesburg area like Liam with Amniotic Band Syndrome have received their own Robohands, sized just for them. The files, including the assembly instructions, have been posted online at Thingiverse, and they have been downloaded over 3,800 times by people around the globe.

What Is A Robohand?

A Robohand is a set of mechanical fingers that open and close to grasp things based on the motion of the wrist. When the wrist folds and contracts, the cables attaching the fingers to the base structure cause the fingers to curl. Nearly all the parts of a Robohand are 3D printed on MakerBot Replicator 2 Desktop 3D printers.

Ivan, who played a big part in the initial design stages of Robohand, says he studied the anatomy of crab legs and human fingers to get the basic muscle and tendon structure. The result is a simple assembly that Richard believes anyone can make themselves. While a full set of prosthetic fingers may cost thousands of dollars, all of the Robohand parts that are made on the MakerBot Replicator 2 add up to roughly a few dollars in material cost, with the total mechanical hand costing around $150 (USD).

Who Needs A Robohand?

Amniotic Band Syndrome affects 1 in 1,200 live births.

About 80% of cases of Amniotic Band Syndrome involve the loss or malformation of fingers and hands.

Finger amputations are the most common amputation in the US, accounting for over 90% of all amputations, according to various reports.

How Do I Get A Robohand?

Robohand was not imagined as a service or a product. Instead, Richard has shared the design files and instructions for creating a Robohand on Thingiverse so that people around the world can download, customize, print, and assemble Robohands for themselves or for others.

So far, we’ve heard stories of Robohands being made for children and adults in the US, Canada, and Thailand. Are you a MakerBot owner who can give this incredible gift to someone in your community?

Get Involved

There’s still a lot to be done. Richard has given hands-on help to a few of the people within his reach, but Robohand needs your help in order to get to the people who need it most.

● Want to spread the word? Share this video with your friends on Twitter or Facebook.
● Looking to to support the cause? Check out Robohand’s Indiegogo campaign.
● Are you an occupational therapist or prosthetist? Leave a comment below!

Make a Robohand

The design files and assembly instructions for Robohand can be found on Thingiverse.

Robohand’s creators would like to empower others around the world to use their files and create and print in 3D Robohands of their own, and they are not in the mechanical hand business. They created Robohand out of the goodness of their heart. Now it’s time to provide the files to the world and see what other good can come from them!

Robohand uses the following tools to make their mechanical hands:

● MakerBot Replicator 2 Desktop 3D Printer
● MakerBot PLA Filament
● Stainless steel hardware
● Thermo-forming orthoplastic
● Elastic bands
● Nylon cable

The full bill of materials is listed here.

Original blog post : http://www.makerbot.com/blog/2013/05/07/robohand/