Auto Following Quadcopter with Gimble Camera

[Big Shasta]

This is really cool. A bit pricey but really cool implementation. Not much flight time but that could likely be improved easily. I just want the flight control board and the wrist thing you wear and I'll install it on my own quad.

@Ronnie Let me know how it is, you know you're buying this.

https://www.airdog.com/

 

[Ronnie]

I've already read about it in a multicopter magazine. I was on the preorder page waiting for dinner a few minutes ago when I heard, "what is that? What are you doing? What are you buying now?" From my shoulder surfing wife. I'm Definitely in a forgiveness not a permission situation. So be it.

After rereading the specs, I'm not even going to try and fight the urge, I'm buying one, probably not the extra air leash but an extra battery is a must, just not sure if I'll preorder it. Last time I did that was on the 2 axis gimbal for my phantom. They used a lot of similar caveats in their shipping language as well. I ended up waiting 16 weeks instead 8 for it (of course I paid in full on the preorder). I'm still part of that instant gratification generation, I don't even like pulling to the side at drive thrus

I digress. I tried not to like it but it sounds like everything I'm looking for in a a quad copter / flying camera (will likely need to add pool noodles for floats). The price isn't bad, it's no phantom/dji product but I don't think its meant to be, different target market.

I will let you all know when I place my order.

 

[Ronnie]

So the monkey on my back for this was very convincing, after reading most of the documentation on the airdog and watching a lot of the videos on their site I placed my pre-order this morning. My rationale being that I want it for the next boating season and with a delivery range of 2Q 2015 the worst case delivery date is June 30th, this assumes they don't push it out past that.

On the home front I chose to give my wife a pre-purchase notice of the pending spend of "our" money. That seemed to go OK but I need to remember to STFU (Shut the F... Up) if she comes home with or a $1,300 bobble of her own is delivered sometime in the next 6 months, I'm not sure if I want a pre-purchase notice or not, especially if it's a purse and/or pair of shoes. When people ask me if I cried on my wedding day I say, "Of course I did, it's not everyday that I give up half my shit (specifically half my future income)."

I'll be on the look out for when they offer extra batteries and floats (in the works according to their site) for sale as I want to have it all ready to go when the copter is delivered. Of course I'll be posting my adventures and mishaps with the new toy here first, hopefully in the context of boating or jet skiing.

My wife may curse you @Big Shasta but I'm grateful that you started this string, thanks for doing so.

 

[Big Shasta]

So the monkey on my back for this was very convincing, after reading most of the documentation on the airdog and watching a lot of the videos on their site I placed my pre-order this morning. My rationale being that I want it for the next boating season and with a delivery range of 2Q 2015 the worst case delivery date is June 30th, this assumes they don't push it out past that.

On the home front I chose to give my wife a pre-purchase notice of the pending spend of "our" money. That seemed to go OK but I need to remember to STFU (Shut the F... Up) if she comes home with or a $1,300 bobble of her own is delivered sometime in the next 6 months, I'm not sure if I want a pre-purchase notice or not, especially if it's a purse and/or pair of shoes. When people ask me if I cried on my wedding day I say, "Of course I did, it's not everyday that I give up half my shit (specifically half my future income)."

I'll be on the look out for when they offer extra batteries and floats (in the works according to their site) for sale as I want to have it all ready to go when the copter is delivered. Of course I'll be posting my adventures and mishaps with the new toy here first, hopefully in the context of boating or jet skiing.

My wife may curse you @Big Shasta but I'm grateful that you started this string, thanks for doing so.

LOL..Awesome...I can't wait to see the real world reviews...If I hadn't just paid off the credit cards from a week in Hawaii I might have already preordered it too.

 

[Bruce]

I have a feeling that this post has cost me $1300. Does anyone know if the product price is supposed to be more than the Kickstarter preorder price?

 

[brockhals]

I may be interested in buying your old drone...thinking about getting in these toys!

 

[Ronnie]

@Bruce , according to the kickstarter/air dog site the retail price is $1,500. Per the mags I've read it is $1,200. I trust the site information more than the mags but also realize that the retail price will probably drop quickly, especially if version 2 is released soon after version 1. A good example of this is my current quadcopter last year it was $1,200, dji released a newer version 6 months later (added two more axis to the gimble) now my quad sells for $800.

@brockhals , funny you should mention it. I'm thinking about selling my phantom 1 since my son doesn't use it and I don't want it sitting around the house with two other (three actually my son has a mini quad copter) birds that my wife can use as ammo against me. I think you may be better off looking locally for a used one. I have seen a lot of good deals on craigs list lately. I think they are like boats in that prices get better in the off season.

 

[brockhals]

@Ronnie the Phantom 1 doesn't have a Gyro though right? I'd certainly want that. And whatever I'd need to see the captured image on my phone/ipad.

 

[Ronnie]

The Phantom 1 doesn't come with a camera or gimbal to stabilize it. Seeing the image on a phone or tablet would be accomplished using the wifi function of the go pro camera but I'm not sure which go pros have that function. If you want FPV so you can see what the camera sees while the heli is in the air you'd need more gear and would be better off getting something with all those features out of the box like the Phantom 2 Vision, Vision + or Blade QX350.

I haven't put to much thought into whether quad copters use gyros that I am accustomed to seeing on standard pod / boom configured rc helicopters. Mine were always connected to the tail rotor to help counter the torque of the main blades. With multi-copters I think they avoid the torque issue all together by configuring them such that for every blade that rotates clockwise there is another set of blades that rotates counter-clock wise.

Here are some examples of what I'm seeing on my local craigslist right now.

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/nby/pho/4812780686.html (This is a phantom one with a DJI camera), not worth the asking price since you can get them new for $500.

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/ele/4810208137.html (This is the one I have, before I added a 2 axis gimbal. New these cost $800 so getting only $100 off for a used one wouldn't be worth it too me. I paid $1,200 plus tax ($120) for mine just a year ago.

http://sacramento.craigslist.org/tag/4805282255.html (This is probably the best deal of the three, new this heli still costs between $1,200 and $1,300 pre tax).

One thing to look out for with a used P2V is the battery, if it wasn't cycled properly it won't hold a charge, OEM replacements are $130, knock offs are $65. Batteries for the Phantom 1 and FC40 are $20 to $25 but flight time is about half that of the P2.

I may sell my P2V but I doubt it, at least I don't think I could bear to part with it anytime soon. What's nice about the airdog is the set and forget capability. With it the user doesn't have to fly at all, which includes trying to maintain a specific distance or altitude from a subject or trying to keep the subject in view. I also like that I can be part of the action instead of just the guy recording it.

 

[Big Shasta]

@Ronnie the Phantom 1 doesn't have a Gyro though right? I'd certainly want that. And whatever I'd need to see the captured image on my phone/ipad.

Not sure what you mean about the gyro. If you're talking about flight control gyros, they are all built into the flight control board. That's what controls motor torque for controlled flight. Here's an example of the one I use on my custom quad. Pretty incredible when you realize this board is under 50.00.


If you're talking about camera gyros for a gimbal setup, that should all be built into the setup for the cameras gimbal mount.
Also, Ronnie mentioned the WiFi fuction of the gopro camera to see the camera image...don't count on that. If you want live video, you need a FPV setup or some sort of video transmitter. The gopro wifi only works for about 75' outdoors. You'll easily outrange it. check out www.readymaderc.com for some good reasonably priced setups. But be ready for tinkering, if you want a ready to go setup, you'll pay more but look at the items Ronnie mentioned.

 

[brockhals]

Think I may order a Phantom 2. They're on sale on amazon and already include the Gimbal. What else should I look for (besides a GoPro)
http://www.amazon.com/DJI-Phantom-Quadcopter-Zenmuse-3-Axis/dp/B00JD4TQ8Q/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1419876737&sr=8-1&keywords=phantom+2

 

[Ronnie]

That would get you in the air and keep you there for 20 to 25 mins (per battery) but if you want to be able to see any flight data like speed, altitude, battery life etc. or what the camera sees you will need to buy more.

Not sure what is required for the telemetry but I'm sure it's available as I've seen it on the phantom 1. I believe it's integrated into some fpv systems (I.e., it is integrated into the firmware for the goggles). Also to see what the go pro sees you will need a special cable to connect the go pro and the fpv transmitter but these are cheap and easy to find. One quirk to keep I'm mind is the band your phantom 2 is on. With the vision the control is on 5.8ghz and the fpv is on 2.4ghz, with the phantom 2 (non vision/vision+) I think the control is on 2.4 ghz so users still have the option of using the 5.8 ghz or 90mhz bands for fpv (most of the fpv systems I've seen are on the 5.8 ghz band. Here is a link to a runryder thread on the same subject.
http://m.rc.runryder.com/helicopter/t760802p1/

Sorry I don't have more info like @Big Shasta mentioned I would look at places that offer ready to fly systems like readymaderc.com that way you don't have to go through the pain or expense of trying to piece something together yourself. Good luck.

 

[Ronnie]

So after placing my order for an airdog in December 2014 and waiting patiently for the delivery (airdog is 3 months past its original anticipated delivery date) I have just cancelled my order and the refund is pending. Several factors contributed to this decision.

First, I haven't been flown my dji phantom advance much at all since September of 2015, no time or interest really so I have maybe 10 to 20 flights on it since I purchased it in July 2015.

Second, DJI just released the phantom 4 which has all the features of the airdog and more.

Third, the airdog has or will have limitations that were not disclosed when it was first released. Namely, it cannot take off from a moving platform like a boat. Second the leash/remote is water proof but the copter is not. The float is just that, it will keep the copter afloat only, it won't protect the electronics.

I'm not or haven't yet cancelled my lily order but that may happen soon as well. At less than half the cost of an air dog or phantom I'm not as concerned about it plus it still able to float, is water resistant and doesn't have the stable take off platform requirement of the air dog.

I may or may not buy the new phantom 4 but keeping an already or very soon to be obsolete quadcopter on order does not make any sense.

 

[Big Shasta]

LOL..Come on Ronnie...You're gonna have a Phantom 4 on the way before the month is out....stop fighting it.