Hoverfly GPS Failsafe - Feature Request

[mbsteed]

I am trying to do aerial photos/video here in Canada. In order to do that we have to be certified with Transport Canada. It involves submitting a proposal and negotiating rules for each flight, etc. I just got off the phone with a person from Transport Canada and she indicated that for flights close to residential areas, we would need a GPS failsafe system if the transmitter signal is lost. I don't know think the Hoverfly Pro has that feature even with the GPS module, so this is a request for such a feature; so that if transmitter signal is lost the airship would return home and attempt to land. We would probably buy the GPS unit if it had this feature. Is that something that is possible or something being work on ...or do we need to look else where?

 

[jetforce]

DJI Wookong-M and Ace-one has it.

MK also

 

[hoverben]

In most cases you should be able to program fail-safe settings through your receiver; you'll have to look at your receiver's documentation to get the particulars.

That said, programming fail-safe measures through the board may make it a more obvious option (for example, with a tab in the set-up client). I will pass this along to the programming team so they can assess the idea.

Also, I do want to note that any requests you would like to make of the Hoverfly team will be better addressed to info@hoverflytech.com or the support site at hoverflytech.zendesk.com ... We aren't always able to find time to check out the forums, but the info@ address and support site are both monitored daily Monday - Friday.

 

[rwilabee]

The failsafe in your receiver is not going to give you the ability to return to home and land.

Rich

In most cases you should be able to program fail-safe settings through your receiver; you'll have to look at your receiver's documentation to get the particulars.

That said, programming fail-safe measures through the board may make it a more obvious option (for example, with a tab in the set-up client). I will pass this along to the programming team so they can assess the idea.

Also, I do want to note that any requests you would like to make of the Hoverfly team will be better addressed to info@hoverflytech.com or the support site at hoverflytech.zendesk.com ... We aren't always able to find time to check out the forums, but the info@ address and support site are both monitored daily Monday - Friday.

 

[mbsteed]

I am just curious. What happens now with just a Hoverfly Pro board if it loses transmitter signal? I am reluctant to try this. I would expect the airship to continue on its course given the last instructions from the transmitter - right? ... or does it fall out of the sky?

 

[hoverben]

Check out page 12 of the Spektrum DX8 manual, "Failsafes" and "Preset Failsafe." You can program the radio to engage almost any feature of your flight controller as a failsafe. (Other radios may have different setting requirements, hence my advice to check out the radio's documentation.)

Your Hoverfly-equipped craft won't be able to auto-land (yet), since we haven't yet implemented that feature (yet)*. But you can program your radio & receiver to revert to the return-to-home command in the event of signal loss. Since the most common cause of signal loss is flying beyond radio range, this is realistically all you should need in most cases. Return-to-home will cause the craft to re-enter radio range, and the pilot will then be able to take control again.

*Yet. Yet. Yet.

 

[mbsteed]

Indeed the receiver failsafe will work well for bringing the airship staight down with my DX6i. It defaults to the throttle setting during the bind, so I will estimate a throttle setting for a gradual descent and set it according - it won't be pretty but I think it will satisfy the need. Thanks.

 

[Bartman]

marlon,
i think what ben is trying to say is that you can program the receiver to do a set combination of commands at the moment it enters failsafe. if the Hoverfly Pro board has the ability to fly a "return home" function then you should be able to program the receiver to emit that command to the flight control when the receiver enters the failsafe mode. it's not the same as some of the other flight controllers and their ability to fly home with altitude assignments and auto lands but if you program a reduced throttle setting and the come home function to occur simultaneously in the event of a failsafe actuation then the kopter will at least be heading back to you and descending in that worst-case scenario. this may or may not satisfy Transort Canada's requirements but, like Ben said, it's something they can add to the features set as they continue development.

Bart

 

[mailman35]

i would like to say that i would love some free hoverfly fc's

 

[hoverben]

i would like to say that i would love some free hoverfly fc's

As a mailman, I would suggest that you check with the dead mail department for some of the boards that the USPS has lost over the past year... There is a reason that we automatically upgrade overseas shipments to DHL International now!