Launching S800/Zenmuse WKM from a moving boat???

[olof]

I would like to know if anyone here has recommendations for the best way to do this.

Is it OK to plug the battery in while moving and thus have the WKM initialize while being tossed around?

Or is it safest to at least be on shore for startup so initialization is on stable ground and then carry the S800 with Zen out onto the boat, drive out and then launch. This would be a pain if you need to shoot a ways out to sea. And it would be a pain if you had to do this every time you change lipos.

I also assume TO/L is best done in Atti mode.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated, Thanks.

 

[gtranquilla]

Just thinking out loud here....
The WKM's IMU has approximatetly 9 DOF....3 of which are accelerometers.
Waves introduces random accelerations/decelerations in all three dimensions!!!! seems like a challenge.
But if the IMU also incorporates magnetometer(s) that would at least help determine the plane of the horizon.

In any case there is a DJI Youtube video somewhere showing the F450 being tossed into the sky without the motors running...... it quickly levels off once the motors are started.

 

[Topflight]

I would like to know if anyone here has recommendations for the best way to do this.

Is it OK to plug the battery in while moving and thus have the WKM initialize while being tossed around?

Or is it safest to at least be on shore for startup so initialization is on stable ground and then carry the S800 with Zen out onto the boat, drive out and then launch. This would be a pain if you need to shoot a ways out to sea. And it would be a pain if you had to do this every time you change lipos.

I also assume TO/L is best done in Atti mode.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated, Thanks.

I usually TO/L in ATTI mode anyways. Only other issue would be that your RTH location is going to be where you turned on your power, which you would probably want to happen anyways unless you were a long ways out in the water, then not have the battery capacity to get back to the beach.

 

[Dewster]

Just thinking out loud here....
The WKM's IMU has approximatetly 9 DOF....3 of which are accelerometers.
Waves introduces random accelerations/decelerations in all three dimensions!!!! seems like a challenge.
But if the IMU also incorporates magnetometer(s) that would at least help determine the plane of the horizon.

In any case there is a DJI Youtube video somewhere showing the F450 being tossed into the sky without the motors running...... it quickly levels off once the motors are started.

The craft had the batteries already plugged in and I think if they were using GPS that they already recorded Home Position.

 

[Eoin]

Hi Olof,
I tried it today from a boat in moderate swells in the North Atlantic. It performed flawlessly. No calibration issues.
Landing takes concentration though !

 

[olof]

Thanks Eoin,
That conforms what I have been told, did you fly in Atti most of the time?

 

[Eoin]

Thanks Eoin,
That conforms what I have been told, did you fly in Atti most of the time?

I flew in both Atti and GPS. No problems with either.

 

[Bowley]

Just FYI, Ardupilot APM2 / 2.5 will make a good FC FOR operating from boats, you can calibrate it ashore and it does not need to be level on initialization.
Its also dirt cheap.....a comfort when flying over water.
Eventually managed to set some time aside to set mine up on a small quad, I have to say it flies nicely and GPS Alt hold work OK, but dont expect DJI-like holds, probably more similar to Hoverfly.
I get a growing feeling that there is more in store for my APM2 as I get more comfortable with it. It has to be one of the most feature packed, tunable, and adaptable FC's on the market.
Sorry for going off topic, but my main point was its method of calibration and suitability for non level startup.