Opensource firmware turn miniquadcopter into acrobatic drone.

Anonymous Coward

in robotics on 2016-01-27 20:58 (#1225X)

Since now you're going to either register your drone or have to be flying your indoors anyway in the USA, you might as well celebrate the one freedom you still have the freedom to re-flash the firmware with open source! The Eachine H8 is a typical-looking mini-quadcopter of the kind that sell for under $20. Inside, the whole show is powered by an ARM Cortex-M3 processor, with the programming pins easily visible. Who could resist? Garagedrone takes you through a step-by-step guide to re-flashing the device with a custom firmware to enable acrobatic mode, or simply to tweak the throttle-to-gyro mapping for the quad. The firmware author silverxxx from RCGroups.com even got the code up on GitHub if you're interested in taking a peek. Next step, Skynet!

Just imagine... (Score: 0)

by Anonymous Coward on 2016-01-27 21:54 (#122B1)

A beowulf cluster of these things

Control a bunch for security (Score: 2, Interesting)

by hyper@pipedot.org on 2016-01-28 13:21 (#124H1)

Next up, open source flight path control for multiple devices to form a flying security sentry for home and business? Auto dock when low on power. Send video back using wireless networking. Can patrol at night. Beware of humans bearing butterfly nets, and cats.

Re: Control a bunch for security (Score: 1)

by hapnstance@pipedot.org on 2016-01-28 13:40 (#124J9)

Straight out of William Gibson's latest novel - The Peripheral.

Re: Control a bunch for security (Score: 1)

by hyper@pipedot.org on 2016-01-28 22:26 (#1269X)

I was thinking of how the Roomba works with its cleaning schedule and auto-docking for recharge just with flying drones with cameras.... thanks for the tip, adding The Peripheral to my reading list :)

The Peripheral is an emphatic return to the science fiction he ceased to write after the turn of this century, set in not one but two futures... The Peripheral is basically a noirish murder mystery wearing a cyberpunk leather jacket

Re: Control a bunch for security (Score: 2, Interesting)

by hapnstance@pipedot.org on 2016-01-29 13:03 (#1287Z)

I think The Peripheral is the best work he has done since the Neuromancer series. It really felt very much like that kind of story telling he did for the Neuromancer series. When I finished it I wanted there to be a sequel.