Indoor Flying 2017

[Guest22]

Like I said, I am a novice with a Typhoon and ST 16, but my advice is, because I just did this, this AM at 7:30.

You should have set that down as soon as you saw a Compass Warning.

Then you should have taken some time to calibrate your compass. Do it without any metal on you, away from circuit breaker boxes, or anything metalic, and out in an open area, on flat ground.
The procedure is on your SD card in the form of a video.

After that is successful, turn off GPS, turn off OBS, make sure in your settings that RealSense box is checked as installed.
Put the Typhoon in Angle Mode, and Turtle Mode.
And do not lift off, unless you see IPS active.

This is exactly the steps I took in a huge *** warehouse with little to no GPS signal, and The Typhoon flew flawlessly.

I had my compass calibrated. I am aware of how to. It was mentioned above from a member to turn "ON" GPS while indoors. That's why I received this erratic behavior, in which I did land and quit. I will be trying this again in my garage with GPS "OFF".

Again, this is all new and undocumented. I think Tree and myself are gathering quite a bit of useful data that once it's hashed/verified, it can be placed in our manual to help other members out for flying indoors.

 

[Tree]

I had my compass calibrated. I am aware of how to. It was mentioned above from a member to turn "ON" GPS while indoors. That's why I received this erratic behavior, in which I did land and quit. I will be trying this again in my garage with GPS "OFF".

Again, this is all new and undocumented. I think Tree and myself are gathering quite a bit of useful data that once it's hashed/verified, can be placed in our manual to help other members out for flying indoors.

Well, you averted disaster, so all is good. I am pretty confident when you turn off GPS, and let IPS take over, that your Typhoon H will fly perfectly indoors just like mine did.

 

[Guest22]

I am almost certain that it will also. Our board/community needs this information!

 

[Tree]

At the top of The H forum, there is a link to an online manual, that is very informative. I wish I would have found that earlier.
So I'd recommend we both check it out.

 

[Guest22]

I read it a few days ago. RealSense section needs to be updated with the findings for sure.

 

[CraigCam]

I am almost certain that it will also. Our board/community needs this information!

I'm concerned with ips mapping mono chrome warehouse floors without enough ambient light. If it's similar to breeze set up, I know from experience that not all indoors locations work. The ips is the down camera and same infra red bouncing is it not? Just bigger? The breeze positioning works great under proper conditions but unfortunately my own space is not one of them. It's what's kept me from upgrading my h.


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[Guest22]

The two downward facing 'objects' on the RS doesn't look like camera(s). They look like sonar sensors. Our manual says it's a camera which might need to be updated upon verification.

If they are cameras, why are they in a plastic shroud? It would look like our 4K camera (unobstructed view).

EDIT: added bottom picture of RS. I do see a pinhole in the middle. I don't know if that's big enough for a camera..

 

[Tree]

I read it a few days ago. RealSense section needs to be updated with the findings for sure.

I read the Real Sense section and it did not actually say "Turn GPS On" when flying indoors. I tried to add a suggestion and edit for Indoor Flying.
If it is correct, the owner and editors of the document will add it to the manual.

I think from what I read, OBS will not work unless your landing gear is up and you are flying above 10 feet, and I also think there has to be GPS links for it to work as well. If I am wrong about this, I hope someone who knows will correct me on this.

"This is what I Suggested."


Flying Indoors


Flying indoors presents a lot of challenges. Do not attempt to fly indoors unless you are comfortable enough with your Typhoon H and your control of it to attempt this. The IPS available with RealSense makes flying indoors possible.


Indoor Setup for ST16


Verify in “settings” that RealSense box is checked as ‘Installed”.

Verify on the ST16 that OBS is off.

Verify on the ST16 that you are in “Angle Mode”

Verify on the ST16 that you are in “Turtle Mode”

Verify in “Calibration” that you have turned off GPS

Verify on your ST16 Flight Screen that IPS is showing as “Active”


Once you have verified these settings, and your Typhoon H shows it is “Ready” and you are Initialized for flight, start the rotors, be cognizant of your surroundings and obstacles, and proceed slowly at first. Indoor flight gives you far less reaction time to correct judgement errors by the pilot, and OBS is not available to save you from your mistakes.

 

[Guest22]

I read the Real Sense section and it did not actually say "Turn GPS On" when flying indoors.

I know. It was mentioned by another member on the first page to turn on GPS. We also need to verify if they are sonar sensors, and not cameras.

 

[Tree]

The two downward facing 'objects' on the RS doesn't look like camera(s). They look like sonar sensors. Our manual says it's a camera which might need to be updated upon verification.

If they are cameras, why are they in a plastic shroud? It would look like our 4K camera (unobstructed view).

EDIT: added bottom picture of RS. I do see a pinhole in the middle. I don't know if that's big enough for a camera..

The pinhole is a camera, an optical sensor.

So adding RealSense gives you two Ground Facing Sonar, and One Ground Facing camera\optical sensor.
Plus three infrared, and optical sensors upfront that allow for 3D Mapping with the Intel RealSense Processor and logic that allow the drone to reroute a path around an obstacle.
With the basic Typhoon, you only get two forward facing sonar sensors.

Add the RealSense, and you get an additional 2 ground facing sonar sensors and 1 optical sensor in the rear, and three additional sensors in the front which use infrared and give your drone 3D vision.

That gives you a total of 8 Sensors vs. the basic model with just 2 forward sonar sensors.

If you are never going to fly indoors, you don't need RealSense, but I think in my humble opinion, you can never have too many sensors to help you avoid your own mistakes and miscalculations.
RealSense also is very helpful outdoors when in follow me mode and other similar modes, but I think it excels indoors, or when you lose GPS and have to switch to IPS.

Just my opinion. I'd not like flying indoors without the IPS that is available with RealSense.

 

[Guest22]

This is great information!! I agree with you on never having too many sensors available. That's what made up my mind on which drone to purchase.

Since purchase, I have hardly used RS, but I know that I will need it in certain applications.

During your tests indoors and IPS is active, are the forward-facing sensors/cameras active or inactive? Or just the bottom sensors/camera for stabilization only. From other documentation (Not ours), they are disabled.

 

[Tree]

This is great information!! I agree with you on never having too many sensors available. That's what made up my mind on which drone to purchase.

Since purchase, I have hardly used RS, but I know that I will need it in certain applications.

During your tests indoors and IPS is active, are the forward-facing sensors/cameras active or inactive? Or just the bottom sensors/camera for stabilization only. From other documentation (Not ours), they are disabled.

I am not sure about the RealSense front facing sensors during indoor flight. I would like to see documentation on that. Maybe the drone only uses 5 sensors indoors, 4 sonar and the one ground facing optical.

I'd have to read up on that to know. But when you have RealSense, you can see it working on the flight screen, so I am thinking it is working. Like I said, I'd have to read up more on that. I am just learning.

 

[Guest22]

But when you have RealSense, you can see it working on the flight screen, so I am thinking it is working. Like I said, I'd have to read up more on that. I am just learning.

So, you saw the red bars and indication that it was sensing objects while flying indoors? If so, then it is using the object avoidance as well (All sensors). That's great news!

We are all in the same boat as you when it comes to learning.

 

[CraigCam]

So, you saw the red bars and indication that it was sensing objects while flying indoors? If so, then it is using the object avoidance as well (All sensors). That's great news!

We are all in the same boat as you when it comes to learning.

That's the same pin hole camera on the breeze.


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[PatR]

Being one that does not fly indoors or extremely close to things I don't have RealSense on either of my aircraft. I've never used OBS, and likely never will for outside work. The reason for having either of those features is, IMO, to enable flying dangerously close to objects. I can easily understand the benefits to having IPS for indoor work though. I hold an opinion that detailed inspection work benefits more from using a lens that permits a safe stand off distance while obtaining useful detail. But that's just me.

Something i believe all who fly these things need is an understanding of the foundation that different systems work with. GPS, WiFi, range for frequencies used, and battery tech are some that appear to be massively misunderstood, with people having expectations of functionality where such is not possible. Having a tool is one thing, understanding the basis of the tool is another.


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[JulesTEO]

Verify in “Calibration” that you have turned off GPS

Verify on your ST16 Flight Screen that IPS is showing as “Active”

Could you share a photo of your ST-16 showing the IPS "active" before starting the motors?

 

[Tree]

Being one that does not fly indoors or extremely close to things I don't have RealSense on either of my aircraft. I've never used OBS, and likely never will for outside work. The reason for having either of those features is, IMO, to enable flying dangerously close to objects. I can easily understand the benefits to having IPS for indoor work though. I hold an opinion that detailed inspection work benefits more from using a lens that permits a safe stand off distance while obtaining useful detail. But that's just me.

Something i believe all who fly these things need is an understanding of the foundation that different systems work with. GPS, WiFi, range for frequencies used, and battery tech are some that appear to be massively misunderstood, with people having expectations of functionality where such is not possible. Having a tool is one thing, understanding the basis of the tool is another.


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Just for clarity's sake, I don't use OBS indoors, just IPS, and I believe it helps to hold the drone dead still in a hover. But maybe the compass and gyro (I think it has a gyro) can do that just as well, all by their selves.

 

[Guest22]

No gyro for stabilization (Not in the specs anyways). It's purely either GPS, or IPS.

 

[BlackHawk]

So, you saw the red bars and indication that it was sensing objects while flying indoors? If so, then it is using the object avoidance as well (All sensors). That's great news!

We are all in the same boat as you when it comes to learning.

The real sense module is always active despite OBS status. Having OBS on makes use of RealSense sensor data.

 

[Tree]

The real sense module is always active despite OBS status. Having OBS on makes use of RealSense sensor data.

Thanks for that. I knew it was on but didn't know if it was used during IPS. I also tested OBS tonight and it seems to work pretty well.