Flying Car Project

DRL, CSAIL
Summer 2016

Faculty Supervisor: Daniela Rus
Supervisor: Brandon Araki
UROPs:

• Sarah Pohorecky
• Celine Qiu
• Jack Strang

Contact: flyingcar@mit.edu

Flying Car Ros Package

Repository for ROS package: Flyingcar_Ros

Description of Package:

• crazyflie_controller
  -A PID Controller for autonomous flight.
• crazyflie_cpp
  -Communication/Direct Interface with the Crazyflie. Processes for getting/sending info.
• crazyflie_description
  -Visualization/RVIZ stuff; URDF models.
• crazyflie_driver
  -High-level interface with Crazyflies. Connects to flies, publishes topics, gets/sends parameters.
• crazyflie_teleop
  -Control interfaces for the Crazyflie (PS3 Controller, motion capture).
• crazyflie_tools
  -Helper scripts.

RQT GRAPH

See the compact and full node graphs.

Dependencies

• robot_localization
• hector_quadroter
• mocap_optitrack

The package was based on crazyflie_ros by ACTLab at USC. Few modifications were made to the controller, driver, or cpp packages. The teleop package contains the most original code.

TODO

• Update start_mocap arguments to include flight mode and repeatability
• Write scripts for easier multiple launching
• Finish documentation
• retest 2 Crazyflies flying with waypoint.py (not sure if it works...)
• Find a method for absolute heading for the Flies
  ->This might require converting mocap orientation
  --->That WILL require learning quaternion math
• Fix Cf_selector so that unconnected crazyflies don't stay listed
• Get battery data for wheeled flie.
• figure out way to switch between mocap and joystick control?
• Update waypoint.py to stop having the flies go to 0,0,0 when they start up.

Previous Week Breakdown

1. Set up ROS, start learning basics. Set up Github, Slack, etc. Build Crazyflies
2. Started learning Crazyflie control. Modified Crazyflie client and ROS package to allow wheel control. Looked at mocap systems.
3. Wrote CF Selector. Made PS3 launch files. Started setting up mocap.
4. Tried modifying Beniot Landry's crazyflie tools. Worked poorly. Tried and failed at converting quaternion orienation from mocap data. Found robot_localization.
5. Repackaged into flyingcar_ros. Got mocap teleop working. Fixed batter, etc. logging problem (baro parameters changed name). Started writing waypoint.py
6. Finished waypoint. Took battery data.