Chris Anderson, over at DIY Drones, has
posted some great new information on his new, ultra-cheap, autopilot, the ArduPilot. This fully open source project allows an aerial vehicle to autonomous navigate GPS waypoints, maintain altitude, and can trigger a camera or other external device.
The autopilot, which is built around the
Arduino architecture, will replace Chris' other project,
the Basic Stamp Autopilot, and forms the core of what Chris calls,
... a $110 autopilot, thanks to the open source hardware. By comparison,
the Basic Stamp version of this, with processor, development board and
failsafe board, would run you $300, and it's not as powerful.
Throw in a
FMA Co-Pilot for stabilization, a Hobbico SuperStar plane, some servos, and a 6-Channel radio system, and you have all the parts for a $440 unmanned aerial vehicle. Way to go Chris!