flying and landing autonomously

[dude]

we are students from a creative education in the Netherlands, and we're looking for new applictions for multirotors. we want to know if they can be used as a deliveryservice. we allready know multirotors can fly to waypoints, but we are wondering if they can land and takeoff indepentently, and wether or not it is acurate enough.
so here are our questions:
- can multirotors land autonomously and how acurately can they do it?
- what is the batterylife of a large multicopter with a few kilo's payload?

 

[RadioFlyer]

Hi guys in Netherlands.
A great concept, but with major limits with,
1 Payload with the largest commercial multirotor unit is around 3-6Kg.
2 When moving such a mass the flight time with any safety margin would be around 15-20 min round trip
As far as autonomous flight, there is fairly good software that interfaces with Google Earth and is able to plan a round trip, with a landing or two before return to home. Accurate to around 1 mtr in my usage most times. Be aware that google earth does not take into account , trees, buildings, and any other vertical obstacle, so to run into something is very easy to say the least if not in line of sight.
So autonomously will need good sensors for obstacle avoidance, and buck up battery. reciever, and other critical services, so it will not crash if an important feature breaks,,,,just like real aviation. After all that is what it is, if flying on its own.
Extra safety all round x 2
But all in 20 min. and with about 3Kg load.
Unit cost 5-15000Eur with ground station

 

[ChrisViperM]

You mean something like this: ....?

Here is some reading about this topic:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/...s-by-unmanned-drone-helicopter_n_1375842.html
https://www.techdirt.com/articles/2...pter-drone-deliver-you-taco-lunch-today.shtml
http://www.ksl.com/?nid=1014&sid=19748145
http://www.popsci.com/technology/ar...deliver-tacos-unmanned-quadcopter-drone-maybe
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/201...-unmanned-drone-nixed-by-federal-regulations/
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/201...-tacocopter-drone-that-delivers-mexican-food/


In simple words: The Flight Controls avalible to the public are much too "primitive" up to date (might change in the future), the sensors needed are not avalible (collision control), battery life is too short....ect...so SAFETY is not given yet. Just read a bit criss and cross in this forum to see what stupid things happen with these Multis, regardless of how much you know and how well you do your maintanance. Your idea will be possible one day, but at the moment it's only possible as prototypes...


PS: in the meantime just stop going to the Coffeeshop.....:tennis:


Chris

 

[Lanzar]

@Radioflyer Well said

This would work is some agriculture. Or if you dont do it in populated areas. Too much risk involved. Othervise doable with current tehnology. But route needs to be planed in advance cause off obsticales.

I would add flightime with 5kg is closer to 10 min. For 20 min you need a loot off bateries and still hard to achive.
Cost would be more in 15k to 20k iff you ask me.
Autoland and takeoff is doable. Controled by computer.
Weather need to be less than 20kmh wind and no rain or snow.

 

[dude]

thanks for all the information, we are taking it it into acount. but we were thinking of a food delivery system, mainly for short ranges.
does anyone have sugestions for systems to land a multirotor in front of someone's door?(sensors, vision etc.)

and what do you think the future technologie will bring for the better of this idea?

 

[Lanzar]

thanks for all the information, we are taking it it into acount. but we were thinking of a food delivery system, mainly for short ranges.
does anyone have sugestions for systems to land a multirotor in front of someone's door?(sensors, vision etc.)

and what do you think the future technologie will bring for the better of this idea?

This is not an option and will not be anytime soon. Flying over populated areas is a no go. Wait 3 years minimum.

 

[dude]

we were thinking of making the first flight to a certain adress controlled by a human, so the next flight to that adress can be rememberd.
and the range of a foodcopter would be about 3 kilometres, wich is an average range of a typical dutch pizzaria.

maybe the technologie isn't that good at the moment, but we think there are some businessoppertunities in the future. so we're trying to get a plan straight before someone else does