Battling 200 RC Airplanes With a Giant Flying Ceiling Fan Nicholas Rehm 2024-07-15 | Thanks to PCBWay for sponsoring this video--check out their website for an instant quote on custom PCBs, 3D printing, or even CNC machined parts: pcbway.com/?from=Nicholas I built the world’s largest electric RC helicopter for the sole purpose of destroying it in aerial combat against hundreds of other RC airplanes at Flite Fest 2024. Chaos definitely ensued, but only after I nearly lost my sanity getting everything working.*Patreon:* patreon.com/NicholasRehm *Store:* amazon.com/shop/nicholasrehm*Free 3D print files on my website:* drehmflight.com*Flite Test’s video on this project:* youtube.com/watch?v=fGqlhI_vanM *Michael’s FPV Motion Simulator:* youtube.com/watch?v=RUl8RUT7FV0 *Peter's Flite Fest Video:* youtube.com/watch?v=6v_o_zH6UJQThanks to EMAX USA for sponsoring the power system for this project!Motors I used: emax-usa.com/products/pro-series-2814-730kv-brushless-motor ESCs I used: emax-usa.com/collections/electronics/products/emax-formula-series-45a-esc-support-blheli-32-2-5s Tip-jet helicopters are an old design that never really gained popularity due to their noise levels and issues arising from fuel plumbing through the rotor head. Electric propulsion fixes both of these problems, making an overbuilt electric tip-prop helicopter the perfect candidate for a giant RC combat helicopter. Despite the absurdity of this project, there was still quite a bit of engineering involved, from the structural components to the control system design. It even involved some engineering logistics to get a 15ft helicopter halfway across the country and set up in time for Flite Fest 2024. If you enjoyed this video and want to stay up to date with future crazy flying contraptions, don’t forget to subscribe!Intro & Background: 00:00Blades Build: 02:41Hub Build: 05:39De-spun Fuselage: 06:20Roll & Pitch Control: 08:39Finishing Build & Full Assembly: 09:25Re-Assembly at Flite Fest: 11:39Prep for Flight 1: 13:32Flight Attempt 1: 14:48Field Repairs: 16:21Flight Attempt 2: 18:02Flight Attempt 3: 22:37Conclusions & THANK YOU!: 25:03#Quadichopter
Un-Folding a Quadcopter to Increase Efficiency - Part 1 Nicholas Rehm 2023-11-24 | Thanks to PCBWay for sponsoring this video--check out their website for an instant quote on custom PCBs, 3D printing, or even CNC machined parts: pcbway.com/?from=NicholasIf you take a large, efficient wing and fold it up into a box, you can turn it into a quadcopter. This sounds kind of silly, but I promise there’s some distinct benefits to controllability in hover, and efficiency in forward flight.*Patreon:* patreon.com/NicholasRehm*My Website:* drehmflight.com*Store:* amazon.com/shop/nicholasrehm*How a tailsitter transition works:* youtube.com/watch?v=RabFZzRyZo8& *Can wingtip-mounted motors improve efficiency?:* youtube.com/watch?v=Vi9FqIAG0Rg&*Peter’s mini quadrotor biplane:* youtube.com/watch?v=wABg5nVsi3M& Tail-sitter VTOL designs are a hilariously simple approach to the challenges of mashing an airplane and a helicopter together. Just make a flying wing take off from its tail and pitch over 90 degrees into forward flight. But to improve the efficiency of forward flight generally means to degrade the controllability in hover, since increasing the size of your wing also increases the amount of surface area that can be blown around by the wind. For tailsitters, forward flight efficiency and hover controllability have always been in direct conflict. This design is my attempt at remedying this classic tradeoff, to see just how big of a wing we can turn into a tailsitter. Folding it up allows for motors to be placed in each corner like a quadcopter, dramatically improving control authority, while reducing the wind-facing surface area in hover. If you found this video interesting and want to follow along as we inch closer into forward flight, don’t forget to subscribe!Intro: 00:00Design Overview: 00:57The Build: 03:25First Flights: 05:15Forward Flight Game Plan: 07:14Transition Testing: 08:00Conclusions: 09:56#FoldWing #VTOL
Taming the Tail-Sitter: Hover to Forward Flight Explained Nicholas Rehm 2023-10-04 | Thanks to PCBWay for sponsoring this video--check out their website for an instant quote on custom PCBs, 3D printing, or even CNC machined parts: pcbway.com/?from=NicholasIn theory, tailsitter VTOL aircraft are incredibly simple--just add a wing to something like a quadcopter, pitch it over 90 degrees, and cash in on the sweet, sweet efficiency benefits of forward flight. But there are actually 4 key challenges to address in the flight controller for a smooth transition between hover and forward flight.*Patreon:* patreon.com/NicholasRehm *My Website:* drehmflight.com*Store:* amazon.com/shop/nicholasrehm*dRehmFlight VTOL flight controller used in this video:* drehmflight.com/drehmflight-vtol*Tailsitter specific code:* rcgroups.com/forums/showpost.php?p=51594219&postcount=1406Drone flight controllers that support transitioning VTOL configurations often simplify the complex task of performing a transition to the flick of a switch. This is awesome for people who like stuff that just works, but terrible for people that like to understand how things work. So how do you actually tell a flight controller to perform a VTOL transition? Rather, how does a flight controller tell the airplane to perform a transition? Tailsitter VTOLs need extra care in the flight controller through their transition, mainly because the definitions of roll and yaw control with respect to the body flip between hover and forward flight. This requires careful remapping of stabilized controls out to the motors and servos, in addition to a flip of the fundamental aircraft frame of reference. Another key to a smooth transition is tuning PID gains separately for each flight mode, and ensuring a seamless and smooth fade between all of these flight mode differences. This video covers how I did this using a little bit of custom code in my opensource flight controller, dRehmFlight. If you found this video interesting, don’t forget to subscribe so you can be up to date on future projects like this!Intro: 00:00Flight Controller Basics: 00:54Problem 1 - Switching Roll & Yaw: 02:58Problem 2 - Switching Frame of Reference: 04:30Problem 3 - Gain Staging: 06:58Problem 4 - Smoothing it Out: 08:04Conclusions & Crashes: 09:45#VTOL #Tailsitter
Worlds Fastest FLYING RC Drift Car Nicholas Rehm 2023-05-26 | Thanks to PCBWay for sponsoring this video--check out their website for an instant quote on custom PCBs, 3D printing, or even CNC machined parts: pcbway.com/?from=NicholasI made a 3D printed drone that is as easy to fly as an RC car is to drive using a combination of standard miniquad drone parts and an RC car controller. But it wasn’t quite as easy as just slapping a pusher motor on a quadcopter and calling it a day—there were many engineering challenges to address to make it so intuitive to drive around.*Patreon:* patreon.com/NicholasRehm *My Website:* drehmflight.com*Store:* amazon.com/shop/nicholasrehm*FREE parts list, 3D files, instructions, & code:* drehmflight.com/post/flying-rc-drift-car*The EjoWerks Speeder Project:* sites.google.com/view/ejowerks-speederParts I used to build this project:Radio: amzn.to/3q4CVlvMicrocontroller: amzn.to/45scBlzIMU: amzn.to/3q4ACyNWire (24AWG): amzn.to/3oyodmnWire (18AWG): amzn.to/3ow8KmSLidar: amzn.to/45uVa3JMotors (lift): amzn.to/426LppqESC (lift): amzn.to/3ouBCMhMotor (pusher): amzn.to/3Wu1IM1ESC (pusher): amzn.to/433fY0tProps: amzn.to/3IGLCZDBattery: amzn.to/3MVB4IQCamera: amzn.to/3MA0nOXVideo Transmitter: amzn.to/3MBR3tUVideo Goggles: amzn.to/436wugvAntennas: amzn.to/3IC9BZSM3 Heat Set inserts: amzn.to/3MC5kXEMagnets: amzn.to/3WxePffFoam Tape: amzn.to/3OG8LiU3D Print Filament: amzn.to/3oxPyVGThese are affiliate links—I receive a small commission for every product purchased at absolutely no cost to you.A racing drone is difficult to fly because the pilot is in control of every directional and rotational axis of motion all at once. By adding a lidar altitude sensor and some altitude hold code so the drone maintains altitude automatically, we constrain the problem to just 2 dimensions. By taking the steering input and intelligently mixing it to the roll and yaw output, we can get smooth, coordinated turns with just one input from the pilot. Finally, it's just a matter of mapping the throttle input to a pusher motor and you get an incredibly fun flying RC drift car. If you found this video interesting, don’t forget to subscribe so you can be up to date on future projects like this!Intro: 00:00Inspiration: 00:57Build: 01:28Special Features & First Test: 04:00Code & Control Mixing: 05:06Outside Test Flight: 06:55Control Revisions: 08:04FPV Flying: 09:00High Speed Runs & CRASH: 09:50Conclusions: 11:10#Drone #Car #FlyingCar
DroneCase: The DIY Phone Case That FLIES Nicholas Rehm 2023-02-08 | Thanks to PCBWay for sponsoring this video--check out their website for an instant quote on custom PCBs, 3D printing, or even CNC machined parts: pcbway.com/?from=NicholasI took the infamous “Phone Drone” scam, originally debunked by Mark Rober, Peter Sripol, and Captain Disillusion, and made my own version that actually works using hobby drone components, special sensors, and some PID magic.*Patreon:* patreon.com/NicholasRehm*My Website:* drehmflight.com*Store:* amazon.com/shop/nicholasrehm*FREE 3D print files and build instructions:* hackaday.io/project/189398-phonedrone-the-flying-phone-case*Drone Pendulum Fallacy:* youtube.com/watch?v=OYHCP3-mpxkParts I used to build this project:• Radio: amzn.to/3PqNgQv• Motors: amzn.to/3Y7pqgK• ESCs: amzn.to/3HkpO4K• Battery: amzn.to/3wEYV6H• Tilt Servos: amzn.to/3kR5EYq• BEC 5v Supply: amzn.to/3yL3ugg• Teensy 4.0: amzn.to/3IR29ZW • Teensy 4.1 (if 4.0 is out of stock): amzn.to/3c1OSSw• IMU: amzn.to/3Oje9og• 4mm Carbon Tubes (for tilt arms): amzn.to/3WKp2DP• Bearings: amzn.to/3DrliQG• Magnets (for back cover): amzn.to/3RhKhvk• 4mm M2.5 Setscrews: amzn.to/3wHpN5O• Pushbutton: radioshack.com/products/spdt-pushbutton-switch• TFMini Plus Lidar Sensor: amzn.to/3jhUZWh• PX4Flow Optical Flow Sensor: amzn.to/40hONhuThese are affiliate links—I receive a small commission for every product purchased at absolutely no cost to you.Building a custom 3D printed bicopter drone with altitude and position hold, all automated with just a single button is obviously way easier than buying a tripod. In all seriousness, this project was a great excuse to build a bicopter and showcase a simple cascaded PID control strategy. It is by no means a viable product, but it is a cool showcase of some advanced concepts applied to drone design and flight control. If you found this video interesting, don’t forget to subscribe so you can be up to date on future projects like this!Intro: 00:00The Design: 00:44The Build: 01:49First Flights and Tuning: 03:29Adding Altitude and Position Hold: 05:04Full Demo and Conclusions: 07:14#DroneCase
The Extraordinary Redundancy of Spinning Drones - Part 3 Nicholas Rehm 2022-11-08 | Thanks to PCBWay for sponsoring this video--check out their website for an instant quote on custom PCBs, 3D printing, or even CNC machined parts: pcbway.com/?from=NicholasHow do you control a drone designed to spin itself at over 250 RPM, and how in the world does this allow for it to maintain stable flight with 2 dead motors? In this video, we answer just that with some unique flight control methods on this tip-"jet", UFO-looking VTOL.*Patreon:* patreon.com/NicholasRehm *My Website:* drehmflight.com*Store:* amazon.com/shop/nicholasrehm*Part 1 - The Spinning Drone Paradox:* youtube.com/watch?v=7JH1_ZKV7t4& *Part 2 – Forward Flight Testing:* youtube.com/watch?v=I3D559DNa04I’ve been working on this tri-mode VTOL drone for a while now, and it was finally time to tackle the toughest problem yet: directional control while in the efficient spinning mode. In the first video, we demonstrated the efficiency gains of turning itself into a huge prop-driven propeller, and in the second video, we showed its fast forward flight capabilities. Not only do we now have excellent control while it’s spinning, but I also discovered a secondary benefit of implementing high frequency periodic control. This drone now has the unique ability to lose not one, but two motors in flight and still maintain the complete ability to fly and maneuver around for a safe landing. Seeing how well this actually worked has given me plenty of ideas for future projects, so be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss them!00:00 Intro Demo01:05 The Problem of Spinning02:02 Adding LED Orientation04:44 Implementing Directional Control06:18 Controlled Spinning Flights07:23 How It Flies with 2 Dead Motors08:00 Conclusions #VTOL #Drone #UFO
Is THIS the Most Versatile Aircraft Design? (Forward Flight Testing) - Part 2 Nicholas Rehm 2022-09-13 | In part 1 of this series, we explored this unique drone concept and demonstrated a more efficient way for a multirotor drone to fly by essentially turning itself into a tip-jet helicopter. In this video, we take it a step further and try out fast forward flight. *Patreon:* patreon.com/NicholasRehm *My Website:* drehmflight.com*Store:* amazon.com/shop/nicholasrehm*Part 1 - The Spinning Drone Paradox:* youtube.com/watch?v=7JH1_ZKV7t4& *Part 3 - The Extraordinary Redundancy of Spinning Drones:* youtube.com/watch?v=taU7mRTnrtY*AIR Lab’s Transformable HOvering Rotorcraft (THOR):* youtube.com/watch?v=EPQdIDy2atY In the drone world, there’s a bit more flexibility in aircraft design since we don’t have to worry about carrying a human payload. A classic multirotor converted to a tip-propelled design with the addition of rotor blades mounted on rotating arms is the perfect way to drastically increase hovering efficiency with the only downside being the fast rotation rate of the whole vehicle. This may pose an immediate challenge to integrating a camera payload, but there are plenty of other applications too. With some small design trade-offs, it is even possible to fly like an airplane in forward flight using the same wings used to increase hovering efficiency. This is what makes this particular drone concept so versatile: the simplicity and agility of a multirotor, hovering efficiency of a helicopter, and increased range and efficiency of fast forward flight. While it may not be the most efficient in forward flight, it is still an improvement over a conventional drone. In the next video, we’ll expand this vehicle’s abilities even further by adding intuitive directional control as it spins at over 250 RPM--so be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss it!00:00 Intro01:31 Collecting Forward Flight Data02:31 Potential Applications03:50 Forward Flight Data04:25 Comparison to Hover Power05:34 Conclusions and CRASH#VTOL #Drone #Tricopter
The Spinning Drone Paradox - Part 1 Nicholas Rehm 2022-07-20 | Generally speaking, if your drone starts spinning incredibly fast, you have a serious problem. But here’s the twist: (ba-dum-tsss) with the right design, spinning actually provides a substantial increase in hovering efficiency due to some clever exploitation of the laws of physics.*Patreon:* patreon.com/NicholasRehm*My Website:* drehmflight.com*Store:* amazon.com/shop/nicholasrehm*FREE print files and parts list to build your own:* hackaday.io/project/186410-the-cyclone-rotor-drone *Part 2 – Forward Flight Testing:* youtube.com/watch?v=I3D559DNa04*Part 3 – The Extraordinary Redundancy of Spinning Drones:* youtube.com/watch?v=taU7mRTnrtYThere are plenty of spinning VTOL drones that are inspired by the maple seed. This type of drone has always caught my interest because the complexity of controlling it as it spins always seemed to outweigh whatever benefits it provided, if any. So, I decided it was time to figure out what makes these unique spinning VTOL drones so attractive by building my own that is able to spin with wings, or just fly around like a regular tricopter. As long as you don’t mind your payload spinning, and needing to implement a custom control method (coming soon…?) to intuitively direct it around, a spinning rotor drone is substantially more efficient at hovering than a regular multirotor drone. In the next video, we’ll take it to the next level by exploring fast forward flight with this unique drone design. Make sure to subscribe so you don’t miss it!00:00 Intro01:19 Build02:41 Altitude Hold 03:52 No Wings Power Data05:49 Wings On Power Data06:40 Why It's So Darn Efficient 08:00 Conclusions#VTOL #Drone #Tricopter
Ground Effect Vehicle Autonomous Vision-Based Tracking Nicholas Rehm 2022-04-25 | When the RC Ekranoplan master himself, Mr. Think Flight (aka Kavin), asked me to help take his new ground effect vehicle to the next level, it was the perfect chance to build my own radio controlled ground effect vehicle. To achieve ‘Next Level,’ I built a flight computer with an autonomous, vision-based control algorithm.*Patreon:* patreon.com/NicholasRehm*My Website:* drehmflight.com*Store:* amazon.com/shop/nicholasrehm*Subscribe to Think Flight:* youtube.com/channel/UCMZkAT1Vf7CPSNcTzZkK_qQ*Rctestflight’s Ekranoplan development:* youtube.com/watch?v=nvMUYdr5_g8*Autonomous quadrotor motion planning:* youtube.com/watch?v=p8frNNYQNV4*dRehmflight VTOL Flight Controller:* drehmflight.com/drehmflight-vtolThe very nature of ground effect is self-stabilizing, meaning that an aircraft flying in ground effect will eventually settle on a ‘cushion’ of air and maintain the same altitude without any control inputs needed. But on lightweight models, settling into this equilibrium is hard because they’re so sensitive to disturbances like the wind. So, a lidar-based ground effect altitude hold controller implemented in my flight control code, dRehmFlight, helped keep my ekranoplan in ground effect. From there, flying it was just like driving an RC car, so I felt comfortable enough to hand the controls over to a Raspberry Pi running Robot Operating System (ROS), an AprilTag detection algorithm, and some custom 'follow-me' controller code. Hopefully this works on Kavin’s 7ft Ekranoplan!00:00 Intro 01:37 Building and Testing My RC Ekranoplan04:32 Adding Lidar Altitude Hold07:28 Flight Computer and Computer Vision Development09:21 Flying the Flight Computer10:51 Conclusions#Ekranoplan #GroundEffect #ComputerVision
Cycloidal Rotor Airplane: The Cycloplane Nicholas Rehm 2022-02-01 | Cycloidal rotor propulsion is being used on new vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, but how about using a cyclorotor for forward flight instead of purely hovering? I strapped a few cyclorotors on a simple RC airplane design to put it to the test versus a regular propeller, and the results are explosive. *Patreon:* patreon.com/NicholasRehm*My Website:* drehmflight.com*Store:* amazon.com/shop/nicholasrehm*Jude’s channel:* youtube.com/JudeSchauer*My hovering cycloidal rotor drone:* youtu.be/JoVmejDsMrM*Balancing an inverted pendulum with my racing drone:* youtu.be/XmYRQi48s-8 The cyclorotor isn’t really a new concept; it has been used for tugboat propulsion for quite some time. It works by pitching the blades around their rotation so that they each always have a positive angle of attack relative to their motion around the spinning axis. One potential advantage they offer while operating in air is that their ‘tip’ speed is much lower than a conventional propeller for the same thrust, so they can be much quieter. With the proper mechanical linkage and servos, their thrust vector can also be rotated almost instantly for increased maneuverability. Will cyclos ever replace regular propellers? Probably not. But that won’t stop me from continuing to explore them in future videos—so if you enjoyed, please consider leaving a like on this video and subscribing so you don’t miss more videos like this one.00:00 Intro00:29 How a Cyclorotor Makes Thrust01:32 Designing a New Cyclorotor02:35 Building the Cyclorotors03:16 Thrust Stand Testing05:40 Cycloplane Build and Flights07:19 Cycloplane Explosion08:06 Conclusions#Cyclorotor #Cyclocopter #Drone
Flying Inverted Pendulum Nicholas Rehm 2021-11-23 | Balancing a rod on your finger can be tricky, but we’re going to do it with a drone instead. With just a little extra hardware and custom flight control code, I modified my racing drone to be able to balance an inverted pendulum while I fly it around.*Patreon:* patreon.com/NicholasRehm*My Website:* drehmflight.com*Store:* amazon.com/shop/nicholasrehm*Mars Rover Sky Crane Pendulum video:* youtube.com/watch?v=6KsFICAE1vE*dRehmFlight VTOL flight controller used for this project:* drehmflight.com/drehmflight-vtolBalancing an inverted pendulum has been a classic control theory problem for ages, usually demonstrated with a pendulum mounted on a moving cart that’s constrained to move in only one-dimension. Some research labs have demonstrated the inverted pendulum on a drone before, but it required expensive motion capture cameras in a controlled testing environment. My approach was to use simple sensing onboard the drone and some basic modifications to the flight controller code to be able to fly the drone around like any other drone in angle/horizon mode, but with a giant stick balanced on top. If you learned something or at least enjoyed watching, I’d greatly appreciate a like on this video and maybe even a subscription to my channel for more projects like this in the future.00:00 Intro00:44 How it Works & Build03:12 First Attempts and Fixes04:19 It Works! First Flights05:27 Balancing Competition06:00 POWERLOOP07:34 Conclusions#Drone #InvertedPendulum #Controller
GPS-Denied, Anti-Jam Autonomous Drone: How It Works Nicholas Rehm 2021-10-19 | This fully autonomous drone has an onboard computer ‘brain’, camera ‘eyes’, and an algorithm that generates the fastest path around unknown obstacles as they’re detected mid-flight. Everything is computed onboard with no need for a radio connection to the ground, making it immune to jamming & able to operate in GPS-denied environments.*Patreon:* patreon.com/NicholasRehm*My Website:* drehmflight.com*Store:* amazon.com/shop/nicholasrehm*Check out my Cycloidal Rotor Drone:* youtube.com/watch?v=JoVmejDsMrM&*Build your own VTOL F-35:* youtube.com/watch?v=RqdcZD0ZoUk GPS-denied, vision-based autonomy is a very popular topic in robotics right now. Most importantly: once you know where you are, how do you most efficiently navigate around the environment without bumping into things? Variations of Dijkstra’s algorithm such as A* or D* Lite can be used to quickly and efficiently calculate the optimal path over ‘nodes’, or potential waypoints. This is the same general algorithm used in google maps to find the fastest route through traffic. Putting all of this together on a flying drone took a bit of specialized hardware, some help from Robot Operating System (ROS), and a whole lot of testing. Yes, there are pre-existing packages for pretty much every feature I implemented, but where's the fun in using someone else's code? If you learned something, I’d greatly appreciate a like on this video and maybe even a subscription to my channel for more projects like this in the future.00:00 Intro00:56 How Waypoint Autonomy Works03:00 Hardware Overview04:38 Position Control Demo06:37 Motion Planning 10107:23 Dijkstra’s algorithm, A*, and D* Lite09:16 Obstacle Detection09:47 Complete Demo12:08 Conclusions#Drone #MotionPlanning #Autonomy
Cycloidal Rotor Drone: The Cyclocopter Nicholas Rehm 2021-08-02 | As it turns out, a propeller isn’t the only way to generate thrust to fly. The Cyclocopter is a unique drone platform with cycloidal rotor propulsion and thrust vectoring capabilities that allows for some interesting flying qualities.*Patreon:* patreon.com/NicholasRehm*My Website:* drehmflight.com*Store:* amazon.com/shop/nicholasrehm*Cycloidal Rotor Airplane:* youtube.com/watch?v=iCEGgSJTXvcWith rotors that rotate around the horizontal axis rather than the vertical axis, this thing doesn’t look like it should be able to fly. Not to be confused with similarly looking magnus effect vehicles, the cyclorotor generates thrust by pitching the blades once per revolution so that they always have a positive angle of attack with respect to the incoming airflow. The position that this pitching angle occurs can be adjusted with a servo and a clever control rod mechanism so that the thrust direction can be instantly vectored in any direction. With some adjustments in the flight controller, the cyclocopter can translate forward and backward in what I like to call “Slidey Mode,” rather than needing to pitch the whole body to move.00:00 Intro00:49 What is a Cyclocopter?01:25 How does the cyclorotor produce thrust?02:29 How does it fly?04:22 Advantage over a propeller05:08 CYCLOCOPTER FRONTFLIP06:08 Conclusions#Cyclocopter #Drone #Propeller
Making an INSANE Hovering RC F-35 VTOL Jet Nicholas Rehm 2021-07-09 | I built this insane radio controlled VTOL F-35 parkjet that can takeoff and land vertically using conventional miniquad/drone parts. The best part is the plans and code are all free, and I’m going to teach you how to build your own. *Patreon:* patreon.com/NicholasRehm*My Website:* drehmflight.com*Store:* amazon.com/shop/nicholasrehm*FREE Plans and .STLs:* drehmflight.com/post/f-35-vtol-parkjet*FREE dRehmFlight F-35 Code:* github.com/nickrehm/dRehmFlight-F-35 *dRehmFlight VTOL Tutorials:* youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTSCOv-lGtMax-oA4Pnq8OTxd4fTucrjQThis RC F-35 is a first in its class: easy to build, uses readily available drone parts, and features full vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) capability. Powerful brushless motors with 5” propellers and direct thrust vectoring make this thing an absolute blast to fly. I’ve designed it to be intentionally tail-heavy with active stabilization in forward flight, just like the real F-35. This allows it to be extremely maneuverable so it can be flown in tight spaces, or taken out to a big field to let it rip at 80+ mph. The total weight is approximately 600 grams ready to fly. If you liked this or want to stay up to date with my VTOL projects, please consider subscribing! More fun projects are on the way.Parts I’ve used and recommend for this project:Motors: amzn.to/3qXXIU7 Propellers: amzn.to/3dMu52E ESC: amzn.to/3KQTEitBattery: amzn.to/2TEVEEp Servos: amzn.to/3AO9s0V Radio System: amzn.to/36eIT5Z Teensy 4.0: amzn.to/3i5Zwqn IMU: amzn.to/3htnU6a 00:00 Intro02:45 Build 08:49 Coding 12:52 Controls and Hover Tests 14:47 Flights and Tips #F35 #VTOL #Drone
Mars Rover Sky Crane: Drone Test Nicholas Rehm 2021-02-20 | The Perseverance Mars rover successfully landed in Jezero Crater after being delivered via rocket powered 'sky crane.' I dressed my drone up as the sky crane and built a DIY winch to explore the dynamics of this interesting system, that upon first glance, looks like a pendulum. Turns out, landing a rover on Mars via sky crane is really, really, difficult and far more complicated than a simple pendulum.*Patreon:* patreon.com/NicholasRehm*My Website:* drehmflight.com*Store:* amazon.com/shop/nicholasrehm*dRehmFlight VTOL Flight Controller:* drehmflight.com/drehmflight-vtolMany people often get confused when it comes to stability of flying systems, as they are often compared to pendulums. This is most commonly known as the rocket pendulum fallacy, where it is believed that a system can achieve passive stability simply by 'hanging' more mass at the bottom. When in reality, a flying body rotates about its center of mass regardless of the way the mass is distributed. Tom Stanton produced an excellent video exploring this concept: youtube.com/watch?v=OYHCP3-mpxkIt may be easy to see the dangling Mars rover and try to apply this false logic to the stability of the sky crane-rover system. The true dynamics reveal that there is a coupling between the two that, when not accounted for in the sky crane's landing control system, makes the system nearly impossible to safely land.00:00 Intro01:06 Setting Up01:42 Flight Testing06:13 Dynamics Explained#Mars2020 #Perseverance #Drone
How the Flight Controller Code Works - dRehmFlight VTOL Nicholas Rehm 2021-02-07 | This video will walk you through the flight controller code of dRehmFlight VTOL to give you a better understanding of the contents and structure. The hope is that it will cover almost everything you need to know in order to feel comfortable navigating the code within the Arduino environment. You can then make your modifications as needed for your custom VTOL aircraft.*What is dRehmFlight VTOL?:* drehmflight.com/drehmflight-vtol*Download the Code and Documentation:* github.com/nickrehm/dRehmFlight*RcGroups Support Thread:* rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?3706571-dRehmFlight-VTOL-Teensy-Flight-Controller-and-StabilizationWhile extensive, this video is not comprehensive and should serve only as a starting point in getting familiar with dRehmFlight VTOL. The provided documentation on GitHub covers every topic in much more detail and it is recommended to read in full if you are interested in better understanding the code. However after setting up the radio and IMU connections, the majority of code modifications are simply performed within the control mixer function which is where you specify how the motors and servos on your vehicle should move for your aircraft configuration.#dRehmFlight #VTOL #FlightController
Mounting and Configuring the IMU - dRehmFlight VTOL Nicholas Rehm 2021-01-28 | This video will show you how to verify proper operation of the IMU for dRehmFlight VTOL before your first flight. It will also show you how to correctly mount the IMU to your aircraft. The code supports the MPU6050 and MPU9250 IMUs and performs all of the required filtering to accurately estimate the orientation. Code is accessed and modified within the Arduino IDE with the Teensyduino add-on.*What is dRehmFlight VTOL?:* drehmflight.com/drehmflight-vtol*Download the Code and Documentation:* github.com/nickrehm/dRehmFlight*RcGroups Support Thread:* rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?3706571-dRehmFlight-VTOL-Teensy-Flight-Controller-and-StabilizationFoam tape I use and recommend: amzn.to/3clopgeVerifying proper operation of the IMU is not required, but is highly recommended for first-time setup to ensure the hardware connections are configured correctly. This process should not take more than 10 minutes and serves to help better familiarize you with the code.NOTE: This video is slightly dated. In dRehmFlight Beta 1.3+, upload the code as described and open the serial monitor. IMU calibration parameters will be printed to the monitor. Paste these in the user specified variables section, and comment out the calculate_IMU_error() function in void setup. This one-time calibration procedure prevents the need to leave the flight controller still for EVERY power up.#dRehmFlight #VTOL #FlightController
Radio Controlled SpaceX Starship CRASH Nicholas Rehm 2021-01-18 | After making some repairs after my last video, I took my 3D printed remote controlled SpaceX Starship out for some more flight testing to try to get a better feel for the flight characteristics during the freefall maneuver. Unfortunately, it turned into confetti after another hard “landing.”*Patreon:* patreon.com/NicholasRehm*My Website:* drehmflight.com*Store:* amazon.com/shop/nicholasrehm*Previous Starship Video:* youtube.com/watch?v=5lwH7xJnB4I*dRehmFlight VTOL Flight Controller:* drehmflight.com/drehmflight-vtol*3D Printed Part Files:* hackaday.io/project/175745-radio-controlled-starship-program*Cameraman Peter:* youtube.com/user/peterryseckMy radio controlled starship is powered by two electric motors and propellers, and gimbals them for control just like the real starship; this is far from your conventional “drone.” During the freefall or belly flop maneuver, the motors shut off and it uses its four unique control surfaces to control the descent. In this video, I added a first-person view (FPV) camera, but unfortunately never got around to flying it through the goggles. I think I’ve learned enough about this vehicle to vastly improve the next iteration, but now I would like to shift my efforts toward developing a Super Heavy Booster to launch it with. I even have plans to catch the booster with the launch tower, just like SpaceX. If you liked this or want to stay up to date on my Starship program, please consider subscribing! More fun projects to come.00:00 Intro01:08 First Flight02:09 New Control Surfaces02:40 Flight Two04:40 FPV Goggles05:05 Flight Three05:56 How Thrust Vectoring Works07:00 Flight Four Confetti Crash09:24 Conclusions#SpaceX #Starship #Drone
Radio Controlled SpaceX Starship Belly Flop Nicholas Rehm 2020-12-08 | I started my own Starship program because I was tired of waiting to see SpaceX's high-altitude SN8 flight test. This radio controlled Starship has complete control surface actuation like the real thing and can takeoff, hover, and do the elusive belly flop maneuver.*Patreon:* patreon.com/NicholasRehm*My Website:* drehmflight.com*Store:* amazon.com/shop/nicholasrehm*dRehmFlight VTOL Flight Controller:* drehmflight.com/drehmflight-vtol*Radio Controlled Starhopper:* youtube.com/watch?v=VsyFejn40SsI've seen others try a radio controlled Starship, so I figured its my turn to figure it out too. I made a fully functioning (electric) Starship that can take off vertically, skydive down, and land vertically. To my knowledge, nobody else has done all three before. This RC Starship is mostly 3D printed with some carbon spars and foam. It uses conventional drone electronics, servos, and radio equipment to allow me to fly it from the ground. In this video, I'll show you how I built it, the problems I encountered, and plenty of flight test (and crash) footage. I will fix this version and take it out again for more flight tests where we can really put it through it's paces for more precision landings. If you liked this or want to stay up to date on my Starship program, please consider subscribing! More fun projects to come.00:00 Intro01:16 Design Overview02:05 The Build03:37 How it Works05:12 First Test Flights07:15 Hover Tuning08:42 Complete Flights11:28 Crash and Conclusions#SpaceX #Starship #Drone
Radio Controlled SpaceX Starhopper Nicholas Rehm 2020-11-06 | In anticipation of the 15km SN8 Starship hop, I decided to launch my own Starship program, starting the same way SpaceX did: with a Starhopper test platform. I needed to know how to stabilize a vehicle like this so that I can scale up to more advanced hardware later, for a (hopefully) fully functioning radio controlled Starship. *Patreon:* patreon.com/NicholasRehm*My Website:* drehmflight.com*Store:* amazon.com/shop/nicholasrehm*dRehmFlight VTOL Flight Controller:* drehmflight.com/drehmflight-vtol*Peter's Quad-Biplane:* youtube.com/watch?v=8UOTyEGb7qEI've seen others try a radio controlled Starship, so I figured its my turn to figure it out too. I want to make a fully functioning (electric) Starship that can take off vertically, skydive down, and land vertically. To my knowledge, nobody else has done this before. It is a difficult engineering challenge, but that's what makes it fun. This Starhopper prototype helped me flush out some design ideas I had floating around in my head. I think on the next version, I will move to direct thrust vectoring rather than re-directing the flow over control surfaces. This should give a much more responsive platform.If you liked this or want to stay up to date on my Starship program, please consider subscribing! More fun projects to come.00:00 Intro01:07 The Build03:12 Flight Controller Setup04:46 First Flights05:40 Troubleshooting06:28 Finale07:06 Conclusions07:41 Extra Crash Footage#SpaceX #Starhopper #Drone
Setting Up Your Radio Connection - dRehmFlight VTOL Nicholas Rehm 2020-10-12 | This video will show you how to set up your radio to work with dRehmFlight VTOL. The code supports PWM, PPM, SBUS, and DSM type receivers, allowing you to connect and use 6 channels within the default code. Code is accessed and modified within the Arduino IDE with the Teensyduino add-on.*What is dRehmFlight VTOL?:* drehmflight.com/drehmflight-vtol*Download the Code and Documentation:* github.com/nickrehm/dRehmFlight*RcGroups Support Thread:* rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?3706571-dRehmFlight-VTOL-Teensy-Flight-Controller-and-StabilizationArduino Download: arduino.cc/en/Main/softwareTeensyduino Add-on: pjrc.com/teensy/td_download.htmlSetting up your radio with dRehmFlight VTOL is a simple process that only requires minor setup within the code and within your radio's built-in functionality. After binding your transmitter to your receiver and plugging the receiver in to the Teensy, the full setup process will not take more than 10 minutes.NOTE: This video is dated and does not include instructions for newly supported Spektrum DSM satellite receivers. DSM receivers should be connected to RX3 (pin 15) and powered from a 3.3V pin on the teensy.#dRehmFlight #VTOL #FlightController
Building the Flight Controller Hardware - dRehmFlight VTOL Nicholas Rehm 2020-09-17 | This video will show you how to setup and solder the default recommended hardware setup for the dRehmFlight VTOL flight controller package. This hardware configuration will work with the stock code which supports 6 ESC outputs using OneShot125 protocol, and 7 servos or ESC outputs using conventional PWM. It will also accept 6 channel PWM, PPM, or SBUS receiver inputs.*What is dRehmFlight VTOL?:* drehmflight.com/drehmflight-vtol*Download the Code and Documentation:* github.com/nickrehm/dRehmFlight*RcGroups Support Thread:* rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?3706571-dRehmFlight-VTOL-Teensy-Flight-Controller-and-Stabilization*Buy the parts to build your own here:* amazon.com/shop/nicholasrehm/list/1NDPB7E0VMZOP?ref_=aip_sf_list_spv_ons_mixed_dWhile this hardware configuration is simple, it is not the only way to solder up the Teensy for use with the dRehmFlight VTOL code. It is merely a starting point. The complete documentation shows you how to modify the pin selection for your specific hardware configuration, which can then be soldered on to a prototyping board or your own PCB design for a more professional build. As with all things having to do with this project, I encourage you to get creative and find what works best for you. The default code and hardware is just a starting point!#dRehmFlight #VTOL #FlightController
dRehmFlight VTOL - Teensy (Arduino) Flight Controller and Stabilization Nicholas Rehm 2020-09-11 | dRehmFlight VTOL is a new flight controller and stabilization package intended to be used for small to medium sized hobby or research projects. dRehmFlight is the code, and the physical flight controller is a Teensy 4.0 microcontroller with an MPU6050 IMU. This lightweight flight controller can be used for anything from basic multirotors, to advanced VTOL configurations, to simple fixed wing platforms.*What is dRehmFlight VTOL:* drehmflight.com/drehmflight-vtol*Download the Code and Documentation:* github.com/nickrehm/dRehmFlight*RcGroups Forum Thread:* rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?3706571-dRehmFlight-VTOL-Teensy-Flight-Controller-and-StabilizationSong: 'Something New' by Nick Rehm: youtube.com/watch?v=p4mjkAzi43UI needed a simple flight controller where I knew all of the inputs and outputs, but could also program my own functionality at the source code level. Arduino type projects allow for this type of customization, but Arduino boards just haven’t been quite fast enough to run flight control code without advanced optimization techniques. That’s where the Teensy 4.0 microcontroller comes in. The Teensy works identically to an Arduino; you even upload code to it through the Arduino IDE along with the Teensyduino add-on. The difference is that it runs at 600 MHz, compared to something similarly sized like an Arduino nano that runs at only 16MHz. The Teensy also has over 40 digital pins, 31 of which are PWM-enabled, and all are interrupt capable. The main problem I’ve had when looking at things like Ardupilot or Betaflight, is that the code is so difficult to modify or understand what it going on. It just seems like a black box that you have to wrestle with to get to work, especially for unique VTOL configurations that transition between flight modes. I wanted something that does exactly what I want and gives me the ability to add any functionality I want with some basic knowledge of coding with Arduino. No advanced techniques. Just some simple, unoptimized but easy to understand code running really fast on an even faster board.All of the code required to take in radio inputs, generate stabilized commands with a PID controller, and mix them for your dynamic configuration is taken care of. All you need to do is assemble the flight controller, set up your radio connection, and assign your desired mixing to the motors or servos. The default code supports 6 motor outputs using OneShot125 ESC protocol, and 7 servos or ESCs using standard PWM. The complete documentation will show you how to modify the code for more outputs if you are interested in a custom hardware setup for larger projects.Custom mixing allows for variable dynamic configurations. What does that mean? It means that with a simple ‘if’ statement, you can monitor the state of an auxiliary radio channel, and assign different outputs for hover mode and forward flight mode. This has been where others have struggled to get something working for their VTOL projects in the past. A Betaflight controller does really well at stabilizing a multirotor, but ask it to reassign outputs based on a switch input to transition between flight modes, and you’re on your own. Ardupilot and Pixhawk have support for specific VTOL platforms, but getting something working, and then troubleshooting, requires a steep learning curve that takes hours of time on the forums. Do you know a little bit about Arduino? Great. The documentation will walk you through how the code works—which is less than 800 lines—and how to work with it. Every variable is available to you, along with options for controller types, and of course your fully custom mixing.00:00 Intro00:29 Why Did I Create This?01:59 What It Does03:32 What It Doesn't Do04:30 Conclusions#dRehmFlight #VTOL #FlightController
The Difference Between a Drone Flight Controller and Flight Computer Nicholas Rehm 2020-07-31 | *Learn more about Aerial Robotics on my website:* drehmflight.com*Drone completing obstacle course:* youtube.com/watch?v=2r0fX_8A8ms*Autonomous drone with motion planning and computer vision:* youtube.com/watch?v=p8frNNYQNV4How exactly does an autonomous drone fly? This is a very broad overview of the difference between autonomous drone flight controllers and flight computers. Of course, not all autonomous drones are alike and there are exceptions, but this video covers the basics of why flight controllers are generally kept separate from flight computers used for autonomy on small drones. If you are a hobbyist or student looking to develop your own autonomous drone, this is a great place to start. Additionally, this video may serve as a good introduction to the behind-the-scenes computations and processes occurring in an autonomous drone flight controller and flight computer. With knowledge of these important concepts, you should begin to understand how to make your own self-flying drone.Drone autonomy is an ever-expanding subject of interest because it can allow for more useful applications of small aerial vehicles such as autonomous package delivery, search and rescue, or specialized aerial photography. Aerial robotics also serves as a great challenge to undertake for those interested in robotics, particularly visual-inertial odometry which is crucial for autonomous navigation on flying vehicles. A combination of a good flight controller, flight computer, and sensor suite including LIDAR, cameras, or a combination of both can be a great starting point for creating a drone capable of autonomous flight. Nowadays, a raspberry pi, arduino microcontroller, and basic quadcopter platform can get you up and flying with the right custom or open source software.Again, I would like to emphasize that this video is not comprehensive, and generalizes quite a bit. I am aware that not all systems follow this same framework. This video should serve more as an informative guide for hobby and research vehicles rather than an all-inclusive handbook.#Drones #FlightController #Autonomy
