Autonomous Helicopter

1
Autonomous Helicopter

• EE 496
• James Lyden
• Harris Okazaki

2
Project Overview

• The goal of this project was to create a
  helicopter capable of flying itself. Our initial
  objective was to get the helicopter to hover on
  its own.

3
Systems

• Computer with Bluetooth
• Interpret sensor data/calculate and maintain
  course
• Transceiver Class 1 Bluetooth Radio
• Send formatted sensor readings to the PC
• Receive control signals from the PC
• PIC Microcontroller/ADC/DAC
• Collect/Format sensor readings prior to
  transmission
• Convert/split control signals prior to sending to
  servos
• Gyroscope Sensor
• Read rotation around rotor axis
• Accelerometer Sensors
• Read acceleration in X, Y, and Z directions

4
Sensor Orientation
5
Block Diagram - Hardware
6
Block Diagram Master Controller
7
Block Diagram Slave Controller
8
Final status

• Things we got to work
• Accelerometer
• Gyros
• Blue tooth
• Slave microcontroller
• Dual power supply
• Problems we had
• Voltage step
• Voltage regulators
• Blue tooth
• Replace solder pad

9
Latest Prototype
10
OUTSTANDING PROBLEMS

• Disabling USB support on the microcontroller
• Communication between PC and the microcontroller
  via UART
• In-circuit debugger
• Serial communications
• Add a SPI-to-RS232 chip
• Haven't coded for a PID
• We have the raw data available on board with no
  way to get it to the computer

11
Conclusion

• We were able to completely design and build a
  hardware platform that we will be able to expand
  upon next semester.
• Our only major roadblock this semester, the UART,
  will hopefully be resolved early on when we
  resume the project freeing us up to complete and
  test all other objectives.
• GOOD LUCK ON FINALS!!