Mav Pilot for iOS

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Video tutorial and write up for a simple waypoint mission using Mav Pilot for iOS.
Will revise with other capabilities of the app as I get them done.

Looking good.


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Workflow For Mav Pilot and 3DR Solo on an iPhone
Create and run a simple Waypoint Mission

iPhone will run Mav Pilot
iPad will run Solo App (optional if you wish to monitor live video)

Open Mav Pilot, activate More… /Settings.
Configuration: (should only need to be done once)

HOST 10.1.1.1
PORT 14550
TYPE UDP

Completely boot the Solo controller then Solo copter as “normal”, allowing GPS to fully initialize.

Connect iOS device(s) to Solo Wi-Fi.

Start Mav Pilot app.

Arm the Solo.

No need to take off, just fire the motors by holding down the Fly button on Solo controller, and then let them auto shut down by themselves.

You should see some activity in the Dashboard view of Mav Pilot as you arm the Solo.

Activate Map view, you should see a red house icon at the Home GPS location, based on current position of the Solo.

Activate Mission view and should see Home location in the list.

Activate Map view, to create the rest of the mission Waypoints.

Create a series of additional Waypoints for the Mission.
Press and hold on the screen until the context menu appears with three icons, green are Waypoints. Set the desired number of waypoints for the Mission in the Map view.

Toggle to Mission view to confirm the additional Waypoints have appeared in the list.

If you wish to alter the parameter of individual Waypoints such as Altitude, click the arrow icon in the mission Waypoint list to the right of the individual waypoint you wish to edit. Click in the data entry cell of the desired parameter to make an edit.

For example, the last waypoint in the list, you may want to specify as Return to Launch. Click Done on the keyboard interface and then < Mission at the top left of the screen to return to the Mission view.

Click the red Share icon in the upper left of the Mission view. Select Upload from the Mission Request options. Keep an eye on the top center of screen for indication the Mission was “Saved” to the Solo. Also, the Share icon turns green, indicating the mission was successfully uploaded to the Solo.

Activate the Dashboard view.

Press Fly button on the Solo controller to start the motors for flight.

Press and hold the Fly button on the Solo controller to initiate liftoff of the Solo to default height above the Home point.

Click anywhere on the Dashboard view to activate Control view. Click the Auto command to execute the loaded waypoint mission.

Sit back and watch the Solo execute the flight plan.
 
And I thought I was the only one using this.
 
Honestly, I was prompted to try it after your post a few weeks back...
There should be another update, 1.3, posted in App Store soon.
 
Video tutorial and write up for a simple waypoint mission using Mav Pilot for iOS.
Will revise with other capabilities of the app as I get them done.

Eric,

First and most importantly, thanks for the work and info! That's what I love about these forums, the work others do to share with all of us.

I guess for the die-hard iOS users this is a viable option to put in the toolbox. Personally, I've become quite comfortable with the Android for my flying platform only. Any Android devices I own are strictly for flying apps and are locked down (as much as I can) from auto-updating and running unnecessary background apps. I've had great luck with them and rarely use any iOS apps for flying.

As an Android user, I think Tower is a pretty damned good app and look forward to seeing it evolve even further. It appears that the development, approval process and deployment of iOS apps is much more restrictive and tedious than that of its Android counterpart. Therefore, making these functions available far sooner on the Android platform.

I've been doing functions like these for well over a year on other platforms and since I purchased my Solo with the Tower app. Great info though. It's nice to see all of the options out there and I'm sure the iOS crowd will be quite pleased to see another option at work. Thanks for sharing!

Jerry
 
Why does it look like it hits an invisible wall each time it hits a waypoint? Violent sudden turns, camera pans elsewhere, etc. Even when the waypoint isn't that much different than the previous or next one, like basically flying in a line.
 
Great tutorial Eric! Obviously you put a lot of work into that- thanks!
Does that have something like "region of interest" in Tower where you can adjust the height that the camera is pointed?

Also, how did you record the screen image?
 
As for violent turns, mostly blame the gimbal-less flight.
I considered purchase of Android device for Solo only, put have many more uses for iPhone/Pad and did not want to kick for yet another monthly wireless charge. Cacheing the aerial maps just does not work for me.

You can adjust altitude of individual waypoints, and specify a region(s) of interest along the flight path at which the solo will point (camera orient). Perhaps a part two or three of the tutorial series...

I recorded the screen imagery with the iPhone plugged into a MacBook with Lightning cable. Then you boot Quicktime player, select New Movie Recording and specify source of iPhone. I recorded the output from Solo app the same way using an iPad, but had to do that by repeating the mission. You can only record a new movie from one external source at a time. Finally sync the individual together Map view, Dashboard view and Solo App view using Final Cut Pro and sprinkle from some Joe Satriani on top.

Having not used Tower, I had some questions, and the developer of Mav Pilot was very accessible and helpful. It was a great experience to deploy a fully autonomous flight outside of a smart shot. I highly recommend the App.

Thanks for the comments, enjoy the Solos.
 
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As for violent turns, mostly blame the gimbal-less flight.
I considered purchase of Android device for Solo only, put have many more uses for iPhone/Pad and did not want to kick for yet another monthly wireless charge. Cacheing the aerial maps just does not work for me.

You can adjust altitude of individual waypoints, and specify a region(s) of interest along the flight path at which the solo will point (camera orient). Perhaps a part two or three of the tutorial series...

I recorded the screen imagery with the iPhone plugged into a MacBook with Lightning cable. Then you boot Quicktime player, select New Movie Recording and specify source of iPhone. I recorded the output from Solo app the same way using an iPad, but had to do that by repeating the mission. You can only record a new movie from one external source at a time. Finally sync the individual together Map view, Dashboard view and Solo App view using Final Cut Pro and sprinkle from some Joe Satriani on top.

Having not used Tower, I had some questions, and the developer of Mav Pilot was very accessible and helpful. It was a great experience to deploy a fully autonomous flight outside of a smart shot. I highly recommend the App.

Thanks for the comments, enjoy the Solos.
I bought a Nexus 7 just to use Tower. I have no service on it and I get maps with no problem. I have never had to "cache" maps- maybe it does it automatically?

Mav Pilot looks like a great program- now I need to decide which one to concentrate on learning.
 
Eric,

First and most importantly, thanks for the work and info! That's what I love about these forums, the work others do to share with all of us.

I guess for the die-hard iOS users this is a viable option to put in the toolbox. Personally, I've become quite comfortable with the Android for my flying platform only. Any Android devices I own are strictly for flying apps and are locked down (as much as I can) from auto-updating and running unnecessary background apps. I've had great luck with them and rarely use any iOS apps for flying.

As an Android user, I think Tower is a pretty damned good app and look forward to seeing it evolve even further. It appears that the development, approval process and deployment of iOS apps is much more restrictive and tedious than that of its Android counterpart. Therefore, making these functions available far sooner on the Android platform.

I've been doing functions like these for well over a year on other platforms and since I purchased my Solo with the Tower app. Great info though. It's nice to see all of the options out there and I'm sure the iOS crowd will be quite pleased to see another option at work. Thanks for sharing!

Jerry

You do know there is a reason for Apple's approval process to be more tedious and restrictive, it is so we get quality apps that can be trusted instead of buggy apps that were rushed to market just to be first which could crash and in turn crash your copter. I won't trust Android with my Solo which has meant the app has never once crashed on me or done anything i didn't' tell it too. I will gladly wait...
 
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Go to App Store with iPad, select option for iPhone only. Search, select and install Mav pilot, it works, we have been running great for months, several versions on a pad.
 
If your looking for another Solo app for iOS, check out SidePilot, a new version is being released in a few weeks with better solo support including video and grid plotting!

I did look at SidePilot, but it appeared it did not have any survey features. I take it by your comment that it does not now have survey capability (grid plotting?), but in the next version it will. Thanks for the tip. I'll watch for the next update.
 
I did look at SidePilot, but it appeared it did not have any survey features. I take it by your comment that it does not now have survey capability (grid plotting?), but in the next version it will. Thanks for the tip. I'll watch for the next update.

Correct, next update in a few weeks will have a survey feature
 

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