FPV Collision Avoidance

[rickc]

I have need to fly CLOSE to a vertical object, wall, rock, etc. for video/stills without a collision, wearing a FPV googles. A second person as a spotter is nice, but the bird may not be directly or easily visible.

looking through the googles, I have no depth perception or visual reference to tell how close I am.

I started thinking about a reticle in the viewing field, perhaps a lightweight rod or similar object sticking out two feet ahead of the nose that I could see in the goggles, and other such simplistic, lightweight and cheap approaches.

Any ideas?

 

[just_bruce]

Projected laser line? When it strikes a surface it will be a certain length. Learn what that length is when viewed thru your goggles and you should have a rudimentary depth guage. Use a blue laser pointer for visibility ?

 

[rickc]

Projected laser line? When it strikes a surface it will be a certain length. Learn what that length is when viewed thru your goggles and you should have a rudimentary depth guage. Use a blue laser pointer for visibility ?

I like it. I just happen to have a tiny red laser ...

 

[carpy]

If you really want to get serious, Maxbotic I2C Sonar Rangefinder — Copter documentation

 

[tracer]

How close are you getting to the object? I've had several crashes caused by getting too close to a vertical object, ie, tree trunk or steep grassy slope. The object tends to "pull" the drone to it, either from the rotor wash and/or the GPS signal getting muddled. I like to fly at least 5' away from vertical surfaces. Also try different camera settings. I find that the medium or narrow view on the GoPro tends to magnify more than the wide view. I have lots of video footage that looks like I'm skimming the treetops when I am well above them.

Spotters are great - could yours possibly use binoculars as well?

 

[rickc]

How close are you getting to the object? I've had several crashes caused by getting too close to a vertical object, ie, tree trunk or steep grassy slope. The object tends to "pull" the drone to it, either from the rotor wash and/or the GPS signal getting muddled. I like to fly at least 5' away from vertical surfaces. Also try different camera settings. I find that the medium or narrow view on the GoPro tends to magnify more than the wide view. I have lots of video footage that looks like I'm skimming the treetops when I am well above them.

Spotters are great - could yours possibly use binoculars as well?

I have had two crashes, both non-fatal and the bird emerged with a few scratches and little damage. The question is, even if you have a set criteria, say no closer than 5' - how do you know where you are?

I have had spotters, but, in many situations, looking at a situation 1/3 to 1/2 mile away, spotters are no big help. when it comes to flying close to an archaeological site
So far, looking at:

lasers - red no good, looking at blue

sonic tape measre - attach one to the front such that you can see the read-out in the FPV goggles (trying a cheapo from Harbor Freight)

sonic screwdriver - borrowed from Dr. Who

Maxbotic I2C Sonar Rangefinder — Copter documentation: I don't even know where to start with this one? What the heck is inside my (mostly) stock solo - is it a pixhawk board or what - do I a need to install arducopter, what hardware, etc. etc. ???????

 

[fpvsteve]

I have had two crashes, both non-fatal and the bird emerged with a few scratches and little damage. The question is, even if you have a set criteria, say no closer than 5' - how do you know where you are?

I have had spotters, but, in many situations, looking at a situation 1/3 to 1/2 mile away, spotters are no big help. when it comes to flying close to an archaeological site
So far, looking at:

lasers - red no good, looking at blue

sonic tape measre - attach one to the front such that you can see the read-out in the FPV goggles (trying a cheapo from Harbor Freight)

sonic screwdriver - borrowed from Dr. Who

Maxbotic I2C Sonar Rangefinder — Copter documentation: I don't even know where to start with this one? What the heck is inside my (mostly) stock solo - is it a pixhawk board or what - do I a need to install arducopter, what hardware, etc. etc. ???????

You will need Arducopter 3.5 and higher to use a rangefinder with Solo. And some good DIY skills and experience to get it working.
If you are looking for a reliable collision avoidance out of the box solution with visual and haptic feedback along with FPV googles, I would recommend a Mavic along with the DJI Googles. Not really low cost, but likely the most advanced and ready to use you can currently get.