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New to ROS - Want to get quadrocoptor or drones

asked 2012-04-22 16:35:38 -0500

MusicMagi gravatar image

updated 2014-01-28 17:12:03 -0500

ngrennan gravatar image

Hi -

Hobby robotics/AI builder. I have done a bunch of projects with the NXT and some C-based programming, but I would like to get into ROS and pick up either a quadrocoptor or a set of small drone-like coptors I could use to program. Is there a good quadcoptor that isn't too expensive for me to get started on that would be recommended for a beginner on ROS? Also - I would like to get into swarm robotics and perhaps have 5 or 6 drones behaving in unison. Is this something that is possible on a hobbyist's budget or is it a higher level project?

Thanks in advance

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answered 2012-04-22 18:20:04 -0500

Dustin gravatar image

updated 2012-04-22 18:20:58 -0500

That question depends on what kind of budget you have but it's likely a higher level project. The cheapest quadrotor on the market at the moment is the AR Drone. While a lot of fun to fly they are limited and may or may not be applicable to your project. You can build something considerably more capable for about $600. I've done this by combining a Guai 330X chassis (which is no longer for sale) and an ArduPilot Mega. Beware that this route requires a sizable time investment to achieve programmatic control over such a device. If you are not tied to the idea of using real robots you could consider the hector_quadrotor statck. IIRC it is a quadrotor simulator built on Gazebo and should allow you to work with a swarm.

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Asked: 2012-04-22 16:35:38 -0500

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Last updated: Apr 22 '12