P5 Feature request: collision detection & recovery

[Drestin Black]

So, been thinking, the P4 is awesome! What would I want in my next top of the line drone?

Easy/Obvious: more reliable control link signal, longer range (both radio and battery), higher speed.
Progressive: upgraded side and additional top obstacle avoidance that works all the time (likes forward/backward does)

But what would be awesome? Ok, what's my single biggest issue. No matter how carefully, at some point I have situations where I might hit something, and often it's not while running at speed it's while maneuvering at low speeds around obstacles. Or flying without OA on for whatever reason. Or flying indoor without prop guards.

What happens is that one prop hits something enough to slow it enough that ... blamo! everything crashes.

So, I'd love it if a new feature would be the ability to survive, at least some, prop impacts. Not asking for 40 mph into wall, but 1-5 mph into branch or brush with something solid - and it would just back off and hover.

Doable?

 

[Quamera]

So, been thinking, the P4 is awesome! What would I want in my next top of the line drone?

Easy/Obvious: more reliable control link signal, longer range (both radio and battery), higher speed.
Progressive: upgraded side and additional top obstacle avoidance that works all the time (likes forward/backward does)

But what would be awesome? Ok, what's my single biggest issue. No matter how carefully, at some point I have situations where I might hit something, and often it's not while running at speed it's while maneuvering at low speeds around obstacles. Or flying without OA on for whatever reason. Or flying indoor without prop guards.

What happens is that one prop hits something enough to slow it enough that ... blamo! everything crashes.

So, I'd love it if a new feature would be the ability to survive, at least some, prop impacts. Not asking for 40 mph into wall, but 1-5 mph into branch or brush with something solid - and it would just back off and hover.

Doable?

The trouble is the motor overload cuts in almost instantly to save motor burnout and then it only takes a further instant for the Phantom to start tumbling and that is a very difficult (but not impossible) situation to recover from. DJI have put OA on to reduce the chance of the problem occurring in the first place and the next best option would be more motors. With 5 motors you can actually loose 2 (if they are not adjacent) and still stay stable.

 

[Drestin Black]

Maybe the solution is: Phantom 5 ... 5 arms

 

[dwallersv]

Number of arms must be even to balance torque.

 

[N017RW]

An odd number of motors above three is not currently seen due to difficulties in Yaw control. Those (3 rotor) types have been known to use tilting of the rear rotor for thrust vectoring to compensate for undesired yaw.

Where is there a 5 rotor configuration and how would they compensate (i.e 'remain stable') for the torque imbalance with the loss of two rotors in any combination which could occur?

 

[syotr]

Maybe the solution is: Phantom 5 ... 5 arms

http://robot-kingdom.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/1.png

 

[N017RW]

Yea.
A home brew with (again) a tilting 5th rotor.
Certainly not a mass produced item or stable with the loss of two rotors.

 

[syotr]

You will have to wait for the P6 You really need 6 or 8 rotors to survive a loss.