Your thoughts - Payload Control for P2V+

[garrock]

Note: a similar thread is in the P3 forum section but many of us stay in our own forum section.

Advance Payload Control​

Please tell all of us here what you would do if you had a Payload Control System.


To date.. what has been the point (or payload) for the drones we fly ?

• We are out to fly a camera as a "payload" ; right ?
• Antennas and Boosters: Some of us are out brag about deep down range distances. (but is that really a "payload" ? Not really. Antennas and boosters extend the range to fly a payload. But not a viable reason for the flight-sorte.)
• So, what else ???

What would you control?

1. Multi-Colored LED light strings:
   • Sync'ed to music playing on the ground
   • Modulated to your voice
   • Pre-programmed lighting patterns
   • Pool/Party Entertainment Drones
2. High Intensity Search Lighting
3. LASER Light Shows: Dazzling laser scanning patterns
4. Loud Speaker and Microphone
   • We can see Points Of Interest but we cannot talk to or hear them
5. Drop Mechanisms:
   • Optional downlink confirms the drop status (released or still loaded, etc.)
   • Fishing: drop bait on-top a school of fish
   • Supply Drops: food, drink, medicine, or leisure time party goods
   • Child Entertainment: drop parachute action figures ... lol
6. Air Sampling:
   • Fungus, Spores, Mold (eg agriculture, horticulture, agronomy)
7. Radio Repeater:
   • Fly and control your own HAM Radio cross-band repeater

Possible Applications:

1. Search And Rescue
2. Entertainment
3. Hobby
4. Security / Deterrent (eg a deterrent would be scaring deer out of the fields)
5. Agriculture
6. Fishing
7. Radio Communications

Payload Control: Technical Feature-Points to Consider:

1. Small and lite weight. Easily adds on and attaches to any drone.
2. Ground Control User Interface (connects to the ground side payload uplink transmitter):
   • Any RC transmitter/controller; but not its radio module. Connects via: Trainer Output Port
   • Smart Device (eg Android or iOS). Connects via: a) Headphone Jack b) USB Port c) Bluetooth
3. The Payload Radio Link should use a completely separate radio frequency band:
   • 900mhz or 5.8ghz
   • Do not use 2.4ghz for the payload radio link
   • the payload radio link MUST NOT interfere with the drones existing radio control link
   • most DJI drones use 2.4ghz (ie LightBridge) as the control and video link
4. Optional two-way communications with the payload
5. A somewhat high speed data link (fast enough to sustain a digital audio stream; but not video)
6. Various I/O pins:
   • RC servo
   • Serial Ports (UART, SPI, I2C, etc)
   • Audio: a) Line-in b) Line-out c) I2S d) etc
   • General purpose digital/analog input/outputs
   • High drive current lines
7. Use its own rechargeable battery or connect into the drones power source
8. Third party hardware and software add-on and development kits