Gradual altitude change between waypoints

ArduCopter
1

Hello,

I like flying in mountains. I’m experimenting with a lidar as an additional level of safety, but my standard workflow is as follows: I first prepare a track in Mission Planner, than put it into a Python script which compares it with an digital elevation map with the resolution of 30 metres. This script inserts additional waypoints and modifies the existing ones in order to maintain the constant safe altitude above the terrain.

The whole thing works, but the problem is that the copter climbs into the altitude of the next waypoint directly after reaching the previous one - is this correct? This introduces unnecessary altitude variations and puts more strain on the batteries. I suggest that this behavior would be controlled by an additional parameter:

-either change the altitude to that of the next waypoint immediately after reaching the previous one,
-or gradually change the altitude between each pair of waypoints, following the line connecting both waypoints

Maybe it is already possible to get the second option? I could not find it it the docs, and I have a feeling that currently the first option is implemented?

2

This is normal behavior.

3

Do Spline waypoints to smooth trajectories

4

I’ve tested your suggestions in flight, and both of them work perfectly well. Thanks! Indeed the spline waypoints give much smoother ride, and the copter changes altitude gradually.

5

Without spline waypoints the altitude change between waypoints is a linear function. With Spline it’s splined in both altitude and horizontal position.