RTL without GPS Mode

ArduCopter
1

Hi Guys

Just wondering there’s a way of recording a flight without GPS.
Ideally, I’d like to add my own flight mode (https://ardupilot.org/dev/docs/apmcopter-adding-a-new-flight-mode.html) that makes my drone capable of retracing its steps back to the launch point.

E.g. if I’d to takeoff to 10m, accelerate for 10 seconds at 10 m/s then activate this new flight mode my mode would do the following:

  1. It would know the opposite of accelerate is decelerate and would decelarate for 10 seconds at 10 m/s.
  2. It would also know the opposite of taking off/increase altitude is to decrease the altitude therefore would land.

Any thought or insights would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
Patrick

2

yes, you can do that by integrating the accels. It will not be precise.

Pull-requests for such a flight mode are welcome.

PS. You do understand how complicated it is to do this, right?

3

Yes I do, I know it will be hard but this will be the easy part of the algorithm because I would like to implement shortcuts. I.e. once it knows how to retrace steps, start cutting out steps to get to the launch point quicker - a more direct route.

Is there any helpful docs for storing the route that would help to get me started?

4

Yes, read the source code for smart RTL. it’s part of the ardupilot source code.

5

Thanks @amilcarlucas

6

There’s dead reckoning in Plane and here’s a demo

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