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2025-03-31 Competition Architecture Sync

2025-03-31 Competition Architecture Sync

Owned by Evan Janakievski
Last updated: 2025-04-01 by Daniel Puratich

Attendance

  • @Daniel Puratich

  • @Andrew Chai

  • @Alison Thompson

  • @Victoria Gee

  • @Emma Chan

  • @Evan Janakievski

  • @Ryan Scomazzon

  • @Maxwell Lou

  • @Nathan Green

  • @Manasva Katyal

  • @Meghan Dang

Flight Test Updates

  • Scheduled flight test for 2025-03-28 canceled due to weather

  • lebron flights on saturday and sunday for tuning and beacon targeting validation

Task 1

  • PLANNING: Peggy 1 Readiness

  • STATUS: Autonomy Updates:

    • STATUS: MAVLink KML messages

      • @Tochi Okoro @Maxwell Lou

      • Ground testing last week got script functioning, still need proof of KML files from images

      • Ground testing documentation to be updated @Maxwell Lou

    • STATUS: Geolocation of Beacons

      • Delegated out to a member to measure the offset from the camera to the GPS

    • STATUS: Pathing

      • Any updates @Evan Zhao

      • @Balaji Leninrajan Multi-drone pathing tasks in progress

        • Initially doing a very simple MVP

        • Making it into a system usable at comp will take significant effort (possible but we’ll probably cut it close)

        • Multi-drone pathing will be tested in the sim this week

  • STATUS: Peggy 2 Tuning

    • Will check tune with extra pumps next flight test

  • STATUS: New Pi Interface PCBAs

    • 3 new boards assembled

    • 1 Power validated, 2 require validation

    • Total is now 2 Rev B + 3 Rev C

    • Do we need more? Spare if we need one on each peggy plus three IR drones?

      • Do not need one for Peggy 1 → See below “what drones are we flying for task 1”

      • What there is currently should be sufficient

  • STATUS: Fuse coords from drones by sending to one central computer

    • cc @Balaji Leninrajan

      • Still in triage

      • Prioritizing pathing

      • Currently offsite, will probably have to wait until late April to really work on this (unless I enlist the help of an onsite member)

  • What Drones are we flying for task 1:

    • Drones:

      • Dallas/Houston → RPI 5 + interface → 10 mins flight time → not very stable airframe currently

      • X500 → RPI 5 + interface → 10 mins flight time

      • Cali Drone (Lebron) → RPI Zero → 45 mins flight time

    • Justification

      • derisk: we do not want to risk our pegasus class airframes we need for task 2 during task 1

      • KML writing and coordinates will be done by a human

    • We kind of have to choose flight line now to choose if flying three drones is possible

      • evan, nathan, daniel required on the line for advanced, one advanced per drone is a competition enforced rule (but not a legal one) i think?

      • GSO at comp needs to be GSOing onsite or in cali right now because it’s a big thing

      • keeping flight line consistent between tasks might be optimal

      • Nathan and Daniel can help

    • let’s get all three airframe ready to go, but once we figure our strategy for this we can descope from there.

      • we need a more detailed strategy plan

Task 2

  • STATUS: Task 2 Payload

    • Updates getting wrapped up by mech

    • Need to add new mounts and tank to both peggy 1 & 2 when ready

    • Will host work session this week

  • What drones are we flying for task 2:

    • Drones

      • Pegasus 1

      • Pegasus 2

    • Justification

      • big drones carry lots of water

      • two drones trade on the source tank

      • battery swaps will eat time as well and reduce cycle rate

  • Peggy 1 Weight inquiry

    • are we overweight?

    • is it similar to peggy 2?

  • EE to do harnessing on drones

    • Splitter for the pumps, that way there is not 4 wires going to the pumps

    • peggy 1 water controller

Other

  • STATUS: EFS CAN Lighting Board

    • @Nick Armstrong @Manasva Katyal @Derek Tang

    • What is the status for this

    • Figured out how to configure the CAN ports with the LUA scripts

    • Just needs some testing

    • Hoping to possibly fly at flight test

  • STATUS: EFS CAN Lighting Board

    • 2 Pi Rev C assembled and working!

    • Running out of workseshes but 2 members interested in making more on their own time

    • Can we validate the ones we have fully first? -daniel see this

    • Might only have 2 rev4 and 2 rev3 ready

      • Able to be blown from a software perspective

      • Motors take priority over LED boards

  • STATUS: Batteries Order

    • Order placed and scheduled to arrive today

    • Emailed Joleine letting her know

  • STATUS: Cali Airframe

    • LeBron

  • STATUS: x500 Holybro airframe

    • Needs a name

    • Seems like we can fly it, just need to change telemetry method and should look changed enough when Pi is ready

  • PLANNING: Mission planner/Lua scripts for Task 1 and Task 2

    • @Evan Janakievski @Manasva Katyal bit overloaded at the moment

    • Would try and get the MP/script stuff ready for next FT

  • STATUS: Dallas

    • Got params matching Houston

    • Not flyable at the moment as one motor is out of commission

    • One of those motors is on a foam plane, will take from there

    • we need spare props at the least

    • AEAC 2025 Team Packing List and should add a budget as well

  • PLANNING: Transporting the drone

    • Need to order containers or measure suitcases

    • People who offered suitcases, could they be measured? Take a measuring tape to your place in Waterloo if needed

      • Need these dimensions ASAP

  • PLANNING: Proof of flight video

    • Will piece together from flight tests

    • Should have:

      • Take off

      • Approach and landing

      • Fly by

      • Hovering

    • To do:

      • VLOS traveling

      • Circles

  • STATUS: Registrations

    • @Manasva Katyal registrations for six drones

  • Spare parts list

    • @Evan Janakievski @Manasva Katyal

Flight Test Planning

  • Saturday, April 5th

    • eclipse maiden as well

    • Flight test document to follow soon

    • Will be similar structure as previous tests as no major changes have occurred

    • Hoping to have MP and/or Lua scripts ready for testing and forming Task 2 flights

    • Peggy 2, x500, Dallas → proof of flight completion

    • Peggy 1 proof of flight would be stretch target

  • Countdown to competition

    • We have six weeks left until competition and finals are coming up. Time to lock in

    • When is a real competition simulation of both tasks going to be executed?

      • People move out on April 26th

      • lot of ppl gone april 26th to may 3rd

      • executing it during finals is iffy but yea

      • task 2 readiness is mostly a mech grind

      • May 1st Alison is back

    • Avoid changes and high risk operations in the couple of days leading up to competition.

      • we need time to make fixes

    • What day do we take the drones apart?

      • Tuesday, May 6th everything gets packed up

    • How far are we away from having proof of flight for the onsite airframes?

      • X500 → not in comp configuration yet (mount rpi but rpi software doesnt need to work)

      • Houston/Dallas → April 5th (in configuration currently, needs motor replaced)

      • Peggy 1 w/ Payload → April 12th (put tank on it)

      • Peggy 2 w/ Payload → April 5th

      • Lebron → done, on daniel’s phone, will upload

  • Flight test dates and stuff entered into Asana

  • More Random

    • daniel to make a thread for vtx bands coordination

    • Switch Peggy 1 to 5.8 GHz for video @Evan Janakievski @Manasva Katyal

    • meetings

      • what do we do during finals - play it by ear

      • keep mondays, those writing exams can just give updates on confluence or stop by quickly during meeting