[General] A Letter From Mojave - A Rocket Flight Opportunity For Code - Project Prometheus of Masten Space Systems

david ainut at knology.net
Wed Jul 16 22:53:23 CDT 2014


The "9 DOF" unit can easily be your low-power, small IMU.


On 07/16/2014 08:49 PM, Stephan Henning wrote:
> David is correct, unless you are using a very very high end GPS module 
> (which most likely would have an internal IMU at this point), do not 
> rely on its data for altitude unless you have to. There are sensors 
> out there with better resolution, , update rate. and are nice and 
> cheap that would work just as well. GPS can be very finicky, redundant 
> data sources is a very good thing to have.
>
> I haven't been paying very close attention to this conversation 
> thread, but if the sensor package can be built cheap enough, it may 
> not be a bad idea to have two. I would be worth spending some time to 
> make sure all the sensor data timing is well understood and 
> synchronized. You never know what you might be able to learn from a 
> successful (or failed) flight if you have accurate time data attached 
> to the sensor measurements.
>
> It might be worth investigating having a redundant memory storage 
> device, maybe back it up on a 'rugged' usb drive that might have a 
> chance of surviving a flight failure.
>
> -stephan
>
>
> On Wed, Jul 16, 2014 at 7:28 PM, david <ainut at knology.net 
> <mailto:ainut at knology.net>> wrote:
>
>     There are 9+ (so-called) DOF sensors on the market now in a single
>     package (some under $40), obviating the need for a separate
>     accelerometer.  It would definitely be interesting to see the
>     G-forces as applied all along the track.
>     Unless someone in the project is married to the RPi, the
>     BeagleBone Black (BBB) has a lot more compute power and functionality.
>
>     Don't count on the accuracy of GPS altitude unless you have a
>     confirmed WAAS (or equivalent) signal all during the flight.  GPS
>     antenna is a major concern in this type of environment.  Some GPS
>     modules can use signals besides just the ones from the US, but the
>     other countries' WAAS-equivalents are even more flaky than ours!
>     :)  The MTK3339 GPS (like used in Adafruit's Ultimate GPS
>     products) seems to be robust.  I'm just beginning to program it
>     now.  Very low power and can be had for under $16 in small
>     quantities, or with circuit board and glue for about $40 from
>     Adafruit.
>
>     For recording video and metadata, again, the BBB is a good choice
>     as I have confirmed it works with a 32 Gb SD card. By the weekend,
>     I'll know it if works with the newer 64 Gb SD cards.
>
>     David M.
>
>
>
>     On 07/16/2014 05:49 PM, Ethan Chew wrote:
>>     Cool!
>>
>>           So we are talking about the following things we want to do:
>>
>>       * In-Flight Automated Photography
>>           o Overlay in-flight metadata from on-board sensors; GPS
>>             coordinates, altitude, temperature, air pressure, CO2,
>>             speed, and time from launch (T+).
>>           o Can be done either in-flight or as post-processing
>>             (encode flight data as exif, add overlay in post).
>>       * Record flight data for post-flight modelling and
>>         visualization opportunities.
>>           o Record 6-dof, acceleration and skin temperature data
>>             in-flight.
>>           o Calculate ballistic coefficient to add to visualization
>>             opportunities.
>>
>>           And that would mean the following sensors:
>>
>>       * Video/Photo Camera
>>       * GPS (speed & altitude can be derived from GPS data.)
>>       * Altimeter
>>       * Thermometer (setup for ambient and skin temperature readings)
>>       * Barometer
>>       * CO2 Gas Sensor
>>       * Clock (can be done by the Raspberry Pi.)
>>       * 6-dof sensing
>>       * Accelerometers
>>
>>     Made a wiki: https://256.makerslocal.org/wiki/Flight_Code_Project
>>
>>                      - Ethan
>>
>>     P.S. Of administrative note; I got a clarification from Masten
>>     about educational institutions flying for free.  At this point in
>>     time, the Prometheus Project is open only to educational
>>     institutions as Masten is seeking to encourage high school and
>>     college students to get into engineering.  Therefore, the project
>>     would have to involve students in designing, building, and
>>     programming the flight experiments.  The project could either be
>>     run as a class and teaches UAH and other Huntsville high school
>>     students or the makers involved would academically advise a
>>     student team.
>>
>>     Kix, taking a page out of your book, how did you run your program
>>     with FIRST Robotics when you were in the Makers Local 256 shop?
>>
>>
>>
>>     On Wed, Jul 16, 2014 at 8:05 AM, Phillip Showers
>>     <phillip.showers at gmail.com <mailto:phillip.showers at gmail.com>> wrote:
>>
>>         you definitely want 6-dof for post flight modelling as well.
>>         tie in a common variable like time and pump in stuff like
>>         6-dof, acceleration and skin temp. You can probably just
>>         calculate the ballistic coefficient from cad but that gets
>>         you started on some really fun visualization opportunities.
>>
>>         Phil
>>
>>
>>         On Wed, Jul 16, 2014 at 8:34 AM, Satyam Nayak
>>         <nayaksatyam at gmail.com <mailto:nayaksatyam at gmail.com>> wrote:
>>
>>             I ++1 Josh's suggestion about adding metadata to the
>>             picture.
>>
>>
>>             On Wed, Jul 16, 2014 at 8:57 AM, WebDawg
>>             <webdawg at gmail.com <mailto:webdawg at gmail.com>> wrote:
>>
>>                 Even better to have it upload that data somewhere
>>                 after the launch for viewing after.
>>
>>
>>                 On Wed, Jul 16, 2014 at 8:51 AM, Joshua Pritt
>>                 <ramgarden at gmail.com <mailto:ramgarden at gmail.com>> wrote:
>>
>>                     It would be neat to overlay some data on each
>>                     photo like GPS coords, altitude, temperature, air
>>                     pressure, CO2, speed, and time from launch (T+).
>>
>>
>>                     On Wed, Jul 16, 2014 at 8:38 AM, Ethan Chew
>>                     <spacefelix at gmail.com
>>                     <mailto:spacefelix at gmail.com>> wrote:
>>
>>                         Just suggested to Masten that they add a
>>                         picture/video camera (of the size and quality
>>                         level of the one in your cell phone) to the
>>                         sensor suite. ;)
>>
>>                         On Jul 16, 2014 5:08 AM, "Satyam Nayak"
>>                         <nayaksatyam at gmail.com
>>                         <mailto:nayaksatyam at gmail.com>> wrote:
>>
>>                             I was thinking of doing something similar
>>                             to HSIS where we put a camera on auto
>>                             trigger and took a bunch of pictures of
>>                             the flight.
>>
>>
>>                             On Wed, Jul 16, 2014 at 6:40 AM, WebDawg
>>                             <webdawg at gmail.com
>>                             <mailto:webdawg at gmail.com>> wrote:
>>
>>                                 Anyone plan to put any effort into this?
>>
>>
>>                                 On Wed, Jul 16, 2014 at 4:37 AM,
>>                                 Ethan Chew <spacefelix at gmail.com
>>                                 <mailto:spacefelix at gmail.com>> wrote:
>>
>>                                     P.S. Note on the sensor suite;
>>                                     the hardware in the suite will be
>>                                     determined by Masten.  However,
>>                                     at this point in time of Project
>>                                     Prometheus, Masten is open to
>>                                     input on what sensor hardware to
>>                                     install.  Please send sensor
>>                                     hardware suggestions to
>>                                     prometheus at masten.aero
>>                                     <mailto:prometheus at masten.aero>.
>>
>>
>>                                     On Tue, Jul 15, 2014 at 6:42 AM,
>>                                     Ethan Chew <spacefelix at gmail.com
>>                                     <mailto:spacefelix at gmail.com>> wrote:
>>
>>                                         Hello!
>>
>>                                         On Jul 15, 2014 6:34 AM,
>>                                         "Jeff Cotten"
>>                                         <omegix at gmail.com
>>                                         <mailto:omegix at gmail.com>> wrote:
>>                                         >
>>                                         >
>>                                         > Hey Ethan, will the
>>                                         raspberry pi be connected to
>>                                         the internet during the test?
>>
>>                                         Sorry, no. To avoid
>>                                         interfering with Xombie's
>>                                         control system, the crew has
>>                                         told me no transmitters are
>>                                         allowed.
>>
>>                                         >
>>                                         > If I wrote a piece of code
>>                                         that logged into #makerslocal
>>                                         and reported back the
>>                                         altitude, would it it be able
>>                                         to reach the freenode server?
>>
>>                                         You'd need to make an
>>                                         isolated flight data
>>                                         recorder.  Due to the
>>                                         restriction on transmitters,
>>                                         you can only download your
>>                                         data off a shore connection
>>                                         when the vehicle is back on
>>                                         the ground.
>>
>>                                                  - Ethan
>>
>>                                         >
>>                                         >
>>                                         > On Tue, Jul 15, 2014 at
>>                                         12:08 AM, Ethan Chew
>>                                         <spacefelix at gmail.com
>>                                         <mailto:spacefelix at gmail.com>> wrote:
>>                                         >>
>>                                         >> Hello,
>>                                         >>
>>                                         >> Take note, it is my
>>                                         current understanding that
>>                                         educational institutions get
>>                                         to fly for free.
>>                                         >>
>>                                         >> From Masten Space Systems
>>                                         in Mojave, CA
>>                                         (http://masten.aero/), an
>>                                         opportunity to fly code on a
>>                                         vertical takeoff and landing
>>                                         rocket (such as Xombie:
>>                                         http://youtu.be/A5b9LnzjGgU)
>>                                         on Project Prometheus:
>>                                         >>
>>                                         >>
>>                                         http://masten.aero/2014/05/project-prometheus/
>>                                         >>
>>                                         >> In summary; there is a
>>                                         Raspberry Pi on board that is
>>                                         connected to a sensor suite.
>>                                          Send Masten some code you
>>                                         want to run during a flight
>>                                         that processes inputs from
>>                                         the sensors during the
>>                                         flight.  The project is for
>>                                         the rapid, streamlined
>>                                         development of tools relating
>>                                         to; visual navigation,
>>                                         landing detection, mass
>>                                         estimation
>>                                         and position/attitude
>>                                         estimation.  You can reach
>>                                         them at
>>                                         prometheus at masten.aero
>>                                         <mailto:prometheus at masten.aero> with
>>                                         input and questions about the
>>                                         program.
>>                                         >>
>>                                         >> Quote:
>>                                         >>
>>                                         >>>> the Masten Team has also
>>                                         been thinking about ways we
>>                                         could engage the broader
>>                                         community and increase
>>                                         accessibility to our VTVL
>>                                         vehicles. One of the largest
>>                                         barriers to entry for any
>>                                         technology developer seeking
>>                                         to conduct aerospace flight
>>                                         testing is access to a
>>                                         vehicle. Limited access to an
>>                                         integrated GPS/IMU navigation
>>                                         system, flight-rated
>>                                         computing platforms, and
>>                                         sensors present additional
>>                                         challenges to innovators. In
>>                                         the spirit of broadening
>>                                         access to aerospace
>>                                         resources, we have had a
>>                                         project cooking in the
>>                                         background called Prometheus.
>>                                         >>>>
>>                                         >>>>
>>                                         >>>> Project Prometheus is a
>>                                         Masten program designed to
>>                                         foster the development of
>>                                         flight-test ready
>>                                         technologies by innovators in
>>                                         academic and research
>>                                         settings. By implementing a
>>                                         standardized interface
>>                                         between Masten vehicles and
>>                                         experimental software and
>>                                         hardware tools, Prometheus
>>                                         will provide a streamlined,
>>                                         efficient path for technology
>>                                         maturation throughout the
>>                                         course of tool conception,
>>                                         development and flight test.
>>                                         Access to uniform,
>>                                         flight-tested hardware and
>>                                         software development
>>                                         framework for innovators will
>>                                         ultimately reduce
>>                                         integration, development and
>>                                         other flight test costs.
>>                                         >>
>>                                         >>
>>                                         >>
>>                                         >>            - Ethan/spacefelix
>>                                         >>
>>                                         >>
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>>
>>                                     -- 
>>
>>                                          V/r Ethan
>>
>>                                     Working E-mail:
>>                                     spacefelix at gmail.com
>>                                     <mailto:spacefelix at gmail.com>
>>                                     Business E-mail:
>>                                     shinen.chew at gmail.com
>>                                     <mailto:shinen.chew at gmail.com>
>>                                     LinkedIn:
>>                                     www.linkedin.com/in/ethanchew
>>                                     <http://www.linkedin.com/in/ethanchew>
>>                                     US Cell: +12177222103
>>                                     Skype: flyingfelix2
>>
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>>
>>     -- 
>>
>>                      V/r Ethan
>>
>>     Working E-mail: spacefelix at gmail.com <mailto:spacefelix at gmail.com>
>>     Business E-mail: shinen.chew at gmail.com <mailto:shinen.chew at gmail.com>
>>     LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ethanchew
>>     <http://www.linkedin.com/in/ethanchew>
>>     US Cell: +12177222103
>>     Skype: flyingfelix2
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