1.1 Getting Started Guide

Flyver is an open-source software development kit for drones. It is designed to provide a high level, hardware independent layer for programming drones. With Flyver you can create core applications, services and RC Apps for drones.

Github

Our Github contains two independent repos:

• Flyver SDK contains all the libraries and modules used in Flyver.
• Flyver Apps contains full-featured applications made with the Flyver SDK (Core Apps* and RC Apps*)

We would strongly recommend setting up and trying Flyver with the Flyver Test and Flyver RC apps before building your applications from scratch with the SDK modules.

If you want to start flying with Flyver you will need to use one of the following hardware configurations.

Note that you can still play around with Flyver SDK even without a drone by running the application on your smartphone only.

Hardware Configurations

Smartphone, IOIO OTG, ARF Kit

/Flyver Dev Kit/

What can you do:

• Build core apps
• Build remote apps and services
• Build custom solutions for clients
• Publish and sell your app.

Who is it for:

• Software and hardware developers
• Commoners not afraid to get their hands dirty

Advantages:

• Very easy setup
• Cheap
• Flexible and scalable
• Build in peripheral hardware (3G/LTE, BT, Storage..)

Disadvantages:

• Software crash = hardware crash
• Flyver Autopilot (running on Android) with limited functionality

Hardware Needs:

• Quadcopter ARF Kit*
  • Options:
    • Buy our devkit with DJI Flywheel F450 ARF - Not available!
    • Hack the drone you already have
    • Build it with an ARF kit
    • Build it from scratch.
• IOIO OTG Board - Connects the smartphone to the drone's hardware Options:
  • Included in Flyver devkit
  • Buy from Sparkfun
  • Buy from AliExpress
• Good Android Phone - Used as the brain of Flyver

Configuration Specific Guides:

• How to setup Flyver Dev Kit
• How to setup with ARF Kit
• How to hack your copter
• How to add additional hardware
• Requirements for the on board smartphone

Smartphone, External autopilot, ARF Kit

/ UNDER DEV - NOT YET RELEASED /

Hardware needs:

• Drone + Autopilot
  • List of supported autopilots and instructions - soon
• Good Android Phone - Used as the brain of Flyver

What can you do:

• Build core apps
• Build remote apps and services
• Build custom solutions for clients
• Publish and sell your app.

Advantages:

• Better flight stability and robustness
• Many features of the autopilot

Disadvantages:

• Expensive
• May require complex setup / Due to external autopilot settings /

Configuration Specific Guides:

• NOT yet available

Drone with its own SDK or APIs

/ UNDER DEV - NOT YET RELEASED /

What can you do:

• Build remote apps and services
• Build custom solutions for clients
• Publish and sell your app.

Advantages:

• Easy setup
• End user friendly

Disadvantages:

• Runs only remote apps (not executed on board)
• Hardware is not flexible

Configuration Specific Guides:

• NOT yet available

Vocabulary:

• Core Apps - Flyver applications running on the drone itself. This is a unique concept which will allow you to write an autonomous application without the need of a ground control station or telemetry. Think locally constructed orientation, computer vision, interaction with the outside world. The Core apps are only build for Android/Java through [Android Studio (https://developer.android.com/sdk/installing/studio.html).

• RC Apps - The remote control applications are applications which are executed externally and not on the board of the drone. Such application could be different interfaces commanding the drone,remote controls, cloud based application, apps for ground stations, online services and more. Such apps could be build through Flyver SDK or by using the Flyver APIs on variety of platforms and programming languages.

• Services - Service apps fit under RC apps. Services could be different cloud platforms for storage, computation, monitoring or other.

• App - By app we may mean any type of application or system. Some solutions may require Core App + Remote App + Cloud monitoring services and still be referred simply as app.

• ARF Kit - Almost ready to fly drone, includes frame, motors, ESCs, power supply board.

FAQ