The AI part

AI (object detect / recog) started out as the core focus of my ZiptieAI project (the drone was just the AI carrier). And it still is.

AI on a quadcopter typically runs on the

• FC (flight controller)
• CC (companion computer)

What is (small cheap drone) AI? **

• Performed by FC:
  • 1 Fly by wire (similar to modern jets).
  • 2 Mission automation
• Performed by CC:
  • 3 Object detection / recognition
  • 4 Pilot assistance (similar to driver assistance in modern cars).
  • 5 Autonomous flight (the drone can fly a pre-determined flight or modify the flight plan in response to external events)

** In reality, all of the above (including object recog and AI in general) have nothing to do with real intelligence. I use the blanket term "AI" for the sake of simplicity.

1 Fly by wire (FC)

Just as in a modern fighter jet, the quadcopter pilot does not control the flight control surfaces (the 4 rotors). Instead, the pilot inputs flight commands using an RC. The flight controller (Pixhawk 6c for example) performs all of the complex flight control.

2 Mission automation

Mission software (such as QGroundControl or Mission Planner) is used to create a flight plan that is uploaded to the FC.

3 Object detection / recognition

The AI for this project focuses mainly on object detection and recognition. The CC (companion computer or mission computer)

• Receives input from the camera via ROS messages (or a direct connection to the camera without ROS).
• Runs an AI routine to detect or recognize object.
• Sends messages to the ground station or to the FC (to modify the flight plan).

4 Pilot assistance

Object detection could be used to alert a pilot of some detected object. This could be really useful when a pilot is flying in a complex environment. This is comparable to collision avoidance and driver alert in modern cars.

Modern AI algorithms running on cheap HW can sometimes do a better job of detection than humans.

5 Autonomous drone control (by CC)

An autonomous AI drone can

• Fly the drone (continue the mission or return home) if the connection with the operator is lost.
• React to unexpected situations. For example, in the pic below, at X something occurs (maybe a special object was recognized) that causes the CC to send commmands to the FC to
  • (1) take special action then
  • (2) return to launch.