2010
Completed
UAV Augmented reality display system
This is a lowcost Head Up Display for unmanned aerial vehicules (UAVs / drones).
This system provides all the navigation data from sensors (GPS, barometric, differential pressure) over realtime video.
Versions 1, 2 and 3 completed.
Work in progress: autonomous flight and antenna tracker for long range RF video links.
Keywords:
UAVs, OSD, head-up display, augmented reality, AVR, embedded C, microcontroller, FPV, GPS
Who's talking about this project:
[article on wired.com], [Element14 (Farnell design engineer community)], [article on hackaday.com]
2009/2010
Completed
Stainless steel indoor staircase & outdoor handrail
This was a fascinating project that involved a lot of skills (design, CAD, welding, machining), and tools (lathe, mill, TIG welder).
Lots of things learned here !
Keywords:
Design, CAD, Solidworks, milling, lathe, TIG welding.
2010
In progress
UAV ground station
This project features a ground station that includes:
- 2.4GHz Diversity video receiver
- 433 MHz control link
- Transflective and waterproof liquid crystal display (a technology that allows a fully sunreadable display)
- Video splitting to provide data to multiple devices (video goggles, digital video recorder).
This project is not documented yet.
Keywords:
RF Diversity, multipath, transflective display, ground station, UAV, video splitter
2010
Completed
433MHz Radio beacon
The purpose of this project is to locate (and find !) small items (pets, goods) in a 1km radius. It is based on a low power, long endurance (1 year on a 3V, 240mA battery), lightweight RF beacon on the transmitter side and a receiver fitted with several highly directionnal antennas.
This project is not documented yet.
Keywords:
RF beacon, 433MHz, yagi antenna, antenna matching, textile antenna, low power, pet tracking, AVR, embedded C, ARDF, direction finding.
2010
In progress
Low cost UAV gyrostabilized gimbal for UAVs
This is a 3-axis, crashproof, waterproof, compact and aerodynamic gyrostabilized gimbal.
This project is not documented yet.
Keywords:
UAV, gyrostabilized gimbal, CAD, Solidworks, camera.
2010
Completed
2.4GHz video receiver w/ quad output for UAV video link
This is a 2.4GHz video receiver (PAL & NTSC) fitted with a quad video buffered (50 ohms output) that allows up to 4 video devices to be connected to the single embedded Airwave receiver. This is a component of the UAV ground station.
This project is partially documented.
Keywords:
Video splitter, video receiver, video buffer.
2010
Completed
Milling machine LED ring (projector)
The lighting system fitted on my milling machine was quite obsolete and inefficient.
Low power, fragile, incandescent light bulbs that provided not enough light, and a lot of shadows. So I designed and machined this aluminium 36 leds ring that provides a clear and crisp view on your milling job.
Keywords:
LED, milling machine, lighting.
2009
Version 1 completed,
version 2 in progress
Unmanned Lawnmowing System (robotic lawnmower)
This "little" robot can save you a lot of time and effort !
It automatically mows the lawn, following specific mowing algorithms.
The mainboard gathers data from several sensors (GPS, magnetometers, accelerometers, RF sensors), calculates the mowing path and drives the powerful motors.
It automatically lawns 1000m2 in about 4 hours.
Version 1 is completed, I'm working on v2.0 (4 wheels drive for a better grip and control).
Keywords:
GPS, embedded C, AVR, RF perimeter wire, magnetometers, accelerometers, machining, CAD, Solidworks.
2009
Completed
UAV power supply filter
Quick and small project, but provides help when you are struggling with shared battery systems on FPV platforms.
Keywords:
Power filters, FPV.
2009
Completed
RF 2.4GHz diversity video receiver
This system provides a strong diversity RF video link (2.4GHz) to UAVs / FPV platforms.
Diversity is a method to overcome / minimize multipath distortion that create radio nulls and radio reflections.
The design is based on Airwave modules (AWM6xx series).
Keywords:
RF, diversity, video link.
2008
Completed
Nano GPS logger
I developed this project for a friend who is into pylon racing where speeds can excess 350 km/h in tight radius turns, and a high frequency logging was required (and not commercially available, except one system for Formula 1 racing).
This project is completed, but I'll probably redesign it completely shortly: SMD, USB, half size and twice the sampling rate !
Keywords:
GPS, nano logger, microchip PIC.
2007/2008
Completed
Realtime energy monitoring system: www.wiredhouse.fr
This is a realtime access to our house monitoring system, running 24/7 since 2007.
Our house is meshed with several sensors networks (1-wire, zigbee, powerline network) that
are connected to a linux server. Data is stored and processed here.
Everything part of the project is custom-made. From sensors (water, electricity, temperatures, etc...) to the software.
Reports are automatically generated, with eventual incidents.
The system handles the heat pump system management.
Keywords:
energy monitoring, 1-wire, zigbee, linux, software development, database.
2008
Completed
Aircraft panel for FPV flights
This is the poor man HUD ! A GPS module gets all the positioning data, and servos drive needles according to speed, altitude, direction to home, etc...
Data downlink ? Simply aim the camera to the panel :)
Keywords:
FPV, OSD, embedded C, microchip PIC, GPS.
2008
Completed
IKEA mood light lamp
These RGB mood lights were rather rare back in 2008 !
I fitted an IKEA lamp with a 1W RGB led, and everything is PWM driven by a Microchip PIC 16F84 microcontroller.
Keywords:
RGB led, PWM, Microchip, 16F84.
2008
Completed
Wall lamp design using Google Sketchup!
This is a wall lamp designed with Google Sketchup! and made out of PMMA (polymethyl methacrylate). I have turned all the aluminium parts on a mini lathe.
Keywords:
Design, sketchup, lamp.
A very simple project that provided a convenient way to get cheap PCMCIA WiFi cards when laptops did not come with WiFi !
Keywords:
Design, sketchup, lamp.
