IMPORTANT
Easy Drone
Read before
Operation Manual
easyaerial.com
Contents
01 03 04 06
This is Easy Drone Parts Charger Frame Assembly
07 11 12 13 18 18 19 19
Learn to Fly Safety Altitude Hold Mode First Flight Stabilize Mode Loiter Mode Return-to-Launch Mode Autonomous Mode and Missions
21 Specifications and Resources 22 Learn More and Support
This is Easy Drone
Congratulations on getting your Easy Drone! Easy Drone is an autonomous quadcopter powered by open-source hardware, software, and mware. Please read this manual carefully before yo r t and pay close attention to safety information.
Happ
!
!
Important note : When using a GoPro always ensure that the WiFi on the GoPro is turned OFF .
01
Easy Drone consists of two components
Flybot
GPS + Compass
Video transmitter
Safety button
Micro USB Port
Gimbal and camera ports
Frame
Foldable landing gear
02
Parts RC transmitter Your direct link to Easy Drone
GPS + Compass
Telemetry Radio Wirelessly change settings from computer or tablet Also used for “Follow me� mode
Battery kit 4S Battery, charger, and contacts
Video receiver kit Plug your screen or head mounted display to get video feed from your camera (requires 12V power source)
Quick snap-on adapters for gimbal and GoPro camera
03
Charger Easy Drone is powered by a rechargeable lithium polymer (LiPo) battery. Store battery at half charge then charge fully before flying. Batteries must ship at half charge, so please charge before your first flight. Each full battery provides 10 to 13 minutes of flight time.
1
Connect charger to the power adapter cable and a wall outlet. Connect the red cable to the + port and the black cable to the - port.
2 3
04
Set the charger to LiPo and 3A.
Connect the white connector to the 4S port. Join the two yellow connectors together.
–
LiPo
+
3A
4
Charge until the status indicator displays green.
Charging
!
Complete
Battery Safety
Protect battery from extreme heat, extreme cold, puncturing, and flammable surfaces. Charge battery using a designated LiPo balance charger only. Always monitor battery while charging. Flying with a low battery is a safety risk and can render the battery unusable. Always discontinue use when you receive a low battery notification, and always fly with a fully charged battery. you observe any swelling of the package or the battery ceases to function, locate your local battery recycling center to dispose of the battery. In the US and Canada, visit call2recycle.org to find a location. Do not dispose of the battery in the trash.
05
Frame Assembly Easy Drone frame consists of four color coded arms with motors and propellers. Follow the easy steps below to assemble the frame.
1
2
3
06
Take the left arm in your left hand and the (same color) right arm in your right hand and plug the end of the right arm into the ring on the left arm.
Repeat the process with the other two arms.
Take the two sub-assemblies and put them together to finish your frame. Look at it from the side to make sure it’s straight and hand-tighten the black thumbscrews.
Learn to Fly Control Easy Drone left and right sticks.
left stick
right stick
ight using the transmitter’s
Throttle Move the left stick forward and backward to control altitude and acceleration. left stick
Before tak t stick fully down.
Take o by raising stick halfway to center and slowly nudge over 50%. To increase altitude, raise stick slowly.
To maintain altitude, set stick to center posi tion (50%).
Lower stick to decrease altitude.
Land by setting stick fully down once Easy Drone is a few inches above the ground. 07
Yaw Move the left stick horizontally ef Stick to rotate Easy Drone and change orientation. For a slow rotation, move the stick slightly away from the center in either direction. Moving the stick farther from the center creates a faster rotation. left stick
Move stick to the left to rotate counterclockwise.
Move stick to the right to rotate clockwise.
Release stick to stop rotating and maintain current orientation.
Flight Tip When adjusting orientation, move the left stick horizontally without changing its vertical position.
08
Pitch and Roll The right stick allows you to control Easy Drones’ position in the air. Move the right stick to tell it to move in that direction: forward, back , left or right. Further the stick is from the center faster the Easy Drone will move.
right stick
Move stick forward t y forward.
Move stick back to kward.
Move stick left left.
Move stick right to ight.
Flight Tip means it will always go forward and back based on its original orientation. In this mode you can spin the craft around while maintaining innitial direction. 09
Flight Modes Use the two switches above the right stick to select a flight mode. There are six different combinations each triggering a different mode (Up/Up, Down/Up, etc.) and they are customizable through Mission Planner. Default modes are illustrated on the next pages it is recommended that you learn about each before trying to use them in the field. Both switches must be set to the correct position to select a mode. In this manual, the position of the left switch is specified first, followed by the position of the right switch. For the example center/down, set the left switch to center and the right switch to down.
left mode switch
up
center
right mode switch
down
up
down
Mode switches left
10
right
!
Flight Safety
Easy Drone has powerful motors and carbon fiber propellers. Never place your hands near propellers while the craft is armed.
Always fly in an open area away from people and buildings; do not attempt to fly indoors or in a confined space. Do not fly over people, near airports, or in any situation that could pose a hazard to those around you. Always fly within your line of sight and in compliance with local regulations. Easy Drone will not avoid obstacles on its own. As the operator, it is your job to recognize and avoid obstructions while flying. Always follow the preflight and postflight steps in the order described in this manual, and remain attentive at all times while flying. Environmental factors, such as wind and GPS irregularities, can cause instability in flight. Easy Drone will attempt to compensate for these factors by automatically landing if it detects an unsafe flying condition due to loss of RC signal, loss of GPS signal, or low battery. To avoid potential hazards due to environmental factors, identify the boundaries of your flying area before takeoff, and recover Easy Drone manually by switching into stabilize mode if it moves outside your designated flying area.
Always use an RC transmitter as a primary or backup control system when flying. Ensure that the transmitter is turned on any time Easy Drone is powered. If contact with the transmitter is lost during flight, it will land and display a blinking yellow light. If Easy Drone is more than 2 meters (6 5 feet) from the launch point, it will return to launch (RTL) before landing. (See page 19 for more information about RTL.) Loss of RC signal Autopilot-positioned flight modes (loiter, autonomous, and return to launch) require an active GPS signal. If GPS signal is lost during flight, Easy Drone will land and display a blinking blue and yellow light with a high-high-high-low tone. Always choose an unobstructed flying area to improve signal strength. Loss of GPS signal When the battery reaches 25% of its remaining charge, it will land and display a blinking yellow light with a quick repeating tone. If Easy Drone reaches the low battery limit during a mission, it will return to the launch point before landing. Low battery 11
Altitude Hold Mode (ALTH) ALTH
Set both sticks up, and craft will hover at the current altitude. Adjust altitude and orientation with the left stick, and navigate with the right stick.
Altitude hold (ALTH) up/up
» Autopilot-assisted altitude control »
Once you feel comfortable itude hold, try out other modes for GPS-positioned and autonomous ight.
Circle Mode Circle Mode (CIRC) up/down
t
(CIRC)
» Autonomous Circle Mode »
Make sure you have enough room to the side and the front and switch the right switch down to innitiate Circle Mode. Your Easy Drone will make a large circle around a point 30 ft directly in front of it keeping that point in sight at all times.
12
First Flight Select an open area for flying, away from people and buildings, and remember to bring the Flight Checklist and a fully charged battery. Determine the boundaries of your flying area before takeoff, and select a level, unobstructed space as a launch point. Follow these preflight and postflight steps in the order shown here and on the Flight Checklist every time you fly.
Preflight
1
Check Easy Drone Check that transmitter antenna is oriented horizontally for the strongest signal.
Check that the frame and the propellers are tight. Tighten if necessary.
L
Check that the left stick on the transmitter is set fully down.
Altitude hold
Set the switches to select a flight mode. For your first flight, select altitude hold mode (shown here).
(ALTH) up/up
13
2
Power on transmitter. If the left stick is not fully down, the transmitter will display an alert message.
Ensure the transmitter is always turned on while Easy Drone is powered. If communication with the transmitter is lost, it will initiate an automatic recovery landing.
!
3
Connect battery. Insert battery underneath the frame. Make sure the cable on the battery is closer to the yellow connector on the FlyBot.
Connect battery and hold the Safety Switch. You will hear two musical tones - one for the autopilot check and another for the motor controllers.
Place Easy Drone at the launch point with the side with the lights facing towards you and remember that the motors form a square that should inform the orientation.
If you are using a ground station to navigate, select Connect. For Mission Planner or APM Planner, select COM or USB and set the rate to 57600 before connecting. To learn about .com.
14
4
Easy Drone is ready to be armed Safety button should be solid color (red or blue)
Do not handle Easy Drone while the safety button is solid color and it is live. It should only be connected when you are ready
Stand back!
!
Inactive, motors beeping
5
Active, ready to arm
Check LED. Check the LED to view the status of Easy Drone. Wait to proceed until you see the blinking blue light use loiter, RTL, or autonomous modes during your indicating that the craft has acquired GPS lock.
Initializing, please wait.
RTL, loiter, and autonomous modes
Autopilot ready, no GPS Autopilot ready, GPS locked Error, disconnect battery and restart
6 L
unless you observed a blinking green a few minutes to acquire GPS lock
!
Arm motors. To activate the motors, hold the left stick down-right until the motors spin.
Easy Drone will NOT start spinning propellers when armed. Only when throttle is raised. Ensure that the launch point is clear of obstructions before arming. Always disarm the motors before approaching.
!
15
Flight
L
Take off by raising the left stick halfway to center.
L
Nudge it over the center line to take off.
L
Hover by setting the left stick to center.
L
Rotate counterclockwise and clockwise by moving the left stick left and right.
R
R
L
R
Release the right stick to level.
Fly forward, backward, left, or right by moving the right stick in the direction you want to fly.
L
Set the left stick fully down to land once drone is a few inches above the ground.
Slowly lower the left stick to descend.
Easy Drone is a powerful flier. Move the sticks in small increments until you feel comfortable with how it responds in each flight mode.
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16
1
Disarm motors.
L
2
After landing, hold the left stick down-left until you hear a double, disarming tone.
Disconnect battery.
3
transmitter.
Tips for New Fliers: Skill 1: Hover (Simple Mode) oriented away from you. Use Stabilize mode for this exercise (center/up) overing altitude, and keeping in place without allowing for any changes in orientation or position. If it drifts forward, backward, left, or right, or rotates clockwise or counterclockwise, use the corresponding stick controls to correct. Skill 2: Box (Normal Mode) When you feel comfortable with your ability to maintain a consistent hovering
Use the left stick to rotate Easy Drone knowing that the lights are always back. Skill 3: Figure Eight (Normal Mode) eight in front of you and not around you. Use the right stick to create a smooth
17
Stabilize Mode (STB) Stabilize mode (STB) is the most acrobatic flight setting. In stabilize, the autopilot provides basic stabilization while allowing full manual control of both sticks. In this mode, you’ll need to make continuous, small adjustments to the left and right sticks to maintain a hovering altitude, navigate, and maintain orientation without autopilot assistance. Select stabilize mode by setting left switch to center and right switch up like in the illustration below.
Stabilize ( STB ) center-up
» Manual flight » Acrobatic flying » Recovery
Flying confidently in stabilize mode is required for flying your first mission. To practice, try the exercises on page 17.
Loiter Mode (LTR) Loiter mode (LTR) uses GPS positioning to hold Easy Drones’ current position and altitude automatically. Just release the sticks and it will hover in place. Use the left stick to adjust altitude and orientation; use the right stick to navigate and change position. To select loiter mode, set the left switch to down position and the right switch to the up position (down-up). Loiter mode requires GPS lock (flashing green LED) and an HDOP value lower than 2.0 prior to takeoff. Loiter (LTR) down-up
18
» Automatic positioning » Easy flying
a
Return-to-Launch Mode (RTL) command. RTL automatically returns drone to the launch point, and can be used any time you would like to land quickly. RTL requires GPS lock. 1
15 meters
2
hover 5 seconds
When commanded to RTL, Easy Drone will: t 1 Achieve minimum altitude of 15 m (50 ft) or maintain current altitude if above 15 m. 2 Move to launch point and loiter for 5 seconds. 3 Land at launch point.
3 launch point
To RTL, set both switches to the down position (down-down). Ensure the launch point is clear to allow Easy Drone to land safely. Return to launch (RTL) Re ur down-down
» First, achieve altitude of 15 m » Next, return to launch point » Then, land
Autonomous Mode (AUTO) and Missions Fly a fullyA autonomous mission using a computer or Android device as a titud Hold ground station. When switched into autonomous (AUTO) mode, Easy Drone will automatically perform the mission and report data back to the ground station. For instructions on setting up your ground station, planning a mission, and saving it to Easy Drone, visit www.easyaerial.com. and
HDOP value lower than 2.0. Autonomous (AUTO) middle-down
» Fly a planned mission »
autonomous mode. 19
Missions
1
Perform a pre-mission
2
Arm in altitude hold mode.
ALTH
Set the switches to stabilize
stabilize mode to verify that all controls (throttle, yaw, roll, and pitch) are responding normally.
steps shown on page 13 and the Flight Checklist. Wait to arm until you see the blinking green light.
up-up
3
Switch to autonomous mode (AUTO).
AUTO
middle-down
4
Raise the left stick slightly to initiate the mission.
With the motors armed, switch to AUTO by setting the left switch up and the right switch down.
Easy Drone will begin the mission.
Use the ground station to view your drones’ status on the Flight Data screen. For more information about using a ground station, visit www.easyaerial.com .
ALTH
To recall it during a mission, use the transmitter to switch to stabilize mode and land manually. Or switch to RTL, and automatically return to the launch point.
To avoid sudden changes in altitude when switching from autonomous mode to stabilize mode, ensure that the left stick is set to the center position.
up-up
5
Switch to alt-hold mode before disarming.
ALTH
When the mission is complete and Easy Drone has landed, use the transmitter to switch to alt-hold mode before disarming and proceeding up-up
20
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Autopilot hardware: Firmware: GPS: Telemetry radio: Motors: Frame type: Propellers:
Pixhawk APM:Copter 3 2 uBlox GPS with Compass (LEA-6H module, 5 Hz update) Radio Telemetry V2 (915 mHz or 433 mHz) 900 kV (L frame) or 810 kV (XL frame) X 10 x 4.5 Slow Flyer - L Frame 11 x 4.7 Slow Flyer - XL Frame
Battery: Low battery voltage: Minimum voltage: Maximum voltage:
4 cell 15.1 V 3.5 Ah lithium polymer 14.5 V 13.2 V 4 cell 16.8 V 4 cell
Payload capacity: Radio range: Flight time:
1 lbs (453gr) - L frame or 2lbs (906gr) - XL frame 1 km (.6 miles) 10-13 minutes
Resources Hardware: Firmware: Software: Store: Community:
www.easyaerial.com copter.ardupilot.com planner.ardupilot.com and planner2.ardupilot.com www.easyaerial.com diydrones.com
YouYube Channel:
https://www.youtube.com/easydrone
21
The layout of this manual has been borrowed from 3D Robotics Iris Manual as there is a lot of the same informations regarding the autopilot inside the drone. Speciffic design and functional details, as well as fligth mode selection of the Easy Drone have been edited in to this document.