How to send waypoints programmatically to drone?

Question

I am very new at this and trying to get an understanding of this. I have read a lot on the DroneKit-Python site trying to figure out how exactly am I able to communicate with it.

Drone I am currently using is Iris+

I have looked more and there are software that already provide this, but I want to be able to control it plus more.

I want to set waypoints, tell it to then fly give the way points and keep going to them. Also, to be able to arm itself, which is in the example, and override the safety mechanism.

Here is the basic of what I am trying to use it for. Have it fly up at a certain time. Go to the waypoints 1,2,3,1,etc.. Then after X amount of time or on low battery go back to launch point and land.

I have found plenty of code that provides what i need to do, though I don't know if it will work and more importantly I don't even know how to start programming for this. Maybe I have the wrong approach in doing this?

I kind of want this to be a light API, so that in the future I can make a simple UI on my phone and insert some coordinates to give it ways points and that is it. I know there is software out there already that does it, but I want to remove the need for touching the drone. I want it to start and end autonomously.

If anyone could help provide some info that much would be greatly appreciated.

Answer 1

Assuming you have no companion computer (Iris+ does not by default), you are OK with running a ground station app (you won't be out of range to send commands to "end mission on time expiry") and that driving the behaviour from your phone is important, I would be looking at DroneKit Android.

Some notes:

1. You're going to have to touch the drone at some point to attach the batteries.
2. You can arm the device from dronekit
3. You can override the safety mechanism from a script. I hope you have a lot of money to pay for the new drones you're going to have to buy when they crash and all the litigation from damaged people and property (in other words "don't do it".
4. The default behaviour is to return the device to launch (RTL) on low battery. This is convigurable
5. Setting a time is more "problematic". You can have a timer in a script that then sends return-to-launch but the script needs to be connected to the UAV. This means that either you have to be running in a connected ground station (which might potentially be out of range) or on a companion computer.
6. Iris+ does not have a companion computer. You have to install one or connect from a Ground Control Station.
7. DroneKit-Python runs on Linux, MacOSX or Windows. You can't just run it on an ordinary phone, though you could find some other mechanism to send messages/scripts to it running on a companion Computer.
8. DroneKit Android runs on Android. We do have a planned iOS version too. In theory these could run on a companion computer, but in practice currently these are only used as ground stations.