Orion Drones

Weather

The weather is a roll of the dice in March. This week is full of rain. it was raining and snowing all weekend. The turbulence makes for interesting precipitation. In Figure 1, we had tiny snowballs falling in ample supply.

Verticals Youth Empowerment Center

How It’s Going: Drone Cinematography Sessions Announced

The three days I participate as a volunteer instructor are as follows: April 28th, May 5th and May 12th, 2022. Those are Thursdays, all day events.

… at the core of the Artemis Accords is the
requirement that all activities will be conducted for peaceful purposes,
per the tenets of the Outer Space Treaty.

NASA

Artemis Watch Party Sign-Up: Launch Party EDIT: Launch Window: TBA for period opening April 8 to an undetermined point in near future. Post updated when able

Space is limited, ha! We are able to accommodate the first 100 people who sign up to witness this historic mission. Parents and students are encouraged to share this experience. The Artemis missions will carry the first woman to the moon, and the next man on a complex orbit. The next logical step is a trip to Mars. Artemis will provide scientists around the world with a valuable resource for understanding the physical universe.

We are organizing an Artemis Watch Party. In Figure 2, you can see I am already squared away. On a roughly monthlong mission, Artemis will provide engineers and scientists with:

• Updated and improved astronautical systems meant to weather cosmic rays beyond our protective magnetosphere, a rugged and raw space mission in our own backyard.
• An encouraging test of crucial technology assembled to propel the Orion capsule across millions of miles of cold space through complex orbits and different gravitational fields.
• Invaluable information about the effects of deep space travel on living organisms.
• Cool pictures of Earth, deep space, and the far side of the Moon.

Verticals Community Learning Center

Verticals is a local community development center that gives kids a choice of after-school programs that enrich young lives and provide a sense of pride in community. A link to the group is provided.

I signed on as a drone coach and provided some media resources. I was going to teach kids how to fly recreational drones, get the soon-to-be mandatory – and EASILY OBTAINED – TRUST flyer certificate from the FAA, online for free, and then get down to business. I was going to teach them how to make a video with a drone. We would go over flight plans, cinematography, operations, editing, and then share the creations on social media.

This module was planned to integrate seamlessly within a larger ecosystem of courses in technology applications, physical well-being, and business development. These are hands-on tangible experiences that have lifelong value.

Local Resource in Action

Now that we have students, we have an idea about the way this will work, and I will stick by Verticals as it develops a flying environment determined by its needs. Community groups will have some authority to determine the nature of its flight operations in local airspace come this fall 2022. As long as a responsible pilot is connected to the group, the area can develop flight operations that best suits the needs of the group..

Topics in the Verticals Youth Empowerment program include artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, drones, digital fabrication, coding, media production, design studio, blockchain, and crypto. Courses in the topics are presented alongside fitness and wellness resources. The center director is retired NFL pro-football player William James, who stepped off the gridiron and into a new life arena.

Verticals Youth Empowerment Center is designed to stimulate young minds, give parents an inclusive environment in which to socialize, and to offer youth a sense of pride in themselves and their community. There are other facilities in the works.

I assist a class in the workflow of a drone cinematography project they create and produce. I hope to provide material to be used at other Verticals locations. I hope to help people prosper here. I want to find a perspective on life that elevates us.

Tello programming in Python: Topic developed AFTER lessons today

The Tello is a small indoor drone manufactured by DJI. I had the chance to fly one this past week, and I enjoyed the crisp handling, clear picture quality, and safety features. I touched a prop guard with a playing card and the drone dropped like a stone. The detachable power supply is a lipo battery in a hard case about the size of a pack of chewing gum. Upon impact, the battery ejected safely. After the crash, I put the battery back in and flew it immediately. I also found the motors cut off if it lands – as demonstrated when I landed it on a canted cardboard box. So, I will program in exact landing patterns as well as flight maneuvers.

Tello Programming Algorithm

The algorithms we will use: Altitude, Range, Subject-oriented Orbit

1. Up and down, land
2. Up, forward, turn 180 degrees, return, down, land
3. Up, forward, stop, combo full CCW (left stick) + slight Right (right stick)

Maneuver algorithm

Machine Learning in Tiny ML

Three modules and a text file.