Project Helin - Drone Onboard App

This works as a bridge between the Server and the FlightController on the drone. It also provides a User-Interface which gives information about the state of the drone and missions it has to fulfil. It uses AMQP to communicate with the server and DroneKit-Android as an API for communicating with the drone over MAVLink.

Getting Started

Requirements

• Android Studio (Tested with Version 2.1)
• Android SDKs for the Android Version you want to develop for(Tested with Android 4.4.4)
• VirtualBox (Tested with Version 5.0.20)
• Server Project installed and setup completely

Local Setup with Drone-Simulator and Android Emulator

This setup is useful for testing with a simulated drone

1. Clone https://github.com/Project-Helin/drone-onboard-app and open it in Android Studio
2. Setup SITL Simulator http://python.dronekit.io/develop/sitl_setup.html
3. Start SITL with dronekit-sitl copter
4. Setup Genimotion or another Android Emulator. Make sure you have Google Play Services installed. (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2528952)
5. Look up the Ip of the Virtual-Machine Ethernet-Interface (OSX = Vboxnet1)
6. Set the IP as IP at Main Activity

Local Setup with Drone-Simulator, Android Emulator and Groundstation

Use this setup if you want to see what your drone does, after you issued commands.

1. Clone https://github.com/Project-Helin/drone-onboard-app and open it in Android Studio
2. Setup SITL Simulator http://python.dronekit.io/develop/sitl_setup.html
3. Start SITL with dronekit-sitl copter --home=47.2233,8.8819,584,353 (--home sets the drone location to a coordinate, attention that you don't have spaces after commas)
4. Setup MavProxy (https://erlerobotics.gitbooks.io/erle-robotics-mav-tools-free/content/en/installing_mavproxy.html)
5. Run MavProxy with mavproxy.py --master tcp:127.0.0.1:5760 --out 127.0.0.1:14550 --out 127.0.0.1:14551 (master defines connection to the Drone-Simulator(SITL), out defines udp outputs for groundstation and mobile)
6. Setup Genimotion. Make sure you have Google Play Services installed. (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2528952)
7. Open Virtualbox network preferences for Genimotion Emulator VM and add a port forwarding on NAT-Adapter: host-port: 14551, host-ip: (leave empty), guest-port: 14551, guest-ip: (ip of the phone in virtual network). The network address of the phone in the virtual network can be found with an app like Fing.
8. Look up the Ip of the Virtual-Machine Ethernet-Interface with ipconfig or ifconfig(unix) (OSX = Vboxnet1, Vboxnet2)
9. Set the IP as LOCAL_IP at DroneConnectionService
10. Run Groundstation like Missionplanner or QGroundcontrol and connect to Port 14550 on localhost
11. Use MavProxy to issue Commands like arm throttle or mode guided

Local Setup with Pixhawk attached by USB

This setup is useful if you want to test if some MAVLink-Commands work with your real FlightController.

1. Setup MavProxy (https://erlerobotics.gitbooks.io/erle-robotics-mav-tools-free/content/en/installing_mavproxy.html)
2. Plug in Pixhawk and search for usb connection (/dev/tty0 or tty.usbmodem1)
3. Run MavProxy with mavproxy.py --master=/dev/tty.usbmodem1 (master defines connection to the pixhawk)
4. Use MavProxy to issue Commands like arm throttle