Future Project Ideas

Here we will go into more depth on what each of these projects would require:

Migrating Swarm Client PID's to Firmware

Focus Area

Firmware Programming and Communication Protocols

• This project requires heavy modification of the Firmware and Communication systems inside the Crazyflie.

Tasks

Firmware

• (HARD) Modifying Commander Packet Structure to allow position data to be sent rather than pitch, roll, yaw, and thrust setpoints.
• Modifying Firmware to pass the new position data into the correct place for use by the Firmware PID controllers.

Client

• Modify Swarm Client packet construction to match new commander packet protocol in Firmware
• (EASY) Remove Controllers from callbacks and just send location packets to Crazyflies while still maintaining other functionality.

Benefits

• Significantly reduces Client-side computation and allows Crazyflie swarm to share the load.
• Potential extension: Completely independent Crazyflie flight (i.e. No Client needed at all)

Model Development/Verification and Tuning X, Y, and Z Location PID's

Focus Area

Control Systems and Model Development/Verification

• This project will require developing a model of the Crazyflie system and using the Model to calculate PID constants.

Tasks

• (HARD) Identify model Parameters for the Crazyflie
• Construct model in Simulink and Verify simulation compared to test data
• (EASY) Derive PID constants from verified model, test flight performance

Benefits

• VERIFIED MODEL!! We can do many things once we have a verified model of the system.
• Flight performance will be greatly improved allowing more complex applications to be developed.
• Potential extension: Path prediction algorithms and optimal pathing between points with obstacles

Adding Parameter Support to Swarm Client

Focus Area

Communications Protocols and Networking

• This project will require Client-side software development to create helper functions for easy modification of parameters on the Crazyflie Firmware

Tasks

• Creating packet framework in the Client to replicate the parameters packet protocol
• Programming helper functions to make it simple to modify parameters
  • Ex. Write Parameter Value: setParam(string "param_group.param_name", int set_value);
  • Ex. Read Parameter Value: readParam(string "param_group.param_name");

Benefits

• Won't have to re-flash Firmware every time we want to test a parameter change (Improves Firmware testing efficiency)
• Less Firmware modification if we can just write params during Client init.
• Potential Extension: Tuning Firmware PID constants

Threading Each USB Radio to speed up Computation

Focus Area

Computer Architecture and Parallelization

• This project will require/develop a good understanding of parallel processing and computer architecture.

Tasks

• Apply threading to each USB Radio individually
  • A single Radio will be assigned at most 3 Crazyflies, and each thread will handle the corresponding Callbacks for those Crazyflies (which includes control calculations, Radio communications, and logging for each Crazyflie)
• Troubleshoot any issues that come up with non-sequential program execution (shouldn't have problems)

Benefits

• Greatly reduces time required to complete a loop cycle (relative to number of Crazyflies in the Swarm)
  • Improves scalability of the Swarm since we don't need to worry about missing the Camera System new data timing deadline as the Swarm size increases
• Potential Extension: Increasing Swarm size to Camera System capacity limit.

Trilateration Position Estimation using a Swarm

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