First Autonomous Flight: Hover and Step Response

For your first autonomous flight, please follow the procedures exactly as described below.

1. ssh to your on-board NUC computer and run the launch file:

$roslaunch dji_interface raven_indoor_rovio_nMPC_trj_realsense.launch

2. Initialize MSF by firing command

rosservice call /yourMavName/pose_sensor_rovio/pose_sensor/initialize_msf_scale 1.0

Checkpoint: The world and state tfs from rviz should be aligned (x-axis pointing forward, y-axis pointing left). This could not be the case due to several reasons, such as inaccurate calibration. If only the yaw (heading) angle is offset, try to change it using the python script ~/indigo_catkin_ws/src/rovio/src/init_rovio_enu.py.

2. Check the gear switch is down (serial-off, see the picture below).

3. Switch to 'F' mode.

4. Turn on the motor

5. Push the gear switch up (serial-on, see the picture below).

6. Now all modules are up and running in position control mode (i.e., you send position commands via the transmitter not attitude commands). Slowly increase desired z position.

7. Send a goal pose message using rqt (rqt can be opened by just typing rqt in a terminal). The figure below shows how to add a message publisher and the command mode. For the first test, please set x=0, y=0, z=1 for position and x=0, y=0, z=0, w=1 for orientation.

(Note: To see the image above in higher resolution, right click and select 'View Image'.)

You can change the goal pose, but make sure that the surroundings are free and safe. Your MAV should now be flying at 1m height.

These videos provide demonstrations:

Hovering

Step response

⇒ Having completed the step response tutorial, you can now move on to following waypoints.