DEXI - Sensor Wiring and Programming with ROS2 and Node-RED
Advance your DEXI drone programming! Integrate sensors and use Raspberry Pi GPIO for enhanced control.
Take your DEXI drone programming to the next level by adding sensors and accessing Raspberry Pi GPIO. This 15 lesson course will take you through the following sections:
Section1: Get an overview of DEXI-OS and the DEXI ROS2 repositories. Having an understanding of these repos will allow you to extend your DEXI knowledge and do exciting things with this aerial platform.
Section 2: Learn about infrared emitter/transmitter break beam sensors and laser actuators. Learn about GPIO and how to wire the sensors to DEXI's ARK Pi6X Flow flight/compute board.
Section 3: Become familiar with the DEXI 3D Prints repository and the many free accessories available for your DEXI. From camera and sensor mounts to landing gear, you will learn about the ideal print settings and mounting. After the sensors and cables are secure you will move onto programming!
Section 4: Learn about the DEXI Node RED project and the nodes we have developed on top of the awesome visual programming environment that is Node-RED. You will learn how to build Node RED flows to access all aspects of your DEXI's flight, telemetry, and GPIO. We even include a bonus lesson that demonstrates how to access DEXI's Pi camera stream. All of this from a Node RED dashboard!
Should you run into any problems when going through the course please feel free to open a discussion topic in the DEXI repo or join the #dexi channel in our Discord server. We look forward to hearing what you think!
ATTENTION AVR 2024 PARTICIPANTS
If you are unable to access this course please send an email to [email protected] with your school name and registered email. We will send you an activation code to access the course.
Your Instructor
Dennis has been fascinated with remote control cars and airplanes since he was a kid. Through his passion of the RC hobby he learned many aspects of engineering by building, wiring, and programming flight controllers for his RC planes and quadcopters. He shares a majority of his research and development on his YouTube channel.
In 2010 Dennis found the ArduPilot project and was amazed by the vibrant developer community behind the project. From this point forward he spent countless hours tinkering in the garage and building numerous autonomous drones ranging from hexacopters, VTOL aircraft, delta wings, and mini quads. This was all made possible with APM and Pixhawk flight controllers.
In 2014 Dennis designed and 3D printed a popular mini quadcopter frame and posted it on Thingiverse. At this time he crossed paths with Marisa at Walnut Springs Elementary School in Dripping Springs, TX. Dennis asked Marisa if he could work with her after-school "Tech Team" to teach students how to print, wire, build and fly these little mini quadcopters. Students loved the idea but quickly asked how they could use the drones to shoot photos and video. This led Dennis to the DJI SDK.
In 2015 Dennis put together a proof of concept of using block programming and coupled it with the DJI SDK to tap into the capabilities of market leading drone hardware. From this day DroneBlocks was born. Students loved the concept of block programming to perform autonomous missions with DJI hardware. DroneBlocks has grown into a platform that consists of app, curriculum, and a vibrant community of users sharing their mission code all over the world.
Dennis graduated from The Citadel with a BS in Electrical Engineering and is no stranger to software technology. He has co-founded several technology businesses over the past 20 years. In this next chapter Dennis and Marisa want to expand DroneBlocks into every STEAM classroom across the globe.