Preface
We are Belinda and Terry Kilby. We are drone enthusiasts, aerial photographers, makers, trainers, and a husband–wife team. By combining lives, we also combined our strengths and passions for technology and art. Since 2010, we have been designing and building small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for artistic and practical aerial photography through our company, Elevated Element. As early adopters, we became the unofficial spokespeople for UAV technology for the media in our region. We keep up with the advancements in hardware, software, and drone news stories, so we can represent drone builders and users in an artistic and innovative light.
The First Book of Its Kind
In the fall of 2013, we released Drone Art: Baltimore, the first photo book shot entirely using small, custom-built UAVs. The introduction describes how we got started and how our equipment and work evolved. The images are presented in chronological order to show progression in quality, as we came to understand how to build, fly, and take photographs with these drones. The book launch, which we arranged through Baltimore’s Office of Promotions and the Arts, was held at an exhibition at the Baltimore World Trade Center, on the observation deck called “Top of the World.” The location was perfect, because the perspective looking out of the windows from the 27th floor was much like the subject matter seen in our work: the bird’s-eye view.
The Book’s Goal
Our objective for this book is to give you that same working knowledge of aerial robotics, by showing you how to build a Little Dipper 300-class autonomous quadcopter as an example. By reading and following the steps and advice contained in this book, you’ll learn how quadcopters work and how to solve some of the engineering challenges a quadcopter presents. Where applicable, we will also suggest alternative options you can try, or comparable parts to suit your own preferences. Whether you choose to build a quadcopter or an octocopter, the same concepts will apply.
The Little Dipper design is open source, and the design files can be downloaded from http://gettingstartedwithdrones.com/little-dipper-build/. Alternatively, you can order a complete Little Dipper kit, with all the hardware, from www.MakerShed.com.
And don’t worry about failure. Everyone makes mistakes. It’s only important that we continue to try, do, and make. Aerial robotics is a hands-on experience, in which you solve real-world problems through trial and error, and ultimately, hard-won wisdom. The smallest difference in weight distribution or speed can mean success or disaster.
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How to Contact Us
Please address comments and questions concerning this book to the publisher:
- Make:
- 1160 Battery Street East, Suite 125
- San Francisco, CA 94111
- 877-306-6253 (in the United States or Canada)
- 707-639-1355 (international or local)
We have a web page for this book, where we list errata, examples, and any additional information. You can access this page at http://bit.ly/gs_w_drones.
To comment or ask technical questions about this book, send email to [email protected].