What's the difference between a flight controller and flight computer?

NickRehm

Member
Does the thought of building an autonomous drone overwhelm you? I've broken down some of the critical processes happening onboard and explain a bit about why you might want to keep the flight controller separate from an autonomy flight computer

 

PsyBorg

Wake up! Time to fly!
I know you are an educator and enjoy what you do so this may come across as aggressive or combative but I am not the "PC must sissify everything I say" type. Autonomous flight doesn't overwhelm me. Its what humanity will ultimately use it for. Thats exactly why I wont build quads for just anybody without knowing them on a personal level.

In 5 years of multi rotor flight (drones are what governments use to kill people with) and nearly 40 years of safely participating in RC in general I have yet to meet a human that did not ask this question immediately followed by a statement as soon as they approach you.

How much did it cost?
When I get one I am going to
a) harass humans
b) harass wild life
c) crash it into something
d) weaponize it somehow.

It doesn't matter if it flips, flys, floats, or crawls those are the first things people say when encountering anything RC.

Automating things like this is only speeding the way for these stupid and clueless people to do stupid and violent things with. Its what humans do.... Even your video states.. we can fly thru a window... What would be a good reason to "fly thru a window"? even if meant for a good reason like search and rescue I guarantee the military or nefarious actors have or will use this to attack humans.

Intelligent people like yourself should be asking themselves at this point in our evolution "Should" I be doing things like this not Can I ...we CAN do anything given time to think it thru.. Progress just because we can even if done for good reasons only makes it easier for the stupid and lazy to use it for other not so noble things. Just look at what DJI has done to the RC world in such a short time.

Besides have you NOT seen Terminator hehe... Just saying...
 

NickRehm

Member
Just look at what DJI has done to the RC world in such a short time.

I hear you. I was such an advocate against the term 'drone' 5-6 years ago when dji came into play that I was hesitant to even use the word in my video/title. But it seems that the RC community is now stuck with the term regardless of the lack of distinction between a DIY rc plane and a predator drone.

The simple matter of fact is that if somebody wanted to cause harm, they will absolutely find a way. Terrorist groups in the middle east got their hands on a bunch of dji phantoms a few years back and were dropping grenades, and I'm sure they're still doing it. I don't necessarily think that something like that calls for complete halting of progress in the hobby... just like automotive technology hasn't been halted after people use cars to cause harm in many possible ways. If you teach someone how to use a bow and arrow and then they go off and maliciously shoot someone with it, what next?

My goal is to educate the responsible people of the world on how to do something safely, and I have only done so at a very high level. Actually implementing some of the things in my video could take years of study and dedication starting from scratch. Useful RC aircraft/drones (ughh still hate that word) are here to stay and will only keep advancing, so might as well do your part and help represent the hobby well
 

PsyBorg

Wake up! Time to fly!
Thats my whole point...

The more public our hobby becomes the more people want to do it. The more automated it becomes the higher the chance of lazy, stupid, or irresponsible people not using the tech as intended. Early pioneers of any tech learn it, advance it, and respect it after the work they went thru to do what they intended. After that comes the people who want to profiteer off those original people who worked out most of the kinks.

The silly humanz now days dont work for anything, they want it handed to them and for the most part have never learned nor had to be responsible for what they do. I spent somewhere between 8 to 12 months researching the new tech before I even decided to attempt to fly or build a multi rotor. Look around on these forums. How many posts do you see where someone has gone out and bought all kinds of gear and not know the first thing about it asking us to tell them what to do because of unethical advertising and sales or something the saw in the shill videos. Thus we are at the point we are now, the more automated it becomes the more people want to use it the more a government will be forced to take it away because of the stupid ones.

Its a vicious circle. Specially when you add in corrupt politicians and corporate interests.. We have already lost before we knew there was even a battle for our hobbys survival. So basically any advancements going forward only benefits corporations and governments. Corporations will mass produce unsafe junk as they have already or have silly ideas like drone delivery... and governments are already rubbing their greedy paws over revenue with licencing, registration fees and soon mandatory testing and the ultimate goal of yet another specialized insurance by the people who really manage the world to suck even more money out of the working class pockets to perpetuate the cancer that is government. Oh yeah dont forget the telecoms take of the skim soon to be tacked on.

I admire you as a teacher as the aviation industry always needs new blood and new ideas to keep advancing. I love the hobby and like helping or teaching people who actually want to learn. That is why I spend so much time here but in the end its a losing battle for the "flying" rc community with more and more of the people NOT willing to learn only wanting the quickest way to flight with the least amount of effort so they can do stupid things that in their mind is cool or fun.