We've reprogrammed the esc's on the ROV endlessly, and calibrated them endlessly, in our attempts to get it to fly correctly. While upgrading the software and firmware last night, we noticed something that is going to make flying it a lot easier. Often we've found that using the steering keys to send inputs to the esc's produces unpredictable results - sometimes the propeller will spin correctly, sometimes not at all, and sometimes will cut out unexpectedly. Last night we discovered that double-tapping the keys was effective 100% of the time, even after reboots and power loss.
So, it still flies like an underwater brick. But at least we can control our underwater brick
predictably now. I'm calling this a victory.
Our next dive is coming up soon - heading to Barton Creek to find and video underwater wildlife in early May. We'll have some upgrades to roll out by then including a new cinching strap to keep the main tube sealed, and a 4000 lumen torch to increase our low-light capture with the GoPro. Exciting times for AustinROV.
We also upgraded the OpenROV software image which greatly improved the compass stability. Our IMU still thinks it is upside down though...
--DannyE can't comment without a G+ :(
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