UAV or Sentry Turret?

[dusseldorf101]

This is an idea i have been developing for sometime, and i think i should eplain fully first before posing my question....

The first is a fully autonomous Unmanned Aerial Vehicle or in lamans terms a hand launched plane that flys itself and has a camera attached to it that relays real time aerial footage. The would be done with an R/C Airplane that has been modified to become an FPV fitted with an OSD again in simple terms its a plane that has telemetry units, a gps, camera receiver/transmitter, etc etc on board that allows it to fly following waypoints that are transmitted to the plane from a laptop running autopilot software and recieves a video feed. The camera sits on a pan/tilt mechanism that allows you to adjust the angle of the camera etc.

The second idea is a sentry turret, a wirelessly controlled airsoft gun mounted on a pan/tilt mechanism. The gun is cotrolled remotely from a pc that is running joystick to radio tx software and also recieves a video feed from the turret for aiming. In simple terms imagine an airsoft gun mounted on a CCTV pivot, that can be aimed and fired remotely. The turret is controlled by a joystick and is fired using the trigger on the joystick.

Potential applications for both range from, real time video feed of an airsoft game from above, real time transmission of information of enemy locations movements etc, enhanced co-ordination of your team etc, even videoing an airsoft game as it happens. The turret well has the obvious quality of being a sentry turret. Can be left to defend an area or could be incorporated into a scenario all round area denial. (Just to add it has a built in weakness of having a falling plate switch mounted to the front of the turret to disable it by shooting the plate.)

Now my question, the cost of each is £250 and £400 respectively. This is a non bodge budget using the top quality parts and finishing. Firstly is it worth it, and secondly which is more valuable as an assett?? Also what is every ones opinions on these sorts of airsoft enhancements??

Video examples etc:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3089AbZ6tBU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3lTEvk_9mjE
Two CAD models i produced in solidworks. One with a modified M16 inards and custom body and one concept airsoft "cannon".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmbAVp5q3Y0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwccj1B19ho
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTDuG...eature=related
The first is a true autopilot rc pane, the second shows the camera pan tilt better, but the last one is probably the best for showing and aerial camera view of the ground etc.

[dusseldorf101]

Re: UAV or Sentry Turret??

MODS PLEASE MERGE:

If you want more details as to the function then i will start a new thread in the technical discussion page and i'll have a full break down of both ideas with a full spec of each costings everything etc, Just really need help deciding whether its worth the money and if they are good ideas?? lol

[TS_Welshy]

Re: UAV or Sentry Turret??

The thing you've missed... is that people will be PLAYING AIRSOFT whilst having to control these things.

And they won't really want to bring an expensive laptop out in a game where people are firing plastic pellets at them and it..

HAVING SAID THAT.

The sentry turret would be uber cool. UAV highly pointless though, maybe in a MASSIVE game like the weekender

[dusseldorf101]

Re: UAV or Sentry Turret??

sorry you are right forgot to mention its run off an £80 netbook. Thats £80 new and its a 7 inch notebook

[MDKsmiffy]

Re: UAV or Sentry Turret??

i like the sound of the turret personally. In the woodland i play and indoors CQB the UAV would be less than pointless. Turret all the way, useful pretty much anywhere.

Smiffy

[TS_Welshy]

Re: UAV or Sentry Turret??

ahhh well in that case.. with the £80 laptop... sounds interesting.

but yeah, turret is the one!

[ste887]

Re: UAV or Sentry Turret??

turrets easy take a mini aeg and wire in a pir sensor to it with a switch to up the pir switches voltage so it fires when someone walks into its field of view.

[Panoptes]

Re: UAV or Sentry Turret??

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4B4-nCVwMbA

[jagillham]

Re: UAV or Sentry Turret??

Turret might just work, and could be used at any skirmish. Something different in a way. Although this has been discussed at great length before. The main concern really is people don't want something without "common sense" firing at them. Just as a quick example, overkill or somebody is injured/lost eye protection. Firing up at dead men, marshals and own team etc.

I think the plane just would be something that would never be used. You ever tried to get a bunch of airsofters on the same radio channel. Let alone trying to spot men in camo under trees on a 7" screen... then making use of that information.

Both really neat ideas, don't get me wrong. As the process of physically making them would be rewarding in itself. But in both instances, you'd have to accept there was a high possibility of them never leaving the shed for more than a couple of demonstrations.

[aribos]

Re: UAV or Sentry Turret??

if you look on youtube several places have done the turret idea its a decent idea but imo not in the sport of the game. Its supposed to be more about people out playing each other rather than a computer. Good idea though. Could be an interesting one to look out at.

[magic_golem]

Re: UAV or Sentry Turret??

i had a thought about a uav type of thing but went more in the airship direction so that it would be quieter, run for longer and possibly take less damge from being shot at by *pr*cks*..but then wind would/could be a problem

i think both ideas are quite cool, definately more for the milsims though imo.

[dusseldorf101]

Re: UAV or Sentry Turret??

turrets easy take a mini aeg and wire in a pir sensor to it with a switch to up the pir switches voltage so it fires when someone walks into its field of view.

have eplored the pros and cons of a fully autonomous airsoft turret and as it turns out its pretty damm dangerous. Friend of mine made a software programme that had the ability to identify, aim and fire at a person that came in to view. However the fact that it cant differentiate between team members and the old blind firing rule means that its too dangerous and impractical. At least with a person behind the trigger it makes it safer and less OP'd. Also it would need some range to it otherwise it would be wasteful so a mini aeg probably wont be able to accomodate this.

[dusseldorf101]

Re: UAV or Sentry Turret??

just to add the turret is not self iring and engauging its controlled by a user and is fired by a user just remotely not autonamously

[TS_Welshy]

Re: UAV or Sentry Turret??

Keep the turret WIRELESS but dont make it autonomous. Then it will be safe. Because another player is controlling it all the time. Maybe have some sort of cut off... so after so long of inactivity it shuts down? then if someone lost the control computer/forgot about it there's NO danger of it firing by itself (however that might happen?) lol

EDIT: what you said

[jagillham]

Re: UAV or Sentry Turret??

Does this remove the need to get out of bed to play airsoft now :D