D R A F T

P R I V I L E G E D A N D C O N F I D E N T I A L



### UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION

__________________________________________ ) Petition for Exemption ) Pursuant to Pub. Law 112

- 95 § 333 ) And 14 CFR Part 11 ) concerning Unmanned Aircraft Systems ) flight testing and demonstration ) ) __________________________________________)

PETITION OF ROBOTA LLC FOR REGULATORY EXEMPTION

Dated: 29 February 2016

Please address all communications with respect to this Petitio n to:

Mr. Antonio Liska



### Robota LLC 14123 Paradise Valley Dr Houston

, TX 77069

Phone: 2812509186

Email: antonio@robota.us

### 2

I. Introduction : Research & Development

Robota LLC manufactures autopilots for UAVs as well as the vehicles that contain them.

Proper autop ilot and vehicle development requires flight testing in order to assure quality,

reliability and safety.

II. The Identity and Interests of the Petitioner

Petitioner Robota LLC Systems has been a pioneer in the development of min iature

autopilots for civil UAVs. Robota LLC is aware of the challenges in air traffic control and the de

confliction of manned and unmanned aircraft.

Robota LLC intends to flight test the ir unmanned systems, including air traffic avoidance

technologies in order to promote the safety and reliability of Robota LLC ’s products. The name

and address of the Petitioner is:

Robota LLC 14123 Paradise Valley Dr Houston

, TX 77069

Petitoner requests that communications be directed to the same listed above.

Antonio Liska 

### Email: antonio@robota.us

III. Robota LLC ’s Request Would be in the Public Interest and Benefit the Public as a Whole

The benefit to the public interest of Robota LLC ’s request is unquestionable as the

need for reliable autopilots in the civil market is of ever increasing importance. The creation of

low cost and hobby autopilots has produced many unreliable and untested products on the market

that could end up in the NAS. Robota intends to demonstrate and test reliability of their products

in order to offer a robust solution that will be safe to fly in the NAS by commercial operators

.

### 3

Thus, the operations are of enormous public ben efit and present at least an equivalent level of

safety under 14 CFR part 11.

IV. The Unmanned Aircraft Systems

Configuration 1

1. Robota Specifications

Property Condition Value

Flight Ti me No payload @ 11m/s 90 minutes

Speed Range .No payload 11 m/s to 20 m/s 21kts to 39 kts

Max wind speed .No payload 29 kts

Weight no payload, ready to fly 5 lbs

Wing Span 64 inches

Fuse Length 46 inches

Payload bay 5 x 4 x 3 inches

Shipping/T ransport 48 x 12 x 12 inch box

Battery Capacity 22v 5000mAh

- XL

Payload Power 5v @ 1A

### 4 Control Link Frequency 900 mhz

Control Link Range Std Antennas, line of sight 5 miles 10 miles with upgrade

Manual Control Frequency 2.4 ghz

Manual Control Ra nge Line of sight 800 yards

Video Link Range Line of sight 1.5 Miles

- VT

Video Link Frequency Call for more options 1.1Ghz

- VT

Temperature Range Measured on Autopilot 0 to 70c

Launch Options Runway/Hand Launch

Land Options Conventional Emergency P arachute



### Construction : The is constructed entirely of foam (Expanded Poly propolene ) with internal bracing.

Propulsion : Aircraft utilize brushless, three phase, AC motors. They require a switching electronic speed co ntrol to provide throttle management.

Hazard mitigation

The is designed to collect data utilizing a lightweight and relatively slow airframe made entirely of foam . This reduces the potential for injury by reducing the mass that can be delivered in a small area. Th is aircraft is considered “ frangible ” in that it will come apart on impact without concentrating force in any vector. They do not use internal combustion motors and do not carry any flammable liquids for
ope ration. Additionally, the aircraft utilizes the Robota GooseTM Flight Control System that features a redundant communications fail safe in that if either the command over ride link or the telemetry fails, the aircraft will abort the mission and
return to t he launch area. In the event the aircraft is unable to return to the launch area, it may deploy a parachute for a soft descent to the ground.

V. Area of Operations

The area of operations shall be in itially restricted to 1nm from coordinates: 30 27 40.824 0N 095 53 15.9000 W

### 5 This location is 13 nm from Navasota Municipal Airport This location is 21nm from Huntsville Municipal Airport This location is 27nm from Madisonville Municipal Airport

Altitude of operations: 400’ AGL , daylight operations only

.

### 6

Sectional Map Location

VI. Summary of Exemptions Sought

Robota LLC seeks exemption from the following regulations, to the extent the FAA

deems them applicable to the operation of civil UAS for the indicated purposes:

14 CFR Part 21 14 CFR Part 36 14 CFR 45.23(b) 14 CFR 61.3 

### 14 CFR 61.101 14 CFR 61.113 (a) & (b) 14 CFR 61.315 14 CFR. 91.7 (a) 14 CFR 91.9 (b) (2) 14 CFR 91.103 14 CFR 91.105

### 7

14 CFR 91.109 14 CFR 91.119 14 CFR 91.121 14 CFR 91.151 (a) 14 CFR 91.203 (a) & (b) 14 CFR 91.405 (a) 14 CFR 91.407 (a) (1) 14 CFR 91.409 (a) (2); and 14 CPR 91.417 (a) & (b)



### VII. The Specific Exemptions Sought and Reasons

A. 14 CFR Part 21 and 14 CFR Part 36

Petitioner seeks relief from 14 CFR part 21 concerning airworthiness certifica tes, as

well as any associated noise testing requirements of part 36, with respect to the UAS identified in

Section IV . As set out herein, the size, weight, speed, operational capability, visual line

- of

- sight

operation, and intended operating area of thes e UAS meet the conditions of FMRA Section 333.

Moreover, the proposed operations, conducted pursuant to the Robota LLC Systems FSOP, present

an equivalent level of safety or better. An exemption ought to be granted or, in the alternative, a

finding made that relief from parts 21 and 36 are not necessary for Petitioner’s intended operation.

( See, e.g. , Grant of Exemption No. 11282, Docket. No. FAA

- 2014

- 0977 (April 6, 2015), finding

that such an exemption is “not necessary.” )

B. 14 CFR 45.23(b)

Petitioner seeks relief from 14 CFR 45.23(b) concerning aircraft markings, to the

extent such relief is necessary. Given the size of the UAS, its operation within visual line of sight

of the operator, and other factors, such an exemption is warranted. Petitioner will, if required,

mark each UAS with the word “RESTRICTED” in lettering as large as practicable. However,

Petitioner notes that because its UAS’s will not be certificated under § 21.185, such marking is not

actually required, a nd therefore Petitioner alternatively requests a finding confirming same.

### 8

C. 14 CFR 61.101, 14 CFR 61.113 (a) & (b), and 14 CFR 61.315

Petitioner seeks relief from 14 CFR 61.101 concerning limitations on recreational

pilot privileges, 14 CFR 61.113(a) an d (b) concerning limitations on private pilot privileges, and

14 CFR 61.315 concerning limitations on sport pilot privileges. The ROBOTA LLC FSOP

establishes a level of safety exceeded by that provided by a commercial pilot’s certifi cate in the

operation of a passenger aircraft. The UAS intended to be operated do not carry any person and

therefore present an equivalent or better level of safety compared to manned aircraft operations.

Petitioner requests an exemption allowing UAS ope rations by the holder of either a recreational,

sport pilot or private pilot certificate. With respect to medical certification, Petitioner proposes

that the PIC hold a current FAA airman medical certificate or a valid U.S. driver’s license issued

by a st ate, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, a territory, a possession, or the Federal

government.

D. 14 CFR 91.7(a)

Petitioner seeks relief from 14 CFR 91.7(a) concerning civil aircraft airworthiness.

Given the size of the UAS, its operation within visual line of sight of the operator, and other

factors providing an equivalent level of safety, such an exemption is warranted. Moreover,

because petitioner proposes that no airworthiness certificate be issued for the UASs to be operated

under this exemption, § 91.7(a) is inapplicable. Therefore, in the alternative, Petitioner requests a

determination that an exemption from § 91.7(a) is not necessary.

### 9

E. 14 CFR 91.9(b)(2)

Petitioner seeks relief from 14 CFR 91.91(b)(2), and 91.203(a) and (b) concerning

flight man uals and placard requirements. Because all persons involved in the operation will be on

the ground, not on board the UAS, such an exemption is clearly warranted. Moreover, the FAA

determined in an August 8, 2014 legal interpretation that keeping such doc umentation at the

control station, as Petitioner intends to, meets the requirements under these regulations and

therefore an exemption is not necessary. See Memorandum from Mark. W. Bury to John Duncan,

“Interpretation regarding whether certain required d ocuments may be kept at an unmanned

aircraft's control station,” available at

https://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/agc/pol_adjudication/agc200/interpreta

tions/data/interps/2014/Duncan

- AFS

- 1

- 2%20

- %20%282014%29%20Legal%20Interpretation.pdf

F. 14 CFR 91.103

Petitioner seeks relief from 14 CFR 91.103 concerning preflight action, and

particularly that portion of the regulation concerning FAA

- approved flight manuals (which do not

exist). Petitioners’ pre

- flight actions concerning UAS operations are set out in its FSOP, reflect

that the pilot in command will “become familiar with all available information” concerning the

proposed flight, and therefore present an equivalent or better level of safety. Given the size of the

UAS, its operation within visual line of sight of the operator, and other factors, such an exemption

is warranted. Alternatively, given that Petitioner will account for all relevant site

- specific

conditions in its preflight procedures, Petitioner asks for a finding that an exemption from § 91.103

is not necessary for the intended operat ion.

### 10

G. 14 CFR 91.105

Petitioner seeks relief from 14 CFR 91.105 concerning “Flight crewmembers at

stations” and seat belt/harness fastening. Because there is no crew on board the UAS, and persons

involved in the operations will be present at the UAS ground station pursuant to the FSOP,

Petitioner believes that such an exemption is warranted due to Petitioner’s FSOP providing an

equivalent level of safety, or alternatively that an exemption is not necessary for the operation.

Although it does not appear that the FAA has addressed § 91.105 in various UAS Section 333

exemptions granted to date, we note that § 91.105 is listed in the FAA’s Public Guidance

document as a regulation from which an exemption may be required (Rev. 9/25/2014 at page 7,

available at

https://www.faa.gov/uas/legislative_programs/section_333/how_to_file_a_petition/media/section3

33_public_guidance.pdf

). Petiti oner therefore requests either an exemption or an

acknowledgement that an exemption is not necessary.

H. 14 CFR 91.109

Petitioner seeks relief from 14 CFR 91.109 concerning flight instruction and dual

controls. Petitioner will evaluate the qualifications of its PICs based on their experience and

capabilities with the UAS to be operated, as set out in the FSOP Section I (Personnel

Qualifications , attached excerpt Appendix A ). Moreover, as each PIC will have previously been

qualified by the FAA as a certificat ed recreational, sport, or private pilot, the operations proposed

herein may be conducted without an exemption from § 91.109 being required. Thus, Petitioner

requests either an exemption or confirmation that none is required.

### 11

I. 14 CFR 91.119

Petitioner seek s relief from 14 CFR 91.119 concerning minimum safe altitudes.

Under the ROBOTA LLC FSOP, each UAS will be operated no higher than 400 feet above ground

level, and a safe emergency landing “abort site” will be selected in advance of each flight, in

compliance with 14 CFR 91.119(a) which permits operations “anywhere.” With respect to the

balance of § 91.119, Petitioner proposes to conduct operations at least 50 feet from non

- essential

or non

- participating persons, and prior to each o peration the PIC will make a safety assessment of

the risk of operating within the proximity of structures, vehicles and vessels. Petitioner believes

that given the size, weight and speed of the UAS to be operated, these parameters in the FSOP

present an equivalent level of safety compared to the 500 foot minimum safe altitude of a manned

aircraft set out in § 91.119(c).

We are aware that in prior UAS exemption grants, the FAA has included a 500 foot

minimum distance separation from uninvolved persons. We ask the FAA either to raise the

maximum operational altitude to 500 feet above ground level (from the t ypical 400), or, preferably,

to reduce the required distance separation from uninvolved persons to no greater than 400 feet, so

that Petitioner's UAS, when in operation, may pass above persons in the operational area. In

consideration of the benefits of, and strong public interest in the proposed research and

development of sense and avoid systems , which are potentially life

- saving, this request ought to be

granted.

J. 14 CFR 91.121

Petitioner seeks relief from 14 CFR 91.121 concerning altimeter settings.

Petitioner's UAS will utilize a GPS altitude read out, set to zero at the elevation of the departure

### 12

location, thus indicating to the operator the opera tional altitude in feet above ground level. This

approach will provide an equivalent level of safety.

K. 14 CFR 91.151

Petitioner seeks relief from 14 CFR 91.151 concerning fuel requirements. The

Petitioner's Configuration 1 uses the UAS airplane equipped with 5.4AH lithium polymer flight

batteries. Petitioner's flight duration is 6 0 minutes or less, which results in approximately 20

- 30 %

of the battery power remaining at landing. Petitioner's Configuration 2 requests the same

exemption as the

. In both configurations, an equivalent level of safety is achieved, in particular

because each UAS is operated within visual line of sight, can be landed within moments of a low

battery condition, and the UAS never has to travel any significant distance to an alternate airport or

landing area.

L. 14 CFR 91.203(a) and (b)

Petitioner seeks relief from 14 CFR 91.203(a) and (b) concerning airworthiness

certificates. Each of the UAS to be operated weighs und er 8 pounds, and will be operated within

visual line of sight, pursuant to the ROBOTA LLC FSOP (Appendix A) , by a knowledgeable

operator. An exemption from airworthiness certification is warranted pursuant to Section 333 of

FMRA in c onsideration of the weight, size, speed, and operational capabilities of the Petitioner's

UAS.

### 13

M. 14 CFR 91.405(a) 14 CFR 91.407 (a) (1) 14 CFR 91.409 (a) (2); and 14 CPR 91.417 (a) & (b)

Petitioner seeks relief from 14 CFR 91.405(a), 91.407(a)(1), 91.409(a )(2), and

91.417 (a) and (b), concerning maintenance inspections. Petitioner proposes to maintain each

UAS in accordance with the manufacturer's suggested maintenance procedures, and to conduct

preflight inspections in accordance with the FSOP for each op eration. The UAS are not

contemplated to have an airworthiness certificate, and therefore no exemption is needed with

respect to maintenance relating to airworthiness certificates.

VIII. Request for Blanket COA

Petitioner hereby requests a blanket Certificate o f Waiver or Authorization for

airspace use within Class G airspace, at or below 400 feet. We understand that the typical holder

of a Section 333 exemption waits approximately three weeks in order to receive COA

authorization, the timely execution of devel opmental items is as much an economic consideration

as well as a delay on important and sometimes time sensitive processes.

The FAA has already indicated that holders of UAS exemptions under Section 333

are also granted a "streamlined" COA up to 200 feet A GL. See March 20, 2015 Memorandum

from Elizabeth L. Ray to Terry Biggio,"Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems Operations in the

National Airspace System." However, this streamlined or "blanket" COA apparently requires the

operator to issue a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) "at least 24 hours prior to the proposed operation."

Id . In many instances Petitioner expects to be called upon with less than 24 hours' notice.

Petitioner requests that its streamlined COA require only that Petitioner issue a NOTAM as far in

ad vance as practicable, with no specific minimum time.

### 14 An equivalent level of safety is established for these blanket COA parameters

because, currently, operations are permitted by FAA by recreational model aircraft operators

without any COA or NOTAM requi rements.

Dated: August ___, 2015

Respectfully submitted,

______________________ Antonio Liska 14123 Paradise Valley Dr Houston

, TX 77069

Petitioner Robota LLC Attachments :
Appendix A

– Flight Operations Standards

Appendix B

– Assembly Manual

Appendix C

– GCS Software Operation

### 15

Appendix A

– Flight Operations Procedures for Unmanned Aircraft (excerpted)


## Personnel qualifications

Pilot in Command (PIC)

The PIC shall be the individual with responsibility for all other personnel involved with the operation. For clarification, this section will include both the Pilot in Command and the Pilot at the Controls although they may both be interchangeable in most circumstances. The PIC shall have the minimum qualifications;

1. Knowledge of general aviation pract ices and FARs (optional private rating) 2. A minimum of a Light Sport Aviation (LSA) license and a valid state driver’s license. 3. 20/20 corrected vision 4. Familiarity and operations of ; a. At least three events utilizing one, or both UA b. At least three take offs and recoveries within 90 days with type c. Familiar with the latest revision of ground control software d. Emergency recovery procedures in failed link situations 5. Familiar with the qualifi cation requirements of all subordinate personnel 6. Familiar with mission planning and preflight procedures 7. Versed in emergency procedures and contingency operations 8. Familiar with acceptable field repair and maintenance procedures

Pilot at co ntrols (PAC)

1. Knowledge of general aviation practices and FARs ( optional LSA rating) 2. Valid state drivers license 3. 20/20 corrected vision 5. Familiarity and operations of aircraft to include; a. At least three events utilizing one, or both UA b. At least three take offs and recoveries within 90 days with type c. Familiar with the latest revision of ground control software d. Emergency recovery procedures in failed link situations 6. Familiar wit h mission planning and preflight procedures 7. Versed in emergency procedures and contingency operations 8. Familiar with acceptable field repair and maintenance procedures

Ground System Crew (including Visual Observers)

1. Valid state drivers lice nse 2. 20/20 corrected vision 4. Familiarity and operations of aircraft to include; a. Familiar with the construction and configuration of each UA b. Familiar with GCU electronics and configuration

### 16 c. Familiar with field repair procedures for each UA d. Familiar with the latest revision of ground control software



## Preflight, Takeoff, and Post flight Check list s

Primary Responsibility

Preflight activities are completed and verified by the PIC before takeoff, generally upon arrival at the location and the operation is to be performed. Activities in this segment refer to all knowledge gathering, area assessment, and actions performed on the aircraft before taxi or takeoff. These include inspection of aircraft, assessment of the operating location, coordination with other crew members involved in the operation, and equipment checkouts.

Mission Plan

The mission plan shall contain all actions and contingencies for the mission planned. Any limiting factors in th e flight environment may alter the intended operation and modify the mission plan accordingly. Contingency planning should include safe routes in the event of a system failure, degraded performance, or lost communication link, if such a failsafe exists.

Airframe

The airframe shall be given a thorough inspection thru the use of a checklist. The content of the checklist will be as follows:

1. Before the first flight of the day, verify all transmitter, on

- board aircraft, and camera batteries are fully char ged. 2. Check all control surfaces for signs of damage, loose hinges, and overall condition. 3. Check the control linkages are secured and the condition of the control horns and brackets. 4. Check the wing to make sure it is in good structural conditio n and properly secured and aligned to the airframe. 5. Check the motor/engine and mounting system to make sure it is firmly attached to the airframe. 6. Check the propeller or rotor blades for chips, cracks, looseness and any deformation. 7. Check the landing gear (if applicable) for damage, for secure attachment, and the wheels are in good shape and rotate freely. 8. Check that the servos are firmly attached to the airframe and all receiver connections are

secure. 9. Check all electrical connections making sure they are plugged in and secured to the airframe. 10. Check that the photography equipment and mounting system are secure and operational. 11. Perform an overall visual check of the aircraft prior to arming any power systems.

### 17

12. Repair or r eplace any part found to be un

- airworthy in the pre

- flight prior to take

- off.

Flight Control/Ground station

1. Ensure there are no frequency conflicts by use of frequency scanner before turning on transmitter. 2. Make sure that all of your body parts, clothing, other obstructions, and bystanders are well away from any propeller or rotor and its arc before turning power on to any systems. Make sure the aircraft is secure and will not move if the motor was suddenly powered up. 3. Announce out loud

- "C LEAR PROP". 4. Turn on the transmitter. If it displays information such as aircraft memory and battery voltage, be sure these numbers are correct. 5. Make sure that the throttle stick on the transmitter is in the power off position. 6. Connect the bat tery and/or turn on the power switch to the aircraft. 7. Follow the recommended range test procedures as outlined in your radio transmitter/receiver owner's manual. 8. Check for proper operation of control surfaces. 9. Check that all servos are steady an d not chattering or making any other abnormal noise when in operation or idle. 10.Check the motor/engine for proper operation. Firmly secure the aircraft and gradually increase the throttle to full power and back down to idle

- checking for lack of thrus t, vibration or other possible anomalies. Check that the motor stops completely when the throttle stick is at the off position. 11. Ensure the triggering device is working correctly.

Before Take Off:

1. Confirm transmitter antenna is fully extended. 2. Confirm transmitter trims settings in proper position. 3. Confirm receiver antenna is fully extended. 4. Check that the takeoff area is clear of obstructions and people. 5. Double check weather conditions and review potential emergency landing area s. 6. Set flight timer alarm. 7. Announce out loud

- " PREPARING TO TAKE OFF". 8. Launch aircraft.

In

- Flight:

1. Climb to a safe altitude away from potential hazards and check control systems. Reset trims if necessary. 2. Keep aircraft at a safe ope rating distance from people and buildings. 3. If aircraft must be flown over buildings or people, maintain a safe altitude for recovery

### 18

& make every effort to minimize exposure

. 4. Continually scan the flight and ground areas for potential hazards.

Land ing:

1. Check the control systems and set the trims that if necessary, an emergency abort landing can be made. 2. Scan landing area for potential obstruction hazards and recheck weather conditions. 3. Announce out loud

- " PREPARING TO LAND". 4. Always b e prepared to go around. 5. Carefully land the aircraft away from obstructions and people.

Post

- Flight:

1. Turn the power off to the aircraft and/or disconnect the batteries. 2. Turn off the transmitter. 3. Turn the power off to the photo equipment. 4. Visually check aircraft for signs of damage and/or excessive wear. 5. Remove the unused fuel if applicable. 6. Secure the aircraft.



## In flight Operations

Flight Clearance & Authorization

In the event that RPSS personnel are given the task of inde pendently performing missions, or the absence of a formal Incident Command, the PIC shall have full authority for all flight operations. The PIC will be solely responsible for the conduct of the ground crew and observers before, during and after the flig ht while on duty. The PIC shall also ensure that all standards of safe flight are met before authorizing launch of any aircraft.

Ground Crew & Observer Communications

Ground crew and observer communications shall be kept to a minimum and shall focus on the mission at hand. Communications not directly affecting the outcome of the mission should be avoided so as to not distract the PAC from his/her assigned duties. The use of two radios with a VOX capability will be utilized when possible. Cell phon e communication may be utilized when it is reliably available but radios will be on standby for backup.

### 19

Appenix B

– Assembly

Assembly Instructions

Lite Shipping Container The Lite Sh ipping container is compact ( 48 x 12 x 12) but requires some assembly prior to flight. Individual parts included in this container are:

 Fuselage

 Left/Right Wing with two(2) wing bolts

 Elevator

 Vertical Tail with two (2) nylon nuts

 Propeller on spinner

 Ba ttery Charger

 GCS Radio

 GCS Antenna

 Vehicle Antenna

 Flight Battery



### The remote control and main landing gear are packaged separately.

### 20 Transport Case The Transport Case is compact ( 50 x 20 x 13) and requires minor assembly prior to flight. Parts include d in this container are:

 Fuselage With landing gear and 900mhz antenna attached.

 Left/Right Wing with two(2) wing bolts

 Horizontal tail/Elevator

 Vertical tail /Rudder with two (2) nylon nuts

 Propeller on spinner

 Battery Charger

 GCS Radio with

 GCS antenna

 Vehicle Antenna

 Flight Battery

 Manual Remote Control

 Hex Tools

o Motor/Propeller

o Payload

### 21

IX. Assembly

To assemble the aircraft for flight: Attach the main landing gear with 4 screws installed in the fuselage as shown below.

Attach the vertical and horizont al tail sections. Slide the vertical tail into the fuselage making sure that the nylon bolts pass through the horizontal tail and the fiberglass retainer as shown below. Then connect the ball links for the elevator and rudder.

### 22

To assemble the wing, lo cate the wing bolts(31,32) and spar, insert the spar into the wing, place the wing on the top of the fuselage, taking care to route the aileron and tubing through the split path at the wing root. Screw the wing into place. Tighten until the wing is firmly attached to the fuse. Reference the image below.

Connect the pitot static tubing to the matching connector. Also connect the aileron wires to either black connector. Use the supplied Velcro strap to secure the battery.

The assembled vehicle loo ks like this:

### 23

### 24

X. Payloads

A. ADC Lite

Connect the power and trigger cables shown below to the Payload Accessory board inside the payload bay then connect the opposite ends to the camera. There is only one place that the connectors will fit.

Attach the ADC Lite to the bottom of the fuse using four (4) 4

- 40 screws. The bossed arrow on the mounting plate should point forward.

XI. Important

Balance the vehicle by holding it under the wing with two fingers. The balance point is marked with a black dot(85mm from the leading edge). Adjust the battery until the vehicle is level. Remember to make changes to the battery location if the payload changes.

### 25

Check the control surface trim position by powering the vehicle and the RC transmitter then engaging the manu al mode. Surfaces should be centered unless they were purposely adjusted off center by the operator. Check the payload settings and function before flying. Hint: the camera can be triggered on the flight plan tab with the go button. Use caution ; do not install the propeller until you are ready to fly. Inadvertent throttling by the user or autopilot can be dangerous if the propeller is installed.

### 26

Appendix C

– GCS Software Operation

- Operation Manual

- Robota Ground Control Station (GCS)

Version 4

GCS Version 1.1.0.60 July 2015

(a) Introduction

The information disclosed in this document, including all designs and related materials, is the valuable property of Robota LLC in the United States (hereinafter Robota) and/or

their licensors. Robota and/or its licensors, as appropriate, reserve all patent, copyright and other proprietary rights to this document, including all design, manufacturing, reproduction, use, and sales rights thereto, except to the extent said rights are expressly granted to others.

To allow for design and specification improvements, the information in this document is subject to change at any time, without notice. Reproduction of this document or portions thereof without prior written approval of Robota is
prohibited.

This document co vers how to use the Robota GCS along with the Goose Autopilot

.



### (b) Cautions

Always stay clear of the propeller to avoid inadvertent strikes. Install the propeller just prior to flight and before powering the aircraft. Always fly in visual range, for saf ety, keep the manual controller ready to take control of the vehicle.

### 27

### 28

Contents

Introduction Cautions Keywords Installing Robota GCS Software Using Robota GCS for the first time Icons Tabs Avionics Top Menus Map Overlays Map Flight Modes COM Setti ng up a Flight Plan Waypoint Manipulation Waypoint settings Search Pattern Manipulation Landing Strip Configuration Advanced settings Triggers Easy Camera Selector Action Triggers Event Triggers Failsafes Updating Firmware Log Files Advanced Features Position Output SRTM Elevation Data Typical Flight


### B.

(a)

### 29 (b)

(c) Keywords

GCS : Ground Control Station

- The refers to the computer running the Robota GCS Software.

AP : Autopilot

- This refers to the physical Goose Autopilot module.

AV : Aerial Vehicle

- Refers to the aircraft with the AP installed. AV is synonymous with the green airplane icon on the GCS Map window.

PIC : Pilot In Command

- This is the pers on operating the GCS and ultimately controlling the AV.

AH : Artificial Horizon

- This is the artificial horizon for the AV that includes airspeed and altitude overlays to give the PIC an idea of the attitude and motion of the AV.

RC : Remote Control

- The hand held control with joysticks. Used for direct control of the vehicle (in RC mode) or semi

- automated control in Fly

- by

- wire mode.



### (d)

### 30 (e)

(f) Installing Robota GCS Software

1. Verify System Requirements

a. Minimum 100MB Free Ram

b. Minimum 50MB Free Hard Disk Space

c. M inimum 1GHz Processor 32 bit

d. Running Windows XP or Windows 7 ( .net 3.5 or greater, 32/64bit)

2. Make sure there are no other programs running on your computer.

3. Remove old GCS versions. If there are any other versions of the Robota GCS installed on

your com puter, uninstall them first. (To uninstall in WinXP, click Start > Control Panel > Add or Remove Programs . Scroll down to find and click on “ Robota GCS ” > click Change/Remove > click OK , Robota GCS should now be removed from your computer.)

4. In the download ed “Robota GCS” folder click on the setup.exe application file.

5. Click Install . The Robota GCS should install correctly in a few seconds and automatically start up. (If any errors occur; exit installation, restart computer and attempt installation again.)



### (g)

### 31 (h)

(i) Using Robota GCS for the first time

The following section will give a “dry run” or overview order to familiarize the PIC with layout and functionality of the Robota GCS software. This section can also be used as a field reference guide to re

- famili arize one with GCS operations as events occur.

NOTE: At this time the AP does not need to be communicating with the GCS.

1. Open the Robota GCS by clicking Start > All Programs > Robota GCS > Robota GCS

2. Once Robota GCS is open you will notice the AV marker is in the South Atlantic Ocean. It will remain in this default position until the GCS communicates with an AP that is receiving a valid GPS signal.

Robota GCS Main Screen

### 32 (i)

(ii) Icons

Three main icons are seen on the main map as seen below.

● The red la nding strip indicates the landing location and the direction of travel.

○ Right clicking on the red strip opens a land settings dialog

● The green aircraft icon indicates the current vehicle position.

○ Right clicking the aircraft shows a GPS dialog with high update rate

● The yellow icon represents the ground station location.



### (iii) Tabs

On the bottom left of the GCS you will notice four tabs *(If you are running the Pro version, you will notice two more tabs appear once the GCS communicates with the AP.)

a. Ch ecklist : This is your pre

- flight checklist. Following this checklist in addition to any application specific checklists will help ensure successful and safe flight

### 33 conditions. A checklist warning reminder will remain in the Warnings Area (top left

corner of the Map) until the checklist is complete.

b. Flight Plan : In this tab you will adjust flight parameters and invoke actions.

i. Airspeed

- Set by typing in the text box and pressing enter or dragging slider. Value in meter per second, (M/S).

ii. Altitude

- Se t by typing in the text box and pressing enter or dragging slider. Value in Meters, (M).

iii. Orbit Radius

- Set orbit waypoint radius by typing value and pressing enter or dragging slider. Value in meters, (M).

### 34 iv. Update

- Updates or sends the current flight plan up the the AV

v. New

- Creates a separate flight plan that does not connect to any previously laid out flight plans.

vi. Goto

- Click this button followed by the waypoint that the vehicle should fly

to.

vii. Search

- Inserts a Zigzag search pattern after clicking thi s button and then clicking the desired location on the map. The drop down menu sets the default search parameters.

viii. Clear

- Clears the current flight (all waypoints/orbits) plan from the map

ix. Trigger #1

- If trigger utilized, “Go” button used to actuate th e servo or camera trigger while “Done” button used to bring servo or camera trigger back to resting position

x. Show Distance

- Line distances are displayed when this checkbox is

enabled.

c. PID : This tab is for advanced users only. The options here are used to tune the control theory algorithms that fly the AP.

d. ConfigWiz : This tab is used to optimize the autopilot for use with any airframe. See the Configuration Manual for more info.

e. *RAM : This tab is for advanced users only. RAM tab displays read only vari ables

that the AP uses for operation. See the Configuration Manual for more info.

f. *ROM : This tab is for advanced users only. ROM tab displays writable parameters for customizable configuration of the AP. See the Configuration Manual for more

info.

g. * Payl oad Pass

- through : This tab appears when the autopilot sends payload data. The tab organizes the data in columns, depending on the selected separator variable and end of line character. This data will also be logged and saved in the log folder.

*Pro Licens e Only. Will not be shown until communication with AP has started.



### (iv) Avionics

The avionics area of the GCS is located in the top left hand corner and is titled ‘Avionics’. Here you will find the AH and the status of various variables critical to flight.

### 35 a. AH : The artificial horizon shows the current attitude of the AV. The blue area is mean to be interpreted as sky and the brown area as ground. As a quick reference, if all of one color is seen the AV is most likely in an unusual attitude.

i. Pitch

- The gr een lines are know as “Pitch Ladders” which help interpret the pitch of the aircraft. Each horizontal “tick” represents five degrees of pitch. On the left hand side of the pitch ladder the ten degree ticks are

written out.

ii. Roll

- Roll is show on the botto m of the HUD with ticks at every ten degrees.

iii. Airspeed

- On the left hand side of the HUD are two numbers. The bottom
number is the current airspeed of the AV and the top smaller number is the desired airspeed the AV is trying to fly at which is set by t he PIC in the Flight Plan area.
iv. Altitude

- On the right hand side of the HUD are two numbers that
correspond to altitude. They operate the exact same as the airspeed

values.

v. Heading

- The top of the HUD shows the heading of the aircraft on a 360 degree scale.

vi. GPS Satellites

- On the bottom left of the HUD there is an area to show the number of GPS satellites that are being received by the GPS receiver. Each satellite is represented by a small green box. At least five satellites

### 36 are required to fly. I f the receiver isn’t connected or isn’t receiving a signal, the message “Sat!” appears.

b. Flight Indicators : Just to the right of the HUD in the Avionics display are a series of boxes that display important flight variables. These variables include:

i. Volt

- This is the main battery voltage of the AV. This voltage will decrease with flight time and needs to be watched to give the PIC an idea of how much possible flight time is left.

ii. Volt2

- This is the auxiliary or servo voltage.

iii. Trtl%

- This is the perce ntage of total throttle the motor on the the AV is commanding.

iv. Temp

- This is the AP board temperature in deg C.

v. Airtime min

- This is the the amount of time in minutes that the AV has

been airborne.

vi. Amperage

- This is the current or amperage all the elec tronics including the motor are drawing in Amps.

vii. Usage Ah

- This is the amount of discharge in Amp

- Hours. This is your best measure of battery consumption and flight time left.

c. Emergency : This is the emergency parachute deployment button. If configure d and installed correctly, pressing this button will kill the motor and actuate a servo on Aux1, deploying the parachute. You may use this button any time to abort the flight and kill the engine.



### (v)

(vi) Top Menus

Located in the top left

- hand corner of the Rob ota GCS are five menus.

a. File : This menu is used for loading and saving flight plans.

i. Open

- Not supported at this time.

ii. Save Flight Plan

- Used to save the current flight plan present in the map

area

. This flight plan then be loaded back in with the ne xt command.

iii. Load Flight Plan

- Used to load a saved flight plan from the previous

### 37 command.

iv. Load KML

- Used to import flight boundary from a polygon in a KML file. If “waypoints” is entered in the polygon details, flightlines are generated for that polygon instead of flight boundary lines.

b. Map : This menu will help you customize the map.

i. Type

- Set the preferred map type for your location and function

ii. Auto Zoom

- Map will follow the plane icon at full zoom

iii. Bread Crumbs

- Choose the number of previous AV pos ition update points

that are visible

iv. Map Overlays

- Used to add custom images to the map.

c. AP Settings : This menu is used to access autopilot settings generally configured before flight.

i. The Preflight configuration wizard will guide you through the use of t he AP Settings window..

d. Simulator : The menu is used to set up a hardware in the loop simulation between FlightGear (FG) simulation software (download free at www.flightgear.org) and the

AP. See the Setting up the Simulator Chapter for more info.

i. Open FG S im Connection

- Opens a connection for FG to connect

ii. Sim GPS Failure

- Simulates a GPS failure to test failsafes

iii. Sim Com Failure

- Simulates a GCS/AP communications failure to test

failsafe

iv. Sim IP Address

- Sets IP address for networked connection, see

Sim ulation Chapter for more info.

v. Clear Commands

- Clears commands for a reset

e. Help : The help menu is used to provide a quick access to the hot key map and

GCS/AP versions.

i. Key Map

- The Key Map shows all the hot keys used to set up flight plans,
manipulate t he current flight and control the map.

ii. About

- Contains the current GCS, Firmware and Hardware Version. If the GCS is not communicating with the AP, only the GCS version will be

visible. 

### (vii) Map Overlays

### 38

You may add your own map image to the map for improve d flight planning and visualization. Plot images by moving them from the available map overlays box to the displayed map overlays box using the up and down arrows. There are two options for adding your images.

Option 1: Add the image with correspondin g world file to the ..Robota \ Maps folder. These files will then appear under the available map overlays box. Option 2: Add the images by using the Browse button to locate it, once located, add the image coordinates at the corner points in the setup window . When the values are entered press the Add button and the image file will then appear under the available map overlays box. 

### (viii) Map

The Map is where you will be able to view the current position of the AV and see what it’s future

course will be determined b y the flight plan you have set up. The map also contains a few other features such as warnings and a wind estimate.

a. Warnings : In the top left area of the map, warnings will show up in red. Warnings are meant to notify the PIC of any issues with the AV while either on the ground or in flight. Any warnings seen here while on the ground should be remedied before attempting flight. In flight warnings should be taken very seriously as a condition has come up that could possibly terminate the flight.

i. No GPS Lock

- The GPS receiver has not received a fix on its current location yet or it has lost it’s fix. Make sure GPS receiver has clear view of sky and is placed away from transmitting antennas

ii. No RC

- There is no RC controller connection and the AV can no t be controlled via manual remote control or Fly

- By

- Wire. Connect RC controller

### 39 if manual RC or Fly

- By

- Wire flight control is desired.

iii. Save settings or reboot autopilot to restore

- There have been changes

made to the ROM or PID and need to be saved to t he AP in the AP Settings

> File System tab in order for them to be permanently saved.

iv. No GPS Lock

- GPS Failsafe has been engaged, override this failsafe by
Fly

- By

- Wire mode or manual RC.

v. Perform Checklist and Launch

- AV has been freshly powered on (or

re set) by the user by applying power. This is the default starting message

that will be seen on the GCS.

vi. AV Soft Reset!

- AP has reset itself. If in air manually land immediately, if on ground contact Robota before attempting flight.

vii. GPS Failure

- Check Co nnection

- There are no communications with the GPS receiver. Ensure the GPS receiver is properly plugged into the AP.

viii. Flash Error

- There is a flash memory error on the AV. Contact Robota.

ix. Parachute Deployment

- The parachute has been deployed. Do not
attempt to take manual control.

x. Communications Failure

- There has been a communications failure. If
on ground make sure there is a good connection between the AP and communications radio. If in flight attempt to manually land.

xi. Airspace Violation

- The AV has crossed an airspace boundary fence. Depending on configuration, failsafe may result.

xii. Motor Malfunction

- The AP has detected a motor malfunction. If in flight,
land immediately.

xiii. Wait for AV Info

- There has been a break in communications and the GCS is waiting to get setup information from the autopilot. If this message does not go away, there may be a communications failure.

xiv. AP and GCS Versions Do Not Match

- The current version of the GCS
software is not compatible with the current version of AP firmware. Make sure both version are the most up to date.

xv. A Crash Was Detected!

- The AP detected a crash. A sudden jerk has occurred while in flight mode which is most likely the result of a collision.

xvi. Wait for initial coordinates

- The GPS receiver has not found a fix on the AV’s position yet. During a “cold start’ this could take a few minutes.

### 40 xvii.

b. Cautions : In the top left area of the map, cautions will show up in orange underneath any current warnings. Cautions are any flight conditions that the PIC

should be aware of. Cautions include:

i. Flight Plans Do not Match

- press u to update

- The current flight plan in the Map area does not match what the AV is flying. Pressing the Update button or clicking on the map and pressing the “u” key will send th e current flight plan up to the AV.

ii. RC Mode is Active

- The RC controller is overriding the AP for control of the AV. When on the ground make sure the throttle is always in the full down position when switching into RC mode. When in the air, the PIC wil l

have full manual control of the aircraft.

iii. Reset Airspeed

- The AP is detecting an airspeed anomaly while on the ground in preflight. Make sure the airspeed is properly zeroed out by blocking the pitot tube from any wind (but not physically touching the tip) and watching the airspeed on the HUD. The airspeed should not read an absolute zero nor should it be over 4m/s. In normal operation the airspeed will be varying between 0 and 3m/s. If this is not the case make sure the pitot tube is properly shield ed from the wind without physically touching the tip (having someone cup their hands over it works) and click Reset Airspeed in the checklist tab. The airspeed should not have to be reset on a regular basis unless flight conditions change dramatically betw een flights.

iv. Reset Altitude

- The AP is detecting an altitude anomaly while on the ground during preflight. When the AP is turned on it automatically saves its current pressure altitude as the “Field Elevation”. Changing the physical

altitude of the AV after power

- up by even a couple feet can cause the AP to think it’s under or above the field elevation. The key here is to make sure that when the AP is at actual ground level, the altitude reading on the HUD

is close to 0m. If not zero out the altitude by placing the AV on the ground and clicking Reset Altimeter on the checklist tab. GPS altitude may affect the Altimeter reading, ensure that you have a good GPS signal before Reseting.

v. Sensor Temperature Out Of Range

- The AP is detecting that it is eith er

### 41 too hot or too cold. Make sure the board is operating in a range of 0

- 90C (32

- 194F). If too hot, proper ventilation to the AP may be the issue. During cold flights it is important to cut off the AP from airflow as it will cool dramatically during fli ght.

vi. Checklist Passed, Enter Launch Mode

- You have gone through the
checklist and there are no errors, it is now OK to launch the AV.

vii. USE CAUTION: Propeller May Spin!

- You are in “Launch Mode”. If the
launch type is catapult, the AV will throttle up as soon as a launch is detected. Take caution as to not give the AV any sudden jerks unless they are from an actual physical launch while this caution appears.

viii. AP is Flaring for Landing

- The AP has detected a flare state either by
sensor or altitude pressu re (depending on configuration settings) and is now flaring. This notification will appear while in preflight mode for ground testing purpose.


### (ix) Flight Modes

Above the map are a series of buttons for choosing a flight mode for the AV. The button will be green for the current mode the system is in. The five modes are:

1. Launch

- This button should only be pressed when all conditions are deemed GO for launch. This includes no warnings on the GCS and safe flight conditions in the PIC. You
will receive a prom pt with three automated launch options, Catapult, Runway or RC. Once any option is entered, the AP has the authority to apply throttle to the AV. This means the propeller can spin at any time (depending on takeoff mode) and full caution should be
practic ed.

a. Catapult starts the motor after an acceleration. Use this option for hand launches.

b. Runway starts the launch right away.

c. RC starts the launch when the throttle stick is moved to full throttle on the control

box.

2. Flight Plan

- In normal operation, the m ost time will be spent in this mode. The AV will follow any flight plans you have set up in the Map area.

3. Fly

- By

- Wire

- Mode entered by either pressing this button or by returning control from RC
to AP with the manual controller. During this mode, contro l of the AV will be simi

- manual,

### 42

using the RC:

a. Altitude of the AV will be controlled by the RC elevator stick.

b. Airspeed will be set through the RC throttle stick.

c. AV roll will be controlled through the RC aileron stick.

d. AV yaw rate will be controlled by ru dder stick if the vehicle has a rudder

4. EasyRc

- Enter this mode by clicking the dropdown on the Fly

- By

- Wire button or by using the middle position on the manual controller ch5 switch. During this mode, control of the

AV will be simi

- manual, using the RC:

a. A V pitch will be controlled through the RC elevator stick.

b. AV roll will be controlled through the RC aileron stick.

c. AV throttle will be controlled through the RC throttle stick

d. AV yaw will be controlled by the rudder stick if the vehicle has a rudder..

5. Land

- When pressed the AV will go into landing mode. This AV will maintain the current

altitude or safe navigation, whichever altitude is greater, while the vehicle tracks to the landing orbit. which will be offset from the runway icon depending on the landi ng configuration.

a. Land mode is automatically entered if the low voltage failsafe land is enabled.

b. Land mode is automatically entered if the loss of data communications failsafe is enabled and no failsafe point is designated i the flight plan.

6. Holding Pat tern

- When pressed the AV will go to the landing holding pattern then descend to the orbit altitude but will not continue to descend to landing until the land mode

is entered.

7. Return

- This mode appears once airborne. You may press it at any time. The AP will navigate back to its initial coordinates and orbit a predefined orbit with altitude 50m or SafeNavigationAlt ROM value, whichever is greater.

a. Return mode is automatically entered if you are flying in RC or FBY modes and the

RC link is lost.

b. Return mode is automatically entered after the vehicle is launched and no flight plan has been uploaded.



### (x) COM

To the top right of the map is the communications box. This box will allow you to set the COM port for communications with the AV.

### 43

This is the COM p ort on your computer that the radio module is connected to. To set COM Port:

f. Click on the arrow

- Shows the available COM ports. Select the COM port

connected to the radio modem.

g. Left Click

- Enables/disables COM port. Green is enabled, Red is disabled. In order to establish communications, this needs to be green.

h. Status Indicator

- When communications are established and the COM button is green, there will be an indicator bar above the COM button indicating the rate of packets coming through. This bar should be full most of the time and may decrease in periodically while in flight. If the bar is empty then no comunications are occurring.

### 44 (j) Setting up a Flight Plan

Setting up a flight plan is optional. If no flight plan is loaded on the AP, the AP will enter return mode after launch. If a flight plan is loaded, the AP will begin executing the flight plan in the Flight Plan mode. To send a modified flight plan, press the update button in the flight plan tab or press the u key while the map has focus. Fl ight Plan Line Style:

● Dashed

○ Flight plan has been modified and needs to be updated

● Solid

○ Flight plan has been sent to the autopilot and will be executed in the Flight Plan mode.



### (i) Stats

Flight plan stats are available at the bottom of the flight plan tab. C reate your flight plan and click the refresh button in this box to see updated information. Endurance and range values are constantly updated during flight.



### (ii) Waypoint Manipulation

The Robota GCS supports “fly to” waypoints and orbits. Waypoint manipul ation is easy, you can use “hot keys” or the tools available in the Flight Plan tab.

### 45 Waypoint manipulation tools as seen in the Flight Plan tab

Hot keys : 1. To add a waypoint: press w and click on the map
2. To add an orbit: press o and click on the map 3. To a dd a Mission Boundary: press f (for fence) and click on the map
4. To delete a waypoint or orbit : press d and click on the point
5. To move a waypoint, orbit or landing strip: press m , click and drag the point to a new location 6. To insert a waypoint, use the add procedure but click on the track where the waypoint should be inserted
7. To go to a desired waypoint or orbit while in flight: click Goto on the Flight Plan Tab and then click on the desired point.

The Help>Keymap window provides a useful reminder for wayp oint manipulation. 

### (iii) Waypoint settings

### 46

Right clicking on a waypoint or orbit will bring up the waypoint’s individual settings, including:
1. GPS coordinates in DD.ddd, Lat/Lon
2. Altitude (m)

a. Enter an individual waypoint altitude. If the entered altitude is diff erent from the global altitude slider in the flight plan tab, the waypoint will be labeled with an X. This waypoint altitude will not change if the global slider is adjusted. 3. Land Next option

a. For waypoints, AP will enter the land mode when it reaches this point. b. For orbits, AP will enter the land mode when the orbit time limit expires.
4. Trigger #1Go

- The AP will actuate the servo trigger when it reaches this point.
5. Com Fail

- The AP will fly to this point if there is a communications failure

a. Preferably thi s is configured on an orbit point with a time limit and the land next option 6. Label

- An optional name for the waypoint
7. Details

- Exists for orbit points only

a. Set a time limit for the orbit in seconds b. Select a clockwise orbit 8. Clear Group

- Deletes only the waypoints that are part of the same group.



### (iv) Search Pattern Manipulation

Once a search pattern is placed on the map by using the search button on the Flight Plan Tab or by using the s key, it can be resized, moved and rotated. Right click on the red ico n in the center of the search pattern in order to adjust the search settings.

### 47

To move a search pattern: press m , click and drag the center marker on the search pattern to a new location.

To rotate a search pattern: press r , click and drag the center mar ker on the search pattern to the desired direction.

To delete a search pattern: press d , click on the center marker on the search pattern to delete it.

. A structured search pattern triggers the camera using distance intervals determined by longitudinal overlap and longitudinal field of view of the camera. Red tick marks indicate the camera trigger locations. The autopilot will automatically trigger the camera upon crossing these points. The fastest rate at which a camera is triggered is limited by the G o interval discussed in the Configuration section

.

Unchecking structured search pattern will create a search pattern but the autopilot will not trigger the camera automatically. Triggering must be done by manually pressing the Go button on the flight plan tab. This results in a time triggered camera rather than a triggering by distance. 

### (v) Landing Strip

Manipulation of the landing stirp is optional. If the landing stirp is not set by the user, the landing strip will be determined by the vehicle at launch. Ri ght click on the landing strip to make adjustments to the land settings.
1. To move the landing strip: press m , click and drag it to a new location
2. To move the holding orbit: press m , click and drag the orbit to the desired location 3. To rotate the landing str ip: press r , click on the landing strip and rotate it to the desired position. The land direction follows the arrows on the landing strip. The default landing pattern is a counter clockwise spiral descent.

### 48

1. To switch to a clockwise spiral, right clic k on the landing strip and select clockwise

. 2. To enable a parachute landing right click on the landing strip and select the parachute check box.

It is possible to save the land settings by clicking the more button (>>) and selecting save.

### 49

Making changes to the landing strip location or heading and uploading those changes while in land mode will cause the AP to restart the landing sequence. When land mode is entered, the computed landing spiral will appear on screen. The vehicle will track to the orbit at the current altitude or ROM variable: #19, whichever is greater, then begin its descent.

Entering the Holding Pattern mode sends the AV to the holding orbit but the AV will not descend to the land point.

### 50 (k)

(l) Configuration

The Robota GCS includes a Con figuration Wizard that will walk you through the pre

- flight and In

flight autopilot setup. Each step includes the necessary instructions to properly configure the autopilot. The In

- flight configuration should be performed by at least one GCS operator and one RC pilot. Configuration is only necessary when a user installs an autopilot in a custom vehicle for the first time. There is no requirement to configure Robota’s complete systems.

*Always remove the propeller during the pre

- flight setup to avoid the dangers of spinning propellers* 

### (m) Advanced settings

(i) Triggers

The trigger menu can be found by clicking Settings on the main toolbar, AP Settings , then Triggers tab. After making changes , click Apply Trigger Settings. To permanently save the changes click Sav

e ROM in the File System tab.



### (1) Easy Camera Selector

### 51

Use this dropdown to quickly configure the trigger for predefined cameras. Custom cameras can be added to the XML file located in ... \ Robota \ Cameras.xls 

### (2) Action Triggers

The Robota GCS will allow you to configure a servo trigger or digital IO trigger having two states, Go and Done. The state of the trigger will be reflected in the GO/Done section in the Flight Plan tab, however, if the trigger state changes too quickly, the actual state may not be displ ayed.

● Destination

○ The correct port should be selected in the Trigger Destination dropdown box.

○ After setting the destination, save the ROM in the File System tab and power cycle the autopilot. This procedure enables the change to take effect

● Trigger Pos itions

○ For servos enter a pulse with corresponding to the desired position for each state

○ For digital IOs enter a 1 for a high (3.3v @25ma) output and a 0 for a low output.

● Trigger Type

○ Manual Go/Done trigger

- set the trigger state manually using the butt ons in the flight plan tab or the waypoint trigger check box in the waypoint details menu

○ Auto Done after Go Click

- automatically go to the Done state after clicking Go

○ Continuous Go/Done

- continually cycle the trigger state after the first manual Go cli ck and stop the cycle on a manual Done click.

○ Enable Throttle Kill

- Optional. For applications where the user desired the throttle to be disabled while the trigger is in the go state

● Timing Interval



### (3) Event Triggers

The Robota GCS will let you configure an event trigger. The first field designates the action that should be taken, the second and third fields determine what triggers the event to occur.

● Save State

○ This action will create a data log on the ground station when the event is triggered in the Tri gger Log file.

### 52 (ii) Failsafes

The Failsafe menu can be found by clicking Settings on the main toolbar, AP Settings , then Failsafes tab. To get the current failsafe settings from the AP simply navigate to the Failsafes tab. Select Apply Failsafes , then click Save ROM in the File System tab

● Watch Dog Pulse

○ PD0 is toggled every 900ms as a means of indicating a normal operating state of the AP. External circuits can use this pulse to trigger a fail safe mechanism.

● Boundary Crossing

○ Select the behaviour for a Mission Boundary crossing incident.

● No GPS Fix

○ Select the behaviour for a No GPS condition

● Communication Failure

○ Enter the amount of time that needs to elapse without communication in order to enter the Com Fail point. If no Com Fail point is selected, th e default behaviour is to land.

● Low Voltage

○ *Enabled for Pro License

○ Enter landing mode when voltage drops below selected level

○ Throttle governor prevents the motor from drawing enough power to prevent autopilot functionality by reducing the throttle limit when the main voltage drops

### 53 below the specified level. 

### (n) Updating Firmware

The GCS allows you to upload and install new autopilot firmware. The firmware update process is straightforward. Always update the Goose firmware before updating the GCS . Below is a detailed list of the steps required.
1. Obtain the latest .bin file.
2. Start the GCS 3. Open the serial port and turn the autopilot on, establishing communications.
4. In the top menu, select AP Settings, File System Tab
5. Enter the path of the .bin file in the Firmw are Update section 6. Select upload
7. Wait for 100% completion
8. Click Install 9. Reboot the Goose autopilot when the reboot message appears.
10. You are now running new firmware on the Goose and may need to update your GCS.



### (o)

### 54 (p)

(q) Log Files

The GCS creates different log f iles.

● Telemetry Datalog

- Information about the entire flight

● Trigger Log

- Information about points where the input trigger was activated

○ Certain cameras allow for log lines in the trigger file to be populated automatically. Contact Robota for details wit h respect to your payload.

○ The Robota Tagger application is available to synchronize log lines with image file names for post processing.

● Payload Log

- The raw data that is sent down from the payload

● RawCom Log

- The raw data that can be used to playback a specific flight

Log files will be located in c: \ Program Files \ Robota \ Logs. If the GCS does not have permission to write to the first directory, it will attempt to use c: \ Users \ Public \ Robota \ Logs.



### (i) Playback

To playback a rawcom file, got to File > Load Log then search for the rawcom file with the appropriate date.

After opening the file, a new playback tab will appear. Press Start to begin the playback.



### (r) Advanced Features

(i) Position Output

The GCS constantly outputs the vehicle position data in NMEA format on a TCP socket. GPRMC and GPGGA strings are output every second. To connect a client, use the localhost (ip address of the GCS computer) as the hostname with port 5050.



### (ii) SRTM Elevation Data

### 55

The GCS supports SRTM data. If the data is loaded, the te rrain elevation over the mouse cursor will be displayed in the lower right corner of the map screen. To load the data, first download the folders that reference your area of interest from dds.cr.usgs.gov/srtm/. Place the folders into

c: \ Users \ Public \ Robota \ SRTM



### (s) Typical Flight

A lot of information has been covered, not all of it is required for a typical flight. To give the reader a main idea of a flight experience, the typical steps would be:
1. Power the vehicle
2. Power the GCS
3. Establish communications
4. Follow the checklist on the GCS
5. Setup a flight plan and landing
6. Update the flight plan
7. Yell “Clear Prop” Press Launch or takeoff with manual control

a. Select your desired launch method 8. In flight

- adjust the flight plan, click the flight plan flight mode and perfor m the mission 9. Adjust the landing point for wind and preferred orientation. Right click on the landing point to confirm all the details. 10. Press Land

- standby with manual control in the event that intervention is required to protect personnel or the vehicle.



### Change Log

● 1

- 7

- 2015

○ added note about tagging log lines with image file names

○ added information on flight plan statistics

● 1

- 15

- 2015

○ added ability to save landing for future use

○ added three launch options

● 8

- 18

- 2014

○ added simple playback of RawCom file

○ a dded support for SRTM elevation data

○ added clear waypoint group on right click

● 6

- 17

- 2014

○ added NMEA position output on localhost, 5050

● 4

- 22

- 2014

○ added individual waypoint altitude

○ change log started

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