Wait, what? Is it Monday again already?! Well no, don’t worry you didn’t miss the weekend. The reason for breaking our “Monday post” tradition is that we couldn’t wait to announce that the pre-order has started for the Crazyflie!!
The last couple of weeks has been really busy finalizing as much as possible and finally the time has come. In the end we couldn’t decide on whether we should add the extra sensors or not so we decided on making two versions, one with the basic sensors and one with the extra sensors. Keep in mind that there’s no firmware for the extra sensors yet but if you are interested in more advanced regulation algorithms and performance then you should get the kit with the extra sensors.
We put together two bundles for the different “sensor packs”. One is called Crazyflie Nano Quadcopter Kit 6-DOF and the other 10-DOF. They both include the Crazyradio USB dongle and a 2.4GHz antenna for it. The price for the kits are $149 for the 6-DOF and $173 for the 10-DOF. For full product descriptions head over to Seeedstudio and have a look. There’s also spare parts available to pre-order which could be a wise choice depending on what you are planning on using the Crazyflie for :-)
Here’s the link to the Crazyflie pre-order at Seeedstudio.
Here’s the time schedule for the pre-orders:
- Pre-order: Jan 31st – Feb 18th
- Shipping: April 25th
To be totally honest we are not sure how to handle the transition from pre-order to “normal” orders. This depends a bit on how many we sell and how fast we can get a “normal” stock up again. So if you are interested in getting a kit make sure to get one during the pre-order!
Like we’ve said earlier we wanted to release the source for the firmware/software as well as the schematics so you know what you are buying and can already now think of hacks and projects for when your Crazyflie arrives. The choice fell on Bitbucket where all our repos and bugtrackers are located. The only thing we are not releasing yet is the complete KiCad hardware design, but once the pre-orders ship it will be in the repos as well. We are currently pushing the code into the repos on Bitbucket but haven’t had time to complete all of them so we will keep publishing them during the weekend.
So if you want a Crazyflie for flying, doing development or just to help support our project then head over to Seeedstudio and pre-order one.
Last but not least: What would an occasion like this be without a new video :-)
Wooow! So happy to see your awesome project start pre-orders!
I wish the best to this great quadcopter + opensource development platform
Hey,
Congrats on getting to pre-order status, I’m about to place mine!
Is a playstation controller absolutely required to fly this? If so, is there a particular one you would recommend?
Thanks,
Dan.
Hi Daniel,
Great to hear that you are getting a Crazyflie! No, the PS3 controller isn’t mandatory. We have used Xbox controllers, Wii controllers and cheap PS3 controllers. We are also working on an Android client. Any controller with 4 analogue axis should work.
The reason for us using the PS3 controller is that we think that so far it’s the best for the task :-)
/Marcus
Great thanks. I’m also assuming that I’ll be able to write a Python API and control the motors that way too? That’s actually my main goal with this. :)
The PC client repository also contains an API that can be used to control the Crazyflie,set parameters and log variables. https://bitbucket.org/bitcraze/crazyflie-pc-client
It’s just a few lines to open the link and send control commands. See code below.
# Scan for available Crazyflies
crtp.initDrivers()
available = crtp.scanInterfaces()
# Connect to the first Crazyflie found
cf = Crazyflie()
cf.openLink(available[0])
cf.commander.sendControlSetpoint(roll, pitch, yaw, thrust)
cf.closeLink()
Hi,
Just bought the 10-DOF version and extra propellers since it’s going to be rough ride for first timer :)
Still, I’m wondering whether I need extra motors and/or battery also.
What’s your opinion on those parts?
BTW, thanks and great job on bringing this wonderful kit to market!
Terry
Hi Terry,
Thanks! I would recommend a couple of spare motors but the extra battery might not be needed. Since we got our pre-series units in November we have been flying a lot and the only thing we broke so far are a couple of motors.
/Marcus
Thanks for the tip, Marcus!
Just added a couple of motors to my order.
Can’t wait to get this ;)
Hi,
First of all congratulations!!!
I am about to pre-order but have a quick question first. I want to use crazyflie as a development plattform
You say that you do not have yet a firmware for the add-on sensors. From my point that does not matter, however, are you sure that from a hardware perspective they work (at that location)? Typically esp. the compass sensors are quite prone to interference. It would not be a problem for me. In that case I’d rather start with the standart copter.
Kind regards,
Bernd
Hi Bernd and thanks!
We have implemented the low lever drivers for the compass and altimeter and done some initial testing. The compass does not saturate and outputs reasonable values however it is much biased and the sensitivity has to be configured pretty low which probably affects accuracy. Since we have not tested it with a real algorithm we can’t grantee its usability but our indications are that it will work after a calibration. Testing these sensors more thoroughly is on our todo list so if you are unsure you can wait for our test results (which could take a while). However if the results are finished after the pre-order period we cannot grantee the availability of the Crazyflie :-(
The altimeter seams to work pretty well even without a canopy but a home-made canopy in paper or similar might be needed for best result.
Perfect. Thats enough information for me :-) I ordered it. BTW: I had already had a quick look at your firmware code and I am impressed :-). I unfortunately don’t see that well structured C-Code very often :D. Do you have test cases for the different modules? Where could I find them?
Best wishes,
Bernd
Well… some unit testing has been on our wish list ever since we started, but unfortunatly it has never happened.
The order is placed ! I’m really looking forward to receive :-)
I took the model 10 DF.
In the future, we can control with android smartphone ? Or tablet pc ?
Thanks for buying one!
We already have working beta code for use with android and the Crazyradio. The android device needs USB host functionality though, which most modern mid/high-end devices have. It’s quite hard to control with a android device though as there is no feedback.
Thk for your response.
With galaxy S3, is possible ?
i just Pre-orderd the 6DOF Crazyflie with some spareparts… just need to get this old PC working again ;)
and thanks a lot for your awesome work !
Thanks Fabian, you are one of our true supporters ;-). We hope you will enjoy it, after the long wait before you receive it.
Yes a galaxy S3 should work :-)
Any chance of buying these in Sweden for Swedes? Feel a bit strange to buy Swedish products from the US :)
/Peter
Sorry but right now Seeedstudio is the only supplier. Maybe in the furure though.
Placing my pre-order today! Just wondering, will our credit card be charged at order time, or ship time?
Thank you!
The pre-series is a kind of crowd funding for us. We wouldn’t have the money to manufacture them without that help and it garantees that everyone that wants one can. This meens you credit card will be charged during the pre-order. We hope you understand.
Very nice! I have been following this project from the beginning. ehmm one question. I can order it but must wait for my next payment :( Can i order it 15 feb, or is there a risk that it is not in stock or something. So can i rely on it? Thank you!
You will be safe ordering any time during the pre-series time frame. The stock counter is just for some track reckord. I guess it will reset if it runs out.
And for the peoples who don’t have a soldering iron, is it possible to get one already mounted ?
We don’t have a solution for that right now, sorry. In the future though there might be a fully assembled version. Maybe you can find someone close by that can help you? Also buying your own soldering iron is an option. It doesn’t have to be a fancy one.
Congratulations! It is really something to watch a concept like Crazyflie grow and develop! I can’t wait for May!
Beautiful work, guys. Thanks for going through all the trouble to get the pcb all done-up. I can’t wait to play. :)
-a
Looks so great! Want one!
Does it also connect to a 2.4Ghz transmitter? I saw a picture in the Wiki. Does the actual firmware supports flying with a transmitter for example like a Spektrum DX6i?
No, there is no simple DX6i support. There is a possibility to to rebuild the Crazyradio to a R/C transmitter module and some other nRF24-based transmitter might work. For more information please have a look at our work in progress FAQ. http://wiki.bitcraze.se/projects:crazyflie:faq
Hello Tobias,
Does it function with Mac??
Thank you
We have not been able to test it on Mac as none of us own a Mac but it should work (not guaranteeing anything).
Is there a possibility to get a mass discount? Plz contact me via the provided Mail adress.
Well more accurately as the software is all open-source and the protocol are documented, there is no reason it cannot work on mac, it is just left to be done :-)
Hi,
Is it possible to try the software on a Mac without the crazyflie?
Thanks
You can at least try if the gui starts and runs.. just give it a try. As I understood its mostly phyton anyway – so it should be pretty much platform independent.. And if its runs on Windows and Linux I don’t see a reason why it should not run on Mac. And if there are some issues I am sure they will be fixed by them or the community quickly.
BTW: I first thought the prices where in Euros, but later saw they are in Dollars, which mean 30% discound for me – huray! :)
Hi, I was wondering about the scripting functionality, and controlling these without a laptop present. Can you program scripts to execute? I would love to have one of these for a “remote self-shot” mode where it flies a circle around me, but for that purpose, lugging around a laptop would be less than ideal.
Thanks!
Yes it can pretty easily be controlled by python. Read this post: https://www.bitcraze.io/2013/02/pre-order-has-started/#comment-22223.
Hoverer achieving what you want is a totally different thing. The Crazyflie can’t be controlled with absolute positioning only roll, pitch, yaw and thrust. The altimeter could contribute to hight control as well but is left to be implemented.
hi,
i tried to install it from here but nothing really happened…
http://wiki.bitcraze.se/projects:crazyflie:pc_utils:install
and i find it little bit complicated.. :)
thanks
if I understood the counter correctly more than 800 crazyflies have been preorded while typing these lines! Congrats!
Thanks! It’s going to be a lot of work the upcoming months…:-)
Hi to all,
If anyone is able to try it on a Mac please let me know..
Ziad
Great stuff (-:
what is the maximum distance from the controller ?
I’m looking for something that I can use to explore about 55 acres of land – I’m expecting that this range will not be possible.
thanks!
Jodi
Thanks! If you are looking for areal exploring I suggest you to look at the bigger multicopters that are availible, however the Crazyflie is a great starting point.
The range could be increased with an external RF ampifier, at least in the transmitting direction.
Order is away!
Fyfan va det ska ska bli skoj!
Has this been tested/tried at altitude? I am in Denver Colorado…5280 feet.
Actually no. Would be interesting to know.
Is pre-order still possible, or was the cut-off really Feb. 18th? What are my options for ordering at this point? Thank you!
Unfortunately the pre-order has ended so it’s not possible to add any more orders. There will be units available in the Seeedstudio web-shop at some point after all the pre-orders has shipped but we can’t guarantee any date for this.
I will be ordering the 10DOF version and am interested in employing the compass and probably GPS add ons. I want to have the first unit here in the Philippines. We shall develop algorithms together with the Univ. of the Phils. Los Banos Physics and Computer Science students.
good job！very nice！
Do you think to send pre-orders at 25th April ?
As it looks now it is highly likely that Seeedstudio will start shipping pre-orders the 25th of April.
So is it still available for “pre-order” I’m assuming pre-order is lasting till stocks are gone??
Hi Henry,
No, the pre-order period is over. We will get new units in stock at the end of June so make sure to click the “Notify me” button for the products you are interested in at Seeedstudio and you will get a mail when they are available.
/Marcus
Thanks Marcus. Can’t wait :)
Hi, i am sorry i am late, can i pre-order, please i just came back from out civiliation
Hi Diyan,
No, the pre-order period is over. We will get new units in stock at the end of June so make sure to click the “Notify me” button for the products you are interested in at Seeedstudio and you will get a mail when they are available.
/Marcus