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Help Me land Ben

Former Member

Ben,

I just started power paragliding at age 60..... my only problem is I have one eye and now dept perception and have a hard time knowing when Im close enough to the ground to flare for a landing... I was think I could us a proximity censor to maybe alert me at 3 or 4 feet so I don't start flaring to high....   I will have forward movement also and didn't know if that would have to be built into the software.... I would be open to any suggestions.... image

 

Do you think something like this may be possible????/   

 

Thank you and I really enjoy your video's..

 

Frank J. Agustini

frank@agustini.net

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  • The first thing I have to recommend is that any system you build should not be relied upon as the main methould of determining height in such a critical applications as flying. Use this advice at your own risk and take all necessary safety precautions.

      Now that that is out of the way, I recommend you considerable ultrasonic sensor, microcontroller and piezo buzzer. Ultrasonic sensors are able to measure distance up to a few metres and so should be enough to measure height a short distance above the ground. A piezobuzzer could them be used to give an audible alert at the appropriate height. A gimbal may also be necessary in order to keep the ultrasonic sensor pointing in the correct direction.

  • Sam,

    Thank you for your response.... I have had a hard time getting back into my account on element 14...   I would never use such a device to be the main method for my landing but as a practice piece to get me used to the height I would need to flair and land.. once I practice enough I will be able to judge height by looking at the horizon..    I love watching Ben build projects and again appreciate your help.....    I already ordered sensors and am experimenting with direction as I am moving forward at about 15mph when I'm close to the ground... 

     

    Frank J. Agustini

  • in reply to Former Member

    Frank I have a simple idea! How about a weight of a few pounds tied to your waist/foot that cannot catch any object. When you feel the weight is gone, you can flare out.

    Clem

  • in reply to clem57

    That sounds a bit dangerous Clem - if it were to snag it could result in significant injury.

     

    Ultrasound sounds like a good starting point - however results may vary widely over different ground cover - e.g. bare earth versus rough grass. Perhaps look on some of the r/c drone forums to see what they use.

     

    An outdoor laser range finder might work, but once again it may depend on the absorption of the ground covering.

     

    Some small aircraft / and unmanned drones appear to use radio altimeters

    Landing Radio Altimeter

     

    I think you can get GPS apps for phones which will give you an altitude and automatically subtract the land level using map survey data to work out height above ground. May not be accurate enough though.