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Proposed Projects

If anyone has any ideas for cool things to do in the future, even if they aren't well defined, this would be the place to put them. The idea is to keep track of these things so we know what to work on when we're board or done (ha!) with our current projects. This would also be a good resource for new PSAS members looking for a place where they can help.

Software

3D rocket view/control

Using OpenGL (or some other 3D programming system - Crystal Space(?)), create an application which displays and perhaps controls a 3D rocket.

The first thing to do would be display a 3D rocket and update the attitude of it upon recieving state change notifications (or equivalent) from an outside source (either the simulator or the actual rocket). The rocket would simply rotate around in place to reflect attitude.

It would be best if the 3d rocket view didn't require specific knowledge of rocket communication packets; perhaps a bridge could be used between the app and the rocket. Letting other rocket groups use this would be great.

The rocket view app should also support displaying other information besides attitude such as: lat/long/altitude, velocity, state, etc. That info may be overlayed on the 3d rocket window, or displayed an information-window, or perhaps used to update the 3d view of the rocket (e.g. by showing the rocket taking off from earth and reaching ever faster speeds, and then deploying a 3d parachute).

The last thing to implement would be the ability to use the keyboard or joystick to control the rocket, which would A) updat the 3d view, and B) send the new state back through the bridge to whatever is on the other side (simulator, cantalope, etc). This would be a good way for us to test weird cases in the flight computer's sequencer().

see also: RocketSim see also: Visualizer

Ground Support

Track Master 3000

Track Master 2000 is limited in its ability to track the rocket by having a human operator. This project replaces the human with a computer, cameras, and fast/accurate servos. Tracking could be done using fast cameras with fast zooming and focusing abilities, and/or using the GPS position information from the rocket to figure out where to point the cameras and antennas. As a backup, or as another option, somehow hook the servo control system up so it makes the antennas point exactly where an operator's binoculars are pointing.

-- ?PeterWelte - 28 Dec 2004