Introduction to the Clover Project
Clover is an innovative open-source project that simplifies the creation and management of autonomous drones. Built on the robust ROS (Robot Operating System), Clover offers user-friendly tools for controlling drones powered by PX4 autopilot firmware. Designed primarily for educational purposes, Clover makes autonomous drone technology accessible to a wide range of users, from hobbyists to educators and students.
What is Clover?
Clover is more than just a software package; it’s a full-fledged framework. While it’s available as a ROS package, its primary form is a preconfigured software image designed for the Raspberry Pi mini-computer. This means that once users install Raspberry Pi onto their drone and flash the Clover image onto its microSD card, they can easily get their drones airborne.
COEX Clover Drone Kit
The COEX Clover Drone represents a comprehensive educational kit designed specifically for implementing Clover software. The kit arrives unassembled and includes several important components:
- Pixracer-compatible autopilot with PX4 firmware
- Raspberry Pi 4 as the companion computer
- A camera for computer vision and navigation
- Additional sensors and peripheral devices for enhanced functionality
This configuration not only supports basic drone operations but also enhances capabilities with computer vision and additional sensory input.
Educational and Competition Use
Clover is a popular choice at various educational events and competitions. It's featured in the WorldSkills Drone Operation competition and was a key component of the Autonomous Vehicles Track of the NTI Olympics from 2016 to 2020. Moreover, it’s used in the Russian Robot Olympiad for autonomous flights, making it an excellent tool for hands-on learning and showcasing drone technology capabilities.
Preconfigured Raspberry Pi Image
One of Clover’s standout features is its preconfigured image for Raspberry Pi, which is readily available for use. This image includes:
- Raspbian Buster: The operating system for the Raspberry Pi
- ROS Noetic: The latest version of ROS
- Preconfigured networking and OpenCV for computer vision tasks
- Integration with
mavrosfor drone communication - Supportive drivers and packages for various peripherals like GPIO and LED strips
aruco_posepackage for marker-assisted navigationcloverpackage to manage autonomous drone control
All these tools come together to provide a seamless drone flying experience from setup to flight.
Getting Started and Support
To assist users in getting started, detailed documentation is available on GitBook. Moreover, community support can be accessed through the telegram support chat, offering a valuable resource for troubleshooting and learning.
Licensing and Contribution
Clover’s source code is licensed under the MIT License, which permits wide usage and modification. However, the project documentation is under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, ensuring that educational uses remain open and shared.
In conclusion, Clover presents a unique blend of education, technology, and community support that makes drone programming and operation accessible and engaging for all users.