Unleash Your Drone with AI Co-Piloting
Table of Contents:
- Introduction
- The Idea behind the Project
- Demo of the Parrot AR.Drone with Watson Conversation
- How the Parrot AR.Drone Works
- Integration with the Internet
- Using Watson Conversation for Control
- Customization with Entities and Intents
- Watson Conversation and Watson Dialogue
- Accessing Watson API for Non-Technical Users
- Pricing and Cost-effectiveness of Watson
Article:
Introduction
In this article, we will explore the capabilities of the Parrot AR.Drone and its integration with IBM Watson Conversation. The Parrot AR.Drone is a remote-controlled quadcopter drone that can be piloted using Watson's conversational capabilities. We will discuss how the drone can be controlled using voice commands and how Watson Conversation understands the intent behind these commands.
The Idea behind the Project
The main idea behind this project is to enable users to communicate with Watson Conversation, a chatbot incorporating artificial intelligence, and use it to co-pilot the Parrot AR.Drone. By integrating Watson Conversation with the drone, users can give voice commands to perform various actions such as taking off, landing, rotating, and changing altitude. The drone can also provide battery information and altitude data.
Demo of the Parrot AR.Drone with Watson Conversation
Before delving into the technical details, let's take a look at a quick demonstration of how the Parrot AR.Drone works with Watson Conversation. In the demo, the drone is controlled using voice commands through a Node.js application that communicates with Watson Conversation. The application initiates a conversation with Watson, and the user can ask for battery information, altitude information, and issue commands such as take off, land, rotate clockwise/counterclockwise, and move up or down. The application provides real-time feedback on the drone's actions.
How the Parrot AR.Drone Works
To understand how the Parrot AR.Drone works, we need to explore its communication and connectivity aspects. The drone uses Wi-Fi to connect with the main Node.js application that communicates with Watson Conversation. However, since Wi-Fi can only connect to one device at a time, the main application relies on a Raspberry Pi to bridge the drone's Wi-Fi hotspot with the internet connection. The Raspberry Pi acts as a host and allows the main application to communicate with Watson Conversation and send commands to the drone.
Integration with the Internet
The integration of the Parrot AR.Drone with the internet enables a seamless flow of communication between the drone, the main application, and Watson Conversation. The main Node.js application communicates with Watson Conversation via the internet using REST API calls. The Raspberry Pi facilitates this communication by hosting HTTP servers that handle live video streaming, GPS data, and commands sent from the main application to the drone. The main application can also receive information from the drone and pass it to Watson Conversation, enhancing its conversational capabilities.
Using Watson Conversation for Control
Watson Conversation is crucial for controlling the drone as it understands the natural language commands issued by the user. The application defines entity types such as "up/down direction" and "speed" to capture the intent and entities present in the user's command. For example, if the user says, "Go up at a speed of 2", Watson Conversation extracts the intent as "up" and the entity "speed" with a value of 2. This allows the application to generate appropriate responses and control the drone accordingly.
Customization with Entities and Intents
Watson Conversation provides customization options through entities and intents. Entities allow for the extraction of specific information from the user's commands, such as direction and speed in the case of controlling the drone. Intents help determine the user's overall goal or purpose, such as wanting to go up or down. By combining entities and intents, Watson Conversation can generate appropriate responses and provide more effective control over the drone.
Watson Conversation and Watson Dialogue
In the past, Watson Conversation and Watson Dialogue were separate services. However, they have since been combined into a single service called Watson Conversation. This merger allows users to harness the power of both natural language understanding and dialogue flow in their applications. Intents and entities are still used to capture the meaning behind user commands, and the conversation flow can be customized using a combination of built-in features and manual mappings.
Accessing Watson API for Non-Technical Users
Another AdVantage of using Watson is its accessibility to non-technical users. While some programming experience is helpful, it is not a prerequisite for leveraging Watson's capabilities. Users can access Watson APIs through the IBM Bluemix platform, which provides a user-friendly interface and SDKs for different programming languages. The Bluemix platform allows users to Create and combine various services to create powerful cognitive applications without extensive coding knowledge.
Pricing and Cost-effectiveness of Watson
IBM Watson aims to be cost-effective and accessible to businesses of all sizes. The pricing for Watson services varies Based on usage and specific requirements. Users can start with a free trial on IBM Bluemix to test out the services and evaluate their cost-effectiveness. IBM also offers programs such as the IBM Global Entrepreneur Program, which provides credits to startups to validate their use of Watson services and lower their overall costs.
Conclusion
The integration of the Parrot AR.Drone with IBM Watson Conversation opens up a range of possibilities for controlling drones using natural language commands. Through voice commands and the power of Watson Conversation, users can co-pilot the drone and perform various actions such as take off, land, rotate, and change altitude. The combination of Watson's natural language understanding and conversational flow allows for more intuitive control and enhances the overall user experience. Whether You are a hobbyist or a business looking to leverage advanced technologies, the integration of Watson with the Parrot AR.Drone offers exciting opportunities for exploration and innovation.