AI Flight
AI Flight | |
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Function: | This Move block controls the movement of an AI drone |
DLC? | Vanilla |
Fits small grid | |
Mass: | 156.0 kg |
Hitpoints: | 486 |
Power: | -0.01 MW |
PCU: | 25 |
Size: | 1x1x1 |
Time to Build: | 10 sec |
Fits large grid | |
Mass: | 900.0 kg |
Hitpoints: | 3460 |
Power: | -0.01 MW |
PCU: | 25 |
Size: | 1x1x1 |
Time to Build: | 24 sec |
Data Controls: | [purge] (?)) |
The AI Flight block is a functional Automaton block in Space Engineers. The block provides automatic flight control to drone ships in both space and atmosphere. The AI Flight block enables complex flight behaviors as well as detailed control of how your grid will move.
This AI Block is of type "Move".
Usage
Requirements
The AI Flight block depends on the presence of other AI Blocks to supply it with waypoints! First, build an AI task block (AI Basic or AI Recorder) or an AI Combat block (AI Defensive or AI Offensive), and configure it to provide waypoints to the AI Flight block.
The rotation of the placed AI blocks is relevant for determining the forward direction and alignment to planetary gravity.
To fly, the AI Flight-controlled drone must have thrusters in all six directions, using thrusters that are suitable for its target environment (atmospheric or space flight). Equip the drone with at least one gyroscope.
How to teach a drone to fly
With the AI behavior switched off, configure the following settings:
- Collision Avoidance: See also Collision Avoidance
- Enable this on long autonomous trips to prevent the drone from totalling itself against terrain or grids.
- If the drone refuses to fly in tight quarters or to dock to a connector, or if this is a PBW, disable this option.
- Precision Mode: See also Precision Mode
- To make the drone fly carefully and decelerate and turn exactly on each GPS waypoint, enable Precision Mode.
- To fly carelessly and fast in space or anywhere without obstacles, disable this setting.
- Speed Limit: To set the maximum speed, input a value between 0-100 m/s. Default is 10 m/s.
- For missiles/PBWs use high values.
- For utility drones, stick with low values.
- Align to P.Gravity: To make the drone fly with its AI Move block aligned horizontally to planetary gravity, enable this option.
- On planets, if your strongest thrusters are your ventral thrusters, and precise drone rotation is irrelevant to your task, enable it.
- On planets, if you have strong thrust in all directions and want to precisely control and record the drone's rotation, disable it!
- For a space drone, disable it.
- Min. Altitude: Set how high the drone should fly in planetary gravity. Choose a value between 0 and 500 metres. Not used in space.
- To allow docking or landing on the ground, set it to 0m.
- To simulate hovercraft behaviour, set it to ~2m, and so on.
- Max. Pitch Angle: Set at which angle the drone is allowed to pitch up or down when approaching a waypoint in planetary gravity. This is relevant to prevent a fully loaded cargo drone to shift too much weight onto weaker aft or fore thrusters. Not used in space.
- Max. Roll Angle: Set at which angle the drone is allowed to roll left or right when approaching a waypoint in planetary gravity. This is relevant to prevent a fully loaded cargo drone to shift too much weight onto weaker lateral thrusters. Not used in space.
Switch AI Behavior on to make this the active block of its type and start the autopilot.
To steer the drone manually using a Cockpit or RC block, switch AI Behavior off.
Troubleshooting
If the drone cannot reach its waypoints, there are several things you ought to check:
- Use a Remote Control set up and make a manual test whether the drone is flight-worthy at all.
- Does it have thrust in all 6 directions?
- For combat drones, ensure that they are able to turn, accelerate, and decelerate fast.
- For cargo drones, test their lifting, acceleration, and braking ability under full load.
- For planetary flight, add extra ventral thrusters to counteract gravity, and lower the roll and pitch angles.
- If the drone overshoots the waypoints, first try decreasing the speed limit to under 10 m/s.
- If it flies slow stop-and-go in open space, then switch Precision Mode off.
- If it approaches waypoints too sloppily, then switch Precision Mode on.
- If it hesitates in front of hangar doors, connectors, asteroid caves, etc., then switch Collision Avoidance off.
- If it crashes into bases and asteroids, then switch Collision Avoidance on.
If only one set of settings does not cover your situation, you can be flexible:
- When used together with Autopilot, toggle Collision Avoidance or Precision Mode on/off at waypoints as part of the recording.
- Build two AI Flight blocks with different settings, and use an Event Controller to switch one on and one off. Optimise one configuration for fast open-space flight and the other for a slow careful docking approach.
Note: If your drone uses thrusters or gyroscopes on override, the AI Flight block switches these off and takes control when it activates.
Construction
If Progression is on, build a Basic Assembler and any light first to unlock this block.
The block is 1x1x1 blocks in size and it exists for small and large grid.
It can attach to other blocks on all sides and uses 10 kW. Look at the arrows on the side to place it forward facing. Optimally align it with the Connector/Merge Block/Magnetic Plate/etc. because all navigation will be relative to the AI Flight block.
The block is not expensive and can be built in early game, similar to an ore detector.
Recipe
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Component | Large Ship/Station Required | Large Ship/Station Optional | Small Ship Required | Small Ship Optional |
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![]() | 30 | — | 5 | — |
![]() | — | 20 | — | 2 |