DIY Autonomous Drone Project

Introduction

• Presented by the creator of a DIY autonomous drone.
• Drone weighs less than 250 g, runs on ArduPilot software.
• Achieved first place at a major drone competition in Poland.

Hardware Selection

• Objective: Build a lightweight, affordable drone for beginners.
• Components chosen:
  • Speb F405 mini stack
  • 4 small Darvin FPV motors (approx. $6 each)
  • GPS units
  • ExpressLRS receivers
  • Batteries

Frame Design and Construction

• Emphasis on creating a lightweight, custom frame:
  • Initial attempts with PTG material were too large/heavy.
  • Explored smaller 160 mm frames but faced flexibility issues.
  • Finally settled on carbon fiber nylon printed using university printers.
    • Resulted in a light and durable frame.
• PCBWay sponsored the project, providing carbon fiber frame production.
• Frame was designed and sent for production, received a flawless product.

Assembly Process

• Step 1: Motor Installation
  • Pre-drilled mounting holes for motors using M2 screws.
• Step 2: GPS and Receiver Setup
  • Attached GPS using double-sided tape.
  • Mounted ExpressLRS receiver antenna externally.
• Step 3: Electrical Wiring
  • Soldered wires from motors to ESC (Electronic Speed Controller).
  • Installed battery connector and capacitor.
• Step 4: Flight Controller Installation
  • Stacked flight controller and ESC, connected via provided wires.
  • Installed ArduPilot after verifying ESC settings with BLHeli software.

Configuration and Final Steps

• Soldered remaining components (GPS and ExpressLRS connections).
• Verified the drone's weight at around 216 g (below 250 g limit).
• Configured ExpressLRS radio control using ExpressLRS configurator app:
  • Important to choose correct version and flashing method.
• Conducted initialization and calibration steps in ArduPilot:
  • Frame type and motor configurations were set.
  • Completed accelerometer and compass calibration.

Flight Testing

• Initial flights with stabilize and altitude hold were successful.
• Observed that Loiter mode stabilized once GPS acquired enough satellites.
• Tested land mode, successfully descending the drone.

Telemetry Setup

• Discussed challenges in achieving full telemetry.
  • Implemented a new feature from ExpressLRS called airport for bidirectional communication.
• Configured telemetry settings in ArduPilot for real-time data feedback.

Advanced Flight Features

• Set up geofencing for safety.
• Tested various flight modes including Circle and Flip modes.
• Guided mode utilized for precise waypoint navigation using live telemetry data.

Conclusion

• Successful completion of the DIY drone project, useful for learning and advanced flying features.
• Future plans include testing new features like swarming and possibly creating a Mavic mini alternative.

Additional Resources

• Further tips, footage, and competition insights available on Patreon.
• Feedback and suggestions encouraged for future content.