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Build a Low-Cost Drone Using ESP32

digikey.com

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Re: Build a Low-Cost Drone Using ESP32

#141

Post by stavros »

nullstyle wrote: post #88
hylaride wrote: post #86

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And a lot of it is all open source! ESC software: - https://github.com/am32-firmware - https://github.com/mathiasvr/bluejay Flight controller (you mentioned these): - https://github.com/betaflight - https://github.com/ArduPilot - https://github.com/iNavFlight Control link: - https://github.com/ExpressLRS (also uses ESP32/ESP82 chips) Radio Controllers: - https://github.com/EdgeTX 5+ years ago the vast majority of thi…

With luck the OpenIPC cameras that are starting to come on the market will find traction and the entire hardware stack will run on open source firmware. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EdjI3ZQsmCA

That'll be really nice, but I'm worried that DJI has a stranglehold on the camera market. Their stuff just works, gives you video over 20+ km without any tuning, and looks amazing. Open hardware has a long way to go to do that, but let's hope they pull off an ELRS.

Re: Build a Low-Cost Drone Using ESP32

#142

Post by stavros »

Kadin wrote: post #92
the__alchemist wrote: post #79

Note to anyone unafamiliar: There is a thriving "FPV" ecosystem of drones that can be DIYed. Example common setup, you can mix+match: - Small square PCB with the main flight control MCU (STM32), and some sensors - Smalls square PCB with motor drivers - Carbon fiber frame - Small PCB with a LoRa radio - Camera and video transmission system. (90s-security-cam style analog, or digital. - Brushless DC motors, props etc U…

This is all true, but just to set expectations: the open source ecosystem seems to be lagging the proprietary world pretty significantly, unless there's some corner where development is really chugging along that's not making it out to the rest of the hobbyist market. Though there have been incremental improvements in flight control software, and video subsystems have moved (mostly) from analog to 2.4/5.8 GHz and dig…

This is very inaccurate. The receiver doesn't output PWM, it communicates with the FC over UART. Control and telemetry are one link, open source, with a range of more than 100km on commodity hardware. Ardupilot enables advanced autonomy out of the box, DJI uses LTE for more than 20km range of HD video out of the box.

Sure, you don't have sensor fusion from a bunch of disparate exotic sensors, and the control software could be improved a lot, but it's not as bad as you describe it.

Re: Build a Low-Cost Drone Using ESP32

#143

Post by tubs »

stavros wrote: post #140
nostrademons wrote: post #128

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You can start for ~$400 - I just bought parts for 2 drones for my kids. My shopping list: - Flywoo Goku F405 HD 1-2S 12A ELRS AIO V2 flight controller, $64, flywoo.net - Radiomaster Pocket radio controller, $65, radiomasterrc.com - EAchine EV800D VR goggles, $109.81, banggood.com - Meteor 75 frame, $5, tinywhoop.com - 4x 40mm props, $2.25, tinywhoop.com - BetaFPV canopy, $5, tinywhoop.com - TinyWhoop Pinch Premium FP…

I don't see the ESCs, are they in the AIO?

They quote 12A in the name so I’d guess it includes the ESC.

Re: Build a Low-Cost Drone Using ESP32

#144

Post by stavros »

tubs wrote: post #143
stavros wrote: post #140

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't see the ESCs, are they in the AIO?

They quote 12A in the name so I’d guess it includes the ESC.

Oh it's for a whoop, the cost threw me off. I guess it includes the controller and goggles, but still, a whoop should be around $50.

Re: Build a Low-Cost Drone Using ESP32

#145

Post by TrapLord_Rhodo »

timonoko wrote: post #30

I played with €25 foldable wifi drone from Lidl until EU started requiring €30 fee annual for a camera drone. I cannot think much practical use for drone without a camera. Fly-fishing might be one, but I need to program it so that it drops the line and returns home the moment it feels fish yanking.

i did this with my drone. I just used a small sideways chip clip i glued to the bottom of my drone. Fly fast enough so when the line goes taunt, the line will slip out of the clip and drop.

Re: Build a Low-Cost Drone Using ESP32

#146

Post by hypercube33 »

the__alchemist wrote: post #79

Note to anyone unafamiliar: There is a thriving "FPV" ecosystem of drones that can be DIYed. Example common setup, you can mix+match: - Small square PCB with the main flight control MCU (STM32), and some sensors - Smalls square PCB with motor drivers - Carbon fiber frame - Small PCB with a LoRa radio - Camera and video transmission system. (90s-security-cam style analog, or digital. - Brushless DC motors, props etc U…

What about those of us who really are awful at flying drones? I personally have tried fpv ones and just don't seem to have the skills for it - however I really enjoy my DJI mini. I never can seem to find information on open drones that fly the same way (maybe I just don't know what I'm looking at or for?)

Re: Build a Low-Cost Drone Using ESP32

#147

Post by TrapLord_Rhodo »

curiousgeorgio wrote: post #36

Is this just someone reposting espressif's esp-drone ( https://github.com/espressif/esp-drone ) and passing it off as their own (and DigiKey posting it on their site)? They talk about making a custom PCB, but it looks pretty much the same. The repository linked from the article ( https://github.com/Circuit-Digest/ESP-Drone ) has some issues claiming there's malware in it, and the commit history looks a little suspici…

both project source crazy flie as their inspiration and may be the cause of the similarities.

https://www.bitcraze.io/products/old-products/crazyflie-2-0/

Re: Build a Low-Cost Drone Using ESP32

#148

Post by talldayo »

mrtksn wrote: post #69

Fun. I'm looking into turning my old iPhone into a drone as it has great hardware already to do higher level tasks and use ESP32 for the more real time stuff like actually driving the motors based on sensor input. If you think about it, an old iPhone 6 comes with GPS, gyro, accelerometer, multiple cameras, pretty powerful processors, bluetooth + wifi + LTE, sound + light, ambient + proximity sensors. Get rid of the c…

You would want to use quite literally anything except Apple-manufactured hardware for this purpose. Just don't even waste your life-minutes on that kind of thing.

Re: Build a Low-Cost Drone Using ESP32

#149

Post by af78 »

nullstyle wrote: post #88
hylaride wrote: post #86

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And a lot of it is all open source! ESC software: - https://github.com/am32-firmware - https://github.com/mathiasvr/bluejay Flight controller (you mentioned these): - https://github.com/betaflight - https://github.com/ArduPilot - https://github.com/iNavFlight Control link: - https://github.com/ExpressLRS (also uses ESP32/ESP82 chips) Radio Controllers: - https://github.com/EdgeTX 5+ years ago the vast majority of thi…

With luck the OpenIPC cameras that are starting to come on the market will find traction and the entire hardware stack will run on open source firmware. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EdjI3ZQsmCA

Unfortunately these kernels look very old:

- https://github.com/OpenIPC/linux/tree/ingenic-t31: v3.10.14

- https://github.com/OpenIPC/linux/tree/ingenic-t40: v4.4.94

etc.

That's the problem with vendors forking the kernel: downstream users are often left with unmaintained branches that will accumulate CVEs over time...

Re: Build a Low-Cost Drone Using ESP32

#150

Post by 83 »

aftbit wrote: post #108
the__alchemist wrote: post #96

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That is consistent with my experience. My highlights: - Current betaflight devevelopers and leaders are incompetent (They inherited the code base from others), and are slow, and varying degrees of willing, to add higher-level flight-control mechanics (semi-autonomous modes etc). - The Ardupilot and PX4 configuration systems, and general experience, are user-hostile. Note that the converses of these hold: Betaflight h…

I haven't touched this stuff in 5+ years, but I wonder how iNav stacks up on your list? I was about 50% of the way through a 7" FPV build with a GPS receiver based on iNav when COVID hit, and between the supply shortages and general life shift, I stopped working on it.

I fly iNav on a couple planes. I havent updated to the latest version in a couple years but i find it works great. The electronics like gps modules and sensors are insanely cheap now if you go straight from china (aliexpress) - you can get an hglrc m100 gps for about $12 shipped now.
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