We would like to introduce our flying drone robot. We can fly this robot using Remote Control or it can fly itself using sonar, an on-board GPS, and following longitude/latitude waypoints. We have experimented with various frame designs and electronics, so you’ll see some variation in the pictures. Be sure to check out the video of of me piloting the flying robot.
How We Came To Build a Flying Robot Drone
One day, we asked ourselves, “What kind of robot would you like to build next?”
We both answered, “I want to build a robot that flies!”
We knew it was going to be really hard, but we decided to give it a try. We set out to learn what it was going to take to build a robot that flies. We researched our options, purchased the various motors, propellers, and electronic components we thought we needed, and started soldering. As our initial design came together, we began cutting, drilling, and assembling the various aluminum pieces for the frame, which we knew would have to be both light and strong.
The Features and Design
We decided on a quad rotor design, which is a helicopter-like-thing with four propellers. The left and right motors use normal “puller” propellers and turn counter-clockwise. The front and back motors use “pusher” propellers and turn clockwise. This helps counter-act the torsional forces associated with rotor craft.
The core of the robot’s electronics is a special Arduino microcontroller board specifically designed for auto-piloting drones. This is combined with a special Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) sensor shield that provides a 3-axis gyro, 3-axis accelerometer, barometric pressure, and other various other avionics sensors so that the robot can sense its tilt, pitch, and yaw in three-dimensional space at all times. The software reads the robots orientation and feeds voltage to each of the motors in proportion to the power that is needed to keep the robot level at all times. This way, the pilot focuses on the direction and speed he wants to go, rather than spending all his time struggling to keep the robot from flipping, spinning, or rolling.
Once we flew and crashed our first design, we made some improvements and tried again. Then we crashed again, made some more improvements, and so on. None of our robots have required more trial and error than this one. But step by step, improvement after improvement, our robot got better and better. Today, it flies very well, has many neat features, and thanks to repeated practice, is relatively crash resistant.
We usually fly the robot using an RC Transmitter. However, it also has many autopilot drone features that we enjoy experimenting with. For example, the robot has an automatic take-off and landing sequence. The robot also includes a downward-facing sonar so that the robot knows its exact altitude at all times. By flipping a switch on our transmitter, we can put the robot in “hold altitude” mode, which tells the robot to automatically and constantly adjust the motors to remain at a constant distance from the ground as we fly it around.The robot is also equipped with a GPS chip so that it knows its exact longitude and latitude at all times. The robot can also follow a series of waypoints uploaded to the microcontroller from Google Earth. It turns out that we were not the only ones trying to build a robot that flies. We have joined with a whole community of people on the Internet (DIY Drones) who enjoy building and flying their own robot drones.
The Mini Flying Drone
We have also built a Mini Flying Drone. Click here to see details.
Mini Quadrotor Drone Robot
The upgraded Black Hornet mini drone
The Future
Although our drones are flying quite well, there is still plenty more we want to do. We look forward to lots of fun and experimentation. We’ve spent most our time building, flying, and improving the robot’s frame and capabilities, but in the future we hope to do more with First Person View (FPV) flying using our video goggles, high-definition arial photography, automatic navigation, and more.
Click here to see our latest flying robot drone, which we made out of carbon fiber.
Flying Drone Robot – Technical Specifics
- Aluminum Frame: Beatty Robotics
- Aluminum, Hardware, and other materials: McMaster-Carr
- Microcontroller: ArduPilot Mega (i.e. Arduino Mega Autopilot board)
- Avionics sensor board: ArduPilot Mega IMU Shield
- Electronic Speed Controllers: (4) m2mPower
- Motors:(4) jDrones
- Propellers: (4) EPP 10×45
- Radio Control Transmitter and Receiver: Futaba
- Battery: 12v 3-cell 20C LIPO
- Magnetomer: DIY Drones
- GPS: MediaTek
- High Definition Camera: GoPro
- VideoTransmitter: ImmersionRC
- FPV Video Goggles: FatShark
Special thanks to the Do-It-Yourself Drones community, especially Chris Anderson, Jani Hirvinen, and the other guys involved with DIY Drones. You guys helped us make our dream of a flying robot a reality. Fly on!
How long can it fly?
With our typical-sized battery, which is medium in size, it has about 10-12 minutes of flight time.
Cool… I think if you use carbon fibre frames etc. to make it lighter it can fly longer.
A carbon fiber quadrotor just happens to be one of our current projects.
Amazing work, Love that you are including the kids in the project! Keep up the great work! Perhaps a boat or sub next:)
Very Cool!!1
Here is a link to Black Dragon, our carbon fiber quadrotor. https://beatty-robotics.com/black-dragon
sir plz mail me detail of this flying robot
i want 2 flying robot as my major project
sir please mail me the details of this project i want it as my major project.
sir plz mail me the details of the project. is it possible to make a robot that can walk,fly and even swim in water?? sir plz guide me. i want to make a robot for my final year project.
Sir, can you give me the circuit diagram of any one of three ??
sir please mail me the details of this project i want it as my major project.
Can u guys please tell me the size of the aluminum bars u guys used for ur arms?
Thank You
sir please help me do the electronics on my quad copter.
Humza, We’ve tried different sizes, but we like 1/2″ square aluminum bars that are pretty stout (0.050″ wall thickness) so they don’t bend or break when we crash. Other folks use much thinner wall thickness to reduce weight, which also makes sense.
Sir, I would really appreciate it if you email me the details on how to make the drone.
Thank You!
Sir can u please give me the components details and specification of this project?
How much is it going to cost my pocket??
Pls send me the details regarding this…
hey
sir can u mail me its circuit diagram please
Great project! I would like to ask what kind of feedback control did you use to stabilise the drone in addition to the IMU and the SONAR (for altitude)? I’ve observed that IMU’s can often have a lot of noise and have calibration errors so did you use any other sensors to compensate for that and improve localization (or say to improve position holding)? I am currently building my first quadrotor and plan to use the APM2.6
sir please send to me full details , all componunt list and perfect circi=uit diagram, and please inform me how to buy this droune and how to create this droune…
i am ready do my finaliear project ,sir please send to me full details , all componunt list and perfect circi=uit diagram, and please inform me how to buy this droune and how to create this droune…
sir plz send me all components list, ckt diagram,procedure to make this its cost and all other necessary information
If you are interested in making flying robot drones, I recommend going to http://www.DIYDrones.com. They have excellent information and parts.
great work! I have a little team here and we’re going to build a flying robot , but we have some issues with that circuit diagram … We’ll appreciate if you help us! so plz mail me the circuit diagram or introduce me a book or a source to guide me in this way ! thanks !
Maria: The best technical source for building drones is http://www.diydrones.com. That sight provides everything you need.
Camille: thank you , I’ll go and check it.my problem is that i don’t know how to start its PCB design?! I’m working with Proteus , you know i think i need the original plan or something like this… do u think this sight can help me?! again thank you!
Sir, Excellent work!
sir,i am giving you thank from my heart for creating your awesome flying robots.i also make a decision to make flying robots as yours in my final year project and would like to learn from it.that is why if you help me in my learnigh giving information,it will be pleasure.
How i can contact with you for more details about flying drone robot projects.
thanks
SALMAN(CSE)
Salman: Thank you. You can find all the information you need on http://www.diydrones.com.
sir plz send me all components list, ckt diagram,procedure to make this its cost and all other necessary information
I like this stuff from my child hood, also my dream to build this . and i will my dream drone has some similarities with urs but urs awesome
Sir!
It’s great.
but can you send me the information about the tuning theory of drones!
Plz sir !
Thank you!
sir ..I m really intrested
…to ..build ..the flying machine ..I need ..the ..basic ..starting..means ..from ..where to ..start. ..
Sir can you mail me ckt diagram with specification please.
Can you tell me how to be work? I want to now full Knowledge abt this robotics.
It looks really amazing. May Iknow if you have any souce code for this one?
Sir…. can u give me the components details
I want mack it..
please sir…
mechanism of drone
please help me and send me the mechanism of drone
can u help me for Design the quadcopter with out operator, in act quadcopter control using collective intelligence.
Sir its looking so amazing and I’m interested to build it please mail me it’s circuit diagram
sir cn u plz give me dis project detail with overall cost. ..plz mail me as soon as posible
sir cn u plz give me dis project detail with overall cost. ..plz mail me as soon as posible
sir cn u plz give me dis project detail with overall cost. ..plz mail me as soon as posible. please provide all the info.
Sir can u plz give me the whole machenisam that how to make robot..with circuit desgin nd all hardware or software materials
Sir its looking so amazing and I’m interested to build it please mail me it’s circuit diagram
please
Hello sir,
Iam engineering students interested in ur project can u mail me the datas.. pls rpl me as soon as possible…waiting to do our collge project…i would like to know the cost of making too..
sir i wan,t to make a drone but it,s basic thing is circuit diagram .please can you email me it,s details and circuit diagram …..
sir can u plz give me a security drone project detail including with circuit diagram as soon as possible and software materials also.
Sir can you mail me ckt diagram with specification please.
Hello sir i need one help of you
i want to make flying bot which can be controlled wireless connection
so plz help me or guide me for my bot and for my future
sir, will you send me circuit diagram of any robot ????