Make an Open Source Drone from Udemy

PLEASE READ: In August 2023, I have updated the course with new lectures and a new flight controller. In the new lecture I show you how to upgrade your drone to use the popular I have also added lectures about batteries and drone classifications.

The It's a minimalist yet powerful flight controller, making it an excellent device to explore.

Also, by transitioning to the This will make our quadcopter design more accessible to hobbyists on a budget, which aligns with my mission to make drone technology more attainable and exciting for everyone.

Welcome to "Make an Open Source Drone", a course that will teach you how to build a quadcopter from scratch.

Playing with drones, and especially quadcopters, is fast becoming a very popular hobby. As a hobby, it combines state of the art open technology with large open spaces. It even gives me a great excuse to get out of my lab and get some sun.

While you can just go to a shop and purchase a drone that is ready to fly, by doing so you miss out on all the fun and knowledge that comes with building your own flying machine. I admit I have done that myself. Getting my ready-to-fly drone out of its box and flying it was fun, but only for a short period.

Soon after the first excitement settled, I realised that I didn't know much more than before I opened the box. I was also unable to do anything more than what the drone was programmed to do, to begin with.

That is why making your own open source drone is such a great way to have fun while learning.

in this course, my co-instructor Aristofanis and I will help you understand drones and how to build them. You will learn about their mechanical and electronic components and how they interact. You will learn about the software that provides semi-autonomous flight capabilities to drones.

Motors, flight controllers, Electronic Speed Controllers, batteries and chargers, receivers and transmitters, and so much more, will all make sense as you progress through this course and go through the process of assembling your drone.

By the end of the course, apart from being able to assemble your drone, you will have the confidence to perform repairs and to extend its capabilities.

Along the way, you will learn about the principles of drones and many design and performance details for each of the components and software. With this knowledge, you will be able to go on and construct your own drones, configure and program them, all while having a great time doing so.

The course starts by explaining the basic principles of drones.

You will learn about the types of multi-rotor drones, flight terminology, principles of drone flight, and we will introduce the basic drone components like propellers, motors, the flight controller and more.

Then, you will get into the actual construction of the drone. You will solder the Electronic Speed Controllers to the motors and assemble the drone arms.

You will then solder the ESCs and battery to the power distribution board, and start the assembly of the drone frame.

After that is the radio control subsystem. You will learn about the different types of signalling, connect the radio receiver to the flight controller, and connect the GPS module.

Next, you will learn about LiPo batteries and battery chargers, safety and maintenance.

With a fully charged battery, you will continue with the firmware and software. You will learn about the MegaPirateNG firmware and how to upload it to your drone.

You will learn how to bind your radio transmitter and receiver, and then how to calibrate your new quadcopter using the open source Mission Planner software.

As always, we save the best for last. At the end of the course, you will learn how to calibrate the Electronic Speed Controllers and attach the propellers.

And in the end, you will be able to take your drone to a field and launch it, starting to build-up your pilot skills.

As with all Tech Explorations courses, we are here to help you in this exciting learning journey. As a student of this course, you will have access to the Questions and Answers board and interact with the instructors. You can ask questions, and make comments or suggestions.

Please continue by having a look at the list of parts that you will need in this course. You can find it as a document download in the next lecture

What's inside

Learning objectives

Understand the different types of multi-rotor drones.
Understand flight terminology.
Understand the principles of drone flight.
Understand the roles of propellers, motors, flight controller, esc in drone flight.
Understand the use of lipo batteries and their use.
Understand the use of gps in drone flight.
Understand how to bind a radio receiver and transmitter.
Understand the necessary drone pre-flight checks.

Understand the basic safety and legal requirements involved in recreational drone flight.
Assemble a quadcopter from parts available in the market.
Upload the multipirateng firmware to the crius v2 flight controller.
Use the open source mission planner software to configure a drone.
Practice flying their quadcopter and fun while becoming better pilots!
Learn how to use the pixhawk flight controller.
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Understand the different types of multi-rotor drones.
Understand flight terminology.
Understand the principles of drone flight.
Understand the roles of propellers, motors, flight controller, esc in drone flight.
Understand the use of lipo batteries and their use.
Understand the use of gps in drone flight.
Understand how to bind a radio receiver and transmitter.
Understand the necessary drone pre-flight checks.
Understand the basic safety and legal requirements involved in recreational drone flight.
Assemble a quadcopter from parts available in the market.
Upload the multipirateng firmware to the crius v2 flight controller.
Use the open source mission planner software to configure a drone.
Practice flying their quadcopter and fun while becoming better pilots!
Learn how to use the pixhawk flight controller.
Show more
Show less

Syllabus

Introduction

What is this course about

Parts and Tools

Crius or Pixhawk? Read this before you continue

Multi-copter drone basics

Another drone classification

Types of multi-rotor drones

Roll, pitch, yaw

Controlling the motors

Procuring the right parts

Terminology

Propellers

Battery and charger, Part 1

Battery and charger, Part 2

Flight controller and its peripherals

Other tools and things

Conclusion

Attach the arms to the power distribution board, Part 1

ESC and motors

Preparation

Attach the connectors to the ESC wires

Attach connectors to motor wires

Attach the arms to the power distribution board, Part 2

Power distribution board assembly

About the power distribution board

Solder the ESC power wires

Solder the battery wires and connectors

Main body assembly

Connect ESCs to flight controller

Attach the motors to the arms

Flight controller and peripherals

The PWM and PPM signalling options, Part 1

The PWM and PPM signalling options, Part 2

Setup radio receiver and flight controller to use PWM

Connect the GPS module to the flight controller, Part 1

Connect the GPS module to the flight controller, Part 2

Connect the GPS module to the flight controller, Part 3

Connect the GPS module to the flight controller, Part 4

Attach flight controller to chassis

Battery and charger

A primer on batteries

How to charge the battery

Attach the battery to the frame

The firmware

Clear the EEPROM

Download and install the firmware

The transmitter

Binding receiver and transmitter

Understand the transmitter basic operations

Mission Planner

Download and install Mission Planner

Mission Planner setup, Part 1

Mission Planner setup, Part 2

Test the GPS module

Getting ready to fly

In this lecture I will show you how to calibrate the Electronic Speed Controllers.

There is a downloadable document that summarises this process available for you to download and print.

You can also download this document by following this link: txplo.re/madecp.

Attach the propellers

Safety and legal issues

Test flight!

There is a one-page document that summarises the pre-flight check process available for download with this lecture.

You can also download this document from txplo.re/madpfc.

The first flight

An upgrade using the Pixhawk flight controller

800 - Section introduction

810 - Why upgrade- The Pixhawk flight controller

820 - Disassembly

830 - A review of the upgrade components

840a - Assembly Part 1 - Propellers

840b - Assembly Part 2 - ESC red wire insulation

840c - Assembly Part 3 - Pixhawk base

840d - Assembly Part 4 - GPS antenna

840e - Assembly Part 5 - Pixhawk assembly

840f - Assembly Part 6 - Buzzer, safety button, power module

840g - Assembly Part 7 - Wirings

840i - Battery and power connections

840h - Verify wiring in Mission Planner

850 - Attach the propellers

855 - ESC calibration with the Pixhawk and safety switch

860 - Calibration and test flight

An upgrade using the MATEK F405TE flight controller

Good to know

Know what's good

, what to watch for

, and possible dealbreakers

Teaches how to build a quadcopter from scratch, offering hands-on experience with mechanical and electronic components, which is ideal for hobbyists interested in drone technology

Explains the basic principles of drones, including types, terminology, and components, which builds a strong foundation for those new to the field

Covers the MegaPirateNG firmware and Mission Planner software, which are open-source tools that allow for customization and experimentation

Includes an upgrade path using the Pixhawk flight controller, which is a popular and powerful option for more advanced drone projects

Requires purchasing parts and tools, which may present a barrier for some learners depending on their budget and access to resources

Features MegaPirateNG firmware, which may not be as actively maintained or widely supported as some newer drone software options

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Make an Open Source Drone with these activities:

Review Basic Electronics Principles

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Reviewing basic electronics principles will help you better understand the function of the electronic components used in the drone.

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Review online resources on basic electronics concepts.
Solve practice problems related to circuits and components.

Practice Soldering Techniques

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Practicing soldering techniques will be essential for assembling the drone's electronic components.

Browse courses on Flux

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Gather necessary soldering equipment and materials.
Practice soldering on scrap electronic components.
Watch online tutorials on proper soldering techniques.

Read 'Getting Started with Drones' by Terry Kilby and Belinda Kilby

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Reading this book will provide a broader understanding of drone technology and its applications.

View Getting Started with Drones: Build and... on Amazon

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Obtain a copy of 'Getting Started with Drones'.
Read the book, focusing on chapters related to drone components and assembly.

Four other activities

Expand to see all activities and additional details

Show all seven activities

Follow Online Tutorials on Flight Controller Configuration

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Following tutorials will help you configure the flight controller software and calibrate the drone.

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Search for online tutorials specific to MegaPirateNG or Pixhawk firmware.
Follow the tutorials step-by-step to configure the flight controller.
Document the configuration process for future reference.

Build a Drone Simulator

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Building a drone simulator will allow you to practice flying skills in a safe and controlled environment.

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Research available drone simulator software and hardware.
Set up the simulator environment on your computer.
Practice flying different maneuvers and scenarios in the simulator.

Contribute to the Mission Planner Project

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Contributing to Mission Planner will deepen your understanding of drone software and control systems.

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Explore the Mission Planner project on GitHub.
Identify a bug or feature to work on.
Submit a pull request with your changes.

Read 'Make: Drone and Robot Photography' by Amir Hirsch

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Reading this book will give you ideas on how to use your drone for photography and videography.

View Putting Knowledge to Work on Amazon

Show steps

Obtain a copy of 'Make: Drone and Robot Photography'.
Read the book, focusing on chapters related to camera selection and flight planning.

Career center

Learners who complete Make an Open Source Drone will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Hobbyist Drone Designer

A hobbyist drone designer creates custom drones for personal use or for others. This course provides the fundamental knowledge and hands-on experience to build, modify, and understand drones, and will therefore directly help a hobbyist drone designer. The course covers crucial aspects like drone mechanics, electronics, and software configuration, offering an ideal starting point for designing custom drones. The ability to assemble a quadcopter, troubleshoot problems, and work with firmware from this course would give a hobbyist drone designer all the practical knowledge they need. They would be able to explore design, performance and customization by building their own.

See salaries and explore the career path for Hobbyist Drone Designer

Drone Technician

A drone technician is responsible for the assembly, maintenance, and repair of drones, including quadcopters. This course, focused on building a quadcopter from scratch, perfectly aligns with the hands-on skills a drone technician needs. The course’s curriculum provides a deep understanding of drone components like motors, electronic speed controllers, and flight controllers and also covers the practical aspects of assembly, soldering, and software configuration. Knowledge gained from the course will allow a drone technician to troubleshoot issues, perform repairs, and even customize drones. Because they will have learned how to build one, they will have the know-how to fix one.

See salaries and explore the career path for Drone Technician

Avionics Technician

An avionics technician installs, maintains, and repairs the electronic systems of aircraft and drones. This course offers an excellent foundation in the practical aspects of drone electronics, as it details assembling a quadcopter from individual components. The course goes in depth on the use of electronic speed controllers, flight controllers, and radio systems, all of which are vital to the work of an avionics technician. This hands-on experience of building a drone, including soldering and working with software, will help the technician understand the inner workings of drone systems. The course will allow the avionics technician to understand design and performance specifics.

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Mechatronics Engineer

Mechatronics engineers combine mechanical, electrical, and software engineering principles to design and build automated systems. This course provides a practical introduction to the mechatronic design of a flying robot. The course covers the integration of mechanical components, electronics, and software control, which are all essential components of the mechatronics engineering field. Hands-on experience with motors, speed controllers, flight controllers, and software configuration through this course will allow a mechatronics engineer to have real-world experience building a working machine. This is especially crucial for mechatronics engineers who are interested in robotics or autonomous systems.

See salaries and explore the career path for Mechatronics Engineer

Robotics Engineer

Robotics engineers design, build, and test robots and automated systems. Completing this course helps a robotics engineer learn about the practical aspects of building a flying robot, namely a quadcopter. The course covers core robotic principles, such as motor control, sensor integration with GPS, and firmware implementation, all of which are critical for this role. Practical experience assembling the drone, along with troubleshooting and calibration, will allow a robotics engineer to have hands-on experience outside of pure theory. The course also enhances the capacity to work with electronic components, a primary skill required for a robotics engineer.

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Embedded Systems Engineer

An embedded systems engineer designs and develops the hardware and software that control electronic devices, including drones. This course aligns perfectly with the hands-on experience this role requires. The course’s focus on assembling a drone, working with flight controllers, and understanding firmware (such as MultiPirateNG) makes it very relevant. The embedded systems engineer would benefit from the course’s study of drone components and their interaction and software configuration. Understanding drone hardware and being able to interact with it in a hands-on manner is essential for a career in embedded systems.

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Electrical Engineer

Electrical engineers design, develop, and test electrical systems and devices. This course gives an electrical engineer experience in a specific domain, which involves hands-on assembly, soldering, and working with components of drones. The course deals with topics related to electrical engineering, by explaining the use of motors, Electronic Speed Controllers, and power distribution, which will benefit an electrical engineer. Understanding the interaction between hardware and software in this field is essential for an electrical engineer for their broader career pursuits. The course will help them understand the principles of drone flight.

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Technology Teacher

A technology teacher educates students on various aspects of technology, including robotics and electronics. This course may be useful to a technology teacher in that it provides hands-on experience and the expertise needed to introduce drone building lessons. The teacher can use the knowledge they gain from the course about basic drone principles, component interaction, software configuration, and, of course, actual building, to create engaging and practical lessons in the classroom. The teacher will be able to use the course as a guide for project-based learning, and they will be able to confidently explain the fundamental principles to their students. The course will help a teacher to educate future generations.

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Aerospace Engineer

Aerospace engineers design aircraft, spacecraft, satellites, and missiles. This course offers a practical introduction to the design and construction of a small aerial vehicle, namely a quadcopter. Learning about drone flight principles, assembly, and configuration will help the aerospace engineer understand the construction and testing of flying machines from the ground up. The course covers the use of motors, flight controllers, and software required for basic drone flight, which offers a concrete understanding of the subsystems of an aerospace vehicle. While drones are not their primary focus, this course will add to the practical knowledge of an aerospace engineer who is interested in robotics and embedded systems.

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Drone Pilot

A drone pilot operates drones for various purposes, such as aerial photography, surveying, or delivery. This course enhances a drone pilot’s technical understanding and ability to troubleshoot. While this course primarily focuses on building drones, it teaches the inner workings, including the flight controller and software setup, which will be helpful for a drone pilot to understand. The course's focus on drone components, software configuration using the Mission Planner, and pre-flight checks can help a drone pilot gain a deeper understanding of drone operation. This can lead to improved performance and safety. It also helps a drone pilot become a more well rounded expert.

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Unmanned Systems Operator

An unmanned systems operator operates and maintains unmanned vehicles, including drones, for various applications. This course may be helpful for an unmanned systems operator, as it provides a practical introduction to drone technology including the crucial knowledge about their mechanical and electronic components. The course covers assembly, software configuration, and the use of flight controllers. Understanding how a drone and its components work is critical for an unmanned systems operator, even if they are not primarily focused on building. This course will give them a more complete understanding of their equipment’s hardware and software.

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Product Developer

A product developer is involved in the design, development, and launch of new products. This course may be useful for a product developer, as it provides an understanding of the full lifecycle of a particular product, namely a drone. The course goes into the practicalities of drone design, from component assembly to software configuration to test flights. With a better understanding of the whole picture through this course, a product developer can work more effectively with engineers and others involved in bringing the product to market. Gaining a practical perspective about the construction and maintenance of drones will allow the product developer to be more informed.

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Research Scientist

A research scientist designs and conducts scientific research. This course may be useful for a research scientist who is working with robotics, autonomous systems, or airborne sensors. The course teaches about drone components and software, allowing a research scientist to better understand the technology that they might be using in their research. This course, with its hands-on component, should help the scientist better approach their theoretical research. Further, the scientist will be able to understand the practical limitations of the machines they are working with.

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Software Developer

A software developer designs, develops, and tests software applications. This course may be useful for a software developer interested in control systems, robotics, or embedded systems. While the course primarily focuses on the build of a machine, it will allow the software developer to work directly with hardware and firmware. Software developers can use the knowledge gained from the course with drone flight controllers, understanding firmware, and the use of software such as the Mission Planner. This hands-on experience can help software developers in understanding the interaction between software and physical systems. Further, they will also appreciate the hardware limitations that will inform their development.

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Remote Sensing Specialist

A remote sensing specialist collects and interprets data from sensors, often mounted on drones. This course may be useful for a remote sensing specialist, as it provides a foundational understanding of drone technology and operation. While the specialist may not be building their own drones, the course’s curriculum will help them understand the underlying technology: the principles of flight, the different drone components, and the use of software. By building a drone, a remote sensing specialist is able to have a more well rounded approach to their career, and have a more thorough understanding of what data they are collecting. The course will give this specialist a more hands-on approach than their typical data analysis.

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Make an Open Source Drone

What's inside

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Syllabus

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Activities

Career center

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