UWB Fly Drone

Orbit

An ESP32-powered mini drone with autonomous following capability

Features:

• ESP32 S3 Wroom 1u SoM
• 4x 0716 coreless motors
• MPU6050 for gyro
• QMC5883 compass
• MS5611 pressure sensor for altitude hold
• 3x SK6812 for signal LEDs
• Battery charging via USB-C
• 2x frame mounted DWM1000 for position tracking
• 1x small form factor DWM1000 board "beacon"
• Firmware based on flix by okalachev, modified to work with this project

Why I designed this project:

I wanted to design a drone for HackClub's Blueprint program, but not just any regular drone. I wanted to add a feature that would make it stand out, something that would make it unique. So, I decided to give it the ability to autonomously follow you to an accurate degree. After doing some research, I found the DWM1000 modules and decided to design this project. I designed and redesigned the PCBs and CAD for this project many times, with each iteration improving upon the last. This project also gave me the ability to test and improve my PCB and CAD design skills. I understood a lot more about schematic connections while working on this project and learned to route much cleaner traces, even on a compact board.

Image gallery:

Schematics And PCBS

Drone Control Board

Beacon Board

UWB Module Board

How It Works

The drone is powered by a custom designed PCB based on the ESP-32 S3 Wroom 1u SoM. It includes three SK6812 mini-e LEDs to serve as a status signal, located at the rear of the drone. There are three sensors located on board to help with flight. The MPU-6050 is a triple-axis accelerometer and gyroscope that is essential to help the drone fly. The MS5611 is a pressure sensor that is used to record and maintain height during flight. The final sensor, an HMC5883, is a triple-axis magnetometer that is used to report the drone's heading. The latter two sensors are reported in QGroundControl or any other flight operating station to provide information to the controller. The 0716 coreless motors are powered by a simple MOSFET circuit, designed by MaxImagination. This circuit has a small footprint and fits great for small projects, such as this drone. Autonomous flight is achieved using two DWM1000 modules mounted on the sides of the drone. These were implemented on the main PCB using 10-pin JSTs to allow modular connectivity, allowing the controller to select whether to fly with or without the ranging sensors. The DWM1000s mounted on the drone communicate with an external DWM1000 "beacon" that is with the controller or person of interest. This beacon is encased in a watch case to make it easy to wear. By sending messages between the modules, the distance between them can be calculated, allowing the beacon's location to be triangulated. This location is then set in the PID controllers, allowing the drone to autonomously navigate.

Bill Of Materials

LCSC Bill Of Materials