DIY Drone and Quadcopter Projects

DIY Drone and Quadcopter Projects

by The Editors of Make:
Released April 2016
Publisher(s): Make: Community
ISBN: 9781680451290

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Book description

Drones, quadcopters, Uncrewed Aerial Vehicles (UAVs): whatever they're called, remotely-controlled aircraft have changed the way we see the world, the way we manage crops, the way we sell real estate, and the way we make war. This book contains tutorials about how to understand what drones can do, and projects about how to make your own flying craft, from some of the earliest practitioners in the field.

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Table of contents

  1. I. Features
  2. 1. Mind Your Drone
  3. 2. Getting Started with Multicopters
    1. Homebrew Pedigree
    2. How They Work
    3. Your First Multicopter
    4. Building Your Own Multicopter
      1. Batteries and Motors
      2. ESCs and Control Board
      3. Body and R/C Gear
    5. Video from a Multicopter
      1. Gimbals and Gyros
      2. Cameras and Video Downlinking
    6. Going Further: Drone Multicopters
  4. 3. Anatomy of a Drone
    1. Standard Prop
    2. “Pusher” Prop
    3. Motor
    4. Motor Mount
    5. Landing Gear and Boom
    6. Boom
    7. Main Body
    8. Electronic Speed Controller (ESC)
    9. Flight Controller
    10. GPS Module
    11. Receiver
    12. Antenna
    13. Battery
    14. Battery Monitor
    15. Gimbal
    16. Gimbal Motor
    17. Gimbal Controller
    18. Camera
  5. 4. Building Drones to Deliver Medicine and Food to War-Torn Syria
    1. Doing More
    2. Complications
    3. Farm Drones Take Flight
    4. A Team of Volunteers
    5. Breaking New Ground
    6. Open Source
    7. Syria Is Not the Finish Line
  6. 5. Quad Squad
    1. Going from 0-60 with APM
    2. Building the World’s Toughest Drone
    3. Drones as Aerial Access Points
      1. Control
      2. Telemetry
      3. Video
  7. II. Tutorials
  8. 6. Getting Started with Aerial Video
    1. Choose the Right UAV
    2. Choose the Right Camera
    3. Stabilize Your Camera
      1. Gimbals and Aircraft Motion
      2. Prop vibration and “jello”
    4. Assemble an FPV System
    5. Practice, Practice, Practice
  9. 7. Quadcopter Photogrammetry
  10. 8. FPV Fundamentals
    1. Camera
    2. Mounting the Camera
    3. Ground Station
    4. Frequency
    5. Power
    6. Antennae
    7. On-Screen Display
    8. Video Display
  11. 9. Rules of Flight
  12. III. Projects
  13. 10. Noodle Copter
    1. Step #1: Cut the Arms to Length
    2. Step #2: Trim the Side Arms
    3. Step #3: Reinforce the Arms
    4. Step #4: Attach the Arms
    5. Step #5: Mount the Motors
    6. Step #6: Configure the Center Mount
    7. Step #7: Flight Electronics
    8. Step #8: Adding Lights
    9. Step #9: Test Flights and More Information
  14. 11. The Handycopter UAV
    1. Materials
    2. Tools
    3. Step #1: Fabricate the Body
    4. Step #2: Cut and Drill the Booms
    5. Step #3: Assemble the Frame
    6. Step #4: Wire the Power Hub
    7. Step #5: Drill Motor Shaft Clearances
    8. Step #6: Mount the Motors
    9. Step #7: Add the Landing Gear
    10. Step #8: Install the Shock Mounts
    11. Step #9: Build the Camera/ Battery Mount
    12. Step #10: Mount the Camera and Battery
    13. Step #11: Install the Avionics
    14. Step #12: Install the Gimbal Controller
    15. Step #13: Configure the Software
    16. Step #14: Add the Props
    17. The Maiden Flight
    18. Conclusion
  15. 12. WAVEcopter: A Waterproof Quadcopter
    1. Step #1: Prepare the Hub
    2. Step #2: Prepare the Rotor Arms
    3. Step #3: Make the Motor Mounts
    4. Step #4: Install the Power Electronics
    5. Step #5: Install the Flight Controller
    6. Step #6: Prepare the Batteries
    7. Step #7: Install the GPS Puck
    8. Step #8: Install Undercarriage and Floats
    9. Step #9: Flight Check and Calibration
    10. Step #10: Final Checks and Sealing
  16. 13. Payload Box and Drop Mechanism for Drones and R/C Planes
    1. Parts/Tools
    2. Step #1: Construct Payload Box
    3. Step #2: Build Mounting Bolt Assembly
    4. Step #3: Construct Mounting Brackets
    5. Step #4: Assemble Front Brace
    6. Step #5: Modify Airframe
    7. Step #6: Install Front Brace
    8. Step #7: Install Bungee and Payload Box
    9. Step #8: Bolt It In
  17. 14. Build Your First Tricopter
    1. Why Fly Tri?
    2. A Tricopter for Makers
    3. Parts
    4. Tools
    5. Specs
    6. Step #1: Sand and Paint
    7. Step #2: Assemble the Hinged Tail
    8. Step #3: Assemble the Hinged Tail (Cont’d)
    9. Step #4: Assemble the Front Arms
    10. Step #5: Assemble the Front Arms (Cont’d)
    11. Step #6: Prepare the Body Plates
    12. Step #7: Install the ESCs
    13. Step #8: Attach the Arms
    14. Step #9: Mount the Landing Gear
    15. Step #10: Suspend the Camera Tray
    16. Step #11: Mount the Receiver and Flight Controller
    17. Step #12: About Flight Controllers
  18. Index

Product information

  • Title: DIY Drone and Quadcopter Projects
  • Author(s): The Editors of Make:
  • Release date: April 2016
  • Publisher(s): Make: Community
  • ISBN: 9781680451290