Programmable drones

Programmable drones are drones equipped with sensors, cameras and processors that can be programmed to perform specific tasks. They can be used in a number of fields, including research, development and higher education.

Programmable drones: what applications?

Programmable drones allow researchers, engineers and students to collect data, develop products and learn important concepts related to robotics and engineering. Examples of applications include:

Collecting data in environments that are difficult to access or dangerous for humans:

• Mapping inaccessible areas
• Monitoring of wild animals
• Measuring air and water pollution
• Detecting changes in the environment

Prototyping products that require aerial movement:

• Testing prototype delivery or surveillance drones
• Testing new control algorithms

Teaching programming, robotics and engineering concepts:

• Learning to program drones
• Designing and building drones from scratch
• Understanding the principles of drone flight and navigation

Which programmable drone to choose?

Crazyflie 2.1: an open source programmable mini-drone

Designed for research and development in robotics and embedded computing, the Crazyflie 2.1 drone is equipped with an ARM Cortex-M4 processor and a full set of sensors: accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer and pressure sensor.

Small in size (92 x 92 x 29 mm), it can be powered by a 240 mAh Li-Po battery and fly for about 7 minutes. It is compatible with Python, C, C++, ROS, Matlab, etc.

Versatile and customisable, it can be used for a variety of applications: aerial mapping, environmental monitoring, research on autonomous drones and robotics, etc

Drone Tello Edu: a programmable drone for beginners

If you want to explore the basic functionality of drone programming, the DJI Tello is ideal. It is equipped with an Intel Movidis Myriad 2 VPU processor, a stabilisation system and a rechargeable 1100 mAh battery that allows it to fly for up to 13 minutes.

It can be controlled via a mobile application and can be used for various applications: aerial photography, 3D mapping, surveillance, inspection etc.