DIY ESP8266 Drone That Can Climb Walls

This project will share with you how to make an ESP8266 drone (this drone can climb walls) and how it works.

We all know what the function of a drone is, which is to fly. If I tell you that this drone can climb up walls or dive underwater like a submarine, you might find it a bit magical. The author states that the drone described below can do just that!

There is a complete video demonstration at the end.

Playing with drones requires a flight controller, but we don’t have much money to buy one, so what can we do? We can make our own flight controller. Previously, the author made a very cheap flight controller using the ESP8266, link below:https://www.diyprojectslab.com/esp8266-drone-controller

(Let’s first take a look at the main components of the drone)

• ESP8266
• MPU6050 Acc/Gyro Module
• Brushed Motor
• Propeller
• 500 mAh lipo 3.7v
• Si2302 mosfet (5x)
• Pencil

If you are an electronics enthusiast, you will find that you have all the components listed below -:)

Tools Used

• Soldering Iron

A drone consists of a frame, motors, propellers, electric motors, flight controllers, and batteries.

Flight Controller

The flight controller (also known as FC) is the brain of the aircraft. It is a circuit board with a series of sensors that can detect the drone’s movement and the user’s commands. If you tell it to move forward, the flight controller will adjust the speed of the rear motor to move it forward.

ESP8266 Module

To communicate with the drone, we need a Bluetooth or Wi-Fi connection, so we use the ESP8266 Wi-Fi module because it has built-in Wi-Fi, which we can use for communication.

ESP8266 is open-source, interactive, programmable, low-cost, simple, and smart Wi-Fi hardware.

As for the flight range of the drone, tests have shown a range of about 70 meters, using a Samsung phone as a WiFi hotspot and remote controller.

MPU6050

MPU6050 IMU, a low-cost device that includes a gyroscope and accelerometer.

We will use the MPU-6050 and ESP8266 module to make a drone.

Coreless Motor

Coreless motors are miniature motors used in quadcopters and drones. These motors are coreless, meaning there is no metal core in the rotor, and coreless motors can achieve high speeds under lower loads. These motors are suitable for micro-drones, quadcopters, or mini-projects.

Propeller

The purpose of the propeller is to generate thrust and torque to keep the drone flying.

Schematic of ESP8266 Drone Flight Controller

Schematic diagram of the receiver control module based on ESP12e (ESP8266).

Circuit Connections

Connect the circuit according to the schematic diagram above, paying attention to the connection details of each component.

Frame

The frame provides structure and rigidity; it is the mounting location for all components.

Here, a wooden pencil was chosen and shaped like a quadcopter.

If you have a 3D printer, you can print a better frame.

Assembling the Drone

This is the drone frame made with a pencil, please see the photo.

To connect the motors, we need to place the motors on the arms of the frame.

Installing All Motors

Two motors rotate clockwise, and two motors rotate counterclockwise (see diagram). If a motor does not rotate in the correct direction, simply switch the polarity of the motor.

• Check the battery and voltage
• Check that all propellers are securely attached
• Check that all motor mounts are secure

Be sure to disconnect the battery after flying, and reconnect it before flying.

Software Part

It is recommended to use Arduino IDE: if you want to edit (i.e., the SSID and password of the WiFi network – Android hotspot)

• Install Arduino IDE
• Install ESP8266 board
• InstallESP8266WiFi.hlibrary

Copy the code and modify your WiFi SSID and password in the code (the code can be downloaded at the end):

#include<Wire.h>
#include <ESP8266WiFi.h>
#include <WiFiUdp.h>
The code is too long, so it won't be pasted here for readability, you can download it at the end

The aboveDrone_Final.inofile can be downloaded at the end.

Open Arduino IDE, copy the code fromDrone_Final.inoand paste it into Arduino IDE.

Edit your network’s SSID and password in the code by modifying the following two lines.

WiFi.begin("Diyprojectslab", "romeooo"); //ssid or pass

• In Arduino IDE, go to “Tools” > “Board” > select “NODEMCU 1.0 (ESP – 12E module)”
• Go to Tools, select Port
• Change the Wi-Fi name and password from the code above
• Now click the upload button to upload the code above
• If everything goes well, you will see the blue LED on the ESP8266 start blinking every second.

Android App Setup and ESP8266 Drone Testing

You just need to download the App file attached to this step to your Android phone. (Can be downloaded at the end)

This Android application was developed using Processing for Android App.

A wall-climbing project based on the NodeMCU flight controller and Android application control. Complete details and explanatory video.

Original link: https://www.diyprojectslab.com/make-esp8266-drone-wallclimb-drone/

Project Author: projectslab

Translation first published in: DF Maker Community

Resource sharing:

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