Using a small, cheap drone as the brain for a more powerful drone?

Thread Starter

Fixate

Joined Dec 23, 2015
6
Would it be possible to disassemble a small, cheap drone and hook up original motor wires to MOSFETs to drive the same type of motor (only larger) with more voltage from an external power source?

Basically a cheap way to a DIY drone.

Also (Assuming it works of RF) would I be able to hack into the input from the build in transceiver using a more powerful transceiver
 

crutschow

Joined Mar 14, 2008
34,285
The control loop that stabilizes the small drone may not work properly to stabilize the larger drone.
The control dynamics are different.
 

Thread Starter

Fixate

Joined Dec 23, 2015
6
Do you have a source on how this stability system operates? (any drone in particular)

Like what parameters it uses.
 

crutschow

Joined Mar 14, 2008
34,285
No. But I assume it uses a PID or Fuzzy Logic control loop with a microprocessor that uses position data from an accelerometer chip to stabilize the drone.
 

MrSoftware

Joined Oct 29, 2013
2,188
There are open source drone projects, and some projects based on arduino. There used to be one based on the nintendo wii, maybe it's still around. If you want a cheap big drone, the best option might be to hang out in some drone forums and learn how to build one. Then shop places like Hobby King, etc.. where you can pick up parts for really cheap, and build one from parts. I'm guessing if you start with a fully integrated off-the-shelf budget drone then try to make it into something different, you're likely to end up with some dead ends. Buying generic parts will allow you much more flexibility.
 

Thread Starter

Fixate

Joined Dec 23, 2015
6
Ok, thanks for the replies guys. A friend of mine programs, and I'm okay with circuits. I guess we can collaborate, we've been looking for a project to do.

Thanks
 

Thread Starter

Fixate

Joined Dec 23, 2015
6
My guess is that the controller on a cheap drone is a BOB (blob on board), is pre-programmed and not reprogrammable.

Ken
Gotcha.. my plan wasn't to reprogram but to disconnect the transmitter output wires/traces and add another. Or not at all, that was really a secondary thought to increase range.

Would the transmitter also be part of the BOB?
 

Papabravo

Joined Feb 24, 2006
21,159
The whole purpose of a BOB is to have a single piece of silicon for ALL functions. It has not been my experience that PID loops or fuzzy logic make great aircraft controls. PID is generally used when you don't know the transfer function of the "plant". This is generally not the case with aircraft, since extreme settings of the PID loop could result in unstable flight dynamics because of the cross coupling between control motions and control surface activations. Still if the process is fast enough and the parameter excursions are confined to known safe ranges, there is no reason why a PID loop could not work.

In fixed wing aircraft you have adverse aileron yaw and phugoid oscillations in a trimed condition. The lack of symmetry in rotating wing aircraft produce a number of effects that are counter intuitive, but well understood.
 

Thread Starter

Fixate

Joined Dec 23, 2015
6
The whole purpose of a BOB is to have a single piece of silicon for ALL functions. It has not been my experience that PID loops or fuzzy logic make great aircraft controls. PID is generally used when you don't know the transfer function of the "plant". This is generally not the case with aircraft, since extreme settings of the PID loop could result in unstable flight dynamics because of the cross coupling between control motions and control surface activations. Still if the process is fast enough and the parameter excursions are confined to known safe ranges, there is no reason why a PID loop could not work.

In fixed wing aircraft you have adverse aileron yaw and phugoid oscillations in a trimed condition. The lack of symmetry in rotating wing aircraft produce a number of effects that are counter intuitive, but well understood.
Ok so would the receiving end of the drone likely be BOB as well?

Better to just build it the the more traditional way, huh?
 
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