DIY engineer builds $220 drone capable of semi-autonomous flight
DIY engineer and YouTuber Hoarder Sam, who specializes in drone content, has uploaded a video of a semi-autonomous drone he built, capable of autonomous waypoint navigation and carrying a payload of about 2 lbs (1 kg).
Following his usual style, the video — which showcased the drone in action — doubles up as an explainer video, showing every step of the process. Most of the components he used for this build were procured online and the remaining few were 3D-printed, with the costliest one being the flight controller at $42.45.
He equipped the drone with an HGLRC-M100 mini GPS unit that includes a built-in compass. This makes the drone able to hold its position and also capable of autonomous waypoint navigation. The drone was also equipped with a radio system for communication.
To top it off, he added a latch-based “airdropping system” using a simple MG995 servo motor, allowing the drone to carry and drop payloads. The components for this build cost about $220, without counting the servo motor.
As already mentioned, Hoarder Sam is no stranger to DIY drone builds. Just about 10 days ago, we reported on a 0.88-inch (motor post to motor post) drone with 4 overlapping propellers, which he successfully built — and flew, albeit with only 2 minutes and 30 seconds of flight time.
Source(s)
Hoarder Sam (linked above)
