Autonomous Gesture-Based Control Drone Design

The current drone market holds a lot of low-cost drones that can be controlled either remotely or autonomously. The command controlling signals can be deployed by using different methods and techniques to enhance the capabilities and missions of the drone. The microcontroller is usually used as the drone brain. Motion control and virtual reality (VR) techniques allow the user new possibilities for a more dynamic control experience. The goal of the present work is to design, develop, and deliver a working prototype of an enhanced VR motion-controlled drone. The developed prototype is an integrated system that includes an off-the-shelf drone, accelerometer and gyroscope unit, flex sensor, gloves, digital potentiometer, VR headset, and microcontroller. The flex sensor attached to the hand gloves allows a fully autonomous control of the drone using the movement of the hand. Hence, the gloves will allow for a more dynamic control of the drone. Furthermore, the virtual headset is connected to the onboard camera to improve the field of view. Detailed integrations and the interface are discussed including the challenges and constraints.