Drones Projects for Engineering Students

Drones have rapidly evolved from hobbyist gadgets to sophisticated platforms for innovation, making them ideal tools for final year engineering projects. With capabilities ranging from autonomous navigation and computer vision to IoT integration and swarm robotics, drones offer a versatile foundation for cutting-edge academic research. Whether you’re working on AI-based object detection, real-time mapping, or wireless communication systems, the right drone can significantly enhance the scope and impact of your project. This guide explores the top drones suited for final year engineering students, highlighting their features, programmability, and the types of projects they enable. This article provides information about different types of drones for engineering students, with their features and specifications.

Drones for Final Year Engineering Students

There are different types of drones for engineering students, which provide numerous project opportunities, mainly for final-year engineering students. So every student can look into drone design, programming, and also explore applications like surveying, rescue missions, agriculture, etc. The drones for final year engineering students are explained below.

CoDrone Pro

CoDrone Pro is an educational and programmable drone kit that teaches robotics and coding concepts. This drone allows users to control the drone with both text-based coding in Python and block coding in Blockly. So this kit includes the CoDrone, a Bluetooth board & a remote control. The CoDrone is an innovative, intelligent, compact, and flying learning platform. The CoDrone Pro controls its movements by allowing users to write code like right, forward, left, backward, flying, & turning. It is an educational tool that teaches users about robotics, coding & drone technology.

Users can utilize block-based coding within Blockly to program the behavior of a drone. This drone can also support text-based coding within Python. This kit has a remote control that permits users to control the movements of the drones manually. The Bluetooth board allows communication between the drone & a computer.

Features:

The features of CoDrone Pro include the following.

• The Pro version of this drone has a remote so users can assemble and build by allowing them to connect with Arduino & increase coding possibilities.
• This drone supports both text-based coding in the Arduino environment and Python in the CoDrone Lite setup.
• It primarily serves educational purposes, enabling operators to explore programming, drone technology, and robotics..
• The Pro version’s core functionality is similar to the Lite version, including the added remote & coding abilities.

Specifications:

The specifications of CoDrone Pro include the following.

• The CoDrone Pro drone has a programmable remote controller.
• It has an 8-minute flight time & a flight range is 65 feet.
• This drone is programmed through Arduino code.
• This drone has different sensors like a barometer, optical flow, accelerometer, and gyroscope for altitude control & stabilization.
• Its dimensions are 13.2 x 13.2 cm.
• Its weight is 37g.
• Connectivity is Bluetooth 4.0.

CoDrone Pro Projects for Engineering Students

The CoDrone Pro Projects for engineering students are listed below.

• Basic Flight Programming.
• Navigation with Sensors.
• Challenges in Engineering.
• Remote Building.
• Remote Control Programming.
• Autonomous Flight.

DJI Robomaster TT (Tello Talent)

The DJI RoboMaster Tello Talent is an open-source educational drone, mainly designed for STEM education. This drone is built on the Tello EDU platform, incorporated with an ESP32 module & also other programmable modules to make possible AI and programming, and applications. It is designed for both students and teachers by providing a platform to learn about drone technology, AI & robotics. The RoboMaster TT is a powerful and versatile educational drone that allows learners to explore the drone world technology, AI & robotics in an engaging & hands-on way.

Features:

The features of the DJI Robomaster TT include the following.

• It is an open-source controller.
• This drone has an 8×8 dot-matrix display and a TOF distance sensing module.
• Its 14-pin expansion port is used to connect third-party sensors.
• This drone supports different programming methods like Arduino, MicroPython, Scratch, etc.
• It uses a dual-band (2.4 GHz & 5.8 GHz Wi-Fi) communication system for reliable and more stable connectivity by ensuring a smoother flying experience.
• This drone is designed mainly for multirotor-drone control by allowing several devices to be connected to a similar Wi-Fi router for corresponding operations.
• It provides different courses and other learning resources to improve the RoboMaster TT educational experience.

Specifications:

The specifications of the DJI Robomaster TT include the following.

• The DJI RoboMaster TT educational drone includes a 5MP camera.
• This drone provides expansion options with a 14-pin interface to connect third-party modules and sensors.
• Its weight is 87g.
• Dimensions are 98 x 92.5 x 41mm
• It includes three propeller blades.
• Its flight time is up to 8 minutes.
• The maximum flight distance is 100m.
• Maximum flight speed is 8 m/s.
• Its maximum flight height is 30m.
• Its camera has 5MP, 720P video, and 82.6° field of view.
• Flight control utilizes DJI flight control algorithms.
• This drone has different sensors: barometer, IR height determination, a TOF IR ranging sensor & downward vision sensor.
• MCUs are dual-core, ESP32-D2WD, 400 MIPS, and 160 MHz.
• It has operating modes are Station and AP modes.
• Wi-Fi includes 5.8 GHz & 2.4 GHz.
• It has 2.4 GHz Bluetooth.
• It supports MicroPython, SDK & Arduino, graphic programming.
• This drone has a 14-pin extended interface
• It has a full-color LED indicator.

DJI Robomaster TT Projects for Engineering Students

The DJI Robomaster TT Projects for engineering students are listed below.

• Formation of Multi-Drone
• Facial Recognition.
• Gesture Control:
• AI-Powered Navigation.
• Surface Mapping.
• Drone Messaging System.
• Edge AI.
• IoT-enabled surveillance

Crazyflie 2.1 by Bitcraze

The Crazyflie 2.1 by Bitcraze is an open-source and versatile quadcopter mainly designed for use in research, education & swarming applications. This is a lightweight and small quadcopter that fits within the palm of your hand. This drone can be controlled via different interfaces, like gamepads or smartphone apps.

This Crazyflie 2.1 drone is equipped with a long-range or low-latency radio & Bluetooth LE. So it gives you the downloading app on your mobile device. In addition, it can also display fly and data with a game controller in combination with the Crazyradio PA or Crazyradio 2.0 with your computer.

The successful Crazyflie development platform’s latest version comes with better flight performance, radio & durability. It is perfect for research, swarming, and education, together with a wide software & deck expansions ecosystem.

Features:

The features of Crazyflie 2.1 by Bitcraze include the following.

• The Crazyflie 2.1 has a dual-MCU architecture with dedicated real-time logging, graphing, and radio or power management.
• This drone includes development capabilities through decks that include a variety of functionalities.
• It has a durable design
• It is simple to assemble without soldering.
• This drone supports expansion decks through automatic detection, Android with Bluetooth LE, flying from iOS & Mac or Windows, OSX or Linux through the Crazyradio PA or Crazyradio.
• It provides wireless firmware updates.
• It has on-board charging through a standard USB.
• This drone has a dual-MCU architecture through dedicated power or radio management SoC for superior applications

Specifications:

The specifications of Crazyflie 2.1 by Bitcraze include the following.

• It is a programmable nano drone including 7 minutes of flight time on the stock battery and 40 minutes of charging time.
• This drone has a dual-MCU architecture, 2.4 GHz radio with a flexible expansion interface.
• Its weight is 27g, which fits in the palm.
• This drone can be controlled through Bluetooth LE by iOS, Android clients, or a Crazyradio dongle & game controllers.
• Radio is 2.4 GHz ISM band
• It has a flexible interface to connect expansion decks
• It supports Dual-MCU architecture through STM32F405 & nRF51822
• This drone supports a 3-axis BMP388 high-precision pressure sensor & BMI088 IMU.
• Its highest suggested payload is 15 grams.
• This drone supports Linux, Windows, and Mac OSX operating systems.
• It supports PS3, Xbox 360, gamepad, or controller with a minimum of four analogue axes.

Crazyflie 2.1 by Bitcraze Projects for Engineering Students

The Crazyflie 2.1 by Bitcraze Projects for engineering students is listed below.

• Indoor Navigation with LIDAR.
• Real-time Control Systems.
• Multi-agent Coordination.

Jetson Nano

The Jetson Nano is a small and cost-effective developer kit, designed especially for edge computing applications. These are minimal energy consumption Drones which are used in computer vision scripts and CPU-intensive applications. Most superior DIY drones include a flight controller to control the low-level hardware and also a companion computer that programs custom functionality.

This kit runs modern AI workloads in a low-cost, small form factor and is power-efficient. Learners and developers can run AI models and frameworks for applications like object detection, image classification, speech processing, segmentation, etc.

This developer kit can be powered through micro-USB and is available with extensive I/Os, which range from GPIO to CSI. Thus, this makes it simple for developers to attach a different set of sensors by allowing different AI applications.

Jetson Nano kit is supported through NVIDIA JetPack that has a BSP (board support package), NVIDIA CUDA, Linux OS, cuDNN, & TensorRT software libraries for computer vision, deep learning, multimedia processing, GPU computing, etc.

Features:

The features of Jetson Nano include the following.

• Jetson Nano is a tiny AI computer.
• Its compact size, SoM is powerful enough for higher AI applications with less power consumption.
• This kit supports the whole NVIDIA Software Stack, mainly for optimization and application development.
• It allows AI applications development with NVIDIA JetPack™ SDK
• This drone is simple to design, deploy & handle AI at the edge.
• It is a scalable and flexible platform.
• This kit provides continuous updates above the product lifetime.
• It includes a microSD card slot, mainly for storage
• It has a forty-pin expansion header
• This device has a Micro-USB port for Device Mode or a 5V power input.
• It has four USB 3.0 ports, a Gigabit Ethernet port, an HDMI output port, display Port connector, etc.
• It has a DC barrel jack intended for a 5V power input
• This kit has MIPI CSI-2 camera connectors/

Specifications:

The specifications of Jetson Nano include the following.

• Its RAM capacity is 4 GB.
• Its processor is a Quad-core ARM A57.
• It has a GPU like NVIDIA Maxwell architecture with 128 NVIDIA CUDA® cores.
• The CPU is a Quad-core ARM Cortex-A57 MP Core processor.
• Its AI performance is 0.5 TFLOPS.
• Memory is 4 GB.
• A video encoder is 250MP/s/sec.
• The video decoder is 500MP/s/sec.
• Its camera has 12 lanes.
• Connectivity is Gigabit Ethernet.
• Display is HDMI 2.0 & eDP 1.4.
• USB is 4x USB 3.0, and 2.0 Micro-B
• It supports I2C, GPIO, I2S, UART, and SPI.
• Its power consumption ranges from 5W to 10W.
• Dimensions are 45 x 70mm.

Jetson Nano Projects for Engineering Students

The Jetson Nano projects for engineering students are listed below.

• Onboard object recognition.
• Real-time decision-making.
• Autonomous landing.

PX4 Autopilot

The PX4 is an open-source autopilot system designed for autonomous aircraft, drones, and unmanned vehicles. So it provides a complete set of tools & resources for many developers by allowing them to make and arrange custom drone solutions. Its modular architecture, configurability, and open-source nature make it the best choice for both commercial and hobbyist drone developers. The PX4 open-source platform empowers drone developers to make innovative & customized drone solutions.

Features:

The features of the PX4 autopilot include the following.

• PX4 allows drones to perform predefined flight paths & tasks separately.
• It uses superior algorithms to incorporate data from a variety of sensors, which enhances accuracy and flight stability.
• It is designed to function with a large range of hardware to make it adjustable to different types of drones.
• Users can check drone performance and condition in real-time through data logging capabilities for afterward analysis.
• PX4 supports different types of drones.
• It provides completely manual, partly assisted, and completely autonomous flight modes.
• It can incorporate speed, position, rotation, and altitude sensors.
• PX4 automatically triggers external actuators or cameras.
• An intelligible graphical interface is accessible for setting up the drone to make missions & flight data monitoring.
• A programming-defined API can also provide for communicating with the drone.

Specifications:

The specifications of the PX4 autopilot include the following.

• Pixhawk series is available in 2.4.8 or 6C models.
• It has a 32-bit ARM Cortex-M4 processor with FPU & a 32-bit STM32F103 failsafe coprocessor.
• It supports bus interfaces like UART, CAN, I2C & SPI for communication.
• This has a Micro SD card slot to record flight data for examination & troubleshooting.
• PX4 can be incorporated with VOXL 2 for superior AI and processing applications.
• They use external sensors like RTK-GPS, LiDAR, and GPS for enhanced autonomy & navigation.

PX4 Autopilot Projects

The PX4 autopilot projects for engineering students are listed below.

• Waypoint navigation.
• PID tuning.
• AI-based decision-making.
• Custom drone/robot design.
• Existing vehicle modification.
• New functionalities development.
• HITL(Hardware-in-the-Loop) Simulation.

ArduPilot Drones

ArduPilot is a trusted, open-source, and versatile autopilot system that supports many types of vehicles, like traditional helicopters, multi-copters, boats, fixed-wing aircraft, submarines, rovers, etc. It provides a complete suite of tools appropriate for almost any vehicle & application. This system’s source code can be developed by a big community of enthusiasts and professionals.

ArduPilot does not produce any hardware, but ArduPilot firmware functions on different hardware to manage all types of unmanned vehicles. So these unmanned vehicles run with ArduPilot can include higher functionality. ArduPilot has a massive online community that offers to help users with problems, questions with solutions.

Features:

The features of ArduPilot drones include the following.

• It supports completely semi-autonomous, autonomous & completely manual flight modes, which allows for a broad range of control options.
• It supports many navigation sensors like GPS, magnetometers, barometers, etc.
• Its powerful ground control software is obtainable for calibration, mission planning, and real-time communication through the drone.
• Its open-source allows for customizability and community contributions.
• You can implement failsafes for various scenarios, such as losing radio contact, breaching predefined boundaries, or GPS issues.
• Additionally, ArduPilot can be simulated using different simulators, including the ArduPilot Software in the Loop.
• It provides rich documentation and supports different channels.
• It supports various payloads like video gimbals, photographic, and actuators.

Specifications:

The specifications of ArduPilot drones include the following.

• ArduPilot has a 32-bit ARM Cortex M4 core processor with FPU.
• Its clock speed is c168 MHz.
• Its RAM is 256 KB, Flash memory 02 MB & 32-bit failsafe co-processor.
• Redundant IMUs like ICM20948, InvenSense MPU9250, ICM20648, InvenSense ICM2076xx, ST
• Micro L3GD20+LSM303D, etc.
• It supports redundant MS5611 barometers.
• It needs an external GPS and a compass.
• This system has a redundant power supply through automatic failover.
• High-power servo rail is 7V.

ArduPilot Drones Projects for Engineering Students

The projects using ArduPilot drones are listed below.

• ArduCopter.
• ArduPlane.
• ArduRove.
• ArduSub.

Parrot Bebop 2

The Parrot Bebop 2 is a Wi-Fi-controlled quadrotor UAV that utilizes a Linux autopilot to run ArduPilot firmware. This drone has much improved GPS, thus it is recommended in many applications over the original Bebop. To make this drone as most advanced leisure drone, Parrot engineers optimized the quadricopter design & its hardware battery, and software components. Thus, it is known as the most efficient Bebop 2 drone with 500gr weight and 25 minutes of flying time.

Features:

The features of Parrot Bebop 2 include the following.

• These are portable & manageable.
• It has mid-air flips and rolls & a Wi-Fi connection mainly for streaming video.
• It ensures clear and stable aerial footage with some drone movements.
• This drone has improved battery life.
• It can be controlled through a smartphone or tablet app.
• An optional Skycontroller gives a dedicated remote control through a longer range & more intuitive controls.
• FreeFlight App allows for simple flight planning, piloting & access to superior settings.
• The flight area is limited for security, particularly helpful in crowded areas.

Specifications:

The specifications of Parrot Bebop 2 drones include the following.

• It captures high-resolution images & videos with a 180-degree wide-angle.
• Its speed is up to 37 mph horizontally, and altitudes are up to 150 meters.
• This drone’s internal storage is limited to 8GB for photos & videos.
• It uses a dual-core Cortex-9 processor with a quad-core GPU
• This drone supports different sensors like accelerometer, gyroscope, Sonar, Optical-flow, AKM 8963 compass, Furuno GN-87F GPS, MS5607 barometer, etc.
• This drone supports different Interfaces like UART serial ports, Built-in Wifi, and USB.
• Dimensions are 33 x 38 x 3.6cm.
• Its OS is Linux (Busybox).

Parrot Bebop 2 Projects

The Parrot Bebop 2 projects for engineering students are listed below.

• Real-time object detection.
• Gesture control.
• Environment mapping.

Parrot AR Drone 2.0

The Parrot AR. Drone 2.0 is a four-propeller and remote-controlled quadcopter including a 1280 x 720p HD camera; thus, it supports image and video capture when in flight. This is a lightweight drone with an indoor and outdoor hull. In addition, the AR.FreeFlight Control App lets you utilize your Android or iOS mobile device to control the AR. Drone 2.0. It is available with Wi-Fi b/g/n to provide up to 165 wireless ranges.

This drone streams camera footage directly to your mobile device via Wi-Fi, or you can insert a USB flash drive into the drone to record footage directly.

Features:

The features of Parrot AR Drone 2.0 include the following.

• It is an autopilot system.
• It supports multiple sensors for stability in the air and smooth flying within the air.
• This drone has an onboard 32-bit ARM Cortex A8 1GHz processor, including DSP.
• It supports acrobatic maneuvers like flips & barrel rolls.
• This drone is well-matched with other apps like AR. Race 2, Director Mode, Astro Drone, AR.Rescue 2, etc.

Specifications:

The specifications of Parrot AR Drone 2.0 include the following.

• It supports different Interfaces like Wi-Fi 802.11n and USB.
• The front camera is a 720p sensor with a 93° lens, and recording is up to 30fps
• Vertical camera has a QVGA sensor through a 64° lens, thus recording is up to 60fps
• Start weight is 380 g in outdoor and 420 g in indoor hull[8]
• The battery used is a 1500 mAh 3-cell Lithium-polymer.
• It uses different motors like 4 14.5-watt brushless, 28,500 RPM inrunner, and gear reduction 8/72.

Parrot AR Drone 2.0 Projects for Engineering Students

The Parrot AR Drone 2.0 projects for engineering students are listed below.

• ARDrone 2.0 Control with Alexa Voice.
• Object detection with Raspberry Pi.
• AR drone using a little Java.
• Self-flying drone to track people.
• Parrot AR drone control with Linino

DJI Tello EDU

This programmable drone is tailored for educational purposes, empowering users to learn programming and coding through an intuitive interface and a variety of programming languages. Essentially, it functions as a mini drone that users can control and manipulate with code, making it an engaging tool for teaching STEM and computer science concepts..

Features:

The features of the DJI Tello EDU include the following.

• It supports a variety of programming languages like Python, Swift, and Scratch.
• This drone provides a simplified block programming interface by allowing operators to drag & drop coding blocks to make instructions.
• It is available with an SDK (Software Development Kit) for more advanced users who desire to develop routine applications & functionalities.
• This drone supports swarm mode by allowing several drones to be simultaneously programmed & controlled.
• It uses a mission pad to direct the drone and activate actions depending on its position by adding an additional complexity layer & precision to programming.
• Its SDK mainly allows for the AI functions.
• The Tello app gives real-time photo/video capture, video transmission & a variety of flight modes.

Specifications:

The specifications of the DJI Tello EDU include the following.

• Its weight with propellers & battery is 87g.
• Dimensions are 98 x 92.5 x 41 mm.
• It includes 3-inch propellers.
• The camera is 720p HD
• Flight time is up to 13 minutes.
• Its maximum range is 100 meters.
• Its charging port is Micro USB.
• This drone is built with 2.4 GHz 802.11n Wi-Fi with 720p Live View.
• It uses iOS 9.0 and Android version 4.4 operating systems

DJI Tello EDU Projects for Engineering Students

The DJI Tello EDU projects for engineering students are listed below.

• Object tracking.
• Drone swarm control.
• Face detection.
• Hand gesture control:
• Autonomous flight & path planning:
• Simulation of firmware attack.
• Drone tracking with AI.

Tello Talent

DJI launched the Tello Talent (RoboMaster TT) as an educational drone for teachers and students to explore AI and robotics. This simple yet powerful drone features an ESP32 microcontroller, which supports MicroPython and Arduino open-source coding platforms, as well as graphical programming through Scratch.

Features:

The features of Tello Talent include the following.

• The Tello Talent is an educational drone specially designed for educational purposes.
• This drone includes an ESP32 microcontroller, which provides more processing power & flexibility.
• It supports MicroPython, Scratch, and Arduino to provide several avenues for programming and coding.
• This drone allows users to program for a variety of functions like gesture control, surface mapping, and facial recognition.
• It supports Wi-Fi connectivity for simple connection & control.
• This drone has a programmable 8×8 LED matrix for displaying a variety of patterns, characters or animations.
• It has a lightweight & durable design.
• This drone uses cutting-edge flight control algorithms for security & stability.
• The flight distance minimum and maximum are 8 minutes to 100 meters.

Specifications:

The specifications of Tello Talent include the following.

• Take-off weight is 87g with a battery, propellers, and protectors.
• Its dimensions are; 98 x 92.5 x 41 mm.
• It includes three propeller blades.
• Interface with Micro USB charging port.
• Flight battery capacity is 1100 mAh at 3.8 V.
• Its charging time is around 1 hour & 30 minutes.
• Image capacity is 5 MP.
• Its field of View is 82.6°.
• Video is HD 720P30.
• It supports two formats, JPG & MP4.
• It supports electronic image stabilization.

Tello Talent Projects for Engineering Students

The Tello talent projects for engineering students are listed below.

• Object detection & tracking.
• Autonomous flight and navigation.
• Tello swarming.
• Integration of IoT.

Thus, this is an overview of different types of drones for engineering students. These drones are used in various engineering projects to develop practical skills and hands-on experience. Drones provide several opportunities for engineering students to discover fields like aerospace, civil engineering, and robotics. So drones for engineering students mainly involve design, data analysis, construction, programming, and application within various industries. Here is a question for you: What is a UAV?