Lost your drone, there’s an App for that
Your pride and joy flying off into the distance on a mission of its own is an all too common problem for amateur drone makers. Many things can cause it, lost radio link, failed control surface or servo. An iOS answer is now on the cards.
FIND MY DRONE is a FREE App developed by Communis Tech that connects your iPhone to your personal UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) using the popular MAVLink protocol.
If you were forced to land your drone some distance away, this convenient App will determine the latitude and longitude of the drones’ location and its’ distance from you. The inbuilt compass can then direct you to the drone, saving you a haphazard and time consuming search.
In addition, the “Manual Mode” allows you to use the search function even when using an alternative autopilot. Just enter the last known coordinates from your drones’ telemetry and FIND MY DRONE will calculate the bearings and direct you to that location.
To connect using MAVLink you’ll require a WiFi network link (wiring diagram to be posted soon). Alternatively you will soon be able to use a Bluetooth low energy to long-range radio adaptor, we’re working on it now so stay tuned.
Features of FIND MY DRONE include:
- MapView with drone location plus device location shown
- Current System Status i.e. RTL (return-to-launch), STABILIZE, LOITER… etc.
- FIND MY DRONE will remember the last received coordinates even if the drone’s power fails
- FIND MY DRONE view includes;
- compass indicating your orientation and direction of the drone from your current position
- current battery voltage information (if you have an active lock)
Stay tuned, FIND MY DRONE will be followed soon by MAVPilot, a ground control station for your pocket.
