ESP8266-Based Flight Controller and Drone

Abstract

This paper presents the design, implementation, and experimental evaluation of a low-cost quadrotor drone whose flight controller is centred on the ESP8266 Wi-Fi microcontroller. The system integrates a PID-based attitude stabilisation algorithm with real-time orientation feedback from an MPU6050 Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU), supplying three-axis gyroscope and accelerometer data over I2C. Motor speed is regulated through a discrete transistor-MOSFET driver circuit comprising 2N2222 BJT transistors and IRFZ44N MOSFETs, powering four small brushed DC motors. Wireless pilot commands are transmitted via a 433 MHz RF transceiver module over a reliable range of 50 to 100 metres. The frame is constructed on a zero PCB, keeping the design lightweight, compact, and reproducible at minimal cost. Calibration offsets and PID tuning parameters are stored in EEPROM, ensuring consistent flight behaviour across power cycles. Experimental results confirm stable hover, responsive roll/pitch/yaw control, a motor driver current of 1.5 A, flight endurance of 12 to 15 minutes, and payload capacity of 180 g. The platform is readily extensible for IoT integration, autonomous navigation, environmental monitoring, and delivery.