Automating Perpetual Quadcopter Flight

Abstract

Quadcopter drones are quickly becoming versatile and crucial tools used for a multitude of tasks ranging from filming to package delivery to search and rescue. However, drones are severely limited by their battery capacity; most popular quadcopters are unable to achieve even 30 minutes of continuous flight time. This is a fundamental limitation in how long a drone can perform tasks without landing and it especially impedes drone use in automated applications. This thesis project attempts to overcome this obstacle by building a battery-swapping base station and programming a DJI Phantom 3 drone to pilot itself and land in the station using computer vision. In the end, this project will demonstrate using a single drone to constantly monitor a defined perimeter with minimal ground time.