Dji Phantom 3 and indoor flight

Help & Support Robots & Kits
1

I am involved in a project to utilize a DJI Phantom 3 drone for indoor flights. I am curious if the marvelmind indoor navigation system will allow for a accurate “GPS” signal for the drone. Does the indoor nav. system"trick"the DJI into thinking it is a real GPS signal and will automatically connect? Or will we need to become a dji developer and re code the software to connect to this specific signal? [h2]Regards,[/h2]

Owen Hunt

2

Hi Owen,

In theory it might be possible but you will have to do a lot of reverse-engineering to make the flight controller think there is an OEM module connected.

:slight_smile:

3

Hello,

If your copter does understand regular NMEA0183 format, then it will understand Marvelmind Indoor “GPS” format too.
If it doesn’t there is a trick - to control any copter via its own remote control. Soldering to remote control is required.
It shall work any copter having remote control, including DJI.

We have done it with another (basic) copter:

  • We connected interface pins from Marvelmind modem to the remote control via wires (hacked copter’s remote control)
  • We attached a mobile beacon on the copter
  • Copter cares a mobile beacons and is being tracked via our system
  • Copter is being controlled via its native remote control, but by a human, but by our own system

The result - fully autonomous flight: youtu.be/e8eHhUhc0Z4

Absolutely the same can be done with any copter, including DJIs. Hacking inside the control boards is pretty difficult, if HW interfaces of the board are not open.
Hacking into remote control is pretty easy and safe, because remote controls are pretty alike.

BR,
Maxim