SkySense

An autonomous quadcopter built to sense temperature and humidity, stream live video, and navigate on its own.

SkySense
Born Above
Built Beyond.

See it in action →
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Problem & Motivation
3×Integrated subsystems
360°Aerial coverage
±2.5mGPS accuracy
LIVEVideo + sensor stream

Manual monitoring
doesn't scale to
remote terrain.

Environmental monitoring still depends on fixed stations and manual collection — limiting coverage, responsiveness, and safety in hazardous zones. In remote, large-area, or physically dangerous environments, traditional methods become inefficient, time-consuming, and unsafe for human operators.

Skysense replaces ground-based constraints with autonomous aerial reach — a single platform combining flight, sensing, and vision into a coordinated monitoring system deployable without infrastructure.

Solution

One Platform.
Three Capabilities.

Autonomous GPS navigation, real-time DHT11 environmental sensing over Bluetooth, and live ESP32-CAM video streaming — all coordinated through a compact F405 flight controller stack running ArduPilot/Betaflight.

›Autonomous GPS-based navigation & RTH
›Live environmental sensing via DHT11 + Bluetooth
›Real-time MJPEG video stream via ESP32-CAM
›Manual override via FlySky i6 RC system
›Mission Planner integration for waypoint missions
System Architecture

Three subsystems.
One coordinated platform.

⬡01
Flight & Power
PWM · Motor Protocol
The F405 runs ArduPilot/Betaflight, continuously reading gyro and accelerometer data to compute PID corrections across roll, pitch, and yaw axes — feeding PWM signals to each motor within milliseconds.
F405 Flight Controller
64-bit onboard flying computer — stabilization, motor timing & sensor fusion
4-in-1 ESC + PDB
Motor drive via PWM · Distributes regulated 5V to all onboard electronics
Brushless Motors ×4
2× CW · 2× CCW for torque balance — Newton's 3rd law thrust generation
Li-Po Battery
Primary high-discharge power source feeding the entire system
◈02
Sensing & Comms
9600 · Baud Rate
The Arduino operates in a fully isolated sensing loop, ensuring sensor data collection never interferes with flight stability. Data flows: DHT11 → Arduino Serial → HC-05 → Ground Station.
Arduino UNO
Runs independently from FC · Reads DHT11 · Relays data over Bluetooth serial
DHT11 Sensor
Temperature & humidity · Data pin D2 · Updates every 2 seconds
HC-05 Bluetooth
2.4 GHz · ~10 m range · 9600 baud rate — matches serial config
◉03
Navigation & Vision
MJPEG · Stream Format
ESP32-CAM hosts its own HTTP server — no external broker needed. GPS provides real-time lat/lon/alt to Mission Planner for waypoint execution and Return-to-Home safety features.
NEO-7M GPS
UART · ±2.5 m horizontal accuracy · Position hold, RTH & mission waypoints
ESP32-CAM (OV2640)
MJPEG stream on port 80 · Accessible via browser at http://ESP32-IP/stream
FlySky i6 Receiver
PPM output · 2.4 GHz AFHDS · 500 m–1 km line-of-sight range
↑ Tap a subsystem to expand component detail
Hardware Specifications

Every component,
by the spec.

Flight Controller
F405 (64-bit)
Flight Controller
Brain of the build
Runs sensor fusion and PID loops in real time, constantly correcting motor speed to keep the drone level mid-air.
ESC
4-in-1 with PDB
ESC
1 board, 0 spare ESCs
Merges motor control and power distribution into a single unit — less wiring, less weight, fewer points of failure.
GPS
NEO-7M ±2.5m
GPS
2.5–5m accuracy
Tracks position via satellite for autonomous waypoints and Return-to-Launch — climbs, navigates home, lands itself.
Camera
ESP32-CAM OV2640
Camera
Live feed, port 80
Streams MJPEG video over Wi-Fi straight to a browser — no app required, just open the IP address and watch.
Sensor
DHT11 (D2 pin)
Sensor
Reads every 2s
Captures temperature and humidity mid-flight, turning the drone into an airborne weather probe.
RC System
FlySky i6 AFHDS
RC System
Up to 1km range
2.4GHz frequency-hopping link gives low-latency manual override — the safety net behind every autonomous mission.
Microcontroller
Arduino UNO
Microcontroller
Runs independently
Handles sensing and Bluetooth comms completely separate from the flight loop, so a sensor hiccup never touches stability.
BT Module
HC-05 9600 baud
BT Module
~10m range
Pipes live temperature and humidity readings straight to a phone or laptop over 2.4GHz Bluetooth.
Motor Config
4× Brushless (2CW+2CCW)
Motor Config
Newton's 3rd law, airborne
Two clockwise, two counter-clockwise — opposing spin cancels torque, letting tiny speed shifts steer roll, pitch, and yaw.
Power
Li-Po (primary)
Power
Single power source
Feeds the ESC, which fans power out to motors, flight controller, GPS, and Arduino from one battery.
Video Protocol
MJPEG on port 80
Video Protocol
Browser-ready
Continuous JPEG frames over HTTP multipart response — open /stream and you're watching live.
Mission Software
Mission Planner
Mission Software
Ground control HQ
Calibrates the ESC and sensors, sets flight modes, and monitors GPS, altitude, and battery in real time.
Power & Data Flow

From battery to
your screen.

Step 01
Li-Po Battery
High-discharge source — feeds entire system via ESC
›
Step 02
4-in-1 ESC + PDB
Drives 4 motors · Provides 5V regulated to FC, Arduino, GPS, Camera
›
Step 03
F405 FC
PPM → stabilization loops → PWM motor control + GPS/sensor processing
›
Step 04
Arduino UNO
DHT11 reads → Serial → HC-05 Bluetooth → Ground Station
›
Step 05
ESP32-CAM
OV2640 → MJPEG HTTP server → Browser on port 80
›
Step 06
Ground Station
Smartphone · Laptop · Mission Planner · Web browser
Communication Protocols

Five channels.
Zero guesswork.

ProtocolMediumRangeCoverage
PWMSignal harness (FC → ESC)On-board
UARTGPS serial (NEO-7M → FC)On-board
BluetoothHC-05 2.4 GHz (Arduino → Phone)~10 m
Wi-FiESP32-CAM MJPEG streamLAN
RF AFHDSFlySky i6 2.4 GHz~1 km
Motor Dynamics

4 motors.
Infinite control.

CCW (FL + RR)
CW (FR + RL)
Software Implementation

Modular firmware,
stable by design.

Overview
Initializes OV2640 camera, connects to Wi-Fi, and hosts an MJPEG HTTP streaming server on port 80. Live feed accessible via browser at http://ESP32-IP/ or http://ESP32-IP/stream.
Libraries Used
esp_camera.hWiFi.hesp_http_server.h
→ Output
Live MJPEG stream → Web browser on smartphone or PC
Key Functions
setup()
Init serial · Connect Wi-Fi · Configure camera GPIO · Start HTTP server
stream_handler()
Captures OV2640 JPEG frames · Streams as HTTP multipart response
startCameraServer()
Registers /stream endpoint on port 80 · Runs in background
loop()
Minimal — streaming handled by HTTP server task
Autopilot & Testing Results

Precision in motion.
Intelligence in control.

✓ Passed
Flight Stability
Both manual and autonomous modes — stable hover confirmed
✓ Passed
GPS RTH
Accurate return-to-home execution after signal loss test
✓ Passed
Sensor Isolation
DHT11 data captured without affecting FC loop timing
◎ Tuned
Landing Accuracy
GPS drift mitigated via descent rate and failsafe tuning
Development Challenges & Resolutions
⚡
Calibration & Wiring
Sensor and motor tuning required iterative PID adjustments. Signal and power routing was consolidated via 4-in-1 ESC to reduce harness complexity.
💨
Wind Disturbance
External airflow caused flight instability during outdoor tests. Betaflight filter tuning and reduced P-gain on pitch/roll resolved oscillations.
📍
Auto-Landing Accuracy
GPS drift near ground level caused imprecise landing. Failsafe altitude thresholds and descent rate tuning were applied to improve accuracy.

Built for the
field.

Skysense is a fully autonomous quadcopter platform combining F405 flight control, GPS navigation, environmental sensing, and live wireless video — engineered for compact deployment in remote terrain with autopilot Mission Planning and Return-to-Home.

F405 Flight ControlGPS NavigationEnvironmental SensingLive Wireless Video
Roadmap

The next chapter
is already in motion.

Skysense doesn't stop at one build. Here's what's queued up to push the platform from a working prototype into a full autonomous fleet system.

WP-01Next Up
AI-Powered Flight Planning
Automatically generate the safest and most efficient flight routes.
WP-02In Design
Real-Time Drone Tracking
Live GPS tracking with mission monitoring and location updates.
WP-03Planned
Autonomous Mission Execution
Enable waypoint-based autonomous flights with minimal human intervention.
WP-04Planned
3D Mapping & Digital Twin
Create accurate 3D terrain models and digital twins for inspection and surveying.
WP-05Horizon
Cloud Analytics & Fleet Management
Store flight data securely, analyze mission performance, and manage multiple drones from one dashboard.
Project CreditsTHE BRAINCHILD OF SEVEN VISIONARIES, FORGED TO REDEFINE THE FUTURE.

Airframe & SkySense Systems

Taufeeq Iqbal Khan
Ansuman Parida
Aditya Ray
Aditya Padhi
Chinmoy Patra
Abhijeet Bej
L-09
R-27

Web Platform

Noble Paul (Github - @noblepaul995)
Contact & Uplink
EMAILskysense7k30@gmail.com
STATUSActively maintained
< 24hTypical response

Got a mission
in mind?

Whether it's a question about the build, a collaboration idea, or a bug report from the field — reach out. Skysense is an open, evolving platform and every message gets read.

For technical issues, include your flight controller firmware and telemetry link status if relevant — it speeds things up.

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