drone News - CNX Software - Embedded Systems News

January 12, 2025January 12, 2025 by Debashis Das - 9 Comments

GuRu’s modular wireless power transfer system can power a drone indefinitely

California-based company GuRu Wireless has recently developed and showcased a scalable and modular wireless power transfer system that is capable of delivering power to a high-power device up to several kilowatts, such as a drone, from up to 30 feet away (a little over 9 meters). They also mention that the system can power low-power devices, like LEDs and consumer electronics, over distances of several kilometers. It’s quite an extension to the GuRu’s desk-range wireless power evaluation kit we covered in 2020. The system uses 24 GHz high-frequency millimeter-wave radio signals to deliver energy over long distances without needing batteries or tethered systems. GuRu’s system uses a phased array transmitter with proprietary RFICs, to precisely deliver power to the receiver called the Recovery Unit (RU). In a recent demonstration video, GuRu Wireless showcased their wireless power transfer system by powering a drone from 30 feet away, operating it continuously for […]

January 7, 2025January 6, 2025 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 2 Comments

FOSDEM 2025 schedule – Embedded, Open Hardware, RISC-V, Edge AI, and more

FOSDEM 2025 will take place on February 1-2 with over 8000 developers meeting in Brussels to discuss open-source software & hardware projects. The free-to-attend (and participate) “Free and Open Source Software Developers’ European Meeting” grows every year, and in 2025 there will be 968 speakers, 930 events, and 74 tracks. Like every year since FOSDEM 2015 which had (only) 551 events, I’ll create a virtual schedule with sessions most relevant to the topics covered on CNX Software from the “Embedded, Mobile and Automotive” and “Open Hardware and CAD/CAM” devrooms, but also other devrooms including “RISC-V”, “FOSS Mobile Devices”, “Low-level AI Engineering and Hacking”, among others. FOSDEM 2025 Day 1 – Saturday 1 10:30 – 11:10 – RISC-V Hardware – Where are we? by Emil Renner Berthing I’ll talk about the current landscape of available RISC-V hardware powerful enough to run Linux and hopefully give a better overview of what to […]

October 16, 2024 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 2 Comments

Qualcomm introduces IQ9, IQ8, and IQ6 industrial IoT SoC families with up to 100 TOPS of AI performance

Qualcomm IQ9 IQ8 IQ6 industrial IoT processors

Qualcomm Technologies has introduced the new industrial-grade IQ chipset family with the IQ9, IQ8, and IQ6 series offering on-device AI performance of up to 100 TOPS, industrial temperature range, and built-in safety features such as SIL-3 (safety and integrity level). Qualcomm IQ series of chipsets target a range of premium (IQ9), mid-tier (IQ8), and entry-level (IQ6) applications such as industrial and agricultural robots, drones, industrial inspection and automation, edge AI boxes with computer vision capabilities, edge gateway analytics solutions, and more. Qualcomm IQ9 Series – IQ-9100, IQ-9075 Key features and specifications: CPU IQ-9075 – Octa-core Kryo Gen 6 scaling from 1.632 to 2.55 GHz IQ-9100 – Octa-core Kryo Gold Prime @ 2.36 GHz (CNXSoft: The specs are not clear for the CPU part…, both SKUs could be the same for the CPU part) GPU – Adreno 663 GPU Audio DSP (LPASS) 1980 MPPS, 7x TDM/I2S 3x High-Speed I2S for Radio […]

September 21, 2024September 21, 2024 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 12 Comments

LiteWing DIY ESP32 drone costs about $12 to make

Circuit Digest’s LiteWing is a low-cost DIY drone controlled by an ESP32 module, based on a custom PCB and off-the-shelf parts that costs around 1000 Rupees to make, or $12 at today’s exchange rate. The DIY ESP32 drone was designed as a low-cost alternative to more expensive DIY drones that typically cost close to $70. The result is a WiFi drone that fits in the palm and controlled over WiFi using a smartphone. Interestingly it does not include any 3D printed parts as the PCB forms the chassis of the device. DIY ESP32 drone key features and components Wireless module – ESP32-WROOM-32 for WiFi control using a smartphone. Storage – MicroSD card slot Sensors – MPU6050 IMU for stability control. Propulsion 4x 720 coreless motors 2x 55mm propeller type A(CW) 2x 55mm propeller type B(CCW) USB – 1x USB-C port for charging and programming (via CP2102N) Power Management 1300mAh Li-Ion […]

August 2, 2024 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 1 Comment

M5Stamp Fly ESP32-S3 WiFi drone is controlled by the M5Atom WiFi joystick controller using ESPNOW

M5Stack M5Stamp Fly is a tiny ESP32-S3 WiFi drone based on the company’s M5Stamp S3 WiFi 4 and BLE IoT module, equipped with four motors and several sensors. and controllable the M5Atom WiFi joystick controller also based on ESP32-S3 WiSoC. We have recently seen some tiny ESP32 or ESP8266 WiFi drones with a low-cost ESP32 DIY drone and the PiWings 2.0 drone, but the M5Stamp Fly is more advanced with a total of six sensors including a barometer, two time-of-flight distance sensors, a 6-axis IMU, a 3-axis magnetometer, and an optical flow detection sensors, plus two Grove connector for additional sensors or modules. M5Stamp Fly (K138) specifications: Main controller – M5Stamp S3 module WiSoC – Espressif Systems ESP32-S3FN8 dual-core 32-bit Xtensa LX7 microcontroller with AI vector instructions up to 240MHz, RISC-V ULP co-processor, 512KB SRAM, 2.4GHz WiFi 4 (802.11b/g/n), Bluetooth 5.0 BLE + Mesh, 8MB flash Connectivity 2.4 GHz WiFi […]

July 7, 2024July 9, 2024 by Tomisin Olujinmi - 10 Comments

SkyByte Mini Wi-Fi-controlled drone runs the open-source ESP32-Drone firmware (Crowdfunding)

The SkyByte Mini is a simple, miniature drone powered by the ESP32-WROOM-32 WiFi and Bluetooth module, and comprised of an MPU6050 inertial measurement unit, coreless motors, and plastic propellers. The Espressif ESP32-WROOM-32 module on the board provides a wireless connection that can be used to control the drone from a mobile app. The printed circuit board uses an “all-in-one” design that removes the need for 3D-printed parts and makes for a more compact final product. The drone’s functionality can be extended with external sensors to suit desired applications. It can be used for hobbyist and educational purposes. SkyByte Mini drone specifications: Wireless Module – ESP32-WROOM-32 module, dual-core Tensilica processor, with integrated Wi-Fi + Bluetooth 4.2 LE Motor control – 4x SI2302 N-Channel 20V MOSFET USB – USB-C port for power and programming Sensor – TDK Invensense MPU6050 IMU 3-axis gyroscope and 3-axis accelerometer Misc- 3x debugging LEDs, 1x power LED, […]

June 25, 2024June 24, 2024 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 1 Comment

NDAA-compliant NVIDIA Jetson Orin NX and Nano bundles target drones

ARK Electronics has recently introduced NDAA-complaint NVIDIA Jetson Orin NX and Nano bundles designed for drones with the company’s Jetson PAB (Pixhawk Autopilot Bus) carrier board, an ARKV6X flight controller, and an SSD preloaded with NVIDIA Jetpack and the ARK UI. I’ve come across the board following a post on X pointing to an article on Tom’s Hardware about the US passing a bill called “Countering CCP Drones Act” that would effectively ban DJI drones in the US. DJI is supposed to have a 90% market share of the U.S. hobby market, a 70% market share of the industrial market, and an over 80% market share of the first responder market, so not everybody will be happy if the bill passes in the senate and becomes enacted by the US president. But US companies making NDAA-compliant hardware and drones may bit mind, and that’s how I discovered ARK Electronics NVIDIA […]

June 7, 2024 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 3 Comments

PiWings 2.0 is a tiny drone based on Raspberry Pi Pico and ESP8266 WiFi module (Crowdfunding)

PiWings 2.0 Raspberry Pi Pico drone variants

SB Components’ PiWings 2.0 is a small drone combining a Raspberry Pi Pico with an ESP8266 WiFi module (ESP-12E) for wireless connectivity, and designed for STEM education and drone enthusiasts. The PiWings 2.0 board supports up to six motors and four servos, includes a 6-axis IMU for auto-leveling, and features I2C, SPI, UART, and GPIO expansion ports for custom sensor and/or actuator support. The drone itself is offered with three, four, or six rotors. PiWings 2.0 key features and specifications: Microcontroller board – Raspberry Pi Pico with Raspberry Pi RP2040 dual-core Cortex-M0+ microcontroller, 264KB SRAM Wireless module – ESP-12E (ESP8266) WiFi module for iBus support Motor Drivers – 6 channels (3A DC) Servo Motors – 4 channels USB – 1x micro USB port (on Raspberry Pi Pico) Expansion – I2C, SPI, UART, GPIO ports Sensor – On-board 6-axis IMU (MPU6050) for auto-leveling Misc – 4x RGB LEDs Power Supply 3V […]