Programmable Indoor ESP32 Drone Swarm Testbed for Networking and Collision Avoidance
Team
- E/21/217, Ishan, e21217@eng.pdn.ac.lk
- E/21/180, Siyumi, e21180@eng.pdn.ac.lk
- E/21/009, Lisitha, e21009@eng.pdn.ac.lk
- E/21/156, Thinula, e21156@eng.pdn.ac.lk
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Solution Architecture
- Hardware & Software Designs
- Testing
- Detailed budget
- Conclusion
- Links
Introduction
This project develops a low-cost programmable indoor drone swarm testbed using ESP32 mini drones to study real-world networking behavior and collision avoidance. The platform enables decentralized drone coordination, configurable communication conditions, and accurate indoor localization for controlled swarm experiments.
Solution Architecture
High-level system architecture includes multiple ESP32 drones communicating via ESP-NOW, UWB-based indoor localization, and a central hub for experiment configuration, safety monitoring, and data logging.
Hardware and Software Designs
Detailed hardware design of ESP32 drone platform, UWB localization modules, power systems, and onboard sensors, along with software modules for decentralized control, networking experiments, logging, and experiment configuration interfaces.
Testing
Experimental validation includes indoor flight testing, localization accuracy evaluation, packet loss and delay experiments, and collision avoidance performance measurements under different network conditions.
Detailed budget
| Item | Quantity | Unit Cost | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| ESP32 drone modules | 10 | — | — |
| UWB localization modules | 10 | — | — |
| Batteries & chargers | — | — | — |
Conclusion
The project delivers an affordable indoor swarm research platform that enables real-world experimentation in distributed networking and collision avoidance, supporting future research, education, and advanced swarm algorithm development.