Building your own drone may sound intimidating—but with the ESP-FC firmware and the growing ecosystem of affordable components, it’s now more accessible than ever. If you’re familiar with the basics of microcontrollers, sensors, and soldering, you’re already halfway there. You are an engineer—you can build a drone.
Start With ESP-FC
At the core of your drone will be ESP-FC, an open-source flight controller firmware tailored for Espressif MCUs like the ESP32. This lightweight firmware brings modern flight control features—including PID control, sensor fusion, and serial communication—into the hands of hobbyists and developers alike.
Getting started is easy: flash the firmware to a supported ESP32 board. From there, it’s up to you to choose the rest of the hardware.
Pick Your Parts
ESP-FC gives you freedom. You can mix and match components from the vast hobbyist market:
- Motors: Coreless 8520 for lightweight builds or brushless for more power.
- ESCs: Opt for compatible PWM or DShot ESCs depending on your motor type.
- IMU sensors: MPU6050, MPU9250, or others—ESP-FC supports many.
- GPS & Magnetometer: Add for autonomous navigation and heading estimation.
- Radio receiver: Use SBUS, CRSF, or ExpressLRS—just plug it in.
- Frame & battery: Choose your form factor and flight time.
There’s no fixed list. ESP-FC doesn’t lock you into a specific hardware stack—you engineer your own.
Why It Matters
By choosing your own components and wiring it all together, you’re not just flying a drone—you’re learning flight dynamics, embedded systems, and real-world electronics integration. Whether you’re a student, hobbyist, or prototyping a custom UAV, ESP-FC gives you the freedom to explore.
So grab that ESP32, pick your parts, and start building.
You’re an engineer. You can build a drone.