PROSYSTEMY Drone Technology Laboratory or DronTechLab is a platform for building advanced drone laboratory at affordable price. The platform allows to build experimental laboratories of multi-rotor UAVs, ground drones or UGVs, underwater drones, as well as swarms. DronTechLab framework affordability, flexibility and emphasis on advanced control, makes it suitable for EDUCATION, RESEARCH and DEVELOPMENT and HOBBY.

EDUCATION AND RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

The main purpose of DrontechLab framework is to help students understand basics but also advanced features of drone technology. Researches and developers may use the DronTechLab for fast prototyping and experimenting with advanced control algorithms, image processing and AI lgorithms, real-time implementations, drone geometry, different types of motors, propellers, avionics, electronics. The framework simplifies analyzing drone dynamics, tuning flight controllers, provide means for performance analysis and testing.

SIMPLE LOW-COST KIT OF ON-LINE DRONE LAB FOR EDUCATION OR EXPERIMENTING

The laboratory may consist of a single low-cost multi-rotor drone bench suitable for high-school education or hobby development.

SWARMS OF SMART UAV – GROUND – SURFACE SUB DRONE LABS

For research purposes a large swarm of different types of heavily equipped inteligent drone benches communicating with each other can be build.

OPEN-SOURCE AND FREELY PROGRAMMABLE WITHOUT PROGRAMMING SKILS

Important advantage of the DronTechLab is its control system – PROSYSTEMY DCU Control System Platform. It is open license-free flexible advanced control system with real-time control units, fully-featured visualization/SCADA system, and programming using control diagrams. Scientific computational platform Scilab or Matlab and its dynamic simulators Xcos, Simulink are used for programming. User without any programming skills can easilly modify control algorithms as well as graphical user interfaces.

OUR RECENT PARTNERS INCLUDE

Institute of Automation, Informatization, and Measurement, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava

Department of Mechanical Engineering, Armed Forces Academy of General Milan Rastislav Štefánik

Stredná priemyselná škola informačných technológii Ignáca Gessaya

Computer Science & Automatic Control Department, Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería Informática, UNED, Madrid

Department of Technical Physics, Faculty of Science, Forestry and Technology, University of Eastern Finland

Department of Technology Systems, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Oslo

Integrated Lab for Instrumentation, Control and Adaptation to Environmental Challenges (LAICA), University of Evora, Portugal

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Why should I buy DRONTECHLAB UAV, when there are so many drone manufacturers?

DRONTECHLAB drone bench is not an ordinary drone. Standard drone product is developed, designed, and tuned for single purpose – typically flying and making videos. Additionally, they are closed systems, and so user has very limited means (or none) to modify the product shape, purpose, or behavior.

DRONTECHLAB product is on the contrary open flexible framework. Its main purpose is education and experimentation. User may easily modify structure as well as control algorithms of the product. Additional sensors, motors and other actuators may be connected. Control loops are programmed using dynamic simulator diagrams. Complex Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system provides an extensive means for analysis, monitoring, and visualization of drone internal behavior. The main goal of DRONTECHLAB is to provide affordable easy-to-use educational tool as well as rapid prototyping R&D lab.

So if you wish to just fly and make videos, this product is not for you. If you want to try and develop new extraordinary flying structures, or experiment with advanced control algorithms, or show to others how a drone control algorithm looks like, then DRONTECHLAB is for you.

Why should students analyze drone control algorithms or experimenting with flying structures?

Control algorithms, structural dynamics, and other related topics may obviously be studied and educated on any other experimental devices such as inverted pendulum, water columns, or HVAC models. However, we believe, that due to immense popularity of drones and its still rising importance, a drone bench as an educational tool is far more appealing to young people. An attractive drone stand will bring more students to these topics, increase laboratory reputation and enhance R&D potential in this domain.

What is the lowest budget variant of DRONTECHLAB drone bench?

If you do not mind your time and effort, but you have a restricted budget we recommend the following approach. Order just flight controller DCU30IOA or the package called Basic quad-bench flight avionics – flight controller + basic electronics. With these products you receive all needed information and software to build your own drone bench. You get 3D printer model files so you may print all parts of the drone bench. You receive a list of typically used electronics – motors, sensors,… so you may buy it by yourself at lowest prices. You get or may download wiring diagrams to correctly connect all devices. All needed software is open-source based and free and may be downloaded from our website.

DronTechLab Overview

Real-time experiment of drone tracking target using camera

Real-time experiment of drone remote control using game pad

Experiment with ground drone tracking UAV

Experimenting with underwater drone

Experimental tunning and testing of roll and pitch stabilisation controllers