How to Develop a Drone Control Application?

How to Develop a Drone Control Application?
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Introduction

Have you ever wondered how simple remotes control these Drones? These remotes are specifically built for the Drone and can also be controlled through the mobile application. This way, users can easily control the Drone. So today, in this topic, we'll discuss how you can develop a Drone app.

With innovative technologies, everything is becoming easier to get, whether it's about online food ordering or controlling a Drone. Drones are very popular nowadays. It is used on various occasions, such as in shooting weddings, in movies, etc. there are so many places that a Drone can be very helpful, especially with special military operations.

These Drones can be controlled via their remotes; however, with modern technologies and the high-tide trend of mobile apps, they can be controlled via mobile applications.

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If you want to create a Drone control mobile app for your Drone, you are in the right place. This topic contains all the essential points to a Drone app development. So without wasting time, let's get straight into the topic and learn how to develop a drone control application.

What Is a Drone Application?

A Drone app is a mobile application from which users can easily control various Drones. These apps contain all the basic to advanced functionality that enhances operating Drones. These new mobile applications are replacements for Drone controllers or remotes. A drone control app is a software application that allows a user to control a drone using a mobile device such as a smartphone or tablet. The app communicates via a wireless connection with the drone, usually over Wi-Fi or Bluetooth.

Drone control apps usually offer a variety of features and functions, depending on the specific drone and app. Some common features include live video streaming, flight telemetry data, camera controls, and the ability to set and execute flight paths.

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Users can usually access various settings to customize their drone's behavior, including flight speed, altitude, and camera settings.

Current Drone Control Application Market Overview

Planning for drone control application development but don't know if it is a good business to invest in or not? Look at these current drone market overviews; it will help you cast away your confusion and give you a crystal clear picture of the drone market's future.

  • The commercial drone market size was expected to reach $29.86 billion by the end of 2022.
  • It is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 38.6% from 2023 to 2030.
  • In addition, these applications are in high demand by various industries, especially real estate, due to their ability to survey the property, offer constant and accurate project alerts, increase safety, prevent harmful accidents, etc.

The Drone Control app can be used for various purposes, including aerial photography and videography, mapping, surveying, and search and rescue operations. They are generally designed to be user-friendly and intuitive, with an interface that is easy to navigate and understand, even for beginners.

The more vibrant features a drone control app will have, the more options users will get to operate a drone. Now let's learn what the top features you should incorporate in the drone control app development process are.

Drone Control App Features

Drone control apps are no ordinary development process. You must incorporate only essential features to make your drone control app flawless. Here are some top-class features you should include in time of drone app Development Company.  

Map & Navigator

An essential feature, a map, and a navigator allow you to see where to fly or where not. With the help of a navigator, you can easily control your Drone.

Live Video Streaming

The app must provide live video streaming from the camera of the Drone so that the user can see what the Drone is seeing in real-time.

Flight Telemetry Data

Through this feature, the app will display flight telemetry data, such as altitude, speed, battery life, and GPS location, to help the user keep track of the Drone's flight status.

Customizable Flight Modes

The app will provide customizable flight modes, such as manual mode, altitude hold, and GPS mode, to allow the user to control the Drone in various ways.

Camera Controls

This feature provides camera control features, such as the ability to adjust exposure, focus, and zoom, to allow the user to capture high-quality photos and videos.

Flight Path Planning

Through this feature, a drone control app will allow users to set a pre-planned flight path for the Drone to follow, which can be useful for aerial surveying or mapping.

Safety Features

This includes certain safety features such as Geofencing, which prevents the Drone from flying in restricted airspace, and return-to-home, which returns the Drone to its launch point in the event of low battery or loss of connection.

Social Sharing

It will allow users to easily share their photos and videos on social media platforms such as Instagram or Facebook. You must include this feature while developing your drone control app.

Firmware Updates

Most drone manufacturers release firmware updates to fix bugs and add new features, and many drone control apps allow users to update their Drone's firmware directly from the app.

Digital Controller

Digital controller enables you to operate the Drone model via an app. Through the app, users can easily control the Drone without having it connected to any remote.

Drone Settings

Users can't change the hardware functionality of the Drone, but its setting option in the app allows you to change certain settings such as range, recording quality, etc. 

Home Screen

In this feature, when users first log into the app, they can access their profile, recent shots, Drone model, and navigation menu. This feature is called the home screen menu.

User Login

A must-have and essential drone control app development feature that will allow your users to enter the main frame of the drone control application via login credentials.

Payment Gateway

If you are developing more than just a Drone control application or want to sell your products, this feature is highly useful. You can add your payment gateway in the app to allow users to buy your products, such as Drones and accessories.

Virtual Drone

The virtual drone option enables an in-app flying simulator to test your products without actually flying them in a real environment. It will help your users test the Drone functions before they take their real Drone.

Feedback Option

It allows your users to send personal experiences that can help you improve your service even more immersively.

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Drone Control App Development Approach

With technology, innovation has brought a new way to build solutions. Similarly, earlier, only remotes controlled the Drones, but technologies have changed. Nowadays, Drones are easily controlled by mobile applications. The development of a drone control app heavily relies on API, which serves as a means of communication between the drone's onboard computer and the app. SDK, comprising documentation, sample code, and libraries, is another essential set of resources developers use to access the platform's features and functionalities.

With the right tools, the drone control app can send and receive data such as GPS location, flight status, and sensor indications. Depending on the platform and its features, several APIs and SDKs are available for drone control app development. Here are some examples:

SDK/API Options

Review the following options to make an informed choice for your mobile drone app development.

FlytBase SDK/API

FlytBase is one of the most trusted one-stop solutions for your Drone SDK and API that will help you in your drone control app development project. It is the most reliable, scalable, and secure platform in the world's leading Internet of drones (IoD) market. It provides unified drone APIs to build custom drone control applications. The drone kit SDK and API is compatible with every type of drone and platform to control the drone movement DJI, 3DR, and PX4.

They have so many solutions that can help you build high-grade solutions. Here are some of the top-notch FlytBase SDK and API solutions.

FlytOS: FlytOS provides SDK and APIs for building high-grade Drone applications such as aerial delivery, precision agriculture, industrial inspection, and emergency response. FlytOS is fully compatible with all the latest and major drone/autopilot platforms and is supported by all popular companion computers, including Nvidia, Intel, etc.

FlytCloud: FlytCloud provides real-time access/control, live video streaming, seamless third-party integrations, and machine learning services, further extending its capabilities. 

FlytAI: Flightbase AI-controlled drone platform is cloud-based, automating the entire workflow from dataset preparation, training model generation, and deploying trained models for inference. This enables faster turnaround times and iterations when the use case is being worked out. Being in the cloud also helps the system scale at runtime when demand (either for training or for real-time estimation) increases.

FlytDock: FlytDock is a precision target landing solution that supports the widest range of drones. It utilizes a companion computer and onboard camera to make a balanced and precise landing on the target.

FlytCAS: FlytCAS provides object sensing and collision-avoiding capabilities by fusing data from multiple sensors and using intelligent software to decide, in real-time, the appropriate time change of course to eliminate the collision action.

FlytBase is a good choice if you want to develop a full-fledged drone control application. This is a one-stop solution that offers various services to help you build a top-notch product. However, there are some alternate options available that you can choose according to your Drone app needs.

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Now let's see the cost of developing a Drone control app.

Other Alternative Choices For Your Drone Control App Development

Option #1: DroneKit SDK & API is an open platform compatible with drones and platforms, including DJI, 3DR, and PX4. It enables developers to capture and analyze sensor data, access flight logs, control flight, and access features such as image and video capturing and battery management.

Option #2: Parrot AR Drone 2.0 SDK is a set of APIs provided by French drone manufacturer Parrot. It is free, flexible, and easy to use, allowing developers to control the company's AR Drone 2.0 quadcopter. The SDK is available for iOS and android and provides a simulated drone for testing the application.

Option #3: ROS (Robot Operating System) is a fundamental tool for developing drone control apps that allows the application to interact with robots, process sensor data, and perform various robotic functions. It also provides a simulated Gazebo environment for testing code and applications.

Option #4: PX4 is a robust platform for developing drone applications and other aerial vehicles with powerful safety features and interoperability. Its modular architecture makes it an excellent choice for working with single-board computers, sensors, and other communication interfaces.

How Much Does It Cost to Develop a Drone Control App?

The cost of drone control app development depends on some factors. Additionally, the cost to develop a standard mobile drone app can be around $5,000 to $10,000 in India because it requires a lot of data to connect the app with any drone fully. Also, the number of features you will add to your app increases the cost even more.

Several factors affect the overall drone control app development cost. Letโ€™s see what they are:

  • App complexity
  • Developer location
  • The number of features
  • App functionality
  • UI/UX design
  • Development team

Drone Software Development Tools and Guidelines

UI design and development are crucial for mobile apps. Therefore, it is necessary to use the right technology and tools to build robust and scalable drone software that will allow you to operate your drone fluently with the help of the application. Moreover, flying a drone is legal; however, a drone operating should possess a DGCA and a drone flying license. Therefore, before providing your drone services to your users, check their license and registration at DGCA.

Tech Stack Required Developing a Drone Control Application

API/SDK: DJI Developer | DroneKit | Parrot

Subscription:-

(DJI Developer)

This tech stack incorporates flight automation, a digital controller, live camera transmitting, and remote parameter monitoring, and shooting as per the requirements.

Platform: Can be used for Android or iOS development

(DroneKit)

This functionality works on three major flaws; automated controlled flights, route planning, and live telemetry, basically Android and Python APIs.

Platform: Can be used for Android and Python API development

(Parrot)

This tech stack uses a toolset for device and drone connection; however, it also has some other functionality, such as remote monitoring, content management tool, drone control, etc.

Platform: Can be used for Android and iOS app development

How Can Orion InfoSolutions Help You In Your Drone Control App Development Project?

Orion InfoSolutions is a renowned software development company in India offering state-of-the-art web and mobile development assistance. With extensive knowledge and experienced developers, quality is what we provide to our clients. Best solutions that are tailored to fulfill your specific business needs and help you become more advanced than your competitors.

We have unmatched top IT industry knowledge and expertise and offer exclusivity value to your business. We provide high-grade cost-effective custom solutions that will help you reach your goals.

As a leading drone control app development solution provider, we utilize innovative technologies and tools to build drone apps that are scalable and robust. Our developed drone apps support all types of drones without any complications.

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So if you have any drone control app project ideas or requirements, bring them to us. We know how to bring them to life. Contact us for your drone software development projects.

Conclusion

Developing a full-fledged drone control app is a hard task; that's why we created this article to help ease your work. After following this guide, you can easily understand the basics needed to develop a drone application. We hope you have become well-versed with the options and features to include in drone control app development. Now that you know it's time to make your move, start developing your drone control app.

Make sure to get professional help for your drone app project. Hire a mobile app development company that understands or is familiar with the drone market and has proven expertise in developing drone control apps. Apart from that, Good Luck!

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About Author

DC Kumawat

DC Kumawat is the CEO of Orion InfoSolutions, a leading provider of IT solutions to businesses of all sizes. He has over 14+ years of experience in the IT industry. He is a passionate advocate for the use of technology to improve business performance.