leap-drone

Fun module for controlling (piloting) Parrot BLE (Bluetooth) Mini Drones using hand gestures with Leap Motion https://www.leapmotion.com/.

Install

npm install leap-drone

Status

Stable!

The Equipment

This demo uses the "Parrot Travis Airborne Cargo Mini Drone" which you can find on Amazon for about $58. This module "should" pilot the following drones BUT HAVE NOT BEEN TESTED: Parrot Airborne Night MiniDrone, Parrot Mars Airborne Cargo Mini and Parrot Mambo. The prices range from about $50 - $100 USD. You'll also need to purchase the Leap Motion Controller on Amazon for about $90 USD.

The demo was developed and tested on a MacBook Pro, macOS Sierra v10.12.2 BUT I'm certain that the module can run on Windows, as long as it's equipped with the latest Bluetooth technology and the appropriate Nodejs is installed.

Setup

1. Install the leap-drone package using npm
2. The computer you connect to must accept BLE (Bluetooth) signals and be turned on.
3. Install the Leap Motion Controller using the provided instructions.
4. Open your terminal
5. Navigate to the /leap-drone module under your node_modules directory.
6. Run the following command in your terminal...

node leap-flight.js

7. Place the drone on a flat area away from any obstructions.
8. Give application some time to connect and it should say "Drone ready for flight!"

Piloting Instructions / Hand Gesturing

Place your hand over the Leap Motion Controller in a flat position. NOTE: The more you tilt your hand in any direction, the faster the drone will progress in that direction. Be careful. Also, give time to allow the drone to receive the signal. For example, tilt your hand to the right, left, back or forward for 1 - 2 seconds and then position your hand flat. Get used to how the drone will react before making major movements or holding in one particle position for long periods of time.

• Hovering - Position your hand flat. For security, the drone will hover if no hand is detected by Leap Motion.
• Take Off - Press "t" on your keyboard. Drone will lift and hover about 4 feet off the ground.
• Land - Press "l" on your Keyboard
• Altitude Up - Press "up arrow" on your keyboard once will take the drone up approx. 1 foot increments.
• Altitude Down - Press "down arrow" on your keyboard on your keyboard once will take the drone down approx. 1 foot increment
• Tilt Left - tilt your hand right
• Tilt Right - tilt your hand right
• Tilt Forward - tilt your hand forward
• Tilt Backward - tilt your hand backward
• Yaw Left or Right - Keep your hand flat and move your hand in the direction you want the drone to rotate the drone.
• Do a Flip - while holding your hand flat, tap your index finger once as if you are left clicking a mouse button. It may take some getting used to

License

MIT