The DroneBlocks Simulator
Learn how to simulate and test your code with a virtual Tello drone
This Course is included in DroneBlocks Membership
** Simulator V2 is Now Available **
In many cases, it's beneficial to simulate your code before testing on the Tello drone. In the world of mobile apps, simulators allow developers to test functionality on a virtual phone before deploying to a physical device. This can prove useful in many ways and can allow bugs to be discovered early in the development lifecycle.
We created the DroneBlocks Drone Coding Simulator to enable users to develop and test code in an easy manner. The simulator provides a virtual Tello drone that acts very similar to Tello in the real world. This course walks users through the capabilities of the simulator and provides tips to ensure success before code is executed on the physical drone. You will learn all about the simulator interface, how to test your code, and even fly Tello through a virtual obstacle course.
It's important to note that even though simulation has many benefits, it's not a replacement for running code your code on a real Tello drone. Simulation cannot reproduce many of the physical challenges you'll face in the real world such as wind, poor lighting, limited battery life, and many of the other factors that impact Tello's performance.
We look forward to seeing you in the course!
Your Instructor
Dennis has been fascinated with remote control cars and airplanes since he was a kid. Through his passion of the RC hobby he learned many aspects of engineering by building, wiring, and programming flight controllers for his RC planes and quadcopters. He shares a majority of his research and development on his YouTube channel.
In 2010 Dennis found the ArduPilot project and was amazed by the vibrant developer community behind the project. From this point forward he spent countless hours tinkering in the garage and building numerous autonomous drones ranging from hexacopters, VTOL aircraft, delta wings, and mini quads. This was all made possible with APM and Pixhawk flight controllers.
In 2014 Dennis designed and 3D printed a popular mini quadcopter frame and posted it on Thingiverse. At this time he crossed paths with Marisa at Walnut Springs Elementary School in Dripping Springs, TX. Dennis asked Marisa if he could work with her after-school "Tech Team" to teach students how to print, wire, build and fly these little mini quadcopters. Students loved the idea but quickly asked how they could use the drones to shoot photos and video. This led Dennis to the DJI SDK.
In 2015 Dennis put together a proof of concept of using block programming and coupled it with the DJI SDK to tap into the capabilities of market leading drone hardware. From this day DroneBlocks was born. Students loved the concept of block programming to perform autonomous missions with DJI hardware. DroneBlocks has grown into a platform that consists of app, curriculum, and a vibrant community of users sharing their mission code all over the world.
Dennis graduated from The Citadel with a BS in Electrical Engineering and is no stranger to software technology. He has co-founded several technology businesses over the past 20 years. In this next chapter Dennis and Marisa want to expand DroneBlocks into every STEAM classroom across the globe.
Course Curriculum
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StartAccessing the DroneBlocks Simulator
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StartWhy Simulation? (4:21)
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StartThe Simulator Interface (5:14)
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StartDroneBlocks Curriculum and The Simulator (2:43)
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PreviewVirtual Obstacle Course - Ring Layout #1 (4:19)
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StartRing Layout #1 with XYZ Coordinates (2:23)
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StartUnderstanding the Curve Block (3:12)
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StartSharing Missions (1:14)