Step 8 — Grow autonomy
UL8 build — ready for missions
More images
F9P for precise navigation
M9N GPS/compass
Goal: mission planning, more reliable task execution, iterate from flight evidence.
Manuals & guides
Official docs and practical guides for this step:
- Mission Planner — Writing a mission
- ArduPilot — Auto mode
- ArduPilot — Mission Command List
- ArduPilot — Object avoidance (Auto path planning)
Video guides
Videos below are embedded. Use the link if the player does not load.
How to Use Mission Planner — Waypoint Mission — YouTube
Path planning with Dijkstra (ArduPilot OA) — YouTube
What you do
- Plan missions (waypoints, survey, RTL) with clear abort paths.
- Repeat the same task under varying GNSS/wind; note failures and logs.
- Refine sensor fusion (GPS/RTK, flow, proximity) from real flights.
- Optionally add richer tasks (triggers, camera/survey) — only once steps 1–7 are solid.
- Document parameter changes in the per-part build log.
Related parts
- Full stack: see the parts list on the project hub (
drone-build) - Steps 1–7 as the baseline; details live in the related part posts
Done when
- Missions are reproducible enough for your use case, and improvements flow through logs + docs.
Photos