Open-source drones

Flying robots: quadcopters, FPV frames and VTOL airframes with published hardware.

The atlas lists 6 open-source drones. 1 publishes a URDF or MJCF model for simulation. 3 publish a build cost, including $55 for OpenRacer (Five33 Open Racer Frame Kit, frame only (2 plates, 4 arms, hardware); electronics excluded). 2 carry a hardware license that permits commercial use, and 1 is licensed for non-commercial use only. The most-starred source repository here is Flix's, with 2k GitHub stars.

Compare the drones

Sorted by reproducibility score. A cost is the figure the source publishes, in its own currency, with its basis and what it covers.

Open-source drones compared
RobotCostDoFHardware licenseSim modelScore
CogniFlyCollision-resilient quadcopterDormant
CA$408source total, one drone, Raspberry Pi Zero W build, Latest/Version 2 BOM Table 2, 2021 Canadian prices, includes 2 LiPo packs and full filament spools, excludes shipping
4
No license statedUnknown or unclear
none published
73
FlixESP32 quadcopter
not published
4
No repo-wide licenseUnknown or unclear
SDF
70
JeNo 5.1FPV freestyle quadcopter
€63vendor kit, carbon frame kit V1.5.1 only, no electronics
4
CC-BY-4.0Commercial use OK
none published
65
MiniHawk-VTOLVTOL aircraftDormant
not published
7
CC-BY-NC-SA-4.0Non-commercial
none published
53
OpenRacerFPV racing quadcopter
$55vendor kit, Five33 Open Racer Frame Kit, frame only (2 plates, 4 arms, hardware); electronics excluded
4
GPL-3.0Commercial use OK
none published
53
Crazyflie 2.1+Nano quadcopter
not published
4
No repository licenseUnknown or unclear
URDF
50

Drones in 3D

Renders come from each project's own source files; a card says so when there is no model yet.

CogniFly, 3D render from the project's source files
Collision-resilient quadcopterSimplified 3D

CogniFly

Dormant

Soft, collision-resilient source-published quadcopter inspired by arthropod exoskeletons.

No license statedCA$408source total
Flix, 3D render from the project's source files
ESP32 quadcopterAssembly 3D

Flix

ESP32-based DIY quadcopter built from scratch for learning.

No repo-wide licensecost not published
JeNo 5.1, 3D render from the project's source files
FPV freestyle quadcopterSimplified 3D

JeNo 5.1

Open 5.1-inch FPV freestyle/cinematic frame for DJI O3/O4.

CC-BY-4.0€63vendor kit
MiniHawk-VTOL, 3D render from the project's source files
VTOL aircraftSimplified 3D

MiniHawk-VTOL

Dormant

3D-printed tricopter / fixed-wing hybrid VTOL aircraft.

CC-BY-NC-SA-4.0cost not published
OpenRacer source parts, 3D render (not the assembled robot)
FPV racing quadcopterParts preview: not the assembled robot

OpenRacer

Open-source 5-inch FPV racing and freestyle quad frame.

GPL-3.0$55vendor kit
Crazyflie 2.1+, 3D render from the project's source files
Nano quadcopterFull 3D

Crazyflie 2.1+

Palm-sized open-source development quadcopter from Bitcraze, with hardware docs, firmware and a simulation model.

No repository licensecost not published

Side-by-side comparisons

Cost, DoF, actuators, simulation models, license and every score criterion, with the robots drawn to scale. Pick your own with the Compare button on each card.

Parts these drones use

From the robots' bills of materials: how many of the robots above list each part.

Explore the atlas