DRONES / MAPPING QUAD

KestrelA new shape for survey and camera placement.

An X-frame quad with a forward camera and GNSS mast for mapping layout studies. Compare airframe geometry, component mass, payload assumptions and named electrical connections in one editable project. Run a generic multirotor flight model with takeoff, position hold, landing, wind and battery load. Coefficients are planning assumptions, not calibrated aircraft performance.

Build with Kestrel Explore the design

Includes assembly, starter wiring and executable virtual JavaScript.

ASSEMBLY PREVIEW/DRONE

Kestrel · Mapping quad concept illustration; the 3D preview uses the actual preset geometry

Static illustration · loading 3D

Orbit the actual starter assembly. Open the workbench to edit or run it.

33components

39starter connections

1.92 kgestimated component mass

ESP32-S3 + virtual AI hostcontrol platform

Kestrel · Mapping quad, an illustrated drones assembly

Concept illustration · inspect actual geometry above.

A COMPLETE STARTING POINT

Get to know
what's inside.

An X-frame quad with a forward camera and GNSS mast for mapping layout studies. All 33 components and 39 starter connections remain editable in your own project.

Survey and camera placementAirframe and payload packagingAvionics and wiring studies

View the included component types

Central carbon deck
Electronics deck
Landing skid
Landing strut
Rotor boom 1
UAV brushless outrunner
UAV two-blade propeller · 230 mm
UAV ESC · 30 A label
Rotor boom 2
Rotor boom 3
Rotor boom 4
4S battery · 5 Ah · behavioral
5 V buck regulator · 5 A
ESP32-S3 · virtual controller
UAV power distribution board
AI compute module
RGB camera
GNSS receiver standoff
GNSS receiver with patch antenna
6-axis IMU

YOUR FIRST THREE EXPERIMENTS

Build understanding.
One change at a time.

Use the starting assembly to ask better questions about your design. Save a copy, change a parameter and compare what happens.

Inspect the design

Orbit the airframe, isolate its groups and inspect the rotor, landing gear and payload arrangement.

Try a change

Trace the battery through the distribution board and ESC phase terminals. Check the powered ESC, PWM, ground and three-phase paths that enable each simulated rotor.

Compare and learn

Take off with the included code or Flight deck controls, watch the onboard camera, then land and export your design.

drone-mapping.jsVIRTUAL API

function step(robot) {
  const t = robot.time;
  robot.fly({ armed: true, altitude: 1.2, x: t < 12 ? 0 : .8, z: 0, yaw: 0, land: t > 26 });
}

The full, editable starter script is included in the workbench.

KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TESTING

Multirotor flight · generic model

Generic multirotor flight: takeoff, position hold, landing, wind drag, payload, rotor failure, ESC current and battery sag. Editable coefficients and ideal-pose autopilot; no measured aircraft calibration, GNSS navigation or fixed-wing transition.