Design process of repurposing discarded smartphones for quadcopter application

This thesis explores the innovative reuse of discarded smartphones to create a functional quadcopter. Given the rapid obsolescence and disposal of smartphones, this project aims to address environmental concerns by repurposing these devices as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) flight control systems. Indeed, several smartphone's features in terms of sensing, processing, communicating can potentially be reused. The research objectives are to assess the feasibility, design, construction and performance of a smartphone-based UAV, while also demonstrating the sustainability benefits of reducing electronic waste. The development process involves understanding the fundamentals of UAVs, including components and control systems. This involves selecting and integrating hardware, utilising IMU sensors (gyroscope, accelerometer, magnetometer) and algorithms to estimate orientation angles, implementing PID controller, and establishing Wi-Fi communication. To repurpose discarded smartphones, initial attempts using postmarkeOS (a Linux Open source software designed to support discarded smartphones) faced technical challenges in terms of hardware compatibility, leading to revised designs incorporating additional electronics for better performance. The final prototype employed two discarded smartphones: one as remote controller and the other onboard as receiver. In this design, internal IMU sensors, processor and Wi-Fi module of discarded phones are reused. Although partially operational, this prototype demonstrates that, under certain conditions, discarded smartphones can replace traditional UAV electronics, offering a cost-effective and environmentally friendly alternative.