CoDrone Overview

Here is what CoDrone looks like disassembled! These are all of the pieces you will need to assemble your CoDrone:

• 1 CoDrone board
• 2 propeller guards
• 2 CoDrone shells
• 4 propellers
• 4 motors

The first thing you may notice is the CoDrone board. It is equipped with all kinds of components and sensors so your CoDrone can fly:

• BLE Antenna and Chip: These allow your drone to communicate with your Bluetooth board so that your drone knows what to do! When you program, the signals are sent from your Bluetooth board to the Bluetooth chip on your CoDrone.
• Microcontroller: The microcontroller acts as the CoDrone’s “brain”. It receives the signals from the Bluetooth chip and executes the commands.
• Barometer, accelerometer, optical flow sensor, and IR height sensor: Sometimes your drone needs information from the environment in order to make a decision. These sensors give information on pressure, orientation, and distance from certain objects. They will be helpful in future assignments and challenges.
• Calibration button: If your drone is not flying correctly, you may need to re-calibrate it using the button. For more detailed instructions on how to calibrate, check this documentation lesson.
• RGB LED: These red, green, and blue LEDs can produce over 16 million combinations using the three colors! They indicate the status of your drone but they are also customizable.

Nest your CoDrone board in the bottom shell. The side with the microcontroller should be facing up. Line up the top shell with the pins on the bottom shell and gently push them together.

Carefully insert one arm into the motor. Make sure all parts of the arms are inserted and secure. Repeat until all motors are attached.

Next, you need to attach the propellers. Their orientation is important! The front propellers should spin inward and the back propellers should spin outward. Look closely at the arrow on the propellers since they indicate the direction.

Last but not least, attach your guards as shown in the picture above. These help protect yourself and the drone from accidents!

Et voila, you have a drone!