LoRa-Enabled Communication System for Autonomous DJI Tello Drone Operation

Jhonatan  P. Cambisaca; Henry  M. Castro; Henry  D. Maldonado; Pablo Andres Barbecho Bautista

LoRa-Enabled Communication System for Autonomous DJI Tello Drone Operation

Jhonatan P. Cambisaca, Henry M. Castro, Henry D. Maldonado, Pablo Andres Barbecho Bautista

Departamento de Ingeniería Eléctrica, Electrónica y Telecomunicaciones

Producción científica: Capítulo del libro/informe/acta de congreso › Contribución a la conferencia › revisión exhaustiva

Resumen

The Tello drone is widely used in both educational
and professional environments for telemetry, control algorithms,
and real-time data processing. However, its reliance on Wi-Fi
significantly limits its operational range. This paper proposes
a LoRa-based communication framework designed to extend
the Tello drone’s range and enable applications in long-range
telemetry, remote monitoring, and autonomous flight. The system
comprises: (i) a LoRa base station for route configuration
and flight command transmission; (ii) a hybrid communication
architecture leveraging LoRa for long-range signaling and Wi-Fi
for close-range drone interaction; and (iii) a custom mounting
solution integrating the Heltec V3 microcontroller, LoRa antenna,
and lithium battery onto the Tello drone without compromising
flight stability. Experimental results validate the successful integration
and operation of all components, demonstrating the
feasibility of extending the Tello drone’s range by up to four
times under non-line-of-sight (NLoS) conditions, with a packet
delivery ratio of 99.4%.

Idioma original	Inglés
Título de la publicación alojada	LoRa-Enabled Communication System for Autonomous DJI Tello Drone Operation
Estado	Aceptada/en prensa - 4 nov. 2025

Citar esto

@inproceedings{7b392433a7704f549561d30c11419857,

title = "LoRa-Enabled Communication System for Autonomous DJI Tello Drone Operation",

abstract = "The Tello drone is widely used in both educational and professional environments for telemetry, control algorithms, and real-time data processing. However, its reliance on Wi-Fi significantly limits its operational range. This paper proposes a LoRa-based communication framework designed to extend the Tello drone{\textquoteright}s range and enable applications in long-range telemetry, remote monitoring, and autonomous flight. The system comprises: (i) a LoRa base station for route configuration and flight command transmission; (ii) a hybrid communication architecture leveraging LoRa for long-range signaling and Wi-Fi for close-range drone interaction; and (iii) a custom mounting solution integrating the Heltec V3 microcontroller, LoRa antenna, and lithium battery onto the Tello drone without compromising flight stability. Experimental results validate the successful integration and operation of all components, demonstrating the feasibility of extending the Tello drone{\textquoteright}s range by up to four times under non-line-of-sight (NLoS) conditions, with a packet delivery ratio of 99.4\%.",

author = "\{P. Cambisaca\}, Jhonatan and \{M. Castro\}, Henry and \{D. Maldonado\}, Henry and \{Barbecho Bautista\}, \{Pablo Andres\}",

year = "2025",

month = nov,

day = "4",

language = "Ingl{\'e}s",

booktitle = "LoRa-Enabled Communication System for Autonomous DJI Tello Drone Operation",

}

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T1 - LoRa-Enabled Communication System for Autonomous DJI Tello Drone Operation

AU - P. Cambisaca, Jhonatan

AU - M. Castro, Henry

AU - D. Maldonado, Henry

AU - Barbecho Bautista, Pablo Andres

PY - 2025/11/4

Y1 - 2025/11/4

N2 - The Tello drone is widely used in both educational and professional environments for telemetry, control algorithms, and real-time data processing. However, its reliance on Wi-Fi significantly limits its operational range. This paper proposes a LoRa-based communication framework designed to extend the Tello drone’s range and enable applications in long-range telemetry, remote monitoring, and autonomous flight. The system comprises: (i) a LoRa base station for route configuration and flight command transmission; (ii) a hybrid communication architecture leveraging LoRa for long-range signaling and Wi-Fi for close-range drone interaction; and (iii) a custom mounting solution integrating the Heltec V3 microcontroller, LoRa antenna, and lithium battery onto the Tello drone without compromising flight stability. Experimental results validate the successful integration and operation of all components, demonstrating the feasibility of extending the Tello drone’s range by up to four times under non-line-of-sight (NLoS) conditions, with a packet delivery ratio of 99.4%.

AB - The Tello drone is widely used in both educational and professional environments for telemetry, control algorithms, and real-time data processing. However, its reliance on Wi-Fi significantly limits its operational range. This paper proposes a LoRa-based communication framework designed to extend the Tello drone’s range and enable applications in long-range telemetry, remote monitoring, and autonomous flight. The system comprises: (i) a LoRa base station for route configuration and flight command transmission; (ii) a hybrid communication architecture leveraging LoRa for long-range signaling and Wi-Fi for close-range drone interaction; and (iii) a custom mounting solution integrating the Heltec V3 microcontroller, LoRa antenna, and lithium battery onto the Tello drone without compromising flight stability. Experimental results validate the successful integration and operation of all components, demonstrating the feasibility of extending the Tello drone’s range by up to four times under non-line-of-sight (NLoS) conditions, with a packet delivery ratio of 99.4%.

M3 - Contribución a la conferencia

BT - LoRa-Enabled Communication System for Autonomous DJI Tello Drone Operation

ER -