Arduino WiFi Scanner Drone Payload | Generated by AI

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Feasibility Overview

Directly binding an Arduino to a DJI Mini 3 to control its flight (e.g., autonomous neighborhood patrols) while simultaneously scanning WiFi signals isn’t straightforward or natively supported. DJI’s ecosystem is proprietary, and the Mini 3’s flight controller isn’t exposed for easy microcontroller integration like Arduino. However, a hybrid setup is possible with workarounds: use third-party apps for basic autonomous flight, and mount a separate Arduino-based WiFi scanner as a payload. I’ll break it down step by step, including technical challenges, a viable approach, and code sketches.

Key Challenges

Viable Approach: Hybrid Setup

  1. Autonomous Flight via App: Use apps like Litchi, Dronelink, or DroneDeploy (via Mobile SDK) for waypoint-based flights around the neighborhood. Pre-plan a route in the app (e.g., grid pattern at 50m altitude). This handles takeoff, navigation, and return-to-home—no Arduino needed for flight.
  2. Mount Arduino as Payload: Attach a lightweight Arduino (e.g., Nano or ESP32 board) under the drone with zip ties or 3D-printed mount. Power it from the drone’s USB port or a small LiPo battery.
  3. WiFi Scanning on Arduino: Program the ESP32 (programmable via Arduino IDE) to scan for SSIDs, RSSI (signal strength), channels, encryption, and bitrate estimates. Log data to an SD card or transmit via Bluetooth/WiFi to your phone/ground station.
  4. Synchronization: Trigger scans periodically (e.g., every 10s) during flight. Use GPS module on Arduino (e.g., NEO-6M) to geotag scans, or sync timestamps with drone telemetry if accessible via SDK app.
  5. Total Cost/Weight: ~$20-30 for parts; keeps under 249g total.

This way, the Arduino “accumulates” data independently while the drone flies autonomously via software.

Sample Arduino Code for WiFi Scanner

Use an ESP32 board (it’s Arduino-compatible and has built-in WiFi). Wire an SD card module for logging. Install libraries: WiFi, SD, TinyGPS++ (for GPS if added).

#include <WiFi.h>
#include <SD.h>
#include <TinyGPS++.h>  // Optional for GPS geotagging

// SD card chip select pin
const int chipSelect = 5;

// GPS setup (if using Serial1 for GPS module)
TinyGPSPlus gps;
HardwareSerial gpsSerial(1);

void setup() {
  Serial.begin(115200);
  gpsSerial.begin(9600, SERIAL_8N1, 16, 17);  // RX=16, TX=17 for GPS
  
  // Initialize SD card
  if (!SD.begin(chipSelect)) {
    Serial.println("SD Card initialization failed!");
    return;
  }
  Serial.println("WiFi Scanner Ready. Starting scans...");
}

void loop() {
  // Scan WiFi networks
  int n = WiFi.scanNetworks();
  if (n == 0) {
    Serial.println("No networks found");
  } else {
    File dataFile = SD.open("/wifi_log.txt", FILE_APPEND);
    if (dataFile) {
      dataFile.print("Scan at: " + String(millis()) + "ms | ");
      
      // Optional: Add GPS if available
      if (gpsSerial.available() > 0) {
        if (gps.encode(gpsSerial.read())) {
          if (gps.location.isValid()) {
            dataFile.print("Lat: " + String(gps.location.lat(), 6) + ", Lng: " + String(gps.location.lng(), 6) + " | ");
          }
        }
      }
      
      for (int i = 0; i < n; ++i) {
        dataFile.print("SSID: " + WiFi.SSID(i) + " | RSSI: " + String(WiFi.RSSI(i)) + "dBm | Ch: " + String(WiFi.channel(i)) + " | Enc: " + String(WiFi.encryptionType(i)) + " | ");
        // Bitrate estimate: Rough calc from RSSI (not precise, but approx)
        int bitrate = map(WiFi.RSSI(i), -100, -30, 1, 100);  // Mbps rough scale
        dataFile.print("Est Bitrate: " + String(bitrate) + "Mbps | ");
      }
      dataFile.println();
      dataFile.close();
      Serial.println("Data logged to SD");
    }
  }
  
  WiFi.scanDelete();  // Clear results
  delay(10000);  // Scan every 10 seconds (adjust for flight speed)
}

Limitations & Alternatives

This setup gets you 80% there without deep hacks. If you share more details (e.g., exact Arduino model), I can refine the code.

References

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