Design and Implementation of a GPS-Assisted Surveillance Drone Using APM 2.8 and ESP32-CAM

This paper presented the design, implementation, and validation of a surveillance drone built around the APM 2.8 flight controller running ArduPilot firmware. The system integrates an ESP32-CAM module for video streaming, GPS-based location tracking using the Neo-6M module, and a reliable communication system for remote operation and monitoring. The proposed architecture consists of an air unit and a ground control unit, enabling efficient surveillance and real-time data transmission. The complete control pipeline, including flight-command processing, motor control, video streaming, and abnormal-condition monitoring, was implemented and verified through simulation and hardware-level testing. The results demonstrated stable operation, reliable command execution, and successful integration of the various hardware components. These findings validate the feasibility of the proposed surveillance drone platform for monitoring and surveillance applications. In summary, the project demonstrates the practical feasibility of integrating the APM 2.8 flight controller, GPS module, ESP32-CAM, BLDC motors, ESCs, and wireless communication modules into an intelligent and scalable surveillance system. The proposed architecture provides a flexible platform for future enhancements such as autonomous navigation, obstacle avoidance, thermal imaging, and AI-based object detection, making it suitable for advanced surveillance and monitoring applications.

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