Requirements

Hardware

Tello Drone and a laptop with a working camera.

Software

Python 3.7+ Operating system with a camera driver (Windows, Linux, or macOS).

Installation

Clone or Download the repository:

git clone https://github.com/RafalasTypeBeat/Gesture-controlled-drone.git
cd drone-gesture-control

Create and activate a virtual environment:

python -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate    # On Mac/Linux
venv\Scripts\activate       # On Windows

Install dependencies:

pip install djitellopy mediapipe opencv-python

Project Structure

• main.py: Entry point. Initializes threads, captures frames, runs gesture detection, and displays HUD.
• drone_controller.py: Manages background command execution for Tello.
• gesture_detector.py: Contains Mediapipe logic for detecting gestures.
• camera_thread.py: Implements a threaded camera capture class.

Running the Application

1. Connect your computer to the Tello’s Wi-Fi network.
2. Run the main script:

python main.py

3. Perform gestures in front of the laptop camera:

• Left arm raised ⇒ Moves drone left
• Right arm raised ⇒ Moves drone right
• Both arms raised for 4 seconds ⇒ Toggles takeoff/land
• Otherwise ⇒ Hover command

Keyboard Commands:

• Press t for take off or landing.
• Press q to quit/exit the program.

Future Enhancements

• Add more gestures like forward/backward, rotate.
• Add error handling.
• Enhance reliability with confidence thresholds or additional landmark checks.
• Voice commands as a fallback or supplementary control method.