Formation Flight

Overview

Now that you have learned how to make the drone track a red ball, let’s try something more advanced! In this project you will learn how to use two drones to form a team and fly together, experiencing the fun of multi-drone formation and becoming a true drone commander.

What You’ll Learn

• The basics of multi-drone communication
• Control strategies for formation flight
• Leader–follower mode
• Cooperative flight of multiple drones

Materials Needed

Item	Quantity	Notes
Assembled drone	2	The drones built in Project 05 (Drone A and Drone B)
USB cable	1	For firmware flashing
Computer	1	For downloading and flashing firmware

Step 1: Flash the Formation Firmware

1.1 Download the formation firmware

1. Go to the resource download page and download leader.bin (leader firmware) and follower.bin (follower firmware) to your desktop

1.2 Flash the leader firmware

1. Pick one drone as Drone A (the leader)
2. Hold down the “BOOT” button on Drone A’s ESP32 board while plugging the USB cable into the computer
3. Open flash_tool.exe and select the leader.bin file
4. Click “Flash” and wait for the process to complete (about 10 seconds)
5. After the tool shows “Flash successful”, unplug the USB cable

1.3 Flash the follower firmware

1. Pick the other drone as Drone B (the follower)
2. Hold down the “BOOT” button on Drone B’s ESP32 board while plugging the USB cable into the computer
3. Open flash_tool.exe and select the follower.bin file
4. Click “Flash” and wait for the process to complete (about 10 seconds)
5. After the tool shows “Flash successful”, unplug the USB cable

Step 2: Test the Formation Flight

2.1 Preparation

1. Make sure both drones have fully charged batteries
2. Pick a spacious flight area, away from people and obstacles

2.2 Start the formation

1. Turn on Drone A (leader) and Drone B (follower) at the same time
2. Drone B will automatically connect to Drone A’s Wi-Fi
3. Connect your phone to Drone A’s Wi-Fi (SSID: ESP-Drone-Leader, password: 12345678)
4. Open the Drone Control app

2.3 Formation flight test

1. Tap the “Formation flight” button in the app
2. Drone A will lead Drone B in flight!
3. Try controlling the leader and observe whether the follower keeps up
4. Enjoy the feeling of being a drone commander!

Step 3: Challenge Tasks

3.1 Figure-8 formation challenge

1. Try to make both drones fly a figure-8 together
2. See whether the formation stays tidy
3. Practice controlling the speed to keep a good formation

3.2 Cooperative task challenge

1. Design a simple cooperative task, for example:
   • Both drones pass through an archway one after another
   • The two drones fly at different altitudes
   • The two drones take turns performing different moves
2. Test the cooperative effect

Troubleshooting

Follower cannot connect

• Make sure both drones are in the same area
• Check that the leader has started up correctly
• Try restarting both drones

Formation is unstable

• Make sure the flight environment is windless
• Check that the battery is sufficiently charged
• Adjust the flight speed and avoid flying too fast

Achievement

Congratulations! You are now a drone commander! By learning about multi-drone communication and formation flight, you have mastered the ability to control multiple drones working together. This is a very cool skill and shows your deep understanding of drone technology.

Next Steps

Congratulations on completing every beginner tutorial project! You have grown from a drone newcomer into a capable young pilot.

In the beginner tutorials you learned how to:

• Assemble and fly your first drone
• Personalize sound and light effects
• Make the drone draw various patterns automatically
• Experience first-person view via a camera
• Make the drone track a red ball
• Control multiple drones in formation

These skills give you a solid foundation. You can keep exploring the intermediate and advanced tutorials to learn more advanced features and techniques.