Indoor Flying Guidelines

This article provides guidelines for flying your multicopter inside without any position or velocity source (e.g. no GPS, no optical flow). For indoor flight using a non-GPS position or velocity source please refer to the Non-GPS Navigation page.

Warning

  • When flying indoors make sure you have plenty of space and follow safety procedures.

  • GPS does not work indoors and needs to be disabled (no exceptions)

Overview

The main point note when flying indoors is that Global Positioning Systems will not work. Even if you see that you have the correct number of satellites and a low HDOP, this is due to multipathing of the signals from the satellites. This means the single is being reflected to the antenna via walls, windows and other surfaces from outside. If you look at the position on a map you will see that the location will not match your current location, or will be drifting, at time many meters or even 1000s of metres from your location.

Stabilize

Stabilize mode does not use GPS, and has the least problems, but the pilot will need good control of the copter.

Altitude Hold

Altitude Hold mode use the barometer to hold a specific altitude. The barometer relies on a constant air pressure. Air-pressure in a room can change due to doors opening or closing. Also climate control devices like fans and air-conditioning will also cause pressure changes. The likely outcome is a sudden crash in the floor or ceiling.

Sonar or Lidar

Using a downward facing sonar or lidar when flying in AltHold can help avoid sudden changes in altitude causing crashes into the floor or ceiling. See Surface Tracking for more details.

Safe Indoor Flying Dos

Safe Indoor Flying Don’ts

  • Don’t fly in small confined spaces. Use common sense, flying inside a warehouse with a high roof = OK, bedroom = not OK.

  • Don’t use Auto* modes

* Autonomous and semi-autonomous modes requires GPS (e.g. Loiter, Guided, Auto, RTL)

** Non-autonomous modes include Stabilize and AltHold