DIY Drones for the Evil Genius: Design, Build, and Customize Your Own Drones

Design, build, and pilot custom drones―no prior experience necessary

This fun guide shows, step-by-step, how to construct powerful drones from inexpensive parts, add personalized features, and become a full-fledged pilot. DIY Drones for the Evil Genius: Design, Build, and Customize Your Own Drones not only covers safety, mechanics, drone design, and assembly, but also teaches the basics of Aerospace Engineering. You will discover how to add video transmitters, GPS, first-person view, and virtual reality goggles to your creations. The book walks you through the FAA licensing process and takes a look at advanced concepts, such as artificial intelligence and autonomous flight.

- Learn about aircraft parts, control mechanics, and safety practices
- Become an expert pilot--even handle flips and high-speed maneuvers
- Pick the perfect parts for your high-performance drone
- Find out how to solder and start assembling your drone
- Program the aircraft, calibrate the motors, and start flying
- Add LED lights, GoPro mounts, and self-balancing camera gimbals
- Explore the world of first-person-view (FPV) drones and high-speed racing
- See how artificial intelligence can be put to use in the drone industry

Ian Cinnamon is an engineer and entrepreneur obsessed with bringing ideas to life. He authored the Scientific American Book Club bestseller, Programming Video Games for the Evil Genius and has served in a variety of roles from Technology Advisor to Product Director at technology companies in Silicon Valley. Ian, a Forbes 30 Under 30 Honoree, is an MIT graduate and has been building things since he first fell in love with computer engineering.

Romi Kadri began his engineering career at Rolls-Royce, manufacturing compressor blades for jet engines before heading to MIT where he graduated in Engineering and Entrepreneurship. Having founded and invested in numerous technology businesses and served in everything from Artist Management at Interscope Records to Innovation at Sonos, he continues to fulfill his love of bringing the most impactful technologies and music to the world. In 2016 Romi became a certified pilot, turning his childhood dream of flying airplanes to reality.

Fitz Tepper writes for the technology news site TechCrunch about a wide range of topics ranging from FinTech and Bitcoin to drones and self-driving cars. Fitz also currently attends Fordham University's School of Law, and is a graduate of USC's Marshall School of Business. Fitz is also a frequent technology commentator on CNN's Los Angeles-based "CNN Newsroom".