Mechanical · Energy and thermal · Final year project
Self Charging Solar Surveillance Drone
A surveillance drone with solar panels that recharge its battery for long missions. A Wi-Fi camera streams video to an Android phone.
What is the Self Charging Solar Surveillance Drone project?
A surveillance drone with solar panels that recharge its battery for long missions. A Wi-Fi camera streams video to an Android phone.
Key facts
- Branch
- Mechanical & Automobile Engineering; also suits Mechatronics
- Type
- Final year project · Advanced
- Suitable for
- Diploma capstone and B.E / B.Tech final year
- Build time
- 6 to 8 weeks
- Estimated component cost
- ₹24,000 – ₹35,300
- Guidance from
- ₹9,999 (Hardware / IoT Final Year)
How the Self Charging Solar Surveillance Drone works
- The mild steel frame and fabrication forms the base that carries every other part, so it is designed first from the load and size of the machine.
- The Solar panel converts sunlight into electricity to power or charge the system.
- Motion is transmitted through camera module, which set the speed, torque and direction at the working end.
- The Camera module captures images or video for recognition and monitoring.
Block diagram
Power
Rechargeable batterySolar panelCharge controller moduleStructure
Frame and mountsComponents list and cost
Typical prices from Indian online stores and electronics markets (Lamington Road, Budhwar Peth, SP Road). Buy from one store where you can to save on shipping.
| Component | Qty | What it does | Approx. cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Camera module | 1 | Captures images or video for recognition and monitoring. | ₹650 |
| Rechargeable battery (12 V 1.3–7 Ah) | 1 | Stores energy and supplies power when mains is absent. | ₹650 |
| Solar panel (10–20 W) | 1 | Converts sunlight into electricity to power or charge the system. | ₹900 |
| Charge controller module | 1 | Charges the battery safely and stops overcharging. | ₹250 |
| Mild steel frame and fabrication | 1 | Forms the main structure that holds all parts. | ₹2,500 |
| Drone frame (450 mm) with landing gear | 1 | Needed for this type of build. | ₹1,800 |
| BLDC motor (1000 KV) with ESC | 4 | Needed for this type of build. | ₹4,600 |
| Flight controller (F4 / Pixhawk-class) | 1 | Needed for this type of build. | ₹3,200 |
| LiPo battery 3S 2200-5200 mAh | 1 | Needed for this type of build. | ₹2,800 |
| RC transmitter and receiver (6-channel) | 1 | Needed for this type of build. | ₹5,200 |
| Propellers (set) | 2 | Needed for this type of build. | ₹600 |
| LiPo balance charger | 1 | Needed for this type of build. | ₹1,600 |
| Welding, cutting and machining labour | 1 | Needed for this type of build. | ₹2,200 |
| Mounts, screws, nuts and small hardware | 1 | Enclosure, mounts and fasteners. | ₹300 |
| Paint, finishing and workshop consumables | 1 | Project overhead | ₹600 |
| Transport of material | 1 | Project overhead | ₹400 |
| Estimated total | Varies with brand, quality and city | ₹24,000 – ₹35,300 |
Prices are estimates for budgeting. We confirm the bill of materials when your design is frozen, and components are charged at actual cost with bills.
How much does this project cost?
| Option | What you get | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Components only | You buy the parts and build it yourself | ₹24,000 – ₹35,300 |
| Hardware / IoT Final Year | Working model or guided build, Circuit diagram and bill of materials, Firmware / code with explanation | from ₹9,999 + components |
| Capstone Project (CPE) | Working project or model, Black book in MSBTE format, Step-by-step explanation | ₹9,999 + components |
| Diploma ITR | 100% working source code, Project report PDF, PPT | ₹1,999 + components |
No GST and no hidden charges. Use the cost calculator for a quote with your deadline and add-ons, or see all plans.
Download the project brief (PDF)
Summary, working, components and cost and viva questions on one branded PDF to show your guide or team. To get it developed, contact us on WhatsApp.
What you submit with this project
- Working model with circuit diagram and program code
- Project report or black book in your university's chapter order (block diagram, circuit, calculations, results)
- Presentation for the review and final viva
- Synopsis for topic approval, if your college asks for one
Mechanical viva questions on this project
What is the aim of the Self Charging Solar Surveillance Drone project?
A surveillance drone with solar panels that recharge its battery for long missions. A Wi-Fi camera streams video to an Android phone.
Explain the working of your project in short.
The mild steel frame and fabrication forms the base that carries every other part, so it is designed first from the load and size of the machine. The Solar panel converts sunlight into electricity to power or charge the system. Motion is transmitted through camera module, which set the speed, torque and direction at the working end. The Camera module captures images or video for recognition and monitoring.
How is the camera image processed?
Frames are captured and processed with OpenCV: converted to grayscale, filtered and passed to a detection or recognition model that labels faces, objects or number plates.
How do you calculate battery backup time?
Backup time (hours) ≈ battery capacity (Ah) × voltage × 0.8 efficiency ÷ load power (W). For example, 12 V 7 Ah at 20 W gives about 3.3 hours.
What is the efficiency of a typical solar panel?
Commercial polycrystalline panels convert about 15–17% and monocrystalline about 18–22% of sunlight into electricity. Output depends on sunlight, angle and temperature.
Why is a charge controller needed?
It regulates the charging voltage and current, cuts off when the battery is full and prevents deep discharge, which protects battery life.
Why is mild steel used for the frame?
It is cheap, strong, easy to cut and weld and widely available. A frame of 25 mm square pipe is enough for most student models.
Which material did you select for the main parts and why?
Mild steel (MS) is used for the frame because it is strong, cheap, easy to cut and weld and available everywhere. Shafts are made of EN8 or bright mild steel for strength, and parts that do not carry load can be aluminium or acrylic to reduce weight.
What factor of safety did you take in your design?
A factor of safety of 2 to 3 is taken for static parts and 3 to 5 for parts under shock or fatigue loading. Allowable stress = yield strength ÷ factor of safety, and each part is checked against it.
How did you estimate the cost of the project?
The cost is the sum of raw material, bought-out parts, machining or fabrication and overheads. Our estimate for this model is about ₹24,000 to ₹35,300, depending on size, material and the workshop rates in your city.
Which manufacturing processes were used?
Cutting and grinding of sections, arc or MIG welding of the frame, drilling for mounting holes, turning of the shafts and fitting of bearings and the drive, followed by assembly, alignment and painting.
Is your system open-loop or closed-loop?
Closed-loop: sensors measure the actual position, distance or condition and the controller corrects the actuators until the target is reached.
Related projects
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Want to build Self Charging Solar Surveillance Drone?
Send your college, deadline and team size. We confirm the scope, cost and what you will submit.