MATLAB: Parrot minidrone becomes non-responsive on moving away from Bluetooth adapter

Question

I am trying to fly a Parrot Mambo minidrone. I have successfully deployed code and I am able to see the propellers move when I place the minidrone very close to the Bluetooth adapter that is connected to my laptop. However, when I move the minidrone away by about two more feet, the propellers do not move. Is this a range issue with the Bluetooth device?

Answer 1

This could be an issue with the optical flow and not the Bluetooth interface. The optical sensor is a camera which checks for differences in images to asses the movement in the x-y plane. For the sensor to output valid optical flow values, there should be some distortions on the ground below. If the ground below is highly consistent, the sensor cannot detect changes and hence cannot produce valid optical flow values.

Please check for optical flow errors in the flight log using the "Flight Log" button after the flight is complete. At the end of the flight log, there will be a reason for the flight being stopped. In the first case where the propellers moved, there could be some distortion on the ground like even a shadow. In the second case, that could be missing. To work around this issue, you can choose a surface with more texture, or can add something as simple as printed paper with some text, below the minidrone. It is also better to make sure the room is lit well lit, to enable the sensor to pick up good images for comparison.