LiteWing - ESP32 based Programmable Drone with Battery for Makers, Developers and Educators (Ready to Fly)

Drones shouldn’t be complicated or expensive. That’s the core philosophy behind LiteWing — a ready-to-fly, open-source drone built for everyone from curious beginners to seasoned engineers.

This is a fully assembled drone that comes with a battery and is ready to fly right out of the box. You can control it using a mobile app or dive deeper by writing your own Python scripts, thanks to its compatibility with the Crazyflie firmware and cflib. And because it’s powered by the versatile ESP32-S3, you can even build your own flight controller using Arduino or ESP-IDF.

Please read our LiteWing Wiki Page for more information: https://circuitdigest.com/litewing

Why Choose LiteWing?

Minimalistic by Design: LiteWing uses a PCB as its frame, resulting in a clean, lightweight, and easy-to-understand design — ideal for both learning and hacking. No bulky parts. No unnecessary complications.

Affordable and Repairable: Crashed during testing? No worries. Every component — motors, props, battery — is easily replaceable at minimal cost. LiteWing is designed to get you back in the air quickly.

Fly Instantly: No soldering. No complex setup. Just unpack, power on, and control it via the mobile app. Perfect for first-timers, hobbyists, and classroom settings alike.

Customizable and Hackable: Want to add new sensors? Tweak the flight behavior? LiteWing’s open-source hardware gives you access to multiple GPIO pinouts, and the firmware can be modified to add features like height hold, position hold, and more.

Program with Python: Use Python and the Crazyflie Python API to write your own flight routines. Great for developers and educators teaching drone programming.

Arduino & ESP-IDF Support: For embedded developers, the ESP32-S3 core means you can write custom firmware using Arduino or ESP-IDF. Full hardware documentation is available on the wiki.

Truly Open Source: LiteWing is built on open-source principles — from firmware (based on Crazyflie) to circuit diagrams and Gerber files. You can study it, modify it, or build your own version.

Made for Students & Workshops: LiteWing is perfect for classrooms, labs, and workshops. It provides a hands-on introduction to drones, embedded systems, and control programming — with real hardware and real learning.

Backed by a Growing Community: Born out of CircuitDigest’s own DIY drone experiments, LiteWing is supported by a passionate community. Expect regular updates, new firmware features, and tutorials — from gesture control to vision-based navigation on our wiki page.  

Under the Hood

• Brain: ESP32-S3 – WiFi-enabled, powerful, and programmable

• Sensors: MPU6050 IMU for stable flight (3-axis gyro + 3-axis accelerometer)

• Motors: 4 lightweight coreless motors for lift and agility

• Motor Driver: H-bridge circuit for precise control

• Frame: PCB-based structure that’s both the skeleton and the circuit board