libdrone Bandit¶

EU-origin · Open hardware · ArduPilot · Civilian awareness platform

What is the Bandit?¶

libdrone Bandit is a 4-inch autonomous quadcopter designed as a training and awareness platform. It is the fourth variant in the libdrone family (alongside Pro, Core, and Wing) and the first to run ArduPilot rather than Betaflight.

The name is intentional. In aviation, "Bandit" is the brevity code for a confirmed hostile aircraft. Flying the Bandit teaches you to think like the technology you are learning to understand — not to deploy it against anyone.

The Bandit is: - A training platform for progressive autonomous flight skills (Stabilize → AltHold → Loiter → Auto → RTL) - The reference hardware for a civilian drone awareness curriculum - A light aerial survey and monitoring tool - 95% compatible with the libdrone Pro and Core BOM

The Bandit is not: - A weapon or dual-use system - A replacement for libdrone Pro (no GX12-7 payload interface) - A racing or freestyle quad

Why This Exists¶

Drone technology is increasingly present in civilian environments — for agriculture, for search and rescue, for emergency response, and in the background of armed conflict near European borders. The civilian who understands how this technology actually works is meaningfully better prepared than the civilian who does not.

Most people's understanding of FPV and autonomous drones is shaped by media coverage and speculation rather than direct experience. The Bandit closes that gap. Once you have operated a drone and looked through the camera yourself, the abstract threat of "a drone overhead" becomes a concrete, understandable system with specific capabilities and specific limitations.

The accompanying awareness curriculum (Parts A and B) distils lessons from modern conflict into a practical training framework built around the Bandit platform. It is designed for individuals, community groups, educators, and civil preparedness organisations.

Quick Specifications¶

Getting Started¶

If you want to build the Bandit¶

1. Read the specification: LD_Bandit_-_Spec_v02.md
2. Order components from build/bandit_bom.csv
3. Print parts per hardware/ STL files and print settings in the spec
4. Follow build/bandit_build_guide.md for assembly
5. Flash ArduPilot using firmware/README_firmware.md
6. Load firmware/bandit_ardupilot.params
7. Complete calibration sequence: build/bandit_calibration.md
8. Test with SITL before first flight: simulation/sitl_setup.md

If you want to run the awareness curriculum¶

1. Read Part A of the curriculum: LD_Bandit_-_Awareness_Curriculum_v01.md
2. Complete at least five hours of FPV simulator practice before hardware flights (Liftoff, Velocidrone, or DRL Simulator)
3. Register as a drone operator at your national CAA (Czech Republic: registrace.caa.cz)
4. Work through Phases 1–6 of Part B with the Bandit built and flying

If you want to fork the Bandit for a new civilian application¶

1. Read CONTRIBUTING.md
2. The nose bay is the primary fork point — replace nose_bay_fpv.stl with a custom module for your sensor
3. Keep AUW below 550g for the existing motor/battery combination
4. Retain the CERN OHL-S v2 licence and non-weaponisation declaration
5. Share your build back — open a PR or post to libdrone Discussions

Repository Contents¶

platforms/Bandit/
├── README.md                             ← you are here
├── LD_Bandit_-_Spec_v02.md              ← platform specification
├── LD_Bandit_-_Prompt_v01.md            ← AI session context prompt
├── LD_Bandit_-_Awareness_Curriculum_v01.md ← Parts A and B
├── LD_Bandit_-_Tree_v01.md              ← full directory tree
├── hardware/                            ← STL files + CadQuery generator
├── firmware/                            ← ArduPilot params + ELRS config
├── missions/                            ← QGroundControl plan files
├── build/                               ← assembly guide + calibration
├── simulation/                          ← SITL scripts
└── reference/                           ← FMEA + regulatory notes

Relationship to libdrone Platform Family¶

The Bandit shares 95% of its BOM with Core. Order once for both variants. Shared SKUs: Matek H7A3-SLIM, Happymodel EP2 Nano, SpeedyBee BLS 50A, T-Motor P1804 3400KV, 3mm CF rods.

Non-Weaponisation Declaration¶

libdrone Bandit hardware, firmware configurations, CAD files, and documentation must not be used, modified, or redistributed for any application involving: autonomous target identification, weapon delivery, loitering munition design, electronic warfare, or surveillance of individuals without their knowledge or consent.

This declaration does not affect legitimate civilian use cases including mapping, search and rescue, agricultural monitoring, environmental sensing, operator training, and civilian awareness education.

Community forks must retain this declaration in their top-level README.

Licence¶

CERN Open Hardware Licence Version 2 – Strongly Reciprocal (CERN OHL-S v2)

All documentation: CC BY-SA 4.0 All hardware design files: CERN OHL-S v2 All firmware configurations: CC0 (no rights reserved)

See LICENCE for the full text.

EU Origin¶

Designed and developed in Czech Republic. Part of the libdrone open platform family. Legal entity: Estonia (OÜ — TBD).

"In CAD as in life: measure twice, extrude once." — libdrone V2.4.6

Revision History¶