Programmable Quadcopter Nano Drone Kit

XFly 1.0 Programmable Nano Drone Kit — Learn to Code. Build. Fly.

The XFly 1.0 by QubeBots is an award-winning, open-source programmable nano drone kit engineered for anyone who wants to go beyond flying and start building. Powered by the ESP32 microcontroller, the XFly 1.0 is a complete STEM drone platform that bridges the gap between robotics education and real-world UAV development — making it the ideal programmable drone for students, educators, researchers, and professional developers alike.

Whether you’re a high school student writing your first line of Python, an undergraduate working on a computer vision research project, or a drone developer testing autonomous flight algorithms, the XFly 1.0 gives you a versatile hardware and software platform that grows with your ambitions.

Why the XFly 1.0 Drone Kit Stands Apart

Most drones are designed to be flown. The XFly 1.0 is designed to be programmed. Unlike consumer drones that lock you into proprietary software, the XFly 1.0 is fully open-source and compatible with two of the most widely used programming environments in the world — the Arduino IDE for hardware-level customization, and a Python SDK for scripting complex autonomous behaviors. This makes the XFly 1.0 one of the most accessible yet powerful programmable drone kits available for STEM education and applied research.

Key Features

Fully Programmable with Arduino and Python The XFly 1.0 supports two programming interfaces to suit every skill level. Use the Arduino IDE to customize low-level flight firmware, develop your own sensor libraries, or modify motor control logic. Use the Python SDK to script autonomous flight sequences, log real-time sensor data, and integrate advanced algorithms for robotics research. This dual-programming capability makes the XFly 1.0 an exceptionally capable ESP32 drone for hands-on STEM learning.

GPS-Free Autonomous Flight Stable indoor flight without GPS is one of the XFly’s defining capabilities. The onboard flight controller uses sensor fusion to maintain attitude stability autonomously, even in GPS-denied environments. With the optional Optical Flow Deck — included in this All-in-One Kit — the XFly leverages a VL53L1X Time-of-Flight sensor to hold a precise position and maintain a constant altitude of up to 4 meters above ground. This makes it uniquely suited for indoor autonomous flight experiments, swarm robotics research, and controlled lab environments.

Three Flight Modes via Mobile App The companion mobile app transforms your smartphone into a fully featured ground control station. Beginners can use Position Hold Mode, which keeps the drone stable and prevents crashes while you learn the controls. Intermediate and advanced users can switch to manual modes and interact with the drone’s 12 onboard PID control loops — tuning parameters in real time and observing the drone’s response. The app also visualizes live sensor data graphs, giving students and researchers a practical window into how an IMU, barometer, and optical flow sensor behave during flight.

Crash-Resistant Design Built for Exploration Learning means crashing — and the XFly 1.0 is built for it. The durable frame and propeller guard system are designed to withstand repeated impacts so that you spend more time experimenting and less time worrying about damage. The kit also includes extra motors, motor mounts, and propellers so that a crash never has to stop your session.

Expandable with Add-On Hardware Decks The XFly 1.0’s modular architecture lets you expand its capabilities over time. The deck system supports a growing library of add-on hardware modules including the Optical Flow Deck for GPS-free positioning, the WiFi Camera Deck for live video streaming and first-person view, and the RGB LED Deck for building programmable light displays and visual feedback systems. The ESP32’s built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth further enable wireless communication, real-time telemetry, and multi-device integration, making the XFly a powerful research platform for custom sensor deck development.

What’s Included in the XFly All-in-One Kit

This kit includes everything you need to assemble, program, and fly your XFly 1.0 drone from day one:

• 1× XFly Nano Drone (ESP32 flight controller with onboard IMU)
• 1× Optical Flow Deck (VL53L1X Time-of-Flight sensor for altitude and position hold up to 4m)
• 1× LiPo Battery
• 1× Propeller Guard
• 2× Extra Motor Mounts
• 2× Extra Motors
• 4× Extra Propellers

Who Is the XFly 1.0 For?

The XFly 1.0 has been thoughtfully designed to serve a wide spectrum of users across education and professional development:

Kids and High School Students — The mobile app’s beginner-friendly Position Hold Mode makes the XFly safe and approachable for young learners. With no prior coding knowledge required to start flying, it’s an excellent entry point for STEM programs, robotics clubs, and science fairs.

Undergraduate and Graduate Students — The Python SDK and Arduino IDE support make the XFly a capable platform for university-level coursework in embedded systems, control theory, computer vision, and autonomous systems.

Researchers and Scientists — Real-time sensor data logging, custom module development, and the open-source firmware make the XFly a flexible testbed for academic research in UAV dynamics, swarm intelligence, and human-robot interaction.

Professional Drone Developers — The XFly’s open hardware architecture and ESP32 ecosystem integration make it an efficient prototyping platform for validating algorithms, testing sensor decks, and developing software before deployment on larger, more expensive systems.