Design of Dual Mode Remote Communication Control with Joystick and IMU-Enhanced for Quadcopter Drone

Abstract

This study presents the design and implementation of a dual-mode drone control device that integrates a conventional joystick and an inertial measurement unit (IMU)-based gesture control system into a single handheld module. The device was developed to increase operational flexibility, particularly in situations requiring rapid response or more intuitive control inputs. The joystick mode functions as a standard manual control, while the gesture mode interprets the module’s orientation as command signals through IMU sensor processing. The system was designed using a multiplexer-based joystick input reader, an IMU orientation processing unit, and an integrated signal transmission protocol to communicate with the drone’s flight controller. Performance tests were conducted to evaluate response characteristics, control precision, and stability in both control modes. The results show that the joystick mode provides stable performance with linear throttle response, while the gesture mode delivers fast and responsive orientation-based control. The auxiliary mechanisms for payload release and liquid spraying also functioned reliably without disrupting control performance. Overall, the proposed dual-mode controller meets the design objective s and offers greater operational flexibility compared with single-mode control systems