INAV Radar is a unique feature that allows multiple INAV aircraft to see each other on their OSD displays. Using LoRa radio modules, drones share their GPS positions in real-time — enabling safe group flying and collision awareness.
How It Works
- Each INAV aircraft gets an ESP32 + LoRa module
- Aircraft broadcast their GPS position via LoRa at regular intervals
- Other aircraft receive these positions and display them on OSD as radar blips
- Shows distance, direction, and altitude difference to other aircraft
Hardware Required
- ESP32 board — Heltec WiFi LoRa 32 V2 or TTGO T-Beam
- LoRa module — SX1276 or SX1278 (868MHz for EU, 915MHz for US)
- Antenna — appropriate LoRa antenna for your frequency
Setup Steps
- Flash INAV-Radar firmware to the ESP32 module
- Connect ESP32 to a free UART on your INAV flight controller
- Enable MSP on that UART in INAV Configurator
- Enable Radar OSD element in the OSD tab
- Set a unique Radar ID for each aircraft
OSD Display
The radar shows up to 4 nearby aircraft as arrows on your OSD, with:
- Distance in meters
- Direction arrow pointing to other aircraft
- Altitude difference (above/below)
- Aircraft ID
Use Cases
- Group flying — see where your friends are
- Search and rescue — coordinate multiple drones
- Safety — avoid mid-air collisions during events