Sky-Link - Virtual Drone Telemetry Simulator
Physics-based drone telemetry simulation engine with real-time WebSocket data streaming and interactive GPS tracking
Description
Physics-based drone telemetry simulation engine with 10Hz real-time WebSocket data streaming.
Problem Solved
Creating a server-authoritative physics simulation that accurately models drone flight behavior (battery drain, altitude stability, circular patrol paths) while streaming continuous telemetry to web clients with minimal latency. Challenges included delta-time tick loops, state machine design, and connection resilience patterns.
Architecture
Server-authoritative simulation with client-side state synchronization. FastAPI backend with WebSocket endpoint. Physics engine using trigonometric circular paths, delta-time scaling, and state machine for flight modes. Next.js 14 frontend with TypeScript, React-Leaflet for mapping, and custom reconnection logic with exponential backoff.