DroneBlocks DEXI 5

The DEXI 5 is an NDAA-compliant PX4 STEM and development drone kit from DroneBlocks, designed to take students, hobbyists, and PX4 developers from unboxing to writing autonomous code with no technical barrier.

DEXI 5 is an Official PX4 Developer Kit.

Overview

DEXI 5 is built around an all-in-one flight controller running PX4, developed in collaboration with ARK Electronics, with integrated optical flow sensing for GPS-denied indoor flight. A Raspberry Pi compute module acts as the companion computer, with a Pi camera and accessible GPIO pins for sensors, servos, and other payloads (up to about 225 g).

Assembly is modular, solder-free, and plug-and-play, and is itself part of the learning experience: building the vehicle teaches the aerodynamics, mechanics, and electronics behind it.

All critical electronic components are manufactured in the United States, meeting NDAA Section 848 requirements.

Software and Curriculum

The kit ships with a full project-based curriculum on learn.droneblocks.io covering:

• DroneBlocks visual (block-based) programming
• Python scripting with MAVSDK
• ROS 2 development, including projects such as AprilTag detection
• Computer vision with OpenCV using the onboard Pi camera

Community support is available on the DroneBlocks forum.

Where to Buy

• DroneBlocks DEXI 5 (single kits and classroom packs)