Tello Drone MCP Server - Mac Setup Guide

Prerequisites

1. Python 3.10 or higher - Check your version:

   python3 --version
   

2. Homebrew (optional, but recommended for installing Python if needed):

   /bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"
   

Step-by-Step Setup

1. Create Project Directory

mkdir ~/tello-mcp
cd ~/tello-mcp

2. Create a Virtual Environment (Recommended)

python3.12 -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate

3. Install Dependencies

pip install mcp djitellopy opencv-python

4. Make the Server Script executable

chmod +x tello_server.py

5. Test the Server (Optional)

Before configuring Claude, you can test that everything works:

# Make sure you're in the virtual environment
source ~/tello-mcp/venv/bin/activate

# Turn on your Tello and connect to its WiFi first!

# Run the server
python tello_server.py

Press Ctrl+C to stop when done testing.

Configure Claude Desktop

Location of claude_desktop_config.json on Mac

The config file is located at:

~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

Open the Config File

Option 1: Using Terminal

# Create the directory if it doesn't exist
mkdir -p ~/Library/Application\ Support/Claude

# Open in your default text editor
open ~/Library/Application\ Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

Option 2: Using Finder

1. Open Finder
2. Press Cmd + Shift + G (Go to Folder)
3. Paste: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude
4. Open claude_desktop_config.json with TextEdit or VS Code

Option 3: Using nano (command line editor)

nano ~/Library/Application\ Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

Add the Configuration

If the file is empty or doesn't exist, add this:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "tello-drone": {
      "command": "/Users/YOUR_USERNAME/tello-mcp/venv/bin/python",
      "args": [
        "/Users/YOUR_USERNAME/tello-mcp/tello_server.py"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Replace YOUR_USERNAME with your actual Mac username!

Find Your Username

If you're not sure of your username:

echo $USER

Or use the ~ shortcut (though absolute paths are more reliable):

# Get the full path
echo ~/tello-mcp/venv/bin/python
echo ~/tello-mcp/tello_server.py

Alternative: Using System Python

If you prefer not to use a virtual environment:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "tello-drone": {
      "command": "python3",
      "args": [
        "/Users/YOUR_USERNAME/tello-mcp/tello_server.py"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Using the Tello with Claude

1. Connect to Tello WiFi

• Turn on your Tello drone
• Go to Mac WiFi settings
• Connect to the Tello network (usually named TELLO-XXXXXX)

2. Restart Claude Desktop

Quit and restart Claude Desktop for the configuration to take effect.

3. Start Flying!

Try these commands in Claude:

• "Connect to my Tello drone"
• "What's the battery level?"
• "Take off"
• "Move forward 50 centimeters"
• "Take a photo"
• "Land"

Troubleshooting

"Command not found" error

• Make sure the paths in the config are absolute (start with /Users/)
• Verify the Python path: which python3
• Check that tello_server.py exists: ls ~/tello-mcp/tello_server.py

"Module not found" error

• Activate your virtual environment: source ~/tello-mcp/venv/bin/activate
• Reinstall dependencies: pip install mcp djitellopy opencv-python
• Make sure you're using the venv Python in the config

Can't connect to drone

• Verify you're connected to Tello WiFi
• Check the drone is powered on and the lights are blinking
• Try pinging the drone: ping 192.168.10.1

Photos not saving

The photos will save to the directory where you run Claude from. To specify a location, modify the take_photo function in tello_server.py to use an absolute path:

filename = arguments.get("filename", "/Users/YOUR_USERNAME/tello-mcp/photos/tello_photo.jpg")

Quick Reference

Activate virtual environment:

source ~/tello-mcp/venv/bin/activate

Deactivate virtual environment:

deactivate

View Claude logs (if there are issues):

tail -f ~/Library/Logs/Claude/mcp*.log

Config file location:

~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

Debug

The Tello sends two types of communication:

Command responses (working ?) - on UDP port 8889 State data stream (working ?) - on UDP port 8890

Find what's using a port, for example 8889:

lsof -i :8889

# You'll see output like:
# COMMAND   PID   USER   FD   TYPE     DEVICE SIZE/OFF NODE NAME
# Python    1234  linsun 3u   IPv4    0x...      0t0  UDP *:8889

# Kill that process (replace 1234 with the actual PID)
kill -9 1234

If 8889 works but 8890 doesn't, macOS might be blocking UDP port 8890.

Safety Reminders

• Always fly in an open area away from people and obstacles
• Keep the drone in visual line of sight
• Monitor battery levels (don't fly below 20%)
• Have a clear landing area
• The emergency stop cuts motors immediately - use only in real emergencies

Happy flying! 🚁