Can an Xbee transceiver module be used for controlling a stable Quadcopter?

Question

I would like to use an Arduino Nano IOT as a flight controller and connect this to a Xbee transceiver module for control. If the Xbee module was set up so that for each packet transmission it included [throttle, yaw, pitch and roll], would the Xbee module be fast enough for responsive control?

I would eventually like to add a Raspberry Pi Zero W for higher level control e.g controlling using PID loops for GPS coordinates and also to follow preprogrammed routes that could be uploaded using the Xbee module.

Answer 1

As Tully's comment suggests, its very broad and we cannot say for your exact situation if it would work. But...

In the past at my university we had a drone control lab course we were required to take and we did exactly what you're proposing over very short indoor distances. We had an Xbee that communicated the control systems' minimal commands at several kilohertz and sent back its actual information for plotting / logging.

Higher level commands like GPS viapoints should work fine if the low-level control is later put onto the drone itself. That would require little if any difference in requirements than just a wifi or cellular connection. That isn't very time sensitive or high rate.