In recent decades, there has been a constant increase in the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). There has also been a huge growth in the number of control algorithms to support the many applications embodied by the vehicles, including challenges and open issues to develop. This paper focuses on three major classes of control methods applied to quadrotors in order to create an open-source model based on the Arduino Mega that allows for the derivation and design of quadrotor control strategies. We consider the perspective classes, including linear, nonlinear, and intelligent methods representing in details with applications in developing an open-source controller for the quadrotor using the Arduino Mega and the BNO055 9 DOF sensor. We propose Proportional Integral Derivative (PID), backstepping integrator, and model predictive control (MPC) to track a generated Lissajous curve for surveillance. Simulations in the Matlab–Simulink environment with 3D visualization of a developed quadrotor model using CAD software, with robustness and performance discussion, are provided. Our experimental work is developed with an extensive illustration of the hardware and algorithm design and by demonstrating the effectiveness of the proposed architectures. The results show promise in practical and in intelligent applications.