Civilian Tri-copter For Environmental Research, ( Kickstarter, Phase 1). / General Science and Electronics / Forums

Forums

4hv.org :: Forums :: General Science and Electronics

« Previous topic | Next topic »

Civilian Tri-copter For Environmental Research, ( Kickstarter, Phase 1).

1 2 3 4 next

Move Thread

LAN_403

Patrick

Tue Apr 22 2014, 05:32AM

Registered Member #2431 Joined: Tue Oct 13 2009, 09:47PM
Location: Chico, CA. USA
Posts: 5639

Civilian Tri-copter For Environmental Research

Gen 3 in flight.

Purpose :
To build, operate and prove flying robots can save people and serve humanity. By means of an open-source hack-friendly flying platform, to be used by private citizens (experts though, not just anybody) and nongovernmental groups, such as universities and journalists. All by a machine that doesn't bother to carry a weapon!

To accomplish this task, I'd like to follow and continue in the "XV-11 Neato lidar bounty contest" philosophy, using inexpensive but capable technology to build a low cost, easy to deploy machine in singles or fleets. The ultimate goal--relatively cheap, quick and predictable access to otherwise difficult and dangerous sites. In general, technology doesn't just advance, it accelerates. And in the case of micro-flying-robotics, democratization of this technology will be a significant part in how it evolves over these next decades.

Sites and events of interest:
Hanford, Windscale, Chernobyl, Fukushima, SL-1 Utah, MIC release Bhopal India, lovecanal NY, Oso Washington mudslide, Salton sea CA.

This thread is under construction for the next view days, so please bear with me.
The Kickstarter project hasn't been launched yet, but I'll give a link when I do....

I'm not wanting to solicit or beg users for backng here on 4hv, (though you are free to do so...

) this thread is for the technical, fabrication and operational matters that are bound to pop up. ( its mostly instrumentation that worries me.) As a drone/UAV is only as useful as the payload / instruments it carries. Otherwise it's merely an expensive toy....

The machines:
There will be at least 3 machines built for phase 1.
Angel Strike 6, ( Gen 4, Ver 4, Mod 50, Type 2, Rev D. ) Serial: 04221401
Angel Strike 7, ( Gen 4, Ver 4, Mod 50, Type 2, Rev D. ) Serial: XXXXXXX
Angel Strike 8, ( Gen 4, Ver 4, Mod 60, Type 2, Rev D. ) Serial: XXXXXXX

The Mod 60 machine differs in that it carries my most advanced "sense and avoid" sensor suite. based on LiDAR and an optical flow system.

links :

Ducted Academic Tricopter (Asymmetric, 3rd Generation)

Academic Bicopter Using Castle ESC's [ It Flies!Â ]

Recieving GPS In High Radiation Fields... (Among Other Unfavorable Situations.)

IARC, Autonomous flight competition.

Bhopal disaster

Chernobyl disaster

Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster

Features:
-Flies for 6 to 8 minutes on LiPo batteries (at 2.2kg) [already proven by flights. Feb, 2014.]
-Has 9 degree of freedom inertial measurement unit. (mag, baro, acc, gyro)
-Ducts and similar features to improve human safety.
-XV-11 LiDAR
-ultra sound and IR altitude feedback / awareness.
-Two optical flow cameras. (one looking down, the other on a gimbal)
-Flight controller = MultiWii Crius PRO in tricopter mode.
-Forward Counter rotating APC 10x5.5 MR's props.
-Two Castle Phoenix ICE 50's for front fans.
-Single Turnigy AE 30A ESC for the tail.
-RCtimer BC-2836,1120 KsubV tail motor, 7 turns.
-Two RC Timer BC-3530, 1400 KsubV motor, 10 turn.
-Tail fan uses a cut-down 9x6 APC (cut to 5.8x6)
-Tail servo = HiTec HS-225 MG.
-60% of the lift is from the forward fans, 40% or less is from the tail fan.
-Affirmative kill switch (for human safety) and LiPo saver. (separate from the arm switch), (does not use AI)
-GPS capable, but still operates in GPS denied environments.
-Abort while avoiding obstacles and return home, at one switch throw. (Uses AI onboard)
-Water proofing, for continuous flight in heavy rain.
-Experimental radiation shielding, Gamma, X ray, Alpha, Neutron. (Probably with Boron, as Pb is too heavy)

Specs / metrics:
-2.2 kg all-up-weight.
-3s2p LiPo (paralleled 3.3Ah, nanotech turnigy's, 511 grams. 6.6Ah total.)
-Props are 10" and 6" in diameter.
-Length 37", duct span 31", height 7".
-Structure = polystyrene, fiber glass, carbon fiber, Balsa and Bass wood, Epoxy.
-LiPo for now, but backwards compatible with my soon to come Fuel cells.

Sulaiman

Tue Apr 22 2014, 07:59AM

Registered Member #162 Joined: Mon Feb 13 2006, 10:25AM
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 3140

If you want to raise funds from environmentalists
I suggest that you change the name to something 'friendlier' than xxxx STRIKE.
The word 'strike' has military/combat connotations.
for a small license fee you can use one of my suggestions

1) enviro-copter
2) enviro-watch
3) enviro-search
4) enviro-mate
5) enviro-heli
6) enviro-guard
7) enviroplatform
8) enviro1
9) enviro2
etc.

Shrad

Tue Apr 22 2014, 09:26AM

Registered Member #3215 Joined: Sun Sept 19 2010, 08:42PM
Location:
Posts: 780

make it from compressed straw held by corn starch, and call it the permacopter :D

Dr. Slack

Tue Apr 22 2014, 11:31AM

Registered Member #72 Joined: Thu Feb 09 2006, 08:29AM
Location: UK St. Albans
Posts: 1659

As a drone/UAV is only as useful as the payload / instruments it carries. Otherwise it's an expensive toy....

Great copter. I would imagine that fewer, larger props than the traditional quad gives better efficiency through less induced drag and larger motors for the same craft weight. However, it's a long way from there to a product.

Are you contemplating a complete drone+instrument system, an airframe that will take any instrument, or something in between? Why should people give you money, what is your expertise that they are buying into? Will you sell to end-users who want a turnkey system, or system integrators, who will buy your airframe if it has advantages over the other lifting chassises they can buy off the peg. If a turnkey system, proprietory interfaces that you might hope would lock people into your system, or perhaps it would lock other instruments out? Or open interfaces that would allow system integrators to use your airframe with almost anything, but replace it at the drop of a hat if a new offering in the market had better duration/payload etc?

I'm not having a go, I'm just saying think very carefully about what will attract people to your end product, and don't spread yourself too thin by developing too much new stuff

Patrick

Tue Apr 22 2014, 05:08PM

Registered Member #2431 Joined: Tue Oct 13 2009, 09:47PM
Location: Chico, CA. USA
Posts: 5639

I need pics of the Fukushima tank farms, but I don't know about copyright and such matters. I don't want to steal others work, is citing the source enough?

Patrick

Wed Apr 23 2014, 01:54AM

Registered Member #2431 Joined: Tue Oct 13 2009, 09:47PM
Location: Chico, CA. USA
Posts: 5639

Dr. Slack wrote ...

As a drone/UAV is only as useful as the payload / instruments it carries. Otherwise it's an expensive toy....

Yes. I'm not wanting, like many others, to put 4, 6, 8, 10 or 12 motors/props/ESCs on an arm and wire harness, just to drag it all through the sky. Motors improve with volume of copper and steel, but parasitic losses build quickly with absurdly large numbers of added on junk.

Patrick

Thu Apr 24 2014, 12:52AM

Registered Member #2431 Joined: Tue Oct 13 2009, 09:47PM
Location: Chico, CA. USA
Posts: 5639

Okay I've finalized the math, it does look like I can use PEM Fuel cells, I'll post more details soon, but so far 6-8 minutes of flight is the sticking point with lipo batteries. But if I can pin down for a quote this company, I might have a 3kg machine flying for 45 to 75 minutes at a time.

This beats all the tiny expensive (60k $) quads that are less capable than my (2k $) tricopter.

Fuel Cell = 1150g @ 500W, 15V. (specs not right yet)
hydrogen tankage = 400 g
BC3530 motor, 435W, 10T (3 of these)
current Gen 3 mass without batteries = 1300g

so all-up-weight = 1150 + 400 + 1300 = 2850 grams (math not right yet)

EDIT: nope, i just double checked, need the 1kW fuel cell - ugh! (1.7kg mass instead of 1.15kg)

AndrewM

Thu Apr 24 2014, 07:59PM

Registered Member #49 Joined: Thu Feb 09 2006, 04:05AM
Location: Bigass Pile of Penguins
Posts: 362

nvm.

Patrick

Thu Apr 24 2014, 10:09PM

Registered Member #2431 Joined: Tue Oct 13 2009, 09:47PM
Location: Chico, CA. USA
Posts: 5639

Update to first post.

New info posted.

Patrick

Sat Apr 26 2014, 07:19PM

Registered Member #2431 Joined: Tue Oct 13 2009, 09:47PM
Location: Chico, CA. USA
Posts: 5639

article related to Fukushima Neutron and critcality possibilities.

im also thinking in terms of the rewards kickstarter requires, not sure what people would value though at the 20 to 50 US $ marks though

less than 20$,
less than 50$
less than 100$
300$ or more...
500$ or more...
1000$ or more...

im still thinkng though.....

im pondering high quality poster pics of northern California locations 300 feet up, like Shasta dam and lake, or Sacramento river.

1 2 3 4 next

Moderator(s): Chris Russell, Noelle, Alex, Tesladownunder, Dave Marshall, Dave Billington, Bjørn, Steve Conner, Wolfram, Kizmo, Mads Barnkob