Mechanical 2023-2024 Goals

Tracking Antenna : OTS/Custom

end goal : have a working tracking antenna that integrates with mavlink out from mission planner.

• Has telescoping arm for height.

• Has yaw/pitch control.

Priorities

• Custom solution (1-axis, low cost, low resolution) by mid summer.

  • Updated Jul8 to be target: End of summer. Plan is in place?

• Can iterate on it in following terms prior to comp

integration painers

• Jul 8: Lots of difficulties getting up to speed (reading a list of stuff, without knowing what stuff does, is rough).

• EFS / EE have been talked to about requirements. Not much more integration stuff. Only gemini board remains.

  • extra parts in separate bin.

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Milestones / Check-INs

Goals:

• mid s23 term End of S23 term: one axis low cost low resolution

• Jan/Feb 24 - full version complete (telescoping flexible - may not be happening).

Check-ins:

• July 8th (mid summer s23):

  • Arjun working on rotation - progress is ok. Can be mounted on tripod.

    • antennas can be removed for transport.

  • Divet? working on telescoping arm - unsure on state.

  • No spend yet, been salvaging parts.

  • End cost:

    • if 3d print parts, then one servo

    • if gearbox, cost ~ 200 ish. For YAW only.

  • Hardware looking good.

Houston Re-Design : 12” props and more payload capacity

end goal : make houston overall lighter, and allow for greater payload (jetson, rpi, etc)

Priorities

• Mid size testing frame, smaller than vanny larger than houston is ideal. However, may be too much to do and eat into budget

  • can use vanny and houston instead? both aren’t quite suited

  • ideally we get this in summer so controls-experienced members can lead a lot of the integration and testing

  • the cost of making this whole new thing probably doesn’t make it worth it to use

  • fairly low priority, can cope with vanny and houston

  • can mod houston to make it more weight efficient

    • different lighter legs

    • extra plate to add things to at bottom

integration painers

• Difficulty understanding requirements of items and the functionality of those items.

  • hung up on lidar for a while

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Milestones / Check-INs

Goals:

• End of term for re-design

• May make more parts if destroyed - no plans to design new test drone(s)

  • need to work on integrating new parts.

Check-INs

• July 8:

  • Being worked on by merek?

  • Existing parts lighter, still adding parts.

    • total weight may

  • Double check mounting for all items that may need to go on?

Comp Frame : Next gen airframe

end goal : make 3/4 comp airframes & have info on how to maintain them.

Priorities

• Cost Analysis

• Build 2 identical airframes by comp.

• Build 1 specced airframe for comp.

2 frames at the same time - can focus on one frame this term and get the replacement parts made in fall. run 2 frames in parallel so there is a replacement

integration painers

• Sensor integration

  • lots of change on whether stuff is going on main plate or arm or landing gears (stuff still moving).

  • ^ tried delegating, difficulty understanding / getting done.

    • difficulty getting information (not understanding exactly what needs to happen, and so not going to do it).

Milestones / Check-INs

Goals:

• End of S23 term:

  • 1 specced airframe

• F23 term:

  • two identical frames + replacements/upgrades?

  • unsure about mech presence on-site.

Check-Ins:

• July 8th:

  • Baseframe is done design-wise

  • tubes are in the bay

  • Making parallel parts in parallel (i.e. plates)

  • tried delegating sensor mounts

    • Brick: lidar, opflow, fpv cams,

  • Motors + Props in

Milestones

Spring 2023

Fall 2023

Winter 2024