Design Direction

Owned by Cindy Cai (Deactivated)
Last updated: 2021-09-10
2 min read

Goal for Fall 2021:

  • Complete mechanical design for UAS, ready to write a proposal and then create first prototype.

    • Jan 2022→ design paper is due.

    • Apr 2022 → successful flight

  • F2021 → “ask, research, imagine, plan”

    • R&D process. Define problems. Design (lots of design)!

    • This does not mean no prototyping will happen this term! Lots of testing will (hopefully) occur especially in the second half of the term!

    • As much prototyping as can be done

    • don’t loose momentum on fixed wing

  • W2022 → “create, test, improve”

    • Prototype and testing process. Build, test, reiterate, improve.

    • This is the big prototype. The first thing we build that we assume will operate properly. Then, once it fails in some way, we have this term to continue to design and make it better.

What do we want to focus on for competition?

  • Grabber → vital for task 1. soft and vertical drop-off, pick up unknown shape

    • center of gravity

    • floppy grabber vs rigid

    • electrically stable vs mechanically stable

  • Camera mounting → vital for task 2.

    • we need to vastly improve our camera mounting/camera logistics from last term

    • discuss with CV (shrinjay!)

    • fisheye? multiple camera?

  • Optimize for CV and firmware to use

    • fast, light, easy to control. (personally, I’m thinking the simpler the better)

    • Help CV and firmware by introducing unnecessarily complicated mechanics to control

  • Testing

    • nothing tells us better how things work than actually trying them out!

    • make an effort to have more ppl involved on campus as much as possible, physically with parts

questions:

  • will we be given any more details about the device?

Projects

  • UAV direction (multi-copter, fixed wing?) We should figure this out first

    • type of multi-copter

  • Grabber

    • for picking up the “device”

    • very vague description for device

    • secure, vertical control, soft drop-off, accommodate many shapes

  • Gimbal

    • task 2: tracking intruder. camera is much more important this time than on spike

  • Frame

  • Speccing off-the-shelf parts like props and materials for potential builds

  • Electrical storage

  • Landing

  • Controls logistics

  • wrapping up things from last term:

    • get the Prusa printer working

    • fixing old drones and planes