Language

English (en)

Publication Date

Fall 2025

Document Type

Final Report

Embargo Date

12-8-2025

Problem Statement

The DBFBanner is a project made for the WashU Design / Build / Fly club. After interviewing DBF club president Sarah Donner, we interpreted the club’s needs as: (1) a banner that could achieve vertical stability in flight; (2) the banner could deploy and release remotely; (3) the banner and associated components were as light as possible. We went through several design iterations, including mathematical and CAD models, mockups, prototypes, and testing apparatus. Many designs were considered, including designs based on linear motion and collapsible trusses. We arrived at a design that used a servo motor to rotate a 3D-printed part through specified degrees, with each rotation setting allowing a di!erent washer to release. In order to test our design, we designed a testing apparatus that could be mounted on the side of a car, allowing the banner deployment / release and banner stability to be tested in similar conditions to a remote control plane. Our final design met all performance goals mentioned above- it could achieve vertical stability in flight, deploy / release remotely, and had minimal weight. Future improvements include deployment / release reliability, improving flight stability even further, adding housing for electronic components, and a combined servo control arm and rotator.

Author's School

McKelvey School of Engineering

Author's Department

Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science

Class Name

Mechanical Engineering Design Project (MEMS 411)

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