Publication Date
Fall 2015
Document Type
Final Report
Problem Statement
The main objective of this senior design project is to design and build a capability that allows different attachments (i.e. camera, flashlight, speakers, hook) to be attached and detached electromechanically from a drone. The main challenge in this project was our cost constraints. Weight is one of the most important constraints in aerial vehicles, and with a small budget, it was very challenging to find a powerful drone and manufacture light and durable parts. The modular system involved two general components: a drone retrofit and the attachments. The drone needed to be retrofitted to house additional electronics (i.e. Arduino, remote control sensor, USB port) and a mechanical attachment mechanism. The attachments complemented the attachment mechanism on the drone retrofit, and some contained complementary electronics (i.e. USB connector). The attachments needed to be able to be attached and detached by a single person, and the design needed to be simple enough that it could be automated. Our reach goal was to design a port that allowed attachments to be attached and detached autonomously, but we were focused on primarily designing modularity. We were not able to get to constructing our autonomous port, but we were successfully able to meet all of our primary goals, key design metrics and user needs.
Class Name
Mechanical Engineering Design Project (MEMS 411)
Recommended Citation
Okafor, Nicholas; Turner, Jordi; Brablec, David; and Witte, Ike, "MEMS 411 Design Report - Modular "Do-It-All" Drone" (2015). Mechanical Engineering Design Project Class. 32.
https://openscholarship.wustl.edu/mems411/32