Table of Contents
Can Drone 6
2025
Abstract
The objective of this assignment was to develop a remote sensing drone unit to be launched on a booster developed by another senior design team. As per the requirements, the unit must be capable of flight over 90s and to record altitude, temperature and humidity data, capture a video recording of the flight and take photographs after deployment from the booster. To satisfy these requirements, a carbon fiber 3D printed body and arm mechanism was developed to house an electronics bay and motor arms. The electronics bay consisted of a SpeedyBee F405 Mini-Stack as a a flight controller and ESC, an Express LRS 2.4 GHz Nano-Receiver to control the drone remotely, a ZZCP Mini-Camera to record flight video, a 14,8 V 1500mah Battery to power everything, and an Adafruit Am2320 to monitor and record temperature and humidity. The Motor arm assembly consists of 4 F4104 T-Motors, 4 Gemfan Floppy Proppy's, a Spektrum A2020 Micro Servo, and a 12-inch parachute. The typical mission profile is made up of 7 stages: Setup/begin data recording, rocket launch, separation from booster, stabilize through parachute and start flight, end flight, downloading/post-processing of data, and setup for relaunch. To the left is a visual of the full assembly, with the spring-loaded arms extended to the drone's flight position.
Project Details
The CanDrone system will be designed to accomplish the following mission:
Launch: The booster rocket will propel the CanDrone to a designated altitude.
Deployment: The drone will detach from the booster and initiate autonomous flight.
Data Acquisition: During a minimum flight time of 90s, the drone will record video, capture still photos, and collect temperature data.
Return: The drone will autonomously navigate back to the launch site.
Recovery: The drone will land safely, allowing for retrieval of the recorded data.
Functional Requirements:
The CanDrone drone must perform the following functions during flight:
Video Recording: Capture continuous video of the entire flight.
Still Photography: Capture at least two high-resolution photographs immediately after launch.
Environmental Sensing: Measure and record both temperature and humidity data throughout the duration of the flight.
Inertial Measurement: Track and record the drone's acceleration throughout the flight.
Geographic Positioning: Use GPS to determine and record the drone's location.
Rapid Turnaround: Be capable of a second flight within one hour of the initial launch.
Key Design Constraints:
Weight: The combined weight of the drone and booster must not exceed 1.5 kg. The drone itself will have a maximum weight limit of 500 grams.
Budget: The total project cost, including materials and components, is limited to $1250.
Team: The project will be executed by a team of four students.
Project Objective
Design and fly a booster deployable remote sensing system capable of collecting environmental data, video, and photographs by a group of 4 students in 3 months' time with a budget of $1,250.
Mission Needs
Provide a deployable sensing unit that captures video, records and stores altitude, temperature, and humidity, while also maintaining an altitude above deployment height for 90s.
