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Design competition, Team Duronex

IEEE Skye Expedition: Drone Delivery Platform

A modular payload-delivery platform that clips onto almost any UAV with an electromagnet, released over ROS 2.

  • Hardware
  • Mechanisms
Render of the payload platform with its integrated landing gear.
Render of the payload platform with its integrated landing gear.

My contributions

  • Designed a modular, layered payload platform in CFRP for 3D printing, with an integrated landing gear.
  • Designed a servo-driven two-bar release mechanism and an electromagnet attachment that needs no screws or fasteners on the drone.
  • Planned the release control over ROS 2 services (Raspberry Pi to Arduino), and ran ANSYS CFD on the drone and platform.

A design entry for the IEEE Skye Expedition: a payload-delivery platform for drones. The brief ruled out screws and fasteners on the drone, so the design centres on two ideas: modularity, so it can scale to more payloads, and compatibility, so it attaches to almost any UAV without modifying it.

The platform

Three layers, 3D printed in carbon-fibre-reinforced polymer (CFRP) for strength at low weight: a movable bottom base that holds the payload, a fixed middle frame that carries the electronics, and a laser-cut metal top plate. The drone's own landing gear got in the way, so a similar wide-stance gear was built into the platform base. The estimated weight is about 2.2 kg.

Releasing the payload

The movable base hangs on a two-bar linkage driven by two servos on diagonal corners, which keeps the centre of mass balanced. Turning the servos lowers the base and drops the payload; turning them back resets it.

The two-bar release mechanism under the platform.
The two-bar release mechanism under the platform.

A Raspberry Pi 4 on the platform talks to the ground over Wi-Fi with ROS 2. Calling a ROS 2 service tells an Arduino Uno to drive the servos down or back up.

Attaching to any drone

A relay electromagnet rated for 10 kg holds the platform to the drone. In one version the magnet sits under the drone and is switched from a spare channel on the pilot's remote; in the other it sits on the platform and the Arduino switches it, so any drone with a steel base can carry it.

How the electromagnet attachment is triggered.
How the electromagnet attachment is triggered.

Aerodynamics

ANSYS CFD on the drone and the platform checked the pressure field and airflow around the design.

CFD pressure contour.
CFD pressure contour.
CFD velocity streamlines around the platform.
CFD velocity streamlines around the platform.
Full render of the platform.
Full render of the platform.
Top view: the electronics layer and the built-in landing gear.
Top view: the electronics layer and the built-in landing gear.
Release mechanism.
Release mechanism.
CFD pressure contour.
CFD pressure contour.
CFD velocity streamlines.
CFD velocity streamlines.