Sep 29, 2015 | By Kira
Three passionate engineers in Greece have combined two of the hottest technologies making headlines this year — 3D printing and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs)—by designing and creating a fully 3D printed drone called the X01. Though the design is functionally complex, the developers are offering a package with detailed instructions, STL files, customization options and even a list of recommended parts in order to make it as accessible and affordable as possible, encouraging makers to adopt 3D printing technology and take on this challenging yet rewarding project.
Andreas Gad, John Sioulas and Haziq Ismail based the design for the X01 off of the XA-01.B Xombie, a Space Lander designed by Masten Space Systems which won second prize in the Lunar Lander Challenge in 2009. “We liked the engineering complexity of this setup because there were many challenges to overcome. We believe that functional complexity can be a kind of fine art,” Gad told 3ders.org. “ He added that they also chose the design because they wanted to give it “a little bit of a badass touch.”
The X01 body consists of 24 printed parts no bigger than 150mm and printed at 35% infill, meaning that you can 3D print using a relatively small bed—in this case, they used a Printrbot Simple 3D printer and completed the 3D printing with 15 hours. It can be printed in either PLA or ABS, and all pieces are designed to attach to each other without the need for extra adhesive materials. “It is impressively durable for a 3D printed product,” Gad told us. “We have seen $3000 drones brake in the blink of an eye, so you will not have any worries with the X01.”
The original Xombie Space Lander
In addition to factoring in engineering complexity, durability, and style, the developers carefully considered which additional parts to include so that the X01 Project would be as accessible, affordable and customizable as possible. It is assembled with standard parts such as motors, controllers and batteries that can easily be found in your local RC or hobby shop—no special connectors or adapters required. With your own 3D printer and aftermarket parts, the X01 can be built for under $150 (a list of recommended parts is available on their website).
That being said, the flexibility of the X01’s design means that if you wanted to go all out with custom designs, high-end parts, and bigger motors and batteries, the sky is literally the limit. “Try a bigger motor and make it more powerful or add a bigger battery and make it last longer in the air. It can also be customized in design with different colours, patterns or materials,” said Gad. “For example, a dual extruder printer could print it in cameo pattern! There are some restrictions of course, but we like that freedom is given.” Currently, the UAV runs on two regular brushless motors on a coaxial setup, and can hover for up to 10 minutes.
For the flight controller, they have used both the OpenPilot platform and are working on using an Ardupilot Mega in the future. They also plan to continue adding new features, such as a camera gimbal, telemetry, and releasing the X01 in multiple sizes in order to make it as compatible as possible.
The project is currently self-funded and promoted with no professional assistance, but they do plan to expand and set up a crowdfunding campaign in order to raise enough money to enter the market, and eventually release kits with the components included for purchase, while retaining the DIY spirit. Currently, the STL files, instructions, OpenPilot software and full support can be purchased for €29. Additionally, if you do not own your own 3D printer, the parts can be 3D printed via 3DHubs.
Since the X01 is the trio’s first project, they are hoping for feedback, tips, and suggestions from the maker community. In fact, their goal is all about encouraging people to adopt 3D printing and to have fun while putting their skills to the test. While speaking with them, I could tell that one of their biggest strengths was their sheer enthusiasm and zeal for this project (they even included a little Easter Egg in the logo on their homepage.)
“We tried to make it as cool as possible with the lowest budget to convince people that it may be a good idea to buy a 3D printer in the future,” Gad told 3ders.org. “We want people to enjoy the procedure. We would be very proud if some friends, lets say during the weekend, decided to cooperate and do this project. They will have fun, they will exercise their minds, and they will end up with a drone!”
Posted in 3D Printing Applications
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what payload has this been tried with ?
Tzbiz wrote at 9/29/2015 10:33:15 PM:
Cool!!!
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