Roger Freeman, inventor of the Freebird Flight drone, shares his 3D printing story and the method behind creating his drone.
Posted on January 19, 2016
by
Roger Freeman
Expertise and the most recent devices have all the time been an curiosity to me, however they have been confined to hobbies throughout my restricted free time as a monetary analyst for practically 20 years. I made a decision to take a while away from that world in early 2014 after the 2008 monetary disaster results sapped the business of a number of the brilliant minds that had attracted me to it within the mid-‘90s. I hoped to unleash my creativity in creating one thing new the place I might make a distinction, and I used to be excited to lastly have a while to try this.
Naturally, I grew to become fascinated with 3D printing, and acquired a Cubex printer. I started instructing myself do fundamental prints with the out-of-the-box software program, however I quickly found Fusion 360 from Autodesk and was shortly making extra sophisticated designs. First on the checklist have been customized child-safety objects like protected wall plates, knobs for stoves, and doorways to make the home safer for our twin boys who have been 1-year outdated on the time. I discovered I might make this stuff in simply the best dimensions to suit the {hardware} in our home in distinction to generic retailer purchased objects that usually fell wanting being really helpful.
A pair months later, I obtained a small drone, one other new expertise I used to be fascinated with, and which have been simply turning into extra broadly accessible. A number of weeks after that buy, like most new drone homeowners, I crashed it in our again yard and broke one of many arms. As I used to be attempting to find alternative elements, I glanced over on the printer and it occurred to me I might most likely make replacements. Having efficiently carried out that, and studying extra in regards to the drone expertise out there on the time, a few months later, I assumed I’d attempt to develop one thing higher than what was accessible – particularly one thing bigger that could possibly be used for all types of functions – not simply video – and that was extra climate tolerant. That was summer season 2014.
By early fall, I had a working prototype – made principally from ABS and PLA. I had additionally upgraded to a Lulzbot TAZ 4 printer, which opened up an entire new universe of supplies that I couldn’t use with the proprietary Cubex platform. That’s once I found MatterHackers, which shortly grew to become my single supply for filament. In October or November 2014, they launched Proto Pasta’s carbon fiber filament, which I shortly tried. That was maybe the largest enabler for me to develop the present design. I might now print a lot thinner, a lot quicker, and with completely no warping. The design on the time, and which I caught with for a pair extra months after the carbon fiber was launched, extra carefully resembled a practice quadcopter with 4 arms. Even with the carbon fiber, I nonetheless had issues with arms breaking off over time due to the heavy load (as much as 25 kilos) being carried by the arms at the side of vibration from the motors.
As I grew to become higher at printing the carbon fiber and improved my CAD design expertise, I made a decision to overtake the design utterly so as to print even thinner elements whereas on the identical time evenly distributing the load of the UAV and stress from the motors’ torque throughout the body. The present enclosed body design got here to me in the future – I nonetheless keep in mind – on a Friday in early January, nearly a yr in the past. The entire image was in my head. It was to be an airframe that enclosed the blades (for security), however in a manner that really elevated the power of the general body by distributing the car’s weight and motor torque stress evenly to keep away from focus of stress at simply 4 factors – one thing I now name a SurroundFrame. Even till now, I’ve not seen an enclosed body design that’s something greater than a physique cowl that sits on high of a conventional body with 4 arms – or a variation that has partial enclosures on the outer corners. In any case, whereas useful from a security perspective, they signify added weight that reduces battery and flight time. It took me precisely per week to design and print the entire body and switch the motors and different electronics over from the prior design. That following Friday, the 3-foot diameter UAV (now known as Freebird One), was within the air.
I knew this was the design I used to be after, however a lot work was nonetheless wanted. It was lighter than my outdated design, however nonetheless too heavy. Flight instances have been 8-10 minutes with massive batteries. It weighed 20 kilos or so. The wiring couldn’t stand as much as the excessive present pull. A few instances it even caught fireplace within the air! Because it was winter on the time, electronics and motors have been repeatedly destroyed by flying within the snow. Even so, I found the primary various use for a big UAV with a number of prop wash: an airborne snow blower. It was good for as much as 4 inches or so of snow and will clear our driveway in minutes operated from inside the nice and cozy home! But it surely might do much more than a daily snow blower. It cleared snow off the vehicles after which off the roof of our home.
My mission was clear at that time: I had one thing highly effective that would fly very exactly and by itself. But it surely wanted to fly rather a lot longer, be rather a lot lighter, deal with any type of climate, carry a number of gear and attachments that I’d wish to develop for numerous duties — and do all this with out sacrificing power. I caught with carbon fiber for essentially the most half, although efficiently produced one unit fully with wooden fiber filament from MatterHackers final summer season. Extra supplies within the present model embody Ninjaflex for climate covers and vibration dampening and clear Bluprint for the cockpit cowl to make the lights from the 3D Robotics Pixhawk flight controller seen.
The underside line is that quite a few iterations and a yr later, I’ve created a 100% printed massive UAV from an concept in my head, a unbelievable CAD bundle from Autodesk, a stable workhorse printer from Lulzbot, and top quality, dependable (all the time 2-day free ship throughout the nation) filament from MatterHackers, particularly Proto Pasta’s carbon fiber. The one bought elements are the electronics and propellers, although I’ve efficiently printed propellers that work, and should ultimately swap to printed props after testing is accomplished. The UAV is even assembled utilizing printed carbon fiber pins, which changed conventional chrome steel screws I had been utilizing earlier.
Not solely is Freebird One 100% 3D-printed, however I might argue its efficiency specs beat something available on the market at the moment. It now weighs simply 8 kilos with out a battery (half of what it weighed the primary time I made it). It could possibly fly for as much as 35 minutes, has most speeds of 70MPH horizontally and three,000 ft/minute vertically, can carry a further 15-20 kilos of payload due to extra 6,000 watts (9+ horsepower) from the 4 brushless motors, and is totally weatherproof (snow, rain and winds as much as 50 MPH or so). It’s additionally the most secure UAV.
My hope for the long run is so as to add synthetic intelligence options to help in impediment avoidance and expanded failsafe options comparable to a parachute and skill to search out protected locations to land within the occasion of an issue that precludes the UAV from returning residence. Equally vital, I hope to develop quite a lot of attachments to increase performance of Freebird One as a helpful “instrument”. Snowblowing is only one instance, however even that could possibly be improved with attachments I take into consideration. I additionally efficiently used it this fall as a leaf blower. And since the blades are enclosed, I used to be in a position to take away impacted leaves alongside fences by bumping the UAV alongside the fence and angling the airflow in a technique to get beneath the leaves. In an identical capability, the UAV works effectively as a gutter cleaner with a 3D Digital camera (in a 3D-printed weatherproof case) sending a stay video feed to a pair of goggles, permitting for exact maneuvering in tight spots. The chances are infinite – each for customers and companies.
Freebird One might be commercially accessible within the close to future. After having issued RFQs for injection molded elements, it’s not clear that I can get elements made to the tight specs I’ve been achieved by means of 3D printing. Given the character of this mission, each gram of weight issues rather a lot, and particularly the strength-weight dynamic. Each 100 grams represents roughly one minute of flight time, and each gram of fabric must be exceedingly sturdy. Consequently, the present plan is to really construct up a 3D printer “farm” to provide elements shortly. I’ve improved print settings to the purpose the place the elements coming off the printer require little to no post-processing. At 20 um decision utilizing carbon fiber, the traces will not be very seen and look extra like a sample than what conventional 3D-printed elements seem like. Utilizing 3D printing as a producing resolution additionally permits me to revise and enhance elements shortly, introduce new attachments, and supply customized modifications with out utilizing a typical replace cycle.
To this point I’ve been engaged on this enterprise alone, however might be increasing within the close to future. I actually treasure the time I’ve spent on this to date. Not solely have I been in a position to spend extra time with my household, however I’ve been in a position to simply dream up new concepts after which really produce them proper earlier than my eyes. Much more than the UAV I’ve created, I stay amazed on the prospects opened up by 3D printing and top quality consumer-accessible CAD software program. It’s an important age we stay in the place somebody like me with no engineering background can design and produce a top quality plane within the confines of my residence with nothing greater than an concept, a pc, a 3D printer, just a few spools of filament… and a few endurance.
In case you are fascinated with studying extra about Freebird Flight, you may go to Roger’s website or comply with them on Fb, Instagram, and Twitter.
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