3D printing idea

[TheLightSpeedz]

Does anyone on here have or know someone 3D prints?

I've been thinking about an idea for a long time... An idea that would protect that camera and gimbal in the event of a wreck, or at least help it.

I would like to see a one piece Gimbal Guard and Landing gear for the Phantom. I believe if it was 1 piece and had support in the corners it would stay together in a wreck. Make the landing gear, more like a box with triangulation.

The problem is that gimbal guard is the first thing to fall off in a wreck.

What's your thoughts?


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[TheLightSpeedz]

I have searched high and low and nothing. I've thought about using epoxy to put a Carbon Fiber guard between the legs permanently. Also Plastic welding gussets in the corners. In a low altitude crash it would stay together.


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[Lonewolf]

Some local libraries now offer their patrons availability to 3D printers. If you're looking for protective guards there is a wide variety on both eBay & Amazon.

 

[TheLightSpeedz]

That's not what I'm looking for. I think if the landing legs and gimbal guard were one piece it would be stronger


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[Leenanj]

It is the shock or force of the crash that breaks the gimbal more than it actually hitting something.
Almost all crashes I have seen the legs were still intact.
Your theory might come into play in some crashes but the extra weight!

 

[Noble 1]

You are all correct. My local library offers 3D printing and there is also one at the local community center sponsored by the local RC hobby and craft stores with a little electronics club that has weekly meetings for projects.

As far as my library goes... ITS AMAZING... You literally email them the compatible cad file and they print. You pay for the materials. Most university libraries have these now. Its the new trend. Also, you can find hackerspaces, makerspaces, usually at community centers. 3D Printing in Libraries Around the World

In regards to the camera/gimbal and protecting it... the force of the crash WILL 99% of the time eject the gimbal or the camera regardless of where or how the phantom crashes. Its susceptible to the G forces of the crash. As stated, the legs and landing gear are sometimes found in tact and the gimbal is still found detached. Plastic elbows with epoxy or gorrilla glue would definitely make the landing gear more stable. TRIANGLES are known to be the most stable form of support. The issue is the physics behind the crash. IF you make the landing gear indestructible you create an awkward paradox where the weakest point in the crash to absorb the force of crash becomes the body or arms. So you actually CREATE MORE damage to the body than if the landing gear and gimbal were the weak points on impact.

R&D with planes and aircraft have shown that modular designs win in durability and salvage costs. A modular vehicle crashing which has parts seperate during the crash significantly decreases the collateral damage to the rest of the vehicle, as each module falls/breaks off the main vehicle, the force of the crash is subtracted an amount proportional to the mass of the fragment. If the fragment is 25% of the mass of the vehicle then the force of the crash on the body is reduced by 25%. I think this is why there are many carbon fiber gimbal guards and the recommendation is NOT to epoxy them to the landing gear, leave them semi rigid. Purposeful constructive destruction.

 

[iMack]

I've got a good collection of printers that I use at the moment. I'm going to be doing some testing later in the month with some different resins. I'm using the Form2 and Ulitmaker2 at the moment. I'll try get some photos up soon.

 

[Wolfiesden]

Does anyone on here have or know someone 3D prints?

I've been thinking about an idea for a long time... An idea that would protect that camera and gimbal in the event of a wreck, or at least help it.

I would like to see a one piece Gimbal Guard and Landing gear for the Phantom. I believe if it was 1 piece and had support in the corners it would stay together in a wreck. Make the landing gear, more like a box with triangulation.

The problem is that gimbal guard is the first thing to fall off in a wreck.

What's your thoughts?


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I own a Taz 5 3D printer. 3D printed parts are, in general, not as strong as injection molded parts such as the stock landing gear. 3D prints can and do break and separate at the layers. Its just the nature of the beast and how the printers work. You can strengthen the surface of the printed part (assuming ABS) by using acetone vapor smoothing techniques to bond the surface layers more tightly. But you can't do much about internal layers.

I believe its the g-forces that the gimbal encounters in a crash that are the most damaging to it, not the actual impact directly to the gimbal from external objects (tree branches for example). I also submit that the releasing of the guard is probably a good thing. That action absorbs some of the energy of the impact. Its sorta like the crumple zones in your car (assuming you have one >1980). The more energy things absorb the less energy critical components will see. In a car crash the whole idea of the crumple zones is to extend the time of the impact and prevent the transfer of energy to the passenger. The energy that the gimbal protector absorbs that forces it to release, is that much less energy that is transferred to the rest of the Phantom.

Falling is fun. Its the sudden stop at the end that will kill you. Now translate that thought to the gimbal. If you can transform the sudden stop into not so sudden, then there is your solution.

It is the shock or force of the crash that breaks the gimbal more than it actually hitting something.
Almost all crashes I have seen the legs were still intact.
Your theory might come into play in some crashes but the extra weight!

Yep, thats my thoughts too (see above).

 

[Ken Hanks]

Wolfiesden is correct. You need to design the landing gear and gimbal guards to absorb impact. You want the landing gear to break, its absorbing the impact just like a nascar race car. You need to add crumple zones into your design to dissipate/absorb the energy of a crash, this will mitigate damage to the vulnerable gimbal.

 

[TheLightSpeedz]

Listen, I understand the crash and the gimbal and that the legs stay intact..

The reason the legs stay intact is because the force pushes them apart and the gimbal breaks the fall.

If the legs were tied together with something more than a bunch of little zip ties, and had the gussets in the corner, I believe it would acts as a box... Then the legs would take the majority of the impact before the gimbal does.

I would rather fix legs than a gimbal....

I don't know if it save anything, or maybe cause more damage to the drone, but it would have to protect the camera more.

I'd rather re-body the drone than the gimbal.


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[TheLightSpeedz]

Basically build a cage around the camera, instead of flimsy plastic legs that jump out of the way.

The gimbal guards are useless. The fall off at the first sight of a crash.


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[TheLightSpeedz]

Someone needs to build it and test it....


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[Wolfiesden]

You provide a test P3 and I will test it.

 

[ROCCITYDESIGN]

Heres an idea.... DON'T CRASH Learn how to fly first without gimbal attached

 

[WetDog]

Heres an idea.... DON'T CRASH Learn how to fly first without gimbal attached

Gravity and Murphy - a very powerful combo.

 

[Wolfiesden]

What goes up, must come down.

Sometimes its not how you planned it, or where you planned it, or how fast you planned it.

I see nothing wrong with discussing the idea. Certainly we all set out not to crash. Just happens. I haven't crashed. Yet. I have no delusions that I won't ever crash.

 

[Noble 1]

two words
Bubble Wrap

 

[ROCCITYDESIGN]

Def agree. Ive been there


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[TheLightSpeedz]

Yeah I hadn't crashed either, well until it fell out of the sky for no reason. **** happens.


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[alirz]

A p3 would rarely crash and hit the ground landing gears first.. It would be tumbling most likely. I doubt we can put anything that'll absorb the shock except as the above poster mentioned, bubble wrap would do it lol