December 22, 2018
After buying a quadcopter I really wanted to land it on some sort of cool landing pad (rather than in trees). I looked around for one and didn't find anything interesting, so I came up with my own.
Invention idea #01110.3 pulled from my notebooks to share.
In Development: Prototype 2
Reproduction plans (CC BY-SA) and limited release prototypes will be available after final.
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Ikea for landing pads.
Idea is to create a landing pad that ships in an easy to assemble flat pack kit. It should be easy to manufacture, scale nicely for a wide range of hobby quadcopters, and allow for customization/expansion.
Design notes on each version. Select a tab to learn more.
Last updated: October, 2022
TO DO LIST:
- Some edges on flat pack are too thin and can break. Increase thickness.
- Experiment with shipping solutions without container: cardboard inserts+shrinkwrap
- Multipad refinement to fit within same dimensions as landing pad kit.
- Add breakaway tabs to parts so stays in place in kit.
Working together with my Twitch viewers we created a basic landing pad kit that can be assembled with a single nut/bolt combination. The system can ship in a shrink-wrapped flat pack, and has 3 expansion modules. The last expansion module, "The Multipad Expansion Kit", still needs work since it is large and difficult to manufacture.
The flat pack design protects parts during shipping and is sized to fit standard shipping containers.
Multipad expansion module concept. Needs work. Too large at the moment.
DESIGN NOTES:
- Two Proto1's were made from 1/4" MDF and 1/4" birch plywood.
- Stick with 1/4" birch plywood for rest. Finished better than MDF and more rigid.
- Distilled down to a single keyed disc and a 1/4" nut/bolt to assemble the system.
- Multipad needs to fit into same flat pack size as the landing pad.
- Striving for a maximum width of 20" for flatpack so can fit standard boxes if needed.
- Planning two sizes: 12" and 19" pads.
