Introduction to Engineering Students Design for Mini-Quadcopters

Submitted by khristen.massic on

Students in the Introduction to Engineering Design course recently participated in the "Firestorm" Challenge.

Problem: "Wildfires have caused significant damage across the country and continue to plague much of the western United States each summer.  The federal government has issued a call for new technologies to be developed which will assist in the fight against wildfires."

Design Statement: "You will work in a design team consisting of 2 individuals to help in the effort of transporting much needed materials to the firefighters on the ground.  Your team will model, design, and construct a mechanism which will work in tandem with Hubsan X4 parts (motors, wires, props, control board, controller) to transport pyramid-shaped materials to a specified target."

Students then spent a few weeks learning to fly the quadcopters, designing, testing, and 3D-printing prototypes. The challenge concluded in a bracket-style tournament.

Attributions
Khristen Massic