Quadcopter

One of my longest running personal projects is my DIY quadcopter. My original inspiration for this design was an Instructibles post for building a quadcopter out of PVC pipes and fittings. This has really been one of my most fun projects to date. It doesn't go very fast or very high, but its large, using 10 inch propellers to lift it off the ground. It never fails to impress kids at the park.

As a project platform it's great because it really inhabits this hardware/ electronic/ software interface that I really enjoy. It encouraged me to order parts direct from China via Ali Express. It also gives me a creative outlet for mechanical designs and lets me hone my 3D printing craft.

I also love that it has so many possibilities, and I could take it in so many directions. I have contemplated dropping close source flight controllers and using instead the Ardupilot. When power distribution boards were in short supply on Hobby King, I considered making that my first circuit board project. While I like the large format, sometimes I would like to drop the platform and redesign for something much smaller, like a tiny whoop or cinawhoop. The possibilities are endless.

Since that first build, I have utilized OpenSCAD and my 3D printer to design integrated landing struts and motor mount as well as mounts for the flight controller and power distribution boards.