1: Contribution

I contributed to many aspects of this project thought the semester. My first task was to research different frame designs and to collect different ideas for the frames structure and transportation capabilities to align with our deliverables stated in Blog Post 1 (https://sites.wp.odu.edu/heavydrone-mylachappell/2024/09/26/hello-world/) and started rough sketches to combine the possible design aspects I had researched. Then I had started working on researching different cutout solutions for the beams to reduce the weight while maintaining it’s structural integrity, this is discussed in Blog post 2 (https://sites.wp.odu.edu/heavydrone-mylachappell/2024/10/25/blog-post-2-assessing-the-frame-design-for-the-y6-drone-10-25/). After as a team we analyzed our cutout options to get a better understanding of which would be best fit. Our next steps would to be cutout the beams to run physical tests to ensure our analysis is valid, but we are still unable to use the water jet as it is not working currently.

I also was a part of the analysis and flight testing of the donated drone to create a benchmark to compare our results to as we complete our project, pictures of this can be seen in our presentation. Additionally, a big part of this semester was working on setting up the equipment needed for motor and propeller testing described in Blog post 3, (https://sites.wp.odu.edu/heavydrone-mylachappell/2024/11/08/blog-post-3-preparing-for-motor-and-propeller-testing-11-8/). We reviewed the documentation about the equipment and started connecting the control panel and started designing a frame for cage needed for the testing equipment. As a team we drilled, cut, and carefully aligned the components to ensure stability and proper leveling. To make the cage accessible from the side, we needed doors. Together we discussed and drafted plans for how to best design doors that fold completely out of the way, after we came up with our solution, we decided wit would be best to make custom 3D-printed hinges for smooth opening and closing operation.

Additionally, since we have almost completed the set up, we were able to run some initial tests with a sample motor and propeller that provided thrust and torque data described in Blog post 4 (https://sites.wp.odu.edu/heavydrone-mylachappell/2024/11/22/blog-post-4-finalizing-the-test-setup-and-overcoming-challenges-11-22/), but we still had an issue with the motor not ramping up power consistently caused auto shutdowns that we are still resolving. I also throughout this semester have been a big part of creating our budget and funding requests and I created our gantt chart and have been keeping it up to date and documenting our progression throughout this semester for this project to ensure we are staying diligent with our progress, this is outlined in our final report.

2: Understanding

In Blog post 1 (https://sites.wp.odu.edu/heavydrone-mylachappell/2024/09/26/hello-world/) I described the direction we are planning to go and we knew this early on within the project as for the specifics of the design, we are still sorting out. Due to our challenges with the budget not being awarded until recently and the water jet being down it has been hard to perform our physical testing to validate our analysis of our designs. The steps to resolve this would be to reach out to machining again to stay updated on what the ETA on the water jett being fixed, and additionally to start looking into other options for resolving this issue in other ways such as CNC machining. Once we have our designs validated we can move forward with building our design.

3: Learning

4: Writing improvement

I believe my writing has progressed through this semester because I have gained more knowledge and understanding of our project in greater detail which made it easier to discuss the updates of the project as they were happening. I believe full understanding of what and why you are writing something plays a big part in how well something is written. The better you understand a topic the better and more confidant you will be at explain that topic to others through writing. I would say an example of this would be just from looking at our scope of work written in my front page of my Blog website (https://sites.wp.odu.edu/heavydrone-mylachappell/), to the scope of work written in the funding request, and now looking at the scope of work written in our final report it is clear to see the evolution of improvement and understanding through the level of detail and explanation.

5: Technical strengths and weaknesses

A major technical strength of our project is the incorporation of lattice designs to reduce weight while maintaining structural integrity, which enhances the drone’s overall performance. However, a current weakness is the lack of prototypes due to delays with the water jet machine, slowing progress on testing and validating our design improvements.

6: Logistical strengths and weaknesses

 A logistical strength of our project is our team’s strong collaboration and communication, allowing us to efficiently divide tasks and maintain progress despite individual responsibilities. A key challenge, however, has been delays in funding availability, which have prevented us from purchasing critical components such as the required propellers for testing. To address this, we’ve prioritized preparatory tasks, such as setting up the test equipment and refining designs, to make the most of our available time. Moving forward, we suggest maintaining proactive communication with stakeholders to minimize further delays and allocating contingency planning to streamline future purchases.

7: Advice for future

If I were starting this class over again, I would advise myself to prioritize creating a detailed project timeline early on, including milestones for both technical and logistical tasks, to better anticipate potential delays. Based on this semester’s experience, I should keep leveraging teamwork and communication, as our collaboration has been a significant strength. However, I would change by allocating more time early in the semester to familiarize myself with the testing equipment and software, which would have reduced delays in the setup phase. For MAE 435, maintaining clear communication and enhancing time management will be crucial for success.