DIY Photography

Your one stop shop for everything photo-video

  • News
  • Inspiration
  • Reviews
  • Tutorials
  • DIY
  • Gear
Search

Submit A Story

This folding “ballistic” quadcopter drone launches out of a cannon

Nov 22, 2019 by John Aldred 10 Comments

  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Flipboard
  • WhatsApp

It’s called the SQUID (Streamlined Quick Unfolding Investigation Drone), and it’s a quadcopter drone, but it’s quite different from the usual kind of drones you might find at your local electronics store. Developed by Caltech and JPL, SQUID launches from a tube, unfolds in mid-air and then fires up its motors to stabilise itself and fly as normal.

It’s designed as a quick response drone, with minimal risk or energy required during takeoff to maximise the flight time. It also allows it to overcome some of the issues of launching regular drones. Issues like having to have a flat stable platform to take off from, and being able to get high enough, quickly enough, so that it’s out of the way of people and things on the ground.

It reminds me a lot of the PowerEgg drone we saw a few years ago at Photokina, except, the SQUID is much lighter, coming in at a mere 530g vs the 2,100g of the PowerEgg. Also, it has a ring of fins along the bottom to help guide it into the air after being launched from its cannon.

The prototype for SQUID was presented at IOS in Macau, pitched from a pneumatic baseball pitching machine, and then extending it outs rotors after reaching an altitude of around 10 metres. And as the video at the top illustrates, it can even be launched from a moving vehicle, as demonstrated by a truck travelling 50mph.

The implications for this type of a drone launching mechanism are pretty awesome. With the wildfires that have been going crazy in Australia and California this year, being able to quickly launch drones in the air to survey the surrounding fire or potentially look for victims stuck in blocked off areas would be a pretty big deal to fire and rescue services.

Of course, they could do this right now with existing drone technology. But they would have to stop and launch the drone manually which, in an emergency situation, is time they often cannot afford to waste. A launch system like that of the SQUID would mean they can just push a button from within the vehicle and send a drone up into the air to monitor what’s going on without having to even slow down.

Other uses for the SQUID concept include exploration of other planetary bodies. No, they’re not going to launch them into space (at least, not directly), but to take up on a probe, offering an improved launch mechanism over current systems. It should also help to increase flight time by reducing the need for rotors to make the climb from a standing start on the ground and draining the battery as quickly.

At the moment SQUID is just a proof of concept, but I think it’s one that should definitely be developed further. You can read more about its design and development here.

[via Engadget]

FIND THIS INTERESTING? SHARE IT WITH YOUR FRIENDS!

  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Flipboard
  • WhatsApp

Related posts:

Dobby drone maker ZeroTech takes aim at DJI with this folding Mavic look-a-like The Yuneec Mantis Q is a voice-controlled folding drone with 33 minutes flight time NSFW: Woman Assaults Man on a Beach for Using a Quadcopter Quadcopter Racing and the Future of Cinema

Filed Under: news Tagged With: Caltech, drones, JPL, SQUID

John Aldred: from diyphotography.net

About John Aldred

John Aldred is a photographer with over 20 years of experience in the portrait and commercial worlds. He is based in Scotland and has been an early adopter - and occasional beta tester - of almost every digital imaging technology in that time. As well as his creative visual work, John uses 3D printing, electronics and programming to create his own photography and filmmaking tools and consults for a number of brands across the industry.

« Photographer scammed after selling her camera due to a PayPal loophole
B&H releases a statement disputing allegations of sales tax fraud by NY Attorney General »

Submit A Story

Get our FREE Lighting Book

DIYP lighting book cover

* download requires newsletter signup

Recent Comments

Free Resources

Advanced lighting book

Learn photography

Recent Posts

  • Hands on with the Godox MG2400Bi LED beast
  • Hands on with the Saramonic WiTalk
  • Another tourist falls off a cliff while taking a selfie
  • Stop doing these dangerous photoshoots
  • Meta launches new Ray-Ban smart glasses despite original’s poor reception

Udi Tirosh: from diyphotography.netUdi Tirosh is an entrepreneur, photography inventor, journalist, educator, and writer based in Israel. With over 25 years of experience in the photo-video industry, Udi has built and sold several photography-related brands. Udi has a double degree in mass media communications and computer science.

Alex Baker: from diyphotography.netAlex Baker is a portrait and lifestyle driven photographer based in Valencia, Spain. She works on a range of projects from commercial to fine art and has had work featured in publications such as The Daily Mail, Conde Nast Traveller and El Mundo, and has exhibited work across Europe

David Williams: from diyphotography.netDave Williams is an accomplished travel photographer, writer, and best-selling author from the UK. He is also a photography educator and published Aurora expert. Dave has traveled extensively in recent years, capturing stunning images from around the world in a modified van. His work has been featured in various publications and he has worked with notable brands such as Skoda, EE, Boeing, Huawei, Microsoft, BMW, Conde Nast, Electronic Arts, Discovery, BBC, The Guardian, ESPN, NBC, and many others.

John Aldred: from diyphotography.netJohn Aldred is a photographer with over 20 years of experience in the portrait and commercial worlds. He is based in Scotland and has been an early adopter - and occasional beta tester - of almost every digital imaging technology in that time. As well as his creative visual work, John uses 3D printing, electronics and programming to create his own photography and filmmaking tools and consults for a number of brands across the industry.

Dunja Djudjic: from diyphotography.netDunja Djudjic is a multi-talented artist based in Novi Sad, Serbia. With 15 years of experience as a photographer, she specializes in capturing the beauty of nature, travel, and fine art. In addition to her photography, Dunja also expresses her creativity through writing, embroidery, and jewelry making.

Copyright © DIYPhotography 2006 - 2023 | About | Contact | Advertise | Write for DIYP | Full Disclosure | Privacy Policy