Car-Snow Clearing Drone A Major Qualifying Project to the Faculty of WORCESTER POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Bachelor of Science 18 May 2020 Project Created by: Matthew Burd Robotics Engineering Bailey Joseph Mechanical Engineering Drew Robert Robotics Engineering, Mechanical Engineering Gabriel Rodriguez Robotics Engineering, Mechanical Engineering Nicholas St. George Robotics Engineering Project Submitted to: Professor Mehul Bhatia Professor Nicholas Bertozzi Mechanical Engineering Robotics Engineering & Mechanical Engineering Worcester Polytechnic Institute Worcester Polytechnic Institute Table of Contents Table of Contents .......................................................................................................................... ii Table of Figures............................................................................................................................ iv Table of Tables .............................................................................................................................. v Table of Equations ........................................................................................................................ v Preface ........................................................................................................................................... vi List of Accompanying Submissions ............................................................................................ vi Acknowledgements ...................................................................................................................... vi Chapter 1: Introduction ............................................................................................................... 1 Chapter 2: Background ................................................................................................................ 3 2.1 Drone Design ............................................................................................................ 3 2.2 Drone Flight Control (Navigation) ........................................................................... 3 2.3 Custom Drone Part Materials.................................................................................... 4 2.4 Drones in Weather Conditions (Snow) ..................................................................... 5 2.5 Fluid Spraying ........................................................................................................... 6 2.6 Spray Nozzle Design................................................................................................. 7 2.7 Deicing ...................................................................................................................... 7 2.7.1 Environmental Impacts of Deicing Fluids ..................................................... 8 Chapter 3: Approach .................................................................................................................... 9 3.1 Project Approach ...................................................................................................... 9 3.2 Metrics .................................................................................................................... 11 3.2.1 Performance Metrics ..................................................................................... 11 3.2.2 Engineering Design Metrics .......................................................................... 12 3.2.3 Project Requirements .................................................................................... 12 3.3 Drone Design Process ............................................................................................. 12 3.3.1 Mechanical Structure..................................................................................... 13 3.3.2 Part Selection................................................................................................. 14 3.3.3 Fluid Selection............................................................................................... 15 3.3.4 Software Functionality and Architecture ..................................................... 15 Chapter 4: Design ....................................................................................................................... 17 4.1 Design Specifications.............................................................................................. 17 4.1.1 Drone Weight Specifications and Motor/Propeller Selection ...................... 17 4.1.2 Drone Flight Data .......................................................................................... 18 4.2 Mechanical Design.................................................................................................. 19 Car-Snow Clearing Drone MQP - ii 4.2.1 Frame ............................................................................................................. 19 4.2.2 Spray System ................................................................................................. 21 4.2.3 Rotor Arms .................................................................................................... 23 4.2.4 Custom Part Fabrication ................................................................................ 27 4.3 Electrical Design ..................................................................................................... 29 4.3.1 Flight Controller Sensors .............................................................................. 29 4.3.2 Peripheral Sensors ......................................................................................... 29 4.3.3 Electronics Parts and Wiring ......................................................................... 30 4.4 Software Design ...................................................................................................... 31 4.4.1 Precision Localization ................................................................................... 31 4.4.2 Computer Vision ........................................................................................... 31 Chapter 5: Results....................................................................................................................... 34 5.1 Preliminary Roadblocks .......................................................................................... 34 5.1.1 COVID-19 Pandemic .................................................................................... 34 5.1.2 Part Acquisition ............................................................................................. 34 5.1.3 Improper Fittings ........................................................................................... 35 5.1.4 Issues Encountered ........................................................................................ 35 5.2 Drone Assembly...................................................................................................... 36 5.2.1 Initial Part Configuration .............................................................................. 36 5.2.2 Landing Gear Assembly ............................................................................... 36 5.2.3 Spray-bar Iterations ...................................................................................... 37 5.2.4 Rotor Arm Iterations .................................................................................... 39 5.2.5 Electrical Components ................................................................................. 40 5.3 Individual Component Testing ............................................................................... 41 5.3.1 Spray Testing................................................................................................ 41 5.3.2 Motor Testing and ESC Calibration ............................................................. 41 5.4 Initial Software Functionality ................................................................................. 42 5.4.1 Flight Control and Navigation....................................................................... 42 5.4.2 Thermal Camera ............................................................................................ 42 5.5 Drone Set-Up .......................................................................................................... 44 5.6 Flying ...................................................................................................................... 49 Chapter 6: Conclusion ................................................................................................................ 50 Chapter 7: Recommendations for Future Iterations ............................................................... 52 7.1 Mechanical Recommendations ............................................................................... 52 Car-Snow Clearing Drone MQP - iii 7.2 Electrical Recommendations .................................................................................. 53 7.3 Software Recommendations ................................................................................... 53 7.4 General Recommendations ..................................................................................... 54 Chapter 8: References ................................................................................................................ 56 Appendix A. Additional Background ........................................................................................ 59 A.1 Introduction to Drones ..........................................................................................