Kickstarter Updates, R-10 Quad and RObot secure funding

With 18 days to go the quadracopter project has more than hit its target of $15,000. A total of 230 backers have pledged $94,096. Nearly six and a half times more than Universal Air were seeking.

It will be interesting to see if Max Bruner and his team can keep up with production and support. At least 154 airframes have been ordered, that’s at least 600 motors and speed controllers alone.

Well done to the team at Universal Air will be watching with interest.

The Nano Q is not faring so well, they have 17 days to run and still require $182929

Another Kickstarter multirotor project to recently secure funding was the ambitious RObot Transformable Multicopter/Rover.  A quad/car combination it’s been done before.

The RObot is the culmination of over a year of designing, optimizing, testing, and construction of a completely novel robotic platform.  It is a device geared towards reconnaissance, search and rescue, military applications, and inspections of commercial products.  The versatility of the RObot allows a small robotic vehicle to conquer nearly any situation.  Whether, it is flying to the top of a roof and beyond to send valuable aerial photographs or driving along a catastrophe site relaying high definition and zoomed in stable shots, the  RObot is up to the challenge.

The project started as an undergraduate research project to create a really cool toy and developed into what we believe is the future of unmanned vehicles.  With enough payload capacity to nearly double the weight of the vehicle, the applications are endless.  These could include the implementation of various sensors, the transport of goods weighing up to several pounds to hard to reach locations, delivery of communication devices, and more This vehicle will carry a camera allowing for first person view (FPV) control and it can provide live transmission of video and data.

The initial RObot was a successful prototype with drive times of several hours depending on battery size and flight times of 5-10 minutes.  The upgrades being created in the final product include motor, battery, and propeller combinations that will double the thrust and flight time while sustaining the drive times.  The servo driven turning capabilities will greatly increase the efficiency of the ground transport over skid steering while producing more precise control.

The RObot is in its final phase now as a graduate project to create the final optimized system.  The project is already being printed and is just awaiting further funding for the completion of construction, component purchasing, and more printed parts.  All work has been under the supervision of MIT PhD Dr. Paul Ro, and will conclude by December 14th.

The RObot is in its final phase now as a graduate project to create the final optimized system.  The project is already being printed and is just awaiting further funding for the completion of construction, component purchasing, and more printed parts.  All work has been under the supervision of MIT PhD Dr. Paul Ro, and will conclude by December 14th.

Josh Smith’s work looks like it might have been a contender for the DARPA UAVforge competition. Watching this one develop will also be interesting.