Engineering a Hook That Could Make Drone Deliveries Real(wired.com)
wired.com
Engineering a Hook That Could Make Drone Deliveries Real
https://www.wired.com/story/wing-alphabet-x-drone-engineering/
28 comments
Did he get paid to build that? How do I get paid to put turbines in power tools?
Tell him we need a pic of that mechanism!
So a whole article on the perfect hook, with nice photos, but they didn’t include one of he perfect hook they designed? Anybody found one?
I'm guessing that's because of patent or copycat issues. They don't want to reveal it until it's out.
I would assume this is the case. I have several friends who demoed prototypes of stuff they were in the process of building, only to have it copied, marketed and sold before they could finish their design.
Images of the hook and the package attachment have been released at other points.
Its an egg-shaped attachment; so there is natural force to push off a matching egg shaped hook (but the overall hook is too large to pass through the hole again)
Clear to see in these youtube videos; the CAD shot of the interface in the body of the craft gives you a clear idea of the shape so it only fits one way.
https://youtu.be/BYMLZ2_6d4o?t=1m59s https://youtu.be/XqLkMdwEWRc?t=1m25s
Its an egg-shaped attachment; so there is natural force to push off a matching egg shaped hook (but the overall hook is too large to pass through the hole again)
Clear to see in these youtube videos; the CAD shot of the interface in the body of the craft gives you a clear idea of the shape so it only fits one way.
https://youtu.be/BYMLZ2_6d4o?t=1m59s https://youtu.be/XqLkMdwEWRc?t=1m25s
Author said it looks like a fingerling potato
https://www.google.com/search?q=fingerling+potato
https://www.google.com/search?q=fingerling+potato
All's cool, I already see the air full of drones (if I can't have my flying cars in 2020, drones would suffice), I'm truly worried about the noise though.
While hoping that electric cars will make cities less noisy (I can feel it in Berlin with more and more electric cars and scooters), the buzzing sounds of drones is already too loud for me - and I've seen only several so far.
That's going to be terrible, having dozens of them buzzing around, like your typical high-pitched scooter, but next to your 3rd floor window.
Any quiet drones in development? ;)
While hoping that electric cars will make cities less noisy (I can feel it in Berlin with more and more electric cars and scooters), the buzzing sounds of drones is already too loud for me - and I've seen only several so far.
That's going to be terrible, having dozens of them buzzing around, like your typical high-pitched scooter, but next to your 3rd floor window.
Any quiet drones in development? ;)
DJI's Macic Pro Platinum uses a different rotor design and rotor frequency to make it much quieter than previous models. Apparently it sounds more like a desk fan than a hive of angry bees.[0]
[0] https://www.theverge.com/2017/11/1/16573820/dji-mavic-pro-pl...
[0] https://www.theverge.com/2017/11/1/16573820/dji-mavic-pro-pl...
Sounds great! :)
Unfortunately, noise is an inherent property of the propellers since it is moving air. There are methods that are used to make them quieter but usually this is for military applications and too costly. However, this is a hybrid plane so it acts like a quadcopter when it hovers vertically at a set point. It acts like a plane when its traveling long distances. Admittedly, RC planes can get pretty loud but it should be substantially quieter when it is coasting at constant altitude compared to a hovering drone.
I recommend looking at the prototypes throughout the years from them [1]. It's pretty cool to see what they changed. I am super curious about some of their decisions. I am sure there are good reasons but I am not too clear why (like having smaller props. Did the wake of the large props decreased the efficiency for gliding more than using smaller props for hovering?!)
[1] https://x.company/projects/wing/ (scroll about half way down and there should be a slideshow you can click into)
[1] https://x.company/projects/wing/ (scroll about half way down and there should be a slideshow you can click into)
Meanwhile in rural China:
> Just a few feet above the ground, the drone drops the box then zips back up into the sky and disappears. The spectacle is over in 20 seconds.
https://www.economist.com/business/2018/06/09/how-e-commerce...
> Just a few feet above the ground, the drone drops the box then zips back up into the sky and disappears. The spectacle is over in 20 seconds.
https://www.economist.com/business/2018/06/09/how-e-commerce...
Drone deliveries are real. They are happening in China right now.
https://www.economist.com/business/2018/06/09/how-e-commerce...
Rwanda too, with Zipline.
https://www.economist.com/business/2018/06/09/how-e-commerce...
Rwanda too, with Zipline.
And starting up in Canada too: http://www.dronedeliverycanada.com/
Arcade claw machines already feature battle-tested mechanics for raising and lowering something on a string.
They do not simply deploy a wound bobbin, but instead have the bobbin after 2 idler wheels. One wheel is housed on a lever - The weight of the claw (or in this case package) keeps the idler on a lever pushed down during most of the operation - when it contacts a prize (or in this case the floor) the idler receives less load and thus the lever moves up ensuring it does not jam or unwind further.
Its a pretty ingenious design from an age where load sensing would be very expensive - and achieves robust bi-directional winding with end detection with just 1 microswitch.
This zero-moving parts hook sounds great, but I don't see how much different it can be from a gravity hook, or a ships buoy-hook; unless it simply captures the package interface in a specific orientation (anyone who has ever played "fishing" with 2L pop bottles and a curtain ring knows the satisfaction of such mechanisms) - my guess would be that the attachment point is a specific shape rather than a circle; to promote the tension-less force to movement up and off.
They do not simply deploy a wound bobbin, but instead have the bobbin after 2 idler wheels. One wheel is housed on a lever - The weight of the claw (or in this case package) keeps the idler on a lever pushed down during most of the operation - when it contacts a prize (or in this case the floor) the idler receives less load and thus the lever moves up ensuring it does not jam or unwind further.
Its a pretty ingenious design from an age where load sensing would be very expensive - and achieves robust bi-directional winding with end detection with just 1 microswitch.
This zero-moving parts hook sounds great, but I don't see how much different it can be from a gravity hook, or a ships buoy-hook; unless it simply captures the package interface in a specific orientation (anyone who has ever played "fishing" with 2L pop bottles and a curtain ring knows the satisfaction of such mechanisms) - my guess would be that the attachment point is a specific shape rather than a circle; to promote the tension-less force to movement up and off.
See also: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mail_hook from the 19th century.
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This does not seem to be sound engineering to me.
Just the sole fact that they have no payload faring tells me that they don't have a single man with aeronautic engineering background.
Just the sole fact that they have no payload faring tells me that they don't have a single man with aeronautic engineering background.
The sides of the hook are shaped differently (one is rounded, the other pointed), so when it fits into the belly of the drone, the aerodynamically shaped package is pointed in the right direction.
Makes sense to me to shape the box, then you don't have to drag the fairing through the return leg.
Makes sense to me to shape the box, then you don't have to drag the fairing through the return leg.
Maybe I simply misunderstood what you meant, but doesn't the box with all the bubblewrap and whatnot cover that purpose? They're already lowering it to the ground, I don't think it would need much extra protection.
I think what the parent is alluding to is that a box shape does not cut through the air very well, and that they should add a more aerodynamic shape to make it easier on the drone.
From what I have seen, the "box" here is not a cube, but more of an aerodynamically-sound shape (at least to a layman's understanding of pointy-things-are-more-aerodynamic).
Not sure how recent this photo is, but it gives a feel for what the box looks/looked like at some stage:
https://www.simplebotics.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/alph...
https://9to5google.files.wordpress.com/2017/06/project-wing-...
http://supreme2.ru/geek/uploads/2018/07/g2.jpg
Not sure how recent this photo is, but it gives a feel for what the box looks/looked like at some stage:
https://www.simplebotics.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/alph...
https://9to5google.files.wordpress.com/2017/06/project-wing-...
http://supreme2.ru/geek/uploads/2018/07/g2.jpg
>http://supreme2.ru/geek/uploads/2018/07/g2.jpg
Well, this does look more or less reassuring. Still, even an aeronatics amateur will judge whatever they have there as an abomination.
I just checked. That man is... an industrial designer, not an aeronautic engineer.
Well, this does look more or less reassuring. Still, even an aeronatics amateur will judge whatever they have there as an abomination.
I just checked. That man is... an industrial designer, not an aeronautic engineer.
That single person is a mechanical engineer.
Wing as a project, though, has designed their own aircraft, so I'm going to say, yes, they have aerospace people on staff.
Wing as a project, though, has designed their own aircraft, so I'm going to say, yes, they have aerospace people on staff.
Why would one want that design constraint?
It should be possible to fit a package fairing when possible and get more efficiency.
But surely it’s preferable to design for odd-shaped and cuboid packages, and take the efficiency hit? The result is a far more useful machine.
It should be possible to fit a package fairing when possible and get more efficiency.
But surely it’s preferable to design for odd-shaped and cuboid packages, and take the efficiency hit? The result is a far more useful machine.
You could also pass this on to the box designers. Charge them pro-rata with high accuracy for watts used to deliver, and team up with a cardboard company that makes compatible aerodynamic boxes. Let the stores make the efficiency decision.
André is also responsible for building a pretty awesome jet turbine powered chainsaw. :-D
https://youtu.be/cr02tS39op8