Improving Drone Delivery Grip Design

Figure 1: Four individual sensors were placed onto a box. Pressure points were monitored in-real-time as the drone gripped and lifted the box into the air. The bottom-right quadrant clearly shows tighter grip force than the others.

Challenge:

There are two characteristics that companies commonly look for in a drone delivery system

1. The drone's ability to effectively handle their delivery load, and
2. The drone's ability to withstand outside elements and impacts that could cause them to crash

Since these are both pressure-related aspects, a minimally-invasive test & measurement tool would be needed to quantify drone grip while performing different activities.

Solution: 

In one test (demonstrated in Figure 1), a drone manufacturer used pressure mapping technology to map the pressure distribution across the drone’s grippers. The data from this experiment was used to benchmark how much weight the drone could carry as it ascended and descended.

In a similar test, pressure mapping sensors were used in a drone crash-testing experiment. Drone designs carrying different loads were raised and dropped from different heights to determine weak spots within the drone design. With this information, the design engineers were able to provide more protection or supports on the drone’s body to limit breakage. 

Similar Applications:

• Automated material handling (conveyor systems)

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