The X-RELAY Is a Automated Drone, with an FPV camera attached to it. The swapstation can have up to 14 1Ah Li-Pos charging in standby, increasing its runtime exponentially.
Technical Specifications
- Core Components: Xiao-Seeed ESP-32 w/ Camera Module, MPU6500 IMU, Logic MOSFETs, 8520 Brushed Motors. Swapstation: ESP-32 C3, Tiny 5v Stepper motors, Electromagnet, SG-90 Servo
- Power Supply: High Discharge 1Ah Li-po (25C). Can be swapped quickly
- Design Priority:Extremely lightweight drone frame, SwSt: Short distance between batteries and drone, making battery swaps quick.
Engineering & Fabrication Process
1. CAD Modeling & Mechanical Design
Designed in Onshape, the drone was made to be as lightweight as possible, with truss cutouts in each arm, and hollow bore-holes wherever necessary. Some TPU brackets were used, especially in the IMU, to minimise noise and unwanted vibrations from the motors. CAD Link: https://cad.onshape.com/documents/cfbac75bea3a682c020bad84/w/84f74e186bfba2dbaf2aa43f/e/20f3bf08cb007c8fe458a681?renderMode=0&uiState=6a4195eaee01c22dad52b0b3
2. 3D Printing
Fabricated via FDM printing using Orcaslicer to fine-tune the slicing profiles. Used a 0.6mm nozzle to maximise strength and rigidity. Printed out of PLA-CF (carbon-fibre reinforced) for the reduced weight but added rigidity.
3. Electronics & Integration
The ESP-32-S3 on the drone controls the whole thing and uses PWM through the MOSFETs to control the motors. On the Swapstation, the ESP32-C3 communicates with the S3 on the drone through the ESP-NOW protocol.