Study of A Drone’s Payload Delivery Capabilities Utilizing Rotational Movement

Abstract

This paper describes a novel way to reliably deliver packages using a drone. For years, companies such as Amazon and Google have been hard at work developing a safe and practical way of utilizing the potential of unmanned aerial vehicles to improve upon their current network of delivery services. Transportation of even the largest package has become feasible due to the advances in drone-based robotics. The biggest problem left unanswered is how to best release the package once the drone has arrived at the drop off location. The solution presented in this paper details a basket that is capable of holding onto the package until the drone is rapidly flipped upside down in an aerial maneuver (oftentimes called a roll) and the centrifugal force ejects the payload from the basket. A practical, inexpensive, and robust solution to this problem was devised, modeled, researched, and tested with a 100% success rate. This solution will provide aerial robotics professionals with an alternative to the more standard method of using additional motors to actuate a payload delivery, thus cutting down on the cost, complexity, and failure rate associated with drone delivery. This paper will also present the design and manufacturing philosophy of the drone, and video clips will demonstrate the performance of the drone.