SQUID is a sophisticated drone that is launched by firing a cannon (video)
There is growing interest in developing ballistic drones for use in emergency response and for military purposes. But operating a multicopter in a confined space requires a reliable takeoff method.
A team of researchers from the California Institute of Technology and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory has presented a prototype of a handheld ball-shaped quadcopter that is launched from a cannon, turns around, and then flies away. The folding multicopter with ballistic launch is called SQUID (Streamlined Quick Unfolding Investigation Drone).
This is the first balloon drone to be launched by an automatic cannon that is adapted to work as a propulsion device.
The SQUID drone weighs 530 grams and measures 27 inches in length and 8 inches in diameter. It has four spring-loaded rotor arms that snap into place in less than a tenth of a second after the drone is launched. The SQUID receives an initial velocity of 15 meters per second from an air cannon that launches the drone 10 meters.
When the drone exits the launcher, the nichrome wire heats up and burns through the monofilament line holding the levers in place. The spring-actuated levers leach out in just 70 ms, while the drone’s aerodynamic body passively guides it in the airflow.
The development team noted that the SQUID rotors start working in about 200 ms after startup. The SQUID then automatically orients itself to the hover position and can be flown just like a conventional quadcopter in less than 1 second after launch.
