A SCOUT in your Pocket
A 3D Printed Drone
While we are waiting for parts to get Project Menehune operational, we decided to start a physical project which will tie into the virtual projects that our Deep Learning server will be learning to control.
Enter SCOUT, a pocket-sized micro UAS with Search and Rescue applications. SCOUT has been designed with easily sourced parts, and features a fully 3D printed shell that we designed for rapid prototyping/production and ease of re-speccing to new workloads.
SCOUT has GPS waypoint navigation capability, the ability to utilize machine vision and machine learning to carry out missions (such as identifying points of interest in search and rescue operations) and will eventually have the option to carry a FLIR camera, as well as radio repeater equipment.
To our knowledge there is no smaller quadcopter with this capability. Eight and a half inches in length, five inches in width, and under one inch tall, SCOUT can fit in most bag/cargo pockets or mag pouches. SCOUT has an estimated flight time of about 22 minutes in its current incarnation (and with some custom motors and optimizing, potentially longer). SCOUT utilizes a custom LG HG2 cell modular battery with integrated Battery Management Circuit. These packs can be charged with any 12.6v 0.5–4a CC/CV charger without the need for special balance chargers. With SCOUT weighing in at just over a pound, it can be with you anywhere, anytime.
SCOUT has already gone several iterations in the development stages, and we’re currently re-designing the internals to work with a newly sourced Pixhack flight controller.
Since SCOUT is Pocket-sized, and is built for controlling via laptop, we reached out to GamePad Digital (GPD) who kindly agreed to send us their brand new device, the GPD Pocket for review and to serve as the controller for the SCOUT project. Look out for this review soon, and for upcoming project updates.
