VISVESVARAYA TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY

BELAGAVI – 590018

A Project Report On

“DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF MANNED AERIAL VEHICLE

FOR SEARCH AND RESCUE AND DISASTER MANAGEMENT”
Submitted in the partial fulfilment of the requirements as prescribed by
the Visvesvaraya Technological University for the award of degree of
Bachelor of Engineering in Mechanical Engineering.

Submitted by:

PRAJWAL GIDEON NIDITH K. RAHUL

PRAVINJITH SUJIT BALLAL
1OX17ME041 1OX17ME015 1OX17ME035 1OX17ME048

Under the guidance of:

PROF. T. V. NAGARAJA
Dept. of Mechanical Engineering

DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

THE OXFORD COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
Bommanahalli, Hosur Road, Bangalore-560068
July 2022
 THE OXFORD COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
BOMMANAHALLI, HOSUR ROAD BENGALURU – 560 068
(Affiliated to VTU and Approved by AICTE)
Department of Mechanical Engineering

CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that the project work entitled “Design and Construction of
Manned Aerial Vehicle for Search & Rescue and Disaster Management” is
submitted by Gideon Sujit (1OX17ME015), Prajwal Pravinjith (1OX17ME041),
Rahul (1OX17ME048), Nidhith K. Ballal (1OX17ME035), and are Bonafede
students of The Oxford College of Engineering, Bangalore. This project report
has been approved and it satisfies the project report requirements prescribed
in partial fulfillment for the award of the Degree of Bachelor of Engineering in
Mechanical Engineering of the Visvesvaraya Technological University, Belgaum
during the year 2021-2022. It is certified that all corrections/suggestions
indicated for Internal Assessment have been incorporated in the Report
deposited in the departmental library. The.

GUIDE HOD PRINCIPAL

MR. T. V. NAGARAJA DR. MADUSUDHANA REDDY G. Dr. N. KANNAN
Professor Professor and HoD. Principal
Dept. of ME Dept. of ME The Oxford College of Engineering

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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

“Success is the abstract of hard work and perseverance but most

important of all is the encouraging guidance”, therefore, we acknowledge
all those whose guidance served as a beacon of light and crowned our efforts
with success.

We have a great pleasure in expressing our deep sense of gratitude to the

Founder Chairman Sri. S. Narasimha Raju, and to the respected Chairman
Sri S. N. V. L. Narasimha Raju, The Oxford Educational Institutions for
providing us with a great infrastructure.

We specially thank our Director Dr. K Amarnath, The Oxford Educational

Institutions for his constant encouragement and to the respected Principal Dr.
N KANNAN for providing congenial environment and surroundings to work
in.

We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to the Head of the

Department, Dr. MADUSUDHANA REDDY G. for his continuous support and
guidance given to us throughout the period of our work.

We also thank our guide, Mr. T. V. Nagaraj, without whose patience and
guidance, we wouldn’t have been able to do this dissertation.

We also thank to the Department of Mechanical Engineering, both, teaching

and non-teaching staff for their co-operation.

Last but not the least we extend our heartfelt thanks to our parents and all
our friends for their encouragement, moral support and affection throughout
the dissertation and this study.

PRAJWAL GIDEON NIDITH K. RAHUL

PRAVINJITH SUJIT BALLAL

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 SYNOPSIS
In times where natural disasters and calamities are on the rise, this project
aims to eliminate the problems faced by large/small machinery like
Helicopters and small drones which are used for search and rescue. It is
difficult for helicopters maneuvering in disastrous conditions and tight spaces,
or small drones to be capable of performing lifting or rescue operations in
terms of being able to carry material in or out of situations. This project
(Manned/remote controlled hexa-copter) aims to eliminate the need for direct
human operation, by first response unit, and thereby minimizing the risk to
the lives of the victims and the first responders. We intend to aid these
problems by a novel solution consisting of a scaled-up hexa-copter design
having high thrust brushless DC Motors powered by a Li-Ion Battery and
controlled by an open-source flight controller. The motors are attached to
aerodynamically designed propellers to provide us with the exact amount of
lift and thrust. This set up will be mounted on to a lightweight aluminum
frame with the integration of electronic and mechanical systems. It will also
have lights mounted to the housing to provide visibility in dark situations. The
multi rotor’s symmetrical design allows for easier control of the overall
stability of the aircraft. In this we use configuration of the frame so the
controlling maneuverability of the hexa-copter is much easier. Hexa-copter
consists of 8 rotors of same pitch propellers: four in clockwise and four in
counterclockwise. This design will have a payload capacity of about 85
kilograms, capable of carrying/lifting a human being to/from disastrous
situations with ease and also providing relief and food items of similar
capacity. This hexa-copter design is big and powerful enough to carry loads of
up to 85 kg and still small enough to easily maneuver in tight spaces. This
design will be cost effective and capable of operating in harsh conditions such
as sand storms, wind, rain and snow. Therefore, this design can be used for
more than one purpose namely, pre rescue visual disaster monitoring, search
and rescue, remote delivery of essential services such as food and water
during natural calamities and lifting and clearing of debris and rubble.

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 CONTENTS

NO. CHAPTERS PAGE

1 INTRODUCTION 6

2 WORKING PRINCIPLE 15

3 DESIGN OF THE HEXACOPTER 18

4 COMPONENTS OF THE HEXACOPTER 22

5 FIELD APPLICATIONS 31

6 FLIGHT TEST RESULTS 35

7 CONCLUSION 38

8 REFERENCES 40

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 Chapter – 1

INTRODUCTION

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 Concept of Thrust
Thrust is a reaction force described quantitatively by Newton's third law. When a system
expels or accelerates mass in one direction, the accelerated mass will cause a force of
equal magnitude but opposite direction to be applied to that system. The force applied on
a surface in a direction perpendicular or normal to the surface is also called thrust. Force,
and thus thrust, is measured using the International System of Units (SI)
in Newton’s (symbol: N), and represents the amount needed to accelerate 1 kilogram of
mass at the rate of 1 meter per second per second. In mechanical engineering,
force orthogonal to the main load (such as in parallel helical gears) is referred to as static
thrust.

Thrust is the resultant of propelling force generated from a propeller which is attached to
a shaft in a brushless dc motor.

Thrust is converted to power which acts against the force of gravity and therefore
generates lift to propel the object up into the air.

Positive thrust and negative thrust help steer the vehicle in the desired direction.

Thrust to Power

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Lift
Lift is the force exerted on the drone by the air. It is the result of the interaction between the air
and the drone. Lift is perpendicular to the flight direction.

The magnitude of the lift depends on the air density and the velocity of the drone. The greater the
density of the air, the greater the lift force. The higher the speed, the greater the lift. The shape
and size of the drone also contributes to the resulting lift force.

Lift acts through the center of pressure. This is the point at which the lift force and the weight of
the drone are in equilibrium. When the drone is at rest, the center of pressure is directly under
the center of gravity. When the drone is moving, the center of pressure moves with the drone.
The location of the center of pressure changes as the drone changes direction.

Evidently, the performance of the drone is dependent on the position of the aircraft in the air,
and, in turn, the distribution of the lift force is also especially important for controlling the
aircraft.

Drag
The term drag is a generic term used to describe any force resisting the motion of an object
through a fluid. It can be produced by a variety of mechanisms.

The drag of a body moving through a fluid is a force, acting in the opposite direction to the
motion of the body, and causing a decrease in the velocity of the body.

Like lift, drag acts on the center of pressure and is dependent on the shape and size of the drone
as well as the velocity.

For low-velocity flight, drag can be calculated by the below equation:

Equation 1. Low-velocity drag formula.

In general, drag is calculate with Equation 2.

Equation 2. Drag formula.

Drag is a function of the drag coefficient Cd, the drag coefficient is obtained experimentally. In
Equation 2, r is density, V is velocity, and A is area.

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9|Page
 Types of Multi-rotor Designs
Multi-rotor

If you’ve seen small drones in your local park, they’re likely multi-rotor models. These
designs have several fans above their compact body. The multiple propellers create powerful
lift and give the pilot precise control.

Their small size and excellent control make multi-rotor drones a great option for aerial
photography. They can hover easily and take off vertically, too, adding another level of
versatility.

Fixed-wing

As their name suggests, fixed-wing drones look more like conventional planes, requiring a
runway or a catapult to launch. They don’t have vertical take-off ability like hexa-copters and
single-rotor drones, and this unmanned aircraft system can’t hover.

A wing-based design has plenty of big advantages. Static wings keep the drone in the air and
improve aerodynamics, making these drones more efficient. That creates longer operation
without stopping to charge or swap the batteries. They’re zippier than rotor-based drones,
too, thanks to the speed advantage of a plane vs. a helicopter.

Single-rotor helicopter-style

These helicopter-style drones combine the best attributes of tiny, multi-rotor devices and
large, single-wing units.

Their reliance on rotors helps these devices hover and launch vertically. They tend to be
larger than their tiny counterparts, suiting them to carry larger payloads. The lack of multiple
motors makes them more efficient than multi-rotor models.

The efficiency boost means single-rotor devices often use gas engines rather than batteries.
The gas option dramatically increases their range.

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These drones tend to be larger and more complex than other types of drones, especially
multi-rotor models. That ramps up their price points and makes them somewhat trickier to
learn to operate. Those larger blades can also make them more dangerous, so it’s a good idea
to get the proper training.

Fixed-wing hybrid VTOL

Fixed-wing hybrid models are the newest drone technology to launch into the marketplace.
They combine the long range and flight time of fixed-wing drones with the vertical take-off
ability of a rotor-based device. That versatility makes this hybrid hardware a great choice for
commercial drone use. Some companies are already using these models for its delivery
purposes.

Some hybrid units are simply fixed-wing drones with vertical lift rotors. Others reposition
themselves to fly straight up during take-off, then move to a horizontal position once they’re
in the air. There are even designs with wings and rotors that can swivel one way to take off
vertically, and another during flight.

Hybrid VTOL drones are incredibly versatile, making them a great option for long-distance
flying. They also tend to be a tad on the expensive side vs their more common cousins.
They’re also relatively new technology, making them a good choice for early adopters.

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 Optimal Operable Conditions

The conditions under which you fly your drone are very important. There are situations
in which weather conditions can endanger your safety and that of your drone. You need
to be aware of the risks under different conditions.

Extreme cold

Flying at extremely low temperatures When you fly in extremely low temperatures, you
risk several things. The first is to freeze the electronics and fins. Due to the humidity in
the air, which freezes at very low temperatures, you risk freezing elements of the drone.

Batteries can also give deviations at very low temperatures. The connection to the remote
may be broken and the sensors may start reading incorrect data. As a result, the flight
may be disrupted and the return of the drone may be accompanied by accidents. If you
have relied on a certain amount of time to fly with charged batteries, the extreme cold
can deplete the expected battery life and you may find yourself in an awkward situation.

Extreme wind

Too strong winds can be really dangerous. In strong winds, the drone will try to maintain
its location and direction of flight. This will drain the batteries quickly. In addition, there
is a chance that the wind will prevail and the drone will lose the settings. This would risk
the drone’s flight and return home. If it is out of range of the remote control under the
pressure of a strong wind, the flight could end in a fatal landing.

Extreme heat

Flying drones can be endangered by too high temperatures. Drone batteries have a limit
on the maximum allowable temperature to which they can be exposed. Exceeding it can
even lead to ignition. With caution, you should fly at high temperatures. Both too low and
too high temperatures are potentially dangerous for the flight and the drone.

Rain and Snow

As we know, water is a threat to any electronics. Water and electricity should not be in
contact. It is for this reason that the drone must be protected from rain. Water can
penetrate the drone’s core and damage its electronic systems. Navigation may be
impossible and this may be fatal. If you notice that it is starting to rain, return the drone
immediately and land it as soon as possible. This way you can avoid more serious
damage. If the drone is still wet, then after landing, remove its battery and allow it to dry.

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Fog

This type of flight is also quite dangerous. The moisture contained in the fog actually
penetrates the drone itself. It can reach electronics and affect important functions. If we
add low temperatures to the moisture from the fog, this can cause the drone to freeze.
Freezing can lead to a fatal end to the flight.

Sand storm

Flying a drone during a sandstorm is also very dangerous. Fine dust particles penetrate
the electronics. Like water, fog and snow, dust causes damage to electronics. Do not fly in
a sandstorm.

Conclusion

In conclusion, we can advise you to always check the weather forecast and fly only in the
best weather conditions. Also, monitor the current levels of the KP Index to be assured
that you are flying in optimal conditions. Too high and too low temperatures, as well as
rain, fog, and snow, are not recommended for drone flying.

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Definition of project work:

It may be defined as a planned educational exercise which aims to integrate theory with practice,
designed for students of active participation with practical or investigational method usually
under the guidance of instructor.

Aim of the project:

In this study we are intended to modify the following to widen the horizon of uses for a drone.

>Such as varying the size of the drone and increasing its payload capacity

>By changing the blade parameters and number of blades.

The unique features of our model will be eventually to modify and design the drone and
comparing the existing drones and its performance

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 Chapter – 2

WORKING
PRINCIPLE

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The hexacopter is powered by brushless DC motors which are powered by a Li-Ion battery. The
DC motor consists of a core and housing. The core has insulated copper wound around its stator
coils which allow for a more energy efficient motor. The electrical energy is harnessed by the DC
motor through this insulated copper. The stator is placed at the center of the housing with
enough tolerance around it to allow for it to smoothly rotate about its axis. The inside of the
housing is lined with magnets to provide a rotating magnetic field which drives the armature to
rotate by using an electromagnetic field aligned with the center of the coil.

The hexacopter design has a high thrust brushless DC Motors powered by a Li-Ion Battery and
controlled by an open-source flight controller. The motors are attached to aerodynamically
designed propellers to provide us with the exact amount of lift and thrust. This set up will be
mounted on to a lightweight aluminum frame with the integration of electronic and mechanical
system. It will also have lights mounted to the housing to provide visibility in dark situations. The
Hexa-rotor’s symmetrical design allows for easier control of the overall stability of the aircraft. In
this we use “X” configuration of the frame so the controlling, maneuverability of the hexacopter is
much easier. Hexacopter consist of 8 rotors of same pitch propellers: four in clockwise and four
in counterclockwise.

The motors are connected to an ESC (Electronic speed controller) which prevents the motors
from rotating at uneven speeds causing the drone to crash. This is controlled by the heart of the
system called a flight controller which is programmed in such a way that it can control the speed
of specific motors to allow for steering of the drone. The hexacopter is provided with an
enclosure to house the relief material in so that the center of gravity is maintained during flight
and the swinging of the weight under the drone doesn’t interrupt the flight or the flight path.

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 ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF HEXACOPTERS

ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES
MAINTAINING SAFE ENVIRONMENT LEGISLATIVE UNCERTAINTY

COST SAVING TECHNOLOGY SAFETY

QUALITY OF AERIAL IMAGING SOFTWARE ISSUES OR

MALFUNCTION

EASY CONTROLLABLE OR DEPLOYABLE VULNERABLE TO WILD ANIMALS

MINIMIZES OBVIOUS DANGER AND SPYING

HEALTH RISKS

IN-DEPTH AND DETAIL DATA INPLACE EASY TO HACK

REACH HAZARDOUS AREA WEATHER DEPENDENT

Quick response to disaster KNOWLEDGE AND SKILL

Immediate provision of medical or any DATA TRANSFER SPEED IS SLOW

other need
Eliminates the need for human Time of flight due to restriction in
intervention therefore minimizing loss weight & charge/capacity of
of life in harsh conditions battery

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 Chapter – 3

DESIGN OF THE
HEXACOPTER

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DESIGN OF S550 FRAME
(SCALED DOWN)

ISOMETRIC VIEWS

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 DETAILED TOP-VIEW

This is a scaled-down Hexacopter Frame design which employs 6 arms to get into the air.
There are several advantages of a hexacopter frame over a quadcopter one.
For 6 arms, of course, there are more motors with a hexacopter meaning more power,
meaning bigger batteries. This increase in batteries leads to an increase in flight time,
which is also advantageous. Due to these extra motors, a hexacopter is also more stable
than your quadcopter equivalent.
Another great advantage of using a hexacopter is if for any reason a quadcopter loses a
motor, it goes down but with a hexacopter, on the other hand, in the majority of cases
you will be able to land safely with one or maybe even two motors down; an extra inbuilt
guarantee on safety of the payload or occupant.
The S550 or 550mm frame is strong, light, and have a sensible configuration including a
PCB (Printed Circuit Board) with which an ESC can be directly soldered to the Quadcopter.
So, making the Quadcopter build integrated and weight efficient. This also avoids the use
of extra PDB (Power Distribution Board) and makes the mounting clean and neat.

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The S550 Hexacopter Frame is a highly flexible frame during the mounting of various
components like flight controller, battery, etc.
The S550 hexacopter frame is an excellent strong lightweight Hexacopter frame with
carbon fiber landing gear and a built-in the printed circuit board (PCB) for neat and easy
wiring. The added lift capacity of a hex configuration makes this frame for carrying larger
payloads such as first aid, relief material, camera systems and other components. This
makes for an exceptional design or simply a very agile and powerful multi-rotor frame for
versatile maneuvering
The propeller arrangement on the arm motors with respect to the direction of rotation of
the motors and blade profile (CW/ CCW) relative to the forward/nose direction (in Yellow)
of the frame, is given in the figure below.

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 Chapter – 4

COMPONENTS OF
THE HEXACOPTER

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The frame has the wheelbase of 550mm and whole frame kit weighs around 760gm. It
features mounting tabs at the front and rear end on the bottom plate of the mainframe
for mounting cameras and other accessories. The major functional components required
are listed below.

Brushless DC Motors

1. Motor KV: 920 RPM/V.

2. Motor Rotation: CW.
3. Thrust: Around 0.5 kg
4. LiPO Batteries: 3S-4S
5. ESC: 30 A
6. Shaft Diameter: 6 mm

Brushless motors are known as electronically commutated motors and this magnetic
system means they don’t use the typical brushes found in brushed motors, making them
much more durable and powerful.

All serious drones come with brushless motors, because they are superior in most ways,
but also more expensive.

Pros and cons of brushless motors

PROS

 Last much longer

 Durability is considerably enhanced
 Don’t heat as fast
 More powerful
 They don’t require maintenance

CONS

 They are more expensive than the brushed motors

 They are usually larger than brushed ones

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CW & CCW Propellers

Propellers are devices that transform rotary motion into linear thrust. The drone
propeller provides lift for the aircraft by spinning and creating an airflow, which results
in a pressure difference between the top and bottom surfaces of the propeller. Propellers
made of Glass fiber can be up to 3 inches, 3 inches to 7 inches, 8 inches to 10 inches, 11
Inch and above along with Propeller accessories. Carbon Fiber Propeller are also used if
additional weight reduction and extra strength is required.

The diagrams above show two types of propellers: clockwise/CW (called pushers) and
counterclockwise/CCW (called pullers). The most reliable to recognize the correct
propeller type by its shape as shown below. The thicker edge is the leading edge which
moves in the direction of rotation. The trailing edge is more radical scalloped and usually
thinner.

Electronic Speed Controller (ESC)

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Electronic speed controllers (ESCs) are devices that allow drone flight controllers to
control and adjust the speed of the aircraft’s electric motors. A signal from the flight
controller causes the ESC to raise or lower the voltage to the motor as required, thus
changing the speed of the propeller. Multirotor drones may have an ESC for each rotor, or
an integrated device that handles all the rotors with one system. Many drone ECSs are
designed as a system-on-chip (SoC), which means that all components, such as the
microcontroller and power management unit, are integrated into a single module. This
saves space and weight, making it an ideal solution for SWaP (size, weight and power)
constrained UAVs.

Electronic Speed Controls can also handle active or regenerative braking, a process by
which a motor’s mechanical energy is converted into electrical energy that can be used to
recharge the drone’s battery. During periods where the drone is decelerating, the motor
can act as a generator, and the ESC handles the excess current that can be fed back into
the battery.

Flight Controller

The flight controller is the brain of a drone. A small box filled with intelligent electronics
and software, which monitors and controls everything the drone does. Flight controllers
also vary in sizes and complexity. Its main functions are given below.

• Perception (sensing) - The flight controller is connected to a set of sensors which give
information about like its height, orientation, and speed. Common sensors include an
Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) for determining the angular speed and acceleration, a
barometer for the height, and distance sensors for detecting obstacles.

• Controlling - The flight controller uses the data gathered by the sensors to calculate the
desired speed for each of the four motors. The flight controller sends this desired speed
to the Electronic Speed Controllers (ESC’s), which translates this desired speed into a
signal that the motors can understand.

• Communicating - A key part of a flight controller is communication where the various

sensor information is transmitted for a pilot’s reference. For example, an obvious thing to
communicate is its battery level, which can decide if a pilot wants to fly further or return
to the charge.

But communication goes further than from flight controller to human pilot; with the
entrance of auto-pilot programs in the drone industry, flight controllers need to
communicate with other computer systems about its flight destination and how to get
there. Communication is mostly done with wi-fi and radio frequencies right now, but
cellular solutions are also already in use.

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TYPICAL WIRING DIAGRAM OF A FLIGHT CONTROLLER

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Batteries

Multicopters require on-board batteries to power their operation. Lithium polymer (LiPo)
batteries are among the most common battery types used for drones because they offer
the advantage of high energy density in relation to their size and weight, with a higher
voltage per cell, so they can power the drone’s on-board systems with fewer cells than
other rechargeables. They also discharge more slowly than other types, so they’ll hold a
charge longer when not in use. However, if not charged or used properly, they can’t
provide peak performance for long and can even begin to smoke and catch fire.

GPS Module

GPS drones are equipped with a GPS module that allows them to know their location
relative to a network of orbiting satellites. Connecting to signals from these satellites
allows the drone to perform functions such as position hold, autonomous flight, return to
home, and waypoint navigation.

GPS modules any flight controllers with GPS systems built-in. GPS systems allow you to
plot your flight plan ahead of time and perform actions based on precise location data.
Automate and set safeguards with GPS systems.

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Transmitter/Controller

A Drone Radio Transmitter is an electronic device that uses radio signals to transmit
commands wirelessly via a set radio frequency over to the Radio Receiver, which is
connected to the drone being remotely controlled. In other words, it’s the device that
translates the pilot's commands into the movement of the multirotor. An FPV Drone Radio
Transmitter transmits commands via channels. Each channel is an individual action being
sent to the aircraft.

1. Roll. Moves your drone left or right in the air, literally “rolling” your drone.

2. Pitch. Tilts your drone forward or backward.

3. Yaw. Rotates your drone clockwise or counterclockwise, allowing you to make circles or
patterns in the air.

4. Throttle. Controls the amount of power sent to your drone, which makes the drone go
faster or slower.

Receiver unit

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The receiver on a drone is an electronic device that uses built-in antennas to receive
radio signals from the drone controller.

But the receiver doesn’t just receive signals from the drone controller. It also interprets
the signals and converts them into alternating current pulses.

This information is then sent to the flight control board, or flight controller, which puts
the information into action by controlling the drone as indicated by the original radio
signals.

Detailed Bill of Materials, Parts and Variants used (BOM)

1 x S550 Hexacopter Frame

3 x 2212 920KV Brushless DC Motor with Black Cap (CW)
3 x 2212 920KV Brushless DC Motor with Silver Cap (CCW)
3 x 1045(10X4.5) ABS DJI Black 1CW+1CCW-(1pair)
6 x ReadytoSky 40A Opto ESCs
1 x Pixhawk 2.4.8 Flight Controller1
1 x Pixhawk I2C Port Expand Board with Cable with casing
1 x Mini OSD for Pixhawk Flight Controller with Cable
1 x Pixhawk PPM Encoder Module with cable
1 x Ublox NEO-M8N GPS Module with Compass
1 x 4 GB MicroSD Card with Adapter
1 x GPS Module mounting stand
1 x LiPo Battery Voltage Checker 1S-8S with Buzzer
1 x Antivibration shock absorber for Pixhawk FC
1 x Pixhawk Power Module with XT60 connector
1 x 30cm Lipo Battery Strap Belt Reusable Cable Tie Wrap

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 Chapter – 5

FIELD
APPLICATIONS

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In 2017, the world saw 335 natural disasters, affecting over 95.6 million people and
resulting in 9 697 deaths and nearly EUR 300 billion in damages. 2017 also saw many
emergencies first responders leverage the power of drones to quickly locate victims and
get them the support they needed. From earthquakes to forest fires, hurricanes to floods,
drones are revolutionizing disaster response efforts and helping to save lives. But this is
just the tip of the iceberg. To truly benefit from the full potential of drones, their use
needs to be backed by an efficient, structured operating system. This needs to be capable
of processing data in real time and providing objective information for critical decision-
making.

MAV systems will disrupt mapping for the incidents and emergencies market, carving out
a new niche of integrated management systems with real-time 3D mapping and
georeferenced data. More importantly, it will make disaster management operations
safer, faster and more efficient than ever.

The challenge is in the wake of a natural disaster such as a hurricane, flood, or fire, it’s
often difficult for first responders to assess the damage and provide aid to the most
devastated areas. Although traditional manned aircraft and satellites can provide support
in mapping the devastation, traditional aircraft can be very costly and satellite imagery

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often doesn’t meet the high-resolution needs. And both solutions are typically slow to
deploy.

Aerial vehicles can provide an alternative solution to survey the damage and allocate
resources more quickly and efficiently. After Hurricane Harvey devastated the Houston
area, drones were deployed to assess flood and structural damage to homes, roads,
bridges, power lines, oil and gas facilities, and office buildings. The aerial footage helped
monitor levees, predict further flooding, and estimate how long certain areas would be
underwater.

More efficient water rescue missions

When roads are flooded and conditions are too dangerous, Aerial vehicles can also aid in
delivering life jackets and ropes to rescue displaced residents in high waters.
Traditionally, emergency teams have used tactical vehicles and boats to navigate rough
water and debris, but this is often a risky, time-consuming process. Aerial vehicles can
enable a faster, safer approach to identify and assist victims with the most urgent needs
until emergency teams are able to reach them. For residents that haven’t been displaced,
food, water, and medical supplies can be delivered to support their needs until it’s safe to
access them.

Faster response to emergency calls in rural areas

When responding to emergency calls, emergency vehicles always run the risk of being
held up by traffic, especially in urban areas. But rural areas have their challenges
too. Research shows callers in rural areas wait twice as long for an ambulance. On
average, there’s a 13-minute wait in rural areas compared to a 6-minute wait in the city
or suburbs and 10% of callers in rural areas wait 30 minutes for an ambulance to arrive.

In the not-too-distant future, multicopters will help solve these challenges by

transporting patients to hospitals, bypassing roadway traffic altogether and reaching
rural areas more quickly. Often called air taxis, these electric vertical takeoff and landing
(eVTOL) vehicles are designed to autonomously transport people. They’re cleaner, safer,
and quieter than traditional aircraft.

Advantages of MAV’s

 Less exposure by disaster workers, claims adjusters and risk engineers to

unnecessary danger.
 Enhanced effectiveness of responders.
 Unique viewing angles not possible from manned aircraft.
 Highly deployable.
 Cost-efficiency.

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Functional Benefits of MAV’s

 Reconnaissance and Mapping;

 Structural Assessment;

 Temporary Infrastructure / Supply Delivery;

 Wildfire Detection and Extinguishing;

 High-Rise Building Fire Response;

 Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear or Explosive (CBRNE) Event;

 Search and Rescue Operations;

 Insurance Claims Response and Risk Assessment.

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 Chapter – 6

FLIGHT TEST
RESULTS

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Maximum Ceiling Height
Due to legal flight regulation of aerial vehicles, the maximum tested height of our drone is 500m.
The drone was tested in private land.

Maximum Frame Capacity

The maximum tested payload of our scaled down drone frame is 3kg. Approximate scaled up
payload proportionally would be about 80kg.

Maximum Flight Time

The maximum flight time of our scaled down drone is 30min due limitation of our battery size at
3300mah. A bigger design would allow for battery of greater capacity allowing for longer flight
time.

Maximum Radio Range

The maximum radio range of our scaled down drone is 5km. Due limitation in land area. A bigger
design would allow for battery of greater capacity allowing for greater range.

Using a computerized ground control and compass would also allow for unlimited range.

Maximum Thrust
The maximum tested payload of each motor is 0.5kg each providing a total thrust of 3kg
approximate all up Weight of 1.5kg. A scaled-up design would make use of thrust equal to 50kg per
motor.

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 Chapter – 7

CONCLUSION

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The performance of our designs proves that it is capable of carrying a payload capacity of
up to 80kgs if scaled up proportionally. It also shows us that the performance of the vehicle
mainly depends on the weight to be carried, height at which it flies and the weather
conditions it is meant to fly in.

On comparing its versatility w.r.t helicopters and small drones this proved to be highly
efficient and cost effective. It bridged the gap between the small drone and a helicopter
mainly in terms of size of material to be carried. It also greatly reduced the risk of crashing
a helicopter into flames and also the wind blast caused by the rotating of its propellers.

Since the hexacopter is versatile enough to function with or without a human being’s
physical presence in it, the hexacopter could maneuver in harsh and tight spaces without
risking life but still reaching relief material to its destination.

By using low-cost material this project proved to be very cost effective without
compromising on its performance.

Therefore, every design manufactured has its own pros and cons. Similarly, even the
manned hexa-copter has its pros and cons but at the same time fixes the cons of much
other machinery and therefore making it a more cost effective more practical design to
work with and will soon be the future of search and rescue and disaster management and
many other purposes apart from this.

Future Modifications and Enhancements We Would Like to Make to the Design;

 Weather proofing exposed material to increase its productivity

 Safety features for a situation in which a human being will be flying in it.
 Upgrading the motors with a heavy lift/ high payload design.
 Installation of a camera
 Installation of housing for human being
 Encasing the framework and its components with a body shell
 Installation of soft-landing mechanism
 Adding a safety feature to safely land the vehicle in case the battery drains out mid-
flight.
 Higher payload capacity to increase the battery size thereby increasing time of flight.

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 Chapter – 8

BIBLIOGRAPHY

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KEYWORDS

MAV, S550, drones, natural disasters, emergency first responders,

geopositioning, mapping, emergency response, disaster response

REFERENCES
 https://www.wired.com/2017/01/chinas-launching-drones-fight-back-
earthquakes/
 New technology for drone-based emergency response missions |
DRONECOP Project | Results in brief | H2020 | CORDIS | European
Commission (europa.eu)
 https://www.airbornedrones.co/airborne-drones-reports-on-in-depth-
study-reveals-how-drones-can-help-in-all-phases-of-a-disaster/
 https://www.nepad.org/blog/birds-eye-view-application-of-drone-
technology-rapid-disaster-response-management

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