Search & Rescue 360° video harness for DJI Phantom

 

In the near future fleets of inexpensive drones will be deployed that spread out to autonomously scan a search area during life threatening search and rescue operations. Every hour of helicopter flight time costs SAR organisations thousands. Specialized drones can perform an array of tasks and adapt to any type of disaster situation.

 

This retrofitted Phantom drone is designed to fly high above and transmits a 360° view of the ocean or terrain using a reconfigurable arrangement of wide-angle cameras. The video feeds are stitched together and remotely monitored by specialized software. When signs of distress or debris are detected the computer system alerts a human operator. Visual confirmation is made through VR goggles and the exact GPS coordinates immediately sent to a response team. This low cost tool provides traditional rescue crews a direct path through hazardous conditions- saving time, money, and lives!

 

This 3D printed harness holds tight around the Phantom's sleek shell while not interfering with it's sensors and ports. The plastic frame provides watertight spaces for an optional battery pack, a long-range radio, and three LED strips. The harness secures reconfigurable cameras and lights that illuminate the surrounding environment, allowing search and rescue operations to carry on into the night.

 

 

• A configuration of four wide-angle cameras create a 180° spherical panorama of the ground.

• Up to six wide-angle cameras can be configured in a full 360° spherical panorama (the added weight may reduce flight time) (this novel configuration creates an unobstructed VR experience by eliminating the drone’s body and props from the 360° video capture!)

• Internal pockets provide space to extend battery life and wireless range

• This 3D printed frame is currently in Beta testing

• The current design prints in three parts and is permanently secured together around the body of the Phantom drone. Plastic clips could be used to secure the top and bottom halves together for quick installation and removal

Needed for assembly: 5-minute epoxy, 3D printable camera housings, rubber bands, M5-20mm mounting hardware , wide-angle cameras, optional 3mm and 5mm LEDs and electronics, optional long-range transmitter and antena upgrade, optional battery expansion

 

 

 

Preliminary entry into DJI’s 'Search and Rescue 3D Printing' Design Contest - June 2016 - Design by Taylor Hopkins

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