Drone
Flappy
Meet Flappy: The future of next-generation UAVs
Slappy is McGill Robotics’ newest drone, aiming to combine winged flight with quadcopter hover capabilities through a custom hybrid frame.
Identifying drop zones, delivering payloads safely, and avoiding other drones and obstacles, McGill Robotics’ Flappy will be the most capable McGill Robotics drone to date.
Drone Divisions
Flappy
Electrical
The Electrical Division focuses on battery design, communication hardware, and power management and distribution. The system includes student-designed PCBs and firmware to allow the different subsystems to function seamlessly with a Jetson computer. Members on the electrical division develop circuit design skills using Altium, through hole and SMT soldering skills, and embedded software development skills.
Flappy
Software
The software division is responsible for designing the computer vision framework, a precise control system, and communication between the team on the ground and electrical components, as well as an obstacle detection and avoidance system while in the air. Next, they develop comprehensive simulations that test various systems such as mission planning, vision, controls etc., to ensure the reliability of the system.
Flappy
Mechanical
In the mechanical division, we strive for continuous improvement of the structure of the drone. The designs undergo multiple iterations of CADing, prototyping, and testing before being implemented into the final product. Simulations also constitute an integral part of the design process to verify that the components meet our requirements and ensure good integration with the work of other divisions. We use a variety of technologies, such as plastic and metal 3D printing and carbon fiber casting, to optimize the functionality of the drone. Through the collective efforts of the whole division, we aim for maximum mobility, durability, and stability throughout the competition.
Team Behind The Machine
Over the course of the school year, our team of talented engineers has worked tirelessly to produce a drone to represent our team at this year’s Student Unmanned Aerial Systems Competition. Spanning three different sub-divisions of Mechanical, Electrical, and Software, the students who bonded together to develop and design Flappy are truly some of the most dedicated and exceptional students that McGill has to offer.