Modder Builds World’s Smallest FPV Drone, Simply Slips Right into a Pringles Can

Sam, aka the Hoarder Sam, enjoys disassembling and rebuilding issues to make them higher or smaller. His most up-to-date effort is a 22mm first-person view (FPV) quadcopter that began off as a BetaFPV Air65, a tiny drone measuring 65mm from motor to motor. Nevertheless, he most popular one thing considerably smaller. The tip result’s a drone so tiny that it matches in a Pringles can however flies with the identical confidence as its bigger counterpart.

Sam’s thought began with an idea from a number of years again known as the “bone drone”, a design the place propellers overlap to shrink the body. These drones formed like a canine bone prioritise narrowness to navigate tight areas. He took this concept and ran with it, compressing the Air65 structure to the acute. By overlapping all 4 propellers he diminished the motor to motor distance to simply 22mm – a 3rd of the unique measurement.

Sam utilized SolidWorks to mannequin each element of this drone, together with the motors, flying controller, digicam, and body, so he didn’t waste time guessing. The body was 3D printed in purple PLA on a Bambu Mini with a layer peak of 0.12mm. The flight controller is sandwiched between two plates, and the motors are bolted to offset mounting plates to permit propeller overlap. There are not any overhangs or helps—simply clear printable geometry that anybody with a fundamental 3D printer can copy. The battery is a Lava 300 or the shorter Lava 260, and it matches diagonally right into a friction match holder. A small cutout permits entry to the flight controller’s USB connector for tweaking. Your complete setup, together with the digicam, weighs 25 g.

Sam disassembled the Air65 and thoroughly positioned the tiny screws in an aluminum tray. Motors had been faraway from the unique body, and propellers had been gently twisted off to stop bending. The drone’s coronary heart, the flight controller, was aligned with the brand new body’s USB cutout and secured with custom-trimmed M2 rubber standoffs. Motors had been put in at precise angles, with wiring and antennas routed to attenuate snags. Some holes needed to be hand drilled with a 1.2mm bit to ensure that screws went in neatly; Sam’s Bambu Mini wasn’t precisely calibrated, however he was affected person. The digicam was a repurposed Air65 module mounted on a tiny arm on the brand new body. Each step required tweezers, calm arms, and a willingness to do delicate labor.

Flying this drone is the place issues get wild. The propellers are crammed in on high of one another, leaving no room for guards, making takeoff and touchdown a nerve-racking expertise. Sam opted to attempt hand-launching, which is a nerve-racking maneuver that requires a fragile contact to maintain the throttle underneath management. Nevertheless, preliminary exams revealed slightly challenge: the motors had been spinning within the incorrect route, and the flight controller was merely not studying the proper orientation – by 45 levels, no much less. A quick look in Betaflight Configurator corrected the motor order and elevated the yaw to 315 levels, indicating that the drone was flying within the right route. After this variation, it flew surprisingly nicely – pitch and roll appeared agency sufficient, however yaw was everywhere, implying that some PID tuning was so as. By way of flight time, the Lava 300 usually lasted 2 to three minutes, which is simply 30 seconds shorter than the traditional Air65. The Lava 260, compared, diminished the drone’s flying time to roughly 1 minute 40 seconds, which is a value to pay for such a small measurement.

Sam’s acquired you lined if you wish to do that your self, because the 3D fashions are free to obtain from MakerWorld. What you’ll actually need is a gradual hand, a 3D printer that gained’t play up on you, and a willingness to wrestle with Betaflight.
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