MIT researchers create software that lets users design their own custom drones

There is a limited variety of commercially available drones. Typically, these drones have an even number of rotors, and upward facing blades. There is a one size fits all approach when it comes to commercial drones, which may be less suitable for ultra-specific purposes. An odd number of rotors for example, could allow an on board camera more field of view, or carry parcels of atypical shapes. [caption id=“attachment_351509” align=“aligncenter” width=“640”] A four-rotor “bunnycopter” developed at MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory features propellers at different heights.
Image: Jason Dorfman/MIT CSAIL[/caption] The Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) at MIT has developed a software that allows users to rapidly prototype drones of many sizes and shapes, and for various purposes. Users can pick payload capacity, cost of the drone, flight time, battery usage, shape of the drone and other factors to design the drone. The software has a simulation environment to test out the drone, and verify that it can actually fly in the real world. Working out whether a drone will actually fly is a time consuming process, which has required a trial and error approach so far. PhD student Tao Du said “Developing multicopters like these that are actually flyable involves a lot of trial-and-error, tweaking the balance between all the propellers and rotors. It would be more or less impossible for an amateur user, especially one without any computer-science background.” The software demonstrated its capabilities with the creation of a bunnycopter, an irregularly shaped drone.

The software compartmentalises the complex problem of controlling drones of irregular geometries, by solving each part of the problem separately. A database of parts can be used to put together a drone, including rotors, rods and propellers. The software guarantees that the fabricated drones will be able to fly. A controller uses the characteristics of the drone, to figure out an appropriate flight plan. This is the first interactive system to design a drone that incorporates both control and geometry.