Posted by D. Seeley on September 1, 2008 at 6:28pm
Hello DIY Drones community. I am posting here in the hopes of interesting many of you in a project and soliciting expert advice.Our design firm has been asked to create a spectacular experience in a large indoor dome structure as a permanent installation. The budget is too small to consider large built structures, so we have turned our creative minds towards inflatable objects.Our current research direction is a fleet of autonomous blimps that behave as an emergent system. The overall creative goal would be to evoke creatures in a menagerie or aviary. They might be brightly colored, have abstract shapes, and would have a range of personalities. We are not so much interested in showcasing mini airships, but rather employing them in service to a larger creative goal.We propose these specs:- 2-8' in diameter- able to fly a 100' distance 10 times per hour- live in a dome 120' wide and 120' tall with no wind currents- must stay at least 12' above the ground at all times- locative system or good sensor package to achieve the aboveThis is a permanent installation. It's clear to us that some maintenance and "airship wrangling" will be necessary to keep the fleet working, we need a better idea of just how much work is involved. Our primary questions are these:- How much and how often is attention required to maintain neutral buoyancy?- How often will helium recharges be necessary?- How long do the bladders last in weeks or months?- How long might a battery pack last given the above flight mission?- Is it realistic to guarantee that the ships will never go below 12'?- Is it realistic to design automated docking and inductive charging?... And a thousand other questions that will immediately be raised by this informed group.We are serious about this idea and want to see it happen. We're committed to the learning and research that would be necessary to achieve it. Any input you can offer is greatly appreciated.Many Thanks,Damon SeeleyElectrolandhttp://electroland.net
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I wonder if another material would decrease helium leakage. Is the leaking primarily because of a valve interface or due to micro holes in the materials?
Sounds like batteries are going to be a major issue. I like the idea of super-sizing the fleet and limiting the numbers in operation at once. I bet we can realize economy of scale in manufacturing that would make this feasible.
If you're using mylar envelopes like ours, you'll probably need to top off the helium at least once every 48 hours. But the envelopes can last for months if not years.
If you're using 52" envelopes like ours, the biggest battery you can hold is about 300mah, which will last about an hour with good power management. I've got no idea how to do automated docking and inductive charging with a blimp--those are really hard problems. It might be easier to have a robotic hook that can grab a wire loop that the blimps trail beneath them, and then somehow charge via that wire.
Staying 12' above the ground is also a bit tricky, since that's beyond the range of our ultrasonic sensors. Maybe laser rangefinding?
Replies
I wonder if another material would decrease helium leakage. Is the leaking primarily because of a valve interface or due to micro holes in the materials?
Sounds like batteries are going to be a major issue. I like the idea of super-sizing the fleet and limiting the numbers in operation at once. I bet we can realize economy of scale in manufacturing that would make this feasible.
If you're using 52" envelopes like ours, the biggest battery you can hold is about 300mah, which will last about an hour with good power management. I've got no idea how to do automated docking and inductive charging with a blimp--those are really hard problems. It might be easier to have a robotic hook that can grab a wire loop that the blimps trail beneath them, and then somehow charge via that wire.
Staying 12' above the ground is also a bit tricky, since that's beyond the range of our ultrasonic sensors. Maybe laser rangefinding?