Developers at Parrot wanted to improve the quality of video captured during drone flight. Because drones usually vibrate while flying, camera image quality suffers.

The Parrot Bebop 2 leisure drone combines robustness and reliability in a lightweight and compact structure. It is powerful, stable, and maneuverable even in extreme conditions. Piloting is intuitive and easy. Seven sensors collect data that are analyzed and merged by the onboard computer, which has impressive calculation capability for its size.

Bebop 2 integrates a front facing camera. The pilot can digitally change the angle of the camera by 180° by just sliding a finger on the screen of the piloting device.

Algorithms digitally stabilize the camera on three axes, so images are bright, perfectly stable and without distortion regardless of the drone movements.

But to get to that point, the engineers analyzed experimental designs using FE model analysis to fine-tune the drone design. The first Bebop 2 structure was built on injected parts made with polyamide based glass reinforced composite material.

Then, the engineers turned to Windform GT from CRP Technology. They established the natural frequencies of the parts made with Windform GT, which were quite similar to parts made by an injection molding technique applied to glass fiber reinforced polyamide. The engineers were also able to evaluate structure toughness. Windform GT proved a suitable material for 3D Printing, as it came through the “accidental” fall tests the engineers conducted.  They were able to use Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) technology in collaboration with CRP Technology to optimize the structure.  The Bebop 2 parts in Windform GT are the main structure (central body) and all singles arms.

The engineers liked that additive manufacturing enabled them to make small batches. The Windform GT material gave them the mechanical properties needed to provide functional products with good aesthetics features.

PARROT
www.parrot.com

CRP Technology
www.crp-group.com
www.windform.com