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Inspire The Pond Scater ...

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Amphibious drone, another words ... Unsinkable, with advanced landing gear ... Whatever, this is a DIY mod, not available commercially. It was developed to allow for take-off and landing on water or rough surfaces, where hand launching or catching is not a viable option. It works beyond expectations, I must proudly state ...
 
Very cool.

While I do not need to land and takeoff on the water I do like to film from over the water and to cross over water. When I do so I get a little nervous. Your solution would reduce my fears. Seems that even a crash or loss of control would result in at least being able to retrieve my inspire.

I hope you post more details. Also do your floats get in the shots at all?
 
Very cool.

While I do not need to land and takeoff on the water I do like to film from over the water and to cross over water. When I do so I get a little nervous. Your solution would reduce my fears. Seems that even a crash or loss of control would result in at least being able to retrieve my inspire.

I hope you post more details. Also do your floats get in the shots at all?
Dave, there's no device able to protect any aircraft when crash landing happen, no matter what surface lies below ... You must know this brutal truth. Said that, yes, my system will keep the wreckage on water surface until the rescue boat arrives. The floats can be secured to Inspire's main frame with piano wire or fish line, although I consider this approach to be an overkill.

Obviously the attachment eliminates raising arms feature of Inspire, leaving Free gimbal mode useless. However, I've found no problem whatsoever filming in Follow mode, and never seen the floats in frame so far. However, the luxury of flying above water without white knuckles costs about 5 minutes of time being lost, depend on weather conditions ...
 
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Obviously the attachment eliminates raising arms feature of Inspire
That is too bad because it flies better with the arms raised, specially when the floats are raised.
And what if you accidentally hit the landing gear switch, or the software suddenly decides to raise it? Wouldn't it damage the landing gear mechanism or the float attachment?
 
That is too bad because it flies better with the arms raised, specially when the floats are raised.
And what if you accidentally hit the landing gear switch, or the software suddenly decides to raise it? Wouldn't it damage the landing gear mechanism or the float attachment?
VPS system is disabled and landing gear toggle switch is secured with sticky tape, therefore the software has no chance to execute any commands related to the raising arms mechanism, either accidental or automated ...
Your cute "noodle" floats does exactly what you need to relax white knuckles grip on RC when flying low over water. Mine, more advanced system was developed with different goals in mind: landing on rough water or terrain (high grass, rocky surface, sloped etc.), operating the drone off the boat etc. It passed abrupt emergency landings (Critically Low Battery) on water with no issues whatsoever. It's mounted only when needed and dismounted right after.
 
That is extremely cool. I've always been reluctant to conduct low alt flights over my lake -- if nothing else you have Inspired me. Curious what your bill of materials was for the mod (the four 2 liter bottles are obvious) and the attachment?
 
That is extremely cool. I've always been reluctant to conduct low alt flights over my lake -- if nothing else you have Inspired me. Curious what your bill of materials was for the mod (the four 2 liter bottles are obvious) and the attachment?
William, the material bill for such project is irrelevant, almost negligible. However, the research time on my side and labor involved was absurdly huge, I must confess. Once all testing of numerous versions and following improvements were done, the fabrication of final version in my hobby shop took approx. 50 hrs ... Said that, I don't mind to share more detailed information about (i.e. bottles are 1.7 L each), but this project is not for weekend warriors and requires skills, tools and determination ... "Some Assembly Required", another words, with assumption of supplying you with all pre-fabricated parts ...
 
William, the material bill for such project is irrelevant, almost negligible. However, the research time on my side and labor involved was absurdly huge, I must confess. Once all testing of numerous versions and following improvements were done, the fabrication of final version in my hobby shop took approx. 50 hrs ... Said that, I don't mind to share more detailed information about (i.e. bottles are 1.7 L each), but this project is not for weekend warriors and requires skills, tools and determination ... "Some Assembly Required", another words, with assumption of supplying you with all pre-fabricated parts ...

I'm not sure but between my mad scientist's precision work lab (pictured below)
IMG_2051[1].JPG
and my machine shop (not pictured) I could probably handle it. Mostly I'm curious about your attachment points and methods, and if you used carbon fiber tubing or something less elaborate. I'm sure you could make a living selling the rig if you "industrialized" it a bit, I know I'd certainly be interested!

Cheers

-W
 
I'm not sure but between my mad scientist's precision work lab (pictured below)
View attachment 9793
and my machine shop (not pictured) I could probably handle it. Mostly I'm curious about your attachment points and methods, and if you used carbon fiber tubing or something less elaborate. I'm sure you could make a living selling the rig if you "industrialized" it a bit, I know I'd certainly be interested!

Cheers

-W
OK, give me some time to cool down after summer vacations ... I'll post another video with more details to digest. You may see yet another video of similar device for Phantom I've developed as well ... I'm sure you can handle the assembly, judging just by the picture of your shop ... Anyway, the market for Inspire mod of this nature is too narrow to make a living, IMHO. Still, I'll be happy to help fellow hobbyists and enthusiasts ...

Let's stay in touch ...
Matthew.

 
Yes Matthew, know the feeling. You've given me the bug to try this myself. I already put some carbon fiber tubing on order. Will def keep you up to date. You're doing great work, keep it up.

Let's keep in touch.

Best,

-W
 
Yes Matthew, know the feeling. You've given me the bug to try this myself. I already put some carbon fiber tubing on order. Will def keep you up to date. You're doing great work, keep it up.

Let's keep in touch.

Best,

-W
William, to illustrate the difficulties you've just stumbled in I can tell you that in order to determine proper carbon tube sizes I made 4 separate purchases from Chinese suppliers until I get it right ... Good luck, brother ...
 
I'm actually thinking of something more elaborate that is detachable from the existing landing gear. I probably won't have your set of problems, just a wholly new set of ones... If what I have in mind works, it will look ridiculous. And require a lot of epoxy.

Cheers

-W
 
I'm actually thinking of something more elaborate that is detachable from the existing landing gear. I probably won't have your set of problems, just a wholly new set of ones... If what I have in mind works, it will look ridiculous. And require a lot of epoxy.

Cheers

-W
Here's yet another video showing more detailed imagery of my mod ... for other geeks like myself ...
 
Your cute "noodle" floats does exactly what you need to relax white knuckles grip on RC when flying low over water.
Dobmatt, I was not trying to question your wonderful design only at the favour of my simple but 'cute' pool noodle design. Not at all. It's pure craftsmanship as it looks to me.

I just wanted to share the main concerns I had while deciding for a solution for floats:

I have thought about a very rigid construction, similar to what you came up with (by far not as good looking). But I decided it couldn't work because it would interfere with the raising mechanism, which I never trust since it is operated by radio signals and software, and we all know that radio signals sometimes can get messed up, as well as software.
What happens if your landing gear suddenly begins to raise? I have seen this happen a few times on different firmwares. I always have the auto gear switched off. But still. One time (only once, but still) it decided to raise while I was picking it up, nearly crushing my fingertip in the process. Maybe a rogue wifi signal? Maybe it was VPS related? Who knows. But there's no way to be sure that it will never happen again, on the ground or in the air. Unless you pull the plug from the gear servo. I guess that's what I would want to do if I would have to fly with floats that permanently block the gear mechanism.

Would it just stop, or would it crush the raising mechanism, the servo with worm wheel is producing quite some force. Have you tested that? I did not because the risk the gear becomes damaged is too big. Unless you make the construction self sacrificing in which case it wouldn't add a lot of extra rigidity.

Those were my thoughts. Maybe I'm overly cautious. I'm working to mitigate every known current risk, not introducing new ones, that's all.

Mine, more advanced system was developed with different goals in mind: landing on rough water or terrain (high grass, rocky surface, sloped etc.), operating the drone off the boat etc. It passed abrupt emergency landings (Critically Low Battery) on water with no issues whatsoever. It's mounted only when needed and dismounted right after.
My 'poodles' (yes they are cute aren't theyo_O) of course were 'developed' with exactly the same in mind. I have flown them first over land with a lot of gushy wind, after that over the water, they float high and stable, even on the windy lakes' short choppy waves, take 30 secs to mount or dismount, don't add much weight, are capable to crash and still keep the bird afloat (even one single poodle), lands perfectly in a auto land or RTH, on water, tall grass, snow (assumption, not tested yet), mud, sand, you name it. All that, with the landing gear still fully operational. I feel very comfortable to take off and land on (fresh) water bodies in moderate wind conditions now. And it flies almost the same as without, in moderate winds, the kind we normally prefer to shoot (sail)boats. With the gear raised they don't pop into view, only in fast tight turns between shots, that I cut out normally anyway.

While mine don't look good and are just pool noodles, they were crafted in less than an hour and do the job better than I ever expected.
 
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