Dan Meuse

In the process of designing, building, and upgrading my quadcopter, I learned how to optimize structural elements for easier maintenance, waterproof electrical systems, safely cut carbon fiber, and solder at a professional level. More importantly, my experience with working on and piloting the drone has taught me how to stay level-headed and confident in high stress situations. This drone is almost like a son to me, watching it grow with each round of upgrades, patching its wounds when it breaks. I don't think it will ever truly be 'done', and I like it that way.

This project taught me the fundamentals of 3D printer technology, printer operation, the pros and cons of different filament materials, and Autodesk Fusion360. I started off with a low quality file from Thingiverse, cut up and reattached parts of the mesh for aesthetic modifications, scaled it up to fit my head, and "re-meshed" it into a waterproof model. In the future, I plan to install an 18650 battery pack, several blower fans to defog the visor, gut a pair of electronic hearing amplified hunting earmuffs, and install them in the helmet, allowing me to hear better with the helmet on.

This project taught me how to effectively communicate with teammates, give constructive criticism, and develop creative solutions to bad situations. The structure and electronics for the robot were built & bought by a different team the previous year, thus we had to work with the constraints we inherited. I discovered that my practical experience with working on my drone made me a capable mechanical engineer, more so than many theory oriented 2nd & 3rd year students. Additionally, I learned how to lead an underperforming team in the right direction.