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TechJect Dragonfly UAV

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This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Smcnally75 (talk | contribs) at 17:58, 8 September 2015 (Changed instances of "Is" and "Will" to more appropriate descriptors for a device that does not currently exist. Added a "Controversy" section to people are aware of what the contributors have been going through with this campaign.). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

The Robot Dragonfly (Trademark) is a miniaturized four-winged ornithopter UAV designed and manufactured by TechJect. The Dragonfly is designed for: aerial photography, interactive gaming, autonomous patrolling for security and surveillance, etc.[1]

Development of the hobbyist version was funded via an Indiegogo campaign. The initial deliveries were estimated to occur in July 2013 but currently a production prototype has not been developed and large scale production runs are unlikely to begin until 2017. Research and development is still underway.

Design

The unit as currently envisioned and being prototyped is a miniaturized four-winged ornithopter which uses a flight model based on that of a dragonfly. This is the first palm sized miniaturized ornithopter to be prototyped to exhibit powerful actuation at small sizes, while other larger versions have been produced. (see e.g., the DelFly [2][3]), the Dragonfly is the first to make use of multiple models, each customizable with multiple options, such as wifi connectivity.[4][5]

Technical specifications

The Dragonfly may be equipped with one of three different electronics packages. These could include the Marc-Basic, Marc-2, and Marc-3. Each one is more capable than the preceding model, culminating in the Marc-3, which is equipped with approximately twenty different sensors. In addition, all models are planned to be built to have camera capability, including stereoscopic vision through dual cameras (available with the Marc-3). HD vision is optional. Power is planned to be provided from a single-cell Li-Po battery rated at 250mAh. The actuator system for the wings could be based on either magnetic solenoidal actuators (Alpha model - Retired for now) or a Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) for the Delta, Gamma, and Omega models. With a final goal weight of ~25g and a length of 6", the micro UAV is expected to hover for ~8–10 minutes, with a hybrid flight time (hovering and fixed-wing gliding) of ~25–30 minutes.[6] However, the technology is still under development and updated specs are not released yet.

Cameras and Sensors

The Dragonfly is reported to have the ability to be equipped with up to twenty environmental sensors (including GPS and cameras), dependent on electronics package. At minimum, the unit is reported to come equipped with a 3-axis accelerometer and a 3-axis gyroscope as is required for controlled flight through inertial guidance. At most, the unit is currently envisioned to equip approximately 20 sensors, including 3-axis accelerometers, 3-axis gyroscopes, 3-axis magnetometers, an ambient light sensor, an ambient humidity sensor, and a differential/absolute pressure sensor. Further sensor packages may become available in the future.[7]

Controversy

In May, 2015, contributors noticed that comments were being deleted from the campaign page at a rapid rate. One contributor had saved an earlier version of the comments section, ran it through comparison software, and found that a very large number of comments had been deleted from the campaign page over the course of 1-2 weeks. When confronted about this, TechJect claimed that they had no part in the deletion of comments and that Indiegogo will delete comments that are offensive in nature. The results from the file comparison were sent to the Indiegogo "Trust and Safety" department for review. On May 28th, a Trust and Saftey representative responded and said "Open communication is essential in crowdfunding and the deletion of legitimate concerns and questions does not contribute to this. As such we have removed this campaign owner's ability to delete comments on their campaign.". [8] TechJect still claims that they had no part in it, and they also claim that their ability to delete comments have not been removed.

On August 27th, 2015 (25 months after the estimates ship date), TechJect sent a campaign update to all of those who supported and funded their Robot Dragonfly. This update informed the campaign supporter that they would like to offer small quad-rotors with the Marc electronics in them since they have not been able to successfully produce a flying Dragonfly unit to date. [9] Supporters were upset by this, so TechJect responded by offering a 5% refund for any contributes that were interested. TechJect has repeatedly placed the blame for their inability to produce the dragonfly on both Indiegogo, and PayPal, stating that funds were withheld and that PayPal acted as the campaign CFO. [10] [11] [12]

See also

References

  1. ^ "TechJect Inc."
  2. ^ "Delfly Ornithopter"
  3. ^ "Delfly Article"
  4. ^ "Gizmag Article"
  5. ^ "CIA Dragonfly Drone"
  6. ^ "TechJect Dragonfly Indiegogo page"
  7. ^ "Dragonfly Electronics Detail"
  8. ^ "Indiegogo Complaint Conversation"
  9. ^ "Robot Dragonfly - Micro Aerial Vehicle - Updates". Indiegogo. Retrieved 8 September 2015.
  10. ^ https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/robot-dragonfly-micro-aerial-vehicle/x/1769342#/comments "Robot Dragonfly - Micro Aerial Vehicle - Comments"
  11. ^ CFO Comment "https://www.dropbox.com/s/am7632fcmuxucuv/PayPal_CFO.png?dl=0"
  12. ^ Funding Comment "https://www.dropbox.com/s/u3pwxg0uj3g4hxu/Funding%20Issues.png?dl=0"
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