Drone Delivery Container
AUG 2019 - DEC 2019
In our first year design class, four of my classmates and I were tasked with creating a drone delivery container that could carry medical supplies to remote locations. Our client informed us of design constraints relating to weight, payload, capacity, and waterproofing, and our objectives related to durability, cost, temperature, and ease of use.
The design blocks created by the team were: payload protection, shape, protection of contents, operability, and durability. Two rounds of brainstorming were completed to generate many ideas, and the ideas were distilled down to one final solution using a decision making process that consisted of completing a Pugh screening matrix, a morph chart, and a Pugh scoring matrix.
The chosen solution idea was characterized by using a box shape, a zipper, an aluminum liner, an inner pocket made of foam, a hard shell, and rubber corners. The inner pocket would hold the medical supplies, which are Narcan, insulin, and an AED. I created a preliminary sketch of our final solution to communicate how I interpreted our chosen design and to ensure all of the team members were on the same page.
An early prototype was quickly developed by the team. After reflecting on issues in this design, we planned a new design that would satisfy all of our constraints and objectives.
The changes included replacing the zipper with another mechanism that would make the container easier to open for all users, ensuring that waterproof material covered every seam, and improving the insulation material to passively maintain the temperature in the container.
Our second iteration of the container is seen in the three figures below. The medical supplies are held in each of the pockets in the inner foam.
Scroll for interior view of container →
We then refined our second iteration for our next design. Our third and final final prototype uses velcro for the opening mechanism, a nylon casing, Insul-bright thermal lining, and inner foam. An acrylic sheet was laser-cut and bent to create a lid, which would further protect the interior from the elements. We proposed using a two flap cover mechanism to ensure the container was fully waterproof from all angles.
We presented our final design to students and faculty in the school of engineering, and our final poster is shown below.
