SQUID Foldable Drone Can Be Launched from 50mph Moving Vehicles

Meet the SQUID: a multirotor that is launched from a tube and opens mid-air to achieve stable flight. It doesn’t need a stationary takeoff pad as the below video shows. That means the drone can be launched away from high value assets. As researchers from Caltech and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) explain, the design is 3D printable.

The drone transitions to open mode via passive unfolding multirotor arms triggered by a nichrome burn wire release mechanism. The design has been tested from moving a vehicle up to 50mph.

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