With 4 ducted fans, and some carbon fiber, I built a bladeless drone that I think is one of safest in the world. It uses 4, 90mm ducted fan propulsion units buried deep inside what I call a “bent tube” propulsor. The fifth “leg” is a parachute can. Hopefully I will never need it. With some help from my dad, we built the entire airframe primarily out of carbon fiber and some balsa wood. I bought all the electronics on line and was able to design the drone so that it would operate with a standard DJI multi rotor flight controller even though it doesn’t have vertically oriented propellers. With its top mesh installed its virtually impossible to get fingers and objects in contact with the blades. I submitted a patent application, and it has been granted, patent #: 11,104,432. I think a drone like this could have industrial applications where a drone needs to operate close to people, objects, and in confined spaces to do inspection and other activities.
/ stefano-rivellini-8a31...
As a professor in IT and Engineering, for me It is very enjoyable to see young people using their creativity to develop new and revolutionary ideas! Congratulation!!! (Y)
;;☆》♡♡♡.... i worked for a Boeing subsidiary for a while, then Raytheon, as lead programmer for the Engineering division in Colorado.... It's so much fun... I would have paid them for the opportunity to play with Boeing's fabrication of light weight composite materials.... prior to that I was an exotic car technician, working on Jaguars for my apprenticeship and Alfa Romeo and BMW before the yuppies found them... I build stuff... for other people.... I am autodidactic ... I program in 8 languages and work with Microsoft software... when I find people who are self motivated.... I latch on.... because they are our future
Want to know the best way to create your future? ==>> turn off your television ==>> please 🙏 It's not accurate information.... it's propaganda and brainwashing that teaches one thing and one thing only ==>> how to be a passive observer Turn it off... you really DON'T need it
That design could be an option for residential deliveries in a near future delivery service ...
thought exactly the same thing and your comment is from 13 min ago :D. Sell to Bezos
Yeh, just have to make them broom and bullet proof
Or just a good pilot that can avoid drone catchers
Ducted fans are extremely loud and extremely inefficient, the noise pollution would render it a disturbance and the range would be very limited due to the poor thrust to weight ratio achieved by the ducted fans. Thus this design shall not see use in package delivery. however it is a facinating experimental design
I wanted to refer to the idea of having the drone propellers spinning inside a protective liner like some helicopters tail rotor. I don't know anyone who hasn't cut their fingers on the current design
The solution appears to be much safer. If you work out how to increase the power, minimise the noise level and reduce the power consumption, one day, it may start bringing you some good money. As for now, it is a leaf blower on steroids.
Sikorsky? The helicopter guy?
So increase the power and decrease the power at the same time. Makes sense. Never seen a leaf blower that can fly and hover.
I am constantly amazed by the fact that this generation can produce such sophisticated engineering projects from relatively cheap off-the-shelf components. Commonplace technology has advanced incredibly since I was in college.
Cool idea, I love the sound it makes. But there are a few issues. - The fans you're using are designed for high airflow, not high pressure. Having long tubes, AND sharp corners will limit airflow and increase pressure and therefore reduce your performance and efficiency. I would not be surprised at all if you found you're only producing half the rated airflow. - Generally, ducted fans are specifically designed to be used in an open environment, any custom ductwork added will reduce performance & efficiency. - Mounting motors horizontally instead of vertically means that you can not leverage the effect of the motors torque to rotate/yaw the aircraft If the goal is to simply reduce incursions into the props, simply adding a wire mesh guard around the props would be significantly cheaper and lighter. If you mount those ducted fans all vertically, and add mesh you can reduce the size of the aircraft by a huge margin, increase the flight time, performance, and handling.
Thanks Matthew. People should be smart enough to learn from the way you criticize and share your ideas
Yeah very informative. Love fly my drones, I get a real kick out of it. Unfortunately not good with electronics, so when they malfunction does my head in.
funny to see people commenting and giving all their "advise" while they never even accompliced something like this by themselves. I would say build the perfect one yourself and then you have something to say.
@@12vibaba I think giving advice is valuable nonetheless. At least in my case, I work with this stuff as a career.
Simple problem, simple solution. Damn good work! Innovators like you are the future of humanity. Keep it up!
Simple solution? Come on...
@@brendandsouza5331 Of course it is! I would simply put a tube around the blades and cover an inlet and outlet with a mesh and it would give the same result. No need to act like it needs to be a "hi-tech" solution to this simple problem! But well... it wouldn't make so many views, would it?
I think "bladeless" drones are the future of drone delivery and drone medical assistance, cuz it prevents idiots from getting injured by the blades and possibly suing the companies.
Exactly.... Mente
I am impressed and excellent example of thinking outside the "blade"....
To all of you taking shots at this young guy, just remember. No one ever built a monument to a critic! Well done Stefano. You might want to study the environment carefully so what you eventually come up with will be unique, patentable and able to be a good earner for you.
Nice work! Super impressive.
true
Amazing idea and design. you have found a good solution for the dangerous blades! Great Job!! Can't wait to see more upgrades to your vessel!
Great job! Thinkers like you is what our future needs. Now for the next step. Carrying people.
All the negative comments... I give the kid respect for using his imagination and trying to do something better with safety in mind. Fact is. He is on to something. Everyone hating on him. Yet. Where is your designs?
you don't need to know how to fly a helicopter to know the guy in the tree fucked up
Great job Stefano. Your tether tests are incredibly similar to how NASA is testing next generation landers.
hi
Whoa
Opal stone, i like how aussie develope something
Yep - I work at JSC and see them test the Morpheus all the time same way.
@@shellyoung2646 lol.. that escalated quickly. Less caffeine... maybe.
Wow. Great build. Using CFD software, carbon fiber structure, safety focused. This is awesome. You're a man with a bright future.
Well done young man, not only amazing work but you’re also a shining an example to kids all over. 👍
So basicaly 4 variable speed leaf blowers connected to a central hub. NICE!!
hahaha thats right
Stefano, it is people like you that can make a difference in the world of micro flight objects. Don't you be thinking that you have not achieved anything great when you truly have? Remember you are the first with your concept of high-pressure expelled air to enable controlled flight.
Stefano, first and foremost, congratulations on your project. While I haven’t flown my RC helicopters or drones for sometime, I can assure you they can be dangerous, and require utmost respect whilst flying them. For the rest of you that complain that this drone is not truly blade-less, I suggest you have a look at some of the RC helicopter and drone forums in the “Accidents” section. There you will find picture of operators who have met up with the exposed blades of their RC craft. Trust me, there are some gory pictures to see, not to mention, learn from. BTW, one of the main reasons I gave up RC helicopters was the fact that within a 3 week period, two people were killed by their RC helicopters. Yes. Really. So, again, congratulations on making this a safer hobby! Much respect!
No blade-less, thanks a lot. Compresors uses blades to generate airflow, but they are hide into a box. Good video.
who know maybe this is the future of every drone, good job mate !
no, it adds unnecessary weight. just cover the intakes
@@midgetman4206 I'm not saying this version of drone is the best one, but for sure this add variety to the drone design, this version also more durable to weather i believe, but on the other hand it consume more of power and lack of stability due to unnecessary turbulance
From someone whos been building FPS drones for years, this is a really cool build man. I hope this inspires you to build more awesome builds, we need fresh minds like yours to build the future.
You could drastically make this design more efficient! * Have 1 motor with opposite spinning blades like the russian Kamov KA-50 - save weight. * Duct the Air via servo controlled ports for balancing and speed - save weight. * Longer flight time with a RC model petrol engine - save weight to power ratio. * Work on the CFD of those tubes so the airflow is better It didn't look optimal. * Make the nozzles like Dysons or a Hovercraft with a narrow slit in them, this raises the static pressure from the nozzle outlets and thus lift force.
Single motor with ports same tging i was thinking
With a single engine you'll need a larger blade - just like a helicopter.
And a stupidly simple change: let the thrust come from above the centre of mass, not below. Should make it vastly more controllable.
Great work, thank you for sharing your project with us ✌
Ducted fans seem cool, idk about their thrust:diameter ratio but I'm sure it's good, however their overall thrust:cost ratio seems very high. I've always wondered if adding multiple turbine blades/ducted props to the same motor would work better? Of course it would come at a cost to efficiency but so do coaxial propellers, though most importantly they are great for saving space. This guy seems to be doing it right, props to him and his dad! Putting a patent in, using this as a project for his degree, this guy's going to go far!
Stefano - This is an awesome and amazing accomplishment!! Congratulations for doing something special. I don't think most people can even realize the magnitude of your innovation. You will get a lot of jealous haters because you are making great progress. Expect it... use it to drive you forward, confirming you are on a path to doing something spectacular!!!
Holy crap. That is one of the most impressive efforts that i've seen in a while. Awesome. Patents? Should. Great.
Excellent work. When the drones finally come to finish me off, I hope it’s one of these.
Brilant work Stefano. The greatest improvement in the drone world, lately.
Safety is no.1, there is nothing out there to compare to this well done and good luck for the future!
SO MANY HARSH COMMENT.... but you don't all listen to the intention of the design and engineering. Good work bro! Keep inventing...
Agreed! He needs to continue and keep on keepin on! This dude is one intelligent beast! Props on the homemade carbon works!!!
Wow. This is amazing 👏🙌 bravo. The noise reduction is absolutely incredible. This kid is going places.
Your passion and talent are wonderful!!
Pure Genius. Bravo to you on this invention. Now file a patent ASAP!!!
Wow that's innovation you need to patent it. There will be positive reviews and negative comments as well but u know better than let those things affect you. Keep your brilliant mind buzzing with those ideas and I wish you the best.
Thats not an innovation, its not even something that you could get a design patent on.
Love it ! Excellent build scenes too. Can't wait to see more.
Very impressive. Home built projects are very satisfying and fun.
Now imagine this: 1) One large intake, one engine. 2) Three distribution ducts that are able to turn 180° each. 3) Three output cones that can regulate its own diameter in order to change output pressure. 4) An arduino board to control them all, and it darkness bind them in the land of Mordor where the shadows lie.
Almost exactly what I was going to say, almost.
Having one central motor will cause the multicopter to spin in its use axis as a result of the motor’s torque. A drone’s yaw axis is controlled by increasing the throttle for two motors spinning the same direction and lowering the throttle for two others spinning the other direction. Thereby increasing the moment force for one direction. Helicopters are an easy example of only having one motor. If something happens to the back rotor, theres a dramatic spin out and crash
@@kennyt930 the output of the ducts can be used to offset the rotation of the fan.
Fantastic work! Great result too with a safer quadflyer. Note: When cutting and sanding carbon fiber it's a really good idea to wear a filter mask. Bits of carbon fiber can have really nasty long-term effects when inhaled.
Superb work, much patience doing all that parts layup too. Well done sir!!
You should be very proud of yourself, you did an amazing job. Well done.
Finally Time has come. Dude hardwork pays off. 2 year after everyone got this video in their recommendations . Every comment is new here.
Damn dude! Impressive work!
the Hacksmith hi
more like impressive fake
@@seashellfishtrading8884 Well he is actually Hacksmith
If those motors drew 120 amps, they would have car starter motor size wiring, and be as big and heavy as a V8 starter motor.
Fun Fact: This drone actually has blades, just that they're inside
Yes, ofc... Afterall anti gravity isn't discovered yet
Thank you Mr. Obvious
I wished it truly had no blades and it would be controlled by air pumps
@@treeinafield5022 u must say that to the video title
@@chabhishek3282 technically ion propulsion is possible, but I guess it's not mass manufactured enough to actually be useable on drones yet.
Excellent work I think you have an exciting, enjoyable future in front of you.
This is utterly amazing, dude! Wow!! Congrats and hope you get the recognition your invention deserve.
Looks like this is coming up in everyone’s recommend😂😂
Lmao tru
It did in mine😂😂
@@fox25_fpv19 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
Amazing. can see so many variations and control implementations that could be done. so inspirational.
This is an old video yes, but damn is it still interesting as heck in 2022. Outstanding job.
Really impressive. Have you thought about controlling the angle and iris of the jets and the via a controller? If they could rotate you might be able to use a single larger turbine and alter the drone by swivelling the outlet and/or reducing the iris. This would give much finer control, but obviously at the cost of complexity.
Awesome... Half way to the discovery of the Harrier Jet Aircraft
kzhead.info/sun/mM6rZZyMaqmQd3A/bejne.html How right you are ....
Really nice project, well done! It seems like a very nice way to build futuristic models like spaceships, that would be amazing!
A young man creating the future. Fantastic stuff
GREAT WORK MAN!!👌💯👍 Amazing design and build, one of the best I've seen, period.
energy efficieny (read: battery life) will make this useless in practise - while simple propellerguards will cover the "safety aspect" to a sufficent degree on a more energy efficient drone. (also, dont fly drones in living beeings faces - that helps a lot with "safety") the idea of such jets is not new (harrier jets i.e.) - but he has put real effort into building, and he has a clever way of testing his construction so i must say well done.
my guy.... you're on to something futuristic, i got a feeling that patent of yours is going places, keep up the ingenuity.
Safer design and also is less likely to get damaged by bumping into something. Very impressive.
Neat! My first thought was flight time. Not to crap on your success but I would assume that the efficiency is pretty bad. The ducting and the fact that the air has to make 2 90 degree turns has got to add a lot of turbulence to the airflow, whereas a normal quad's air path is straight through the props. Second thought was "how the hell does he control the yaw" but I figured it out. The slight angular offset in the ducting would allow the controller to control it the same as a normal quad. Really neat how the thrust offset has the same effect as the rotational mass of the props! Awesome project man!
The amount of power that uses is insane. Awesome though
Super innovative solutions, your future is bright. Great work. A++
It looks like a flying desk chair base haha. Great work man super cool. Definatley has some professional applications.
And you have only begun. Can't wait to see your evolution on this.
Great work.... really impressed..... one suggestion...(up to you weather you gonna heed the advice) Use a down draft table and a dust mask when cutting trimming sanding any artificial man made material (Plastic, fiberglass, carbonfiber, kevlar, etc.) ... fibrosis is usually the illness suffered by people working with artificial materials.... particles don't break down and usually in-bed themselves into the lung tissue..... think about it..... 1000 years from now you and I and many of our future generations would long be gone and that material is going to stay there..... Just a friendly advice.... and also it helps if you use respirator when you do your resin mixing.... those fumes are not the best either.... lol.... Stay safe....
Hope you didnt give up on this , all great ideas start somewhere and i like your thinking , best part of this entire video is you didnt just try and quit , you kept at it till you got results, i applaud you 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏 very good job , the only issue i see is the sound , drones with props tend to be quieter in flight but still an awesome video ....
nice craftsmanship and design....max respect
Great concept and awesome implementation!! Of course it had to be carbon fibre to keep the weight down, but man, you've done an outstanding job with all the fabrication!!
The efficiency must be pretty bad as the turbulence in those bent tubes is really intense. If you just mounted ducted fans in the corners extending the duct long enough to keep fingers out you would get safety with much more efficiency. or you could just put a wire mesh over a standard ducted fan intake and exhaust.
This is a great start. Well done. Solve the noise issue and I'm on board. The lack of comments that mention noise leads me to believe there is quite a bit of knee jerk enthusiasm and acceptence.
the noise is my first thought/comment. I'm not the biggest fan of technology like this but I do keep up.
Love it! Great thinking, creativity. You give me hope for the future!
Quick! Get the patent on the first autonomous leaf blower! ; )
Great work! People are quick to judge on here and dont seem to realize the potential of this machine and the fact that this is a hand made prototype. sure lots can be improved but it the first step to mass production or a line of custom one off pieces made for the needs of the individual customer. PS dysons "bladeless fan" uses a turbine. Also, always use a mask/filtration when working with carbon fiber etc, it really does cause damage to your lungs (carbon etc wont break down)
This is whats is used to give some jets a vto, pretty clever. Nice build
Congratulations!!! Very well done!!!
And here's another video everyone suddenly got recommended. It's still cool though.
Tip: Add a nozzle to the ducted fan to turn it into a compressor which provides more thrust. Propellers aren't designed to produce thrust, they're built to "pull" the aircraft through the air using lift, while ducted fans (model jet engines) are built for air flow. Air flow + nozzle = compression, and thrust. Added bonus is that you can gimbal the nozzles for thrust vectoring.
That is Sooo Coool! Yeah man! That could have tons of possibilities..military, advertising, etc...Search and Rescue...keep up the awesomeness!
Wow!! You've got talent. Amazing!!
This is actually an innovation like no other. He solved a problem of crossing a dangerous mode of transport into and incredibly safe one. If you built this design much larger so a person could ride it, it would basicly be a flying car.
Now you just have to focus on increasing power because of the covers and then from there make it hearing safe when you sit on it- Honestly I dont think this is the answer for flying vehicles.
Efficiency would be an issue. Basically you are pushing the air through a pipe which will cause massive head loss (loss of force). Another issue with a quadcopter design is that in the case of an engine failure it cannot autorotate and land safely like a helicopter can. If one of the four motors/engines dies it would be game over.
@@Rex-sy8ye yeah i know what you mean. But they have some 1 man "drones" and yes the same problem applys, but what i mean ultimately is that the idea of internerlizing the blades or jets is a geinus Idea. It stops a big problem of not only danger but direction.
I know this video is old, and I hear you guys' complaints. Yes this is a large drone, yes it is loud, and will cost more than your DJI drone, but so will any drone that big. It is loud but, sounds way cooler than a normal drone, plus, the fact that there are no exposed blades, honestly makes me feel like this would be a great idea to implement on delivery drones, camera drones, etc., especially if drone deliveries become a thing. Honestly who doesnt want a drone that sounds like its powered by jet engines?
keep it up for a young man you are going on the right track. looking forward to your next video
Lovely. I like this drone design and it sounds cool as well
I am over 50 and been an engineer most of my life. Don't pay attention to the negative comments on here written by 14 yo's because it doesn't work and look like their 29.00 Walmart drone they got for Christmas. This was a true achievement in thinking outside the box and designing and building something that actually works. Most people that have idea like this never get them off paper and if they do, they never actually get a working prototype. Thomas Edison built and tested over 3000 prototypes of the electric bulb before he got it right and now look what it is today. Keep up with your good work. You may have something that is very valuable someday to all of society or even the future of mankind.
Except it, please explain how it can Yaw, and I'm over 50 too and build dozens of drones.
Please explain to me, technically, how this drone can YAW, given that the motors are laying on their side? If the tubes could vector that would be a way to YAW. This design is great, it's really innovative, but it has a massive design flaw.
@@MakatiSuites I believe it is in the offset of the outlets, note that they are at a slight angle, so that one side has the ducts facing each other just a little bit and the opposite side the same. By adjusting motor speed to one set of ducts that are angled in same direction more than the others it will yaw. Cool!
Right on Bob Green, I too am a product designer and mechanical engineer and am over 50. Glad to see anyone making something themselves, especially as challenging as this! lots of great fabrication done himself, so screw the naysayers!
Are you sure Edison really did much own testing with the light bulbs? As far as I've heard he mostly ripped other people off who did that for him (or before him). And what it is today (or was) is a gigantic scam, btw. But of course you're right about the achievement in this video!
Have you heard of the "coanda" effect? It uses a shaped dome over which the air is blown, it increases the airflow and makes the machine more efficient, have a look for the coanda effect on Google and KZhead, it might be something you could incorporate into a drone design. Fantastic job on this one! Best wishes David Burville
Yeah I was wondering why he didn’t do that like the dyson fans do.
@@lifehackertips - the substantially flared intakes perform a similar function. Dyson 'fans' are expensive and inefficient.
Bravo! That thing is totally cool and doesn't seem to make much more noise than a quadcopter with blades does.
Looks like you've got some great ideas. Keep up the good work.
You could probably increase the lifting capacity of this drone by attaching a single large dusted fan to the top of it, using the existing 4 motors just for control and having the big motor provide most the lift.
Great job! I hope some company will hire you and give you a few million dollars to produce a larger product, one in which people could fly! Great going! Keep it up!
I gave him a million dollars. ..... He spent it on cocain and hookers 😐😑😕
@@livecanadiangirls2216 lmao true
This has a great future in the leaf blowing industry :-)
What everyone calls it: Bladeless What it really is: Covered blades Still very sweet.
Very well done young man! I hope you have a long bright and successful future, with smarts like that I can't see how you could fail.....Just watch out for jealous people though.
I’m curious how much force is lost by making the ducted air take two 90 degree turns before exiting the vent
A huge amount on a good day. A better design would have had the bladed fans in a straight pipe only long enough to ensure you can't get nailed by the fans.
@@strictnonconformist7369 I love that all the weight is centralized though.... I have a vintage alfa with a rear transaxle.... it wastes a huge amount of power from the engine but balances the car 50/50 so it handles amazing.... so there are tradeoffs.
Almost zero. There is a lot of energy wasted by sending the air through the ducts, but not so much the bends. Also, EDFs aren't known for their efficiency. Still a very cool design though.
@@shawnhollahan590 there are always tradeoffs. As to the previous comment by another poster about amount of energy lost as a result of 2 90 degree turns, I’d love to see that measured and verified, having had a certain amount of formal training in hydraulics and pneumatics for robotics/automation purposes. The higher the pressures involved, the farther away from zero energy lost it becomes: this is how and why Tesla turbines work, because boundary layers of air have a very measurable amount of viscosity and air hates to change directions to flow against it. 2 90 degree turns creates air boundaries out of airflows, above and beyond the walls. This is why hydraulic and pneumatic circuits try to minimize the number of bends required, including ordinary plumbing, because you lose head that way.
Stefano tested that and found NO reduction in thrust.
Dude that is so awesome you are smart young man keep up the good work
This is great work, think personal flying drones will become more and more mainstream with one issue they can cut your head off until innovations like this could propel a existing project to the top, well done good work.
Best wishes to you. I can see how this could have a great application in agriculture where you would be flying in and around branches, leaves, and other detritus. Next question, of course, is can you get the engines quieter (that's a hard engineering problem, I'm sure)? Wow, really impressed with you and your dad. Great work!
That high pitch squeal will give you noise induced hearing loss. Need to make the duct exits sawtooth shaped to reduce the noise. Look at Boeing 787 GEnx engine nacelle or the article on noise suppression by Purdue School of Aeronautics to see what I mean.
So thats why they do that. Always wondered about those thanks
At first, I thought that such plumbing would never fly. Only if it falls on someone. You did a great job. It can be super maneuverable with these super ducts.
Well done, young man.
No matter what anyone says... youre a thinker and i hope karma is real to those nay sayers, good job kid... keep that mind open.
I'm telling you, this young kid have a nice future.... I don't think it will fit for commercial drones market.... but I see a much bigger fit on aircraft new technology.
@@noteden3446 ur a piece of shit
Considering how insanely inefficient it will be that way, wouldn't it just be easier to put some large cowls around some normal blades? If you're already using a ducted fan, why add 2x 90 degree bends when you could just put the fans themselves at the end of the arms and use the duct as protection? This'd be really cool if you could run it all off one large jet and have each arm control the amount of thrust through something like a throttle body.
You should call it a the "Hover Duct" drone. Fantastic job! 🤘😁
Impressive work you put in.....