entrepeneur - artist - founder - leader - drone expert - ai evengelist - speaker - dad
Improving the human experience with technology.
The Max 8 Heavy Lift UAV
Developed, manufactured, and sold from 2013 through 2018, the Max 8 UAV was early on the scene for heavy lift options before such a UAV was commercially available. The revolutionary and unique, folding-arm x-8 multi rotor configuration aircraft was designed to solve the need for flexible payload options on an airframe that could lift heavier payloads, such as a full-sized DSLR camera, or even a LIDAR payload, and also fit a small footprint for travel and pack out.
The Max 8 was manufactured completely in-house from custom carbon fiber plate on the CNC, to custom power distribution, spark arrest and other electronics, and also additive manufactured cowls and frame body parts.
This aircraft was quick to deploy, easy to stow, and traveled well to get to jobs across the country. This aircraft was manufactured and sold to engineering, mapping/survey, and infrastructure firms for photogrammetric 3D data and LIDAR data collection.
Skills and Experience:
- CAD Airframe Design and Mechanical Engineering
- Additive Manufacturing
- Electronics / Soldering / Electrical engineering
- Propulsion System Design and Optimization
- Sales and Marketing
- UAV Flight Training
- Aerial LIDAR
- Photogrammetry and Mapping
- Flight Planning and Automation Software
Problem:
– Heavy lift options existed only as bulky massive air frames which did not easily travel for work.
– Carbon fiber airframes easily transmit vibrations through the frame which can negatively impact image and other sensor data capture.
Solution:
– The max 8 UAV was designed and constructed to fit specifically in a rugged rifle case, which could be checked as luggage on nearly any domestic flight without incurring oversize or overweight fees.
– The Max 8 airftrame incorporated a revolutionary new vibration isolation design that integrate the battery mass into the payload attachment tray and mechanism to help reduce unwanted vibrations.
