Military Deployment Drone
MISSION: Mini-drones have limited range once in flight; severely restricting their usefulness from a tactical standpoint. We developed a lightweight mid-size search-and-rescue drone that would be capable of launching a fleet of specialized miniature search-and-delivery drones controlled from a distant base location.
THE TASK
PTI DESIGN’S ROLE:
The PTI Design drone was developed in collaboration with one of our interns from The College of Creative Studies. PTI Design annually participates with CCS to prepare seniors for graduation as they complete their senior project. Our head of design created the drone objective to broaden our defense portfolio, along with providing an impressive final senior project.
DESIGN STUDIES
Pre-render Lighting Study
DESIGNED TO FLY AS WELL AS IT LOOKS:
When we set out to create a military drone, we decided early on to do away with the all-function no form approach of the past. Aerodynamics and mobility remain at the forefront of the design, with integrated landing gear and wind splitters molded directly into the fuselage.
PROTOTYPES
THIS ISN’T THE MODEL AIRPLANE YOU GREW UP WITH
By combining 3D printing and traditional foam modeling, we were able to quickly create a number of model studies before finalizing the overall design. These models are ideal for both visualizing scale, testing fit, as well as CMF (color, material, and finish).
FINAL PRODUCT DESIGN
PREFLIGHT
The final prototype was created at 1:18 scale, highlighting our advanced design studio techniques and capabilities. It remained on display during the senior show, serving as inspiration for future students and alumni alike, before being implemented into a national marketing campaign for PTI Design