Tech

EXO 1 Exoskeleton: Make A Search & Rescue Drone Out Of Your DJI Phantom 4

uBmuse
First Posted: Oct 13, 2016 05:28 AM EDT

Drone Manufacturers have been trying to make the best out of their portable drones. DJI has been following the same trend with its reveal of the Mavic Pro earlier this September. The new drone maybe half the weight of the earlier DJI Phantom 4, but with the addition of the EXO 1 exoskeleton, the Phantom 4 turns into a dedicated search and rescue Drone.

An amazing 3D-printed add-on by Frost Design, the exoskeleton can be quickly attached to the DJI Phantom 4. The attachment adds quite a number of features to the drone, making it a useful tool for a search and rescue operation.

Everything about the EXO 1, You should Know:

The EXO 1 exoskeleton is a rugged and lightweight attachment for the DJI Phantom 4. It has been designed specifically to be useful to the search and rescue teams so as to make their efforts simpler during fires and natural disasters. The exoskeleton can also be used for any other aerial assistance or surveillance.

The EXO 1 Exoskeleton is Search and rescue ready and with its rugged design is very easy to assemble. You don't need to be an electronics engineer or a carpenter to assemble it. It has a Cable tie mounting system and hence even any additional tools are not required to attach it to the DJI Phantom 4.

The 3D printed friendly design is not only Lightweight but strong as well. The EXO 1 also has a number of GoPro mounting points that can be used for attaching cameras, lights or any other accessories adopted to the mounting design. Bicycle light mounts can also be used to improve the GoPro's visibility in day or night. Search & rescue lighting system can also be mounted on it.

According to the designer, the mounting points work extremely well with 'Knog Qudos' lights because of their small size and powerful lightning coupled with GoPro mounting ports. The EXO 1 can also be equipped with a simple payload system. The DJI Phantom 4 when attached with the EXO 1, can lift a small payload and deliver it without landing on the ground by using some carabiners and neodinyum magnetic. All the other person has to do is to pull the payload lightly from the magnet mounts.

The EXO 1 exoskeleton came first into being in a design contest sponsored by DJI in collaboration with Shapeways. The aim of the contest was to show how versatile the Phantom 4 and Shapeways 3D-printing service were. The EXO 1 marked first spot in the contest, winning the designer $1,000 and also a DJI Phantom 4 drone. The exoskeleton is currently available on Shapeways and costs $113.

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