Term 252

Spherical Bladeless-Exterior Drone with Internal EDFs and Vectorized Air-Jets​

Project Type: Self-Initiated

Project Description

This project presents the design of a spherical bladeless drone using internal micro-compressors and vectorized air-jets to eliminate exposed propellers. The proposed system improves safety, reduces acoustic noise, and enhances fault tolerance compared to conventional multi-rotor drones. By enclosing all thrust-generation components inside a 15-cm spherical shell, the drone is suitable for operation in crowded urban, indoor, and industrial environments. The design integrates a thrust-vectoring control architecture with high-frequency inner-loop stabilization based on pressure sensors and IMU feedback. The prototype targets low-noise operation (≤60 dBA at 1 m), safe impact forces (≤50 N at 1 m/s), and stable flight under partial thrust failure. This work evaluates the feasibility of a new drone class aligned with emerging safety, delivery, and emergency-response applications.